Martin Hopley
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The Mizuno JPX850 Forged irons take over from the JPX825 Pro irons, which were one of our favourite Best Buy forged irons for mid-handicappers, so it has a lot to live up to.

Mizuno JPX850 Iron

As well as the number upgrade, the 'Pro' moniker has been replaced by 'Forged' just to make sure you know that this is not a cast game improvement club.

Thankfully the shape is pretty similar to before with the design of the cavity back being slightly different to move the weight round the edges of the club to increase the forgiveness. In addition the finish has changed from black and chrome to all chrome to give it that shiny forged blade look and I think that works well.

Mizuno JPX850 JPX825 Compare

However, the biggest change is in what you can't see and that is the addition of the boron into the make up of the steel head.

As all you chemists out there know, boron is metal that is 30% stronger than steel, so adding the two together creates a stronger material that then enables Mizuno to make the face thinner to increase ball speed.

Mizuno JPX850 Iron Hosel

The ball speed was impressive as on our launch monitor it was more than a Mizuno H5 iron and almost the same as the Mizuno JPX850 cast iron.

The thinner face then weighs less and this weight is then moved to the edges of the club to increase the Moment of Intertia (MOI) to make it more forgiving.

Mizuno JPX850 Iron Cavity

However the best thing is that even with the firmer material, because it is forged the feel is still excellent and it was a joy to hit. The sound was just as you would expect from a forged iron and the flight was medium high with good penetration. The JPX850 Forged feels like a better player's blade disguised as a cavity back for those who don't quite have the consistency or swing speed to play the real thing.

The length of the head is the same as the standard JPX850, but the top line is thinner and the offset is similar to a blade so it looks sharper at address without being like the proverbial breadknife.

Mizuno JPX850 Iron Address

The sole grinds on the leading and trailing edge of the sole are also still there and they help the club go through the turf very easily as well as making the sole play a little narrower than it actually is.

Mizuno JPX850 Iron Toe

The stock steel shaft is the True Temper XP115 shaft, which is a stepped shaft that is around 15 grams lighter than a Dynamic Gold in S300 flex. It really makes the club, as the feel is just what a better player would want, but also it is light enough to increase the club head speed to get the most from that faster face.

True Temper XP115 Iron Shaft

This is one of those easy reviews where a great product is improved without the core of what made it special in the first placed being messed with. Whilst the extra ball speed from the boron is nice, irons like these are less about extra distance and more about how they play and the easy answer is that they feel, sound and perform like blades, but with more forgiveness.

Recently one of my scratch golfer friends who is a father of 2 kids said he was thinking of upgrading his old Mizuno's for some of their latest blades and I suggested he look at irons like the Mizuno JPX850 Forged instead.

Neither of us is getting any younger or has the spare time to put the practice in to start shaping the ball, so I encouraged him to forget the macho blade nonsense and go with the JPX850 Forged irons that offer great feel and make the game easier.

I mean, what is not to like about that?

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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Mizuno JPX850 Forged Irons - Product Details

UK Launch01 September 2014
UK Launch RRP£800
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens, Women
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
ManufactureForged
MaterialSteel
FinishChrome
Shaft TypesSteel, Graphite
Shaft FlexLight, Ladies, Regular, Stiff
DesignCavity Back
Set Makeup4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
Manufacturer's WebsiteMizuno Website

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User Reviews

Merlin
February 2023

It's hard to beat the feel of Mizuno irons. I find my JPX 850's go a consistent distance with a mid-launch ball flight and plenty of stopping power on the greens. I'm a 6 handicap and have loved these irons for five seasons. My driver speed is still low 90's yet still play these irons in the stiff shaft with no issues. Solid set of sticks and highly recommended.

November 2016

Mid to high handicapper. Love the feel and sound of these clubs.

July 2016

I'm a 67 year old high to mid handicap and have started playing again after over 30 years break. With help of the pros at my local club over the past two and half years playing with Ben Ross Hot irons the guys decided an upgrade was due - and boy what an upgrade. Fantastic. The clubs almost demand you hit good shots . I now have the whole summer to explore these JPX 850 forged clubs and lower my handicap.

June 2016

Upgraded from Nike Pro Combo and no comparison. Best investment to my golf game in years! Very soft, took 2-3 rounds to get used to the soft feel. Mizuno makes a great product.

May 2016

I had a set of 2016 Ping i irons and could not get on with them but I was all over the place and inconsistent so I had to get rid of them. I then bought a set of Mizuno EZ Forged as a stop gap and was very happy with them and then saw a set of the JPX850 forged on E-Bay and went for them. I dithered over them for some time before I used them as they had the XP 115 shafts in them which was heavier than I've been playing.

Took the plunge on a recent trip to Hunstanton and Brancaster in Norfolk and I'm so glad I did. They are awesome. Regained my distance, lovely feel and so easy to hit. Even my thinned 9 iron managed to find the green at 135 yards. I was lucky to hit the Ping 120 yds before my swing was destroyed by the lack of confidence. Penetrating 4 iron back up to 185 or so - it's like i was 30 again!

The Mizuno's have restored my confidence and distance - I just love them. I have even bought a Mizuno golf bag as I will be staying with these for some time.

Still have my Ping G30 driver and fairways which are great clubs but can't praise the JPX850 Forged enough. Beautiful looking with a great feel and tons of forgiveness.

Handicap 11.

April 2016

Just ordered these after a custom fitting session. Were more forgiving than anything else I hit. 1/2 inch longer with kbs tour 90 stiff shafts. Can't wait to hit the links with these. For me these felt way better than AP1s, PSIs, AP2s, MP 25s, etc. 12 handicap.

January 2016

I love the feel and the look at address is very eye pleasing, I just ordered my wedges Mizuno S5's in Ion Blue with the same shafts as my irons I went with the KBS C taper Lite's.

January 2016

Have played with these irons for two summers having upgraded from the MX-25's. I love the 'thinner' look at address to other 'fatter' looking clubs. Mizuno style is top end and the playability is great. I am delighted with these clubs. Handicap 10. Henry

November 2015

Just got my JPX850's and unlike the previous reviewers I am not hitting them as far as my TaylorMade SpeedBlades. I'm also not getting consistent gaps between each club. Have a GC2 and I can trust the numbers.

Will be interesting how I get on with then on the course. I may just need to get used to them. Great looking product never the less.

October 2015

I have a set and have been pretty satisfied. However do not get carried away with the promoted extra length on shots. The reason they go longer is because Mizuno have de-lofted each club by 2 degrees. The JPX850 8 iron is actually the same loft as the MP54 7 iron.

Check out the specifications on their own site for proof.

July 2015

Brilliant clubs. A unique blend of forgiveness and shot shaping. Good for mid - low handicappers.

June 2015

240 yds with a 4 iron. Lol.

June 2015

I hit the ping G30 and the MP-54 before I tried the JPX850 forged irons with the true temper XP115 shaft and could not believe how much longer these clubs are - with the 8 iron going 185 yds and the 4 iron 240 yds . Needless to say my game has dropped 4 strokes. 8 handicap to a 4. I've only had them for a month but cant tell anybody they will absolutely love them.

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