Mizuno are best known for their irons and have manufactured some fantastic sets through the years. Their first set of irons were manufactured in 1933 and called Star Line. Nowadays there are two segments of iron being the MP’s and the JPX’s. In 1965 the world’s largest golf factory opened in Yoro, Japan and it has been plain sailing ever since.
Although Mizuno do not spend a lot on sponsorships and endorsements, Nick Faldo is currently their ambassador and also won all six of his major championship victories using Mizuno golf equipment.
Mizuno Brand Profile
Quick Facts
- Founded: 1906
- Founders: Rihachi and younger brother Rizo Mizuno
- Employees: 5124 (As of October 2018)
- Revenue: $1.3 Billion in 2010
- Major Professional Endorsements: Nick Faldo, Luke Donald, Nick Watney, Eddie Pepperell, Jhonattan Vegas
- Website: www.mizuno.com
Recent Mizuno Product Reviews
Promo Video
Mizuno - Brief History
Mizuno prides itself on having its irons grain flow forged. Grain Flow Forging allows for an extremely precise head to be crafted after going through multiple forging stages. The method uses the metal’s natural grain to enhance the club’s consistency and durability and Mizuno is the only golf company in the world to arrange and control this flow and passes on a performance benefit to every golfer using their irons.
The first irons that Mizuno grain flow forged were the Pro MT and Pro VS which was in 1986. The company is stern with employees and require an intense training process to be completed before being allowed to work alone crafting their own irons. Employees need to first work 3 years before being allowed onto the Mizuno hammers and a further 5 years under a master operator.
In 1990, Mizuno were the first company in the world to introduce a fully titanium driver being the Ti-110 and Ti-120. In the late 90’s the T-Zoid driver and fairway woods were released and were exceptionally popular around the world. They were unique in colour, being bottle green, and were undoubtedly one of the best drivers Mizuno have manufactured relative to its competition.
The MP line of irons dates back to the late 1980’s and there have since been 16 different models launched dating to the most recent MP18 that hit retail shelves in 2017. In 1997, Tiger Woods famously won his first major championship (The Masters) using a set of Mizuno MP29 long irons and MP14 short irons.
In a recent anonymous poll, 90 professional golfers were asked to choose which irons they would use if they weren’t contracted to a manufacturer and an overwhelming 67% of the players chose Mizuno.
Mizuno are best known for their irons and even though other golf equipment segments are good, the irons are where they make their mark. Five models of Mizuno irons won gold in the iron club category of the 2013 Golf Digest Hot List’. Mizuno won the highest number of awards in the category among all golf equipment manufacturers.
In 2016 the JPX900 range was launched and was termed by some ‘the most beautiful set of irons they’ve ever seen’. Since then the JPX919 range has just been released and has had an instantaneous worldwide reach and engagement. Their irons offer superb feel and performance, hence their famous slogan ‘Nothing feels like a Mizuno’.