Note: This review is a few weeks late. Due to some technical issues some of the video files were lost. I tried to recover them but was unsuccessful. Instead of delaying this any further I decided to give you the review anyway and add my conclusion to this post.
For any that knows me, I have used TaylorMade Clubs since 2007. I used TaylorMade for many reasons. At the time, when I was playing on the Hooters Tour TaylorMade was one of the best brands out there. I also had access to TaylorMade's fitting system which was more advanced than any other. It was basically what TaylorMade calls The Kingdom today. Fast forward a few years to 2009 I was on staff with TaylorMade as a club pro and the company was very great to me. Even after my staff agreement ended the company was still good to me. I played the same irons and 3 wood from 2009 until this year.
Why did I choose Mizuno?
As great as TaylorMade has been to me, going forward this year I wanted to see what else was out there and what would benefit my game. I tested the TaylorMade MBs and thought those would be the clubs I would purchase. However, when I went to The PGA Show in late January it gave me a chance to demo many other brands. I tried Srixon/Cleveland, Cobra, Callaway, and even XXIO. I was not impressed with any of them. I then tried Mizuno and instantly fell in love. The saying "Nothing Feels Like a Mizuno" is real.
I was still undecided about what I wanted so in the meantime I went to GolfTec Metairie to have my swing data checked. This was really just to confirm my swing numbers and get fit for the proper shaft in the woods. Believe it or not, I had been playing a driver for 8 years that did not have the correct shaft for my swing. Once GolfTec confirmed my numbers and we found the correct shaft I contacted Mizuno and ordered my clubs.
Here is my conclusion.
These may be the best irons I have ever hit. The pure feeling is unlike any other. The look and the feel are amazing as well. You can feel the ball compress almost to the point you don't feel anything and only took a practice swing. The clubheads of the 221s are a traditional blade look but mishits do not feel like traditional blades. Although a mishit will affect distance and accuracy more than a cavity back club it doesn't feel like anything is affected. The club even cuts through the turf so well you can barely feel a shot caught a little fat. Don't get me wrong you definitely notice it but it's not a hard clunky feeling like most other golf clubs. All my specs are the same as my TaylorMade clubs were so there was not much in readjusting to distance. My ball flight got a little higher causing my descent angle to become better while keeping my average carry distance.
The ST-Z 230 3-wood is just a mini version of the driver. They look almost identical. The biggest change for me was the Mizuno ST-Z 230 3-wood comes in a 15° loft. I was used to a 13° loft with my old 3-wood. There is the ability to adjust it to a stronger or weaker loft but I have not felt the need. I get roughly the same carry distance, if not more, with a higher ball flight. Just like with the irons when you hit the center of the face it feels so pure and effortless. The sound of the woods is unbelievable. Im not sure if it's the new Coretech Chamber or the material Mizuno uses but it is such a great sound. It is not your typical high pitch ping sound but more of a muffled thud that sounds very solid.
Not much to say about this club that I didn't say about the 3-wood. Again they are pretty much the same club. I will say this though the ball comes off the face like a rocket. My carry distance and overall distance is nearly 20 yards more. This is mainly by having the proper shaft in this driver compared to my old one with the wrong shaft but nearly 20 yards is a significant difference. I put the comparison in the video but the difference is an average went from 273 yards to 292 yards. For now anyway. I still need more drives to track for more data but so far it a big difference.
This is only the fourth putter I've had in my life. I just couldn't pass up the beautiful blue finish. I did test it prior and just like everything else with Mizuno, the putter has a great soft feel. The only thing I was not used to was the sound. I was used to a putter with a face insert that has a softer sound. This putter has a slight clicker sound but actually feels softer than my other putter. This putter is also the first milled face putter I have used. That may be why the feel is so great. I tested putts off the toe and heel to see how the ball rolls and I was surprised to see the ball would still roll pure and there was very little difference. The putter is also the only club I do not have custom. I have always used putters with the standard company specifications, with the exception of changing a grip.
In conclusion, I am so pleased I decided to go with Mizuno golf clubs. I will probably never switch back to another brand ever again. I would highly recommend any golfer go test Mixuno golf clubs. Check out the below video to see some shots and hear for yourself how great the clubs sound.
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