The Mizuno JPX900 brings the next level of adjustability to their fairway range with the addition of a sliding FastTrack weight to the adjustable hosel that was on the previous Mizuno JPX850 fairway.
The sole still features the Shockwave design to enable the face to flex a little and put more weight in the sole. How much speed this generates over a flat sole it is hard to judge, but at least it looks fast.
The FastTrack has been on several iterations of Mizuno drivers like the JPX900 and now there is a single 43mm long track for the 15g weight to slide back and forth along.
The FastTrack shows three positions marked 1, 2 and 3, but you can actually position the weight anywhere you like. As also helpfully noted on the sole, moving the weight to the rear in position 3 will make it go higher as it should increase launch and spin, whereas the front Low setting at position 1 should do the opposite.
This gives Mizuno fitters an extra option to try and dial in the performance of the JPX900 to suit you swing, so I thought I would try it out in each of the three positions on SkyTrak.
As you can see as I moved the weight the effect on spin was minimal or more likely, overridden by the effect of my less than 100% consistent swing. Visually the launches looked pretty similar with some subtle differences in height, so really the most noticeable effect was on the sound and feel of the head.
With the weight at the front it gave a thinner, higher pitched sound, whereas towards the back it is a more fuller sound. Therefore, unless it makes a big difference I would go for the Goldilocks setting number 2 in the middle, which will probably be just right.
At address it sat very well and almost a little back on itself which enables you to see a touch more of the face than on the JPX850.
Even when you adjusted the Quick Switch hosel by +/- 2° the face still sat pretty square and starting with the right head loft before you begin adjusting it is probably going to be the main factor in getting the flight that you want.
The JPX900 fairway has a more matte blue finish than the glossy JPX850, which I think looks pretty good even if the orange shaft does its best to counter this.
Colour aside, the Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution II is a great shaft and suits the club really well, providing much more feel than the Orochi that was in previous generations.
Compared to the previous model the whole general feel of the JPX900 fairway is more solid and better sounding with a bit more zip and less of a rigid feel in a good looking head.
And looks are going to matter here because this is not a cheap fairway. It is the same price as the TaylorMade M1 2017 and Titleist 917 fairways that also have sliding weights and adjustable hosels, but these brands have more heritage in this category and they all have their work cut out competing with the cheaper non-adjustable cannons in the market.
Fans of blue fairways and Mizuno diehards probably won't think twice about this, so if you are willing to take the FastTrack to the JPX900 then you will be rewarded with the best fairway Mizuno has done to date.