About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the iron set, which I purchased with my own money in December of 2022.

My take

The Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal Pro Iron Set offers the forgiveness of a game improvement iron but looks more like a player iron. These irons are ideal for mid to low handicap golfers.

About the club I own

• Model: 2020 JPX921 Hot Metal Pro Iron Set (5-GW)
• Loft setting: Standard
• Shaft type: Steel
• Shaft flex: Stiff

About me

• Average score: 77
• Experience: 20 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right handed
• Typical ball flight: Both draw and fade
• Golf ball used: Any tour-level ball

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: December 2022
• Days tested: 30
• Where I’ve used it: Indoor simulator
• Weather and wind conditions: Indoors

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for irons that looked more like player irons but offered the forgiveness of a game improvement iron. Since I am a fairly decent golfer, I don’t need the most forgiving club on the market, but because I'm not a pro, I still want some forgiveness when I don’t strike the ball perfectly. I also like to work the ball both ways, and the smaller face with less offset allows me to do just that. My old irons were the Taylormade Rocketbladez; they had just become too bulky for me and had too much offset in the long irons.

Why I chose this club

I chose these irons because they were exactly what I was looking for. They have a smaller clubhead and top line with minimal offset, so they look like a player iron when I’m standing over the club. But because they are actually more of a game improvement iron, they still offer plenty of forgiveness on mishits.

What I love about it

• Distance: I’m able to hit these about five yards further than my previous irons on average. I’m sure this is because of the chromoly material they are made from, which allows for faster ball speeds on impact.
• Forgiveness: I noticed much less dispersion in my shots with these. When I hit the sweet spot, it doesn’t feel as soft, but it has a much smaller effect on the shot. They still fly similar to a good hit ball.
• Feel: They have a soft but solid feel to them. I know when I hit the sweet spot and when I don’t. But even when I don’t get the sweet spot, they still feel solid. However, I notice the 6 and 5 iron feel very hard when I don’t hit the sweet spot. The sweet spot seems much smaller on those two clubs compared to all the other irons.
• Sound: They have a solid, low sound to them, and I like it. It's a pretty normal iron sound—nothing too out of the ordinary.
• Workability: For a game improvement club, they offer great workability. I’m able to hit both draws and fades with them, which comes in handy when I try to hit around something, such as a tree, or just try to come into the green from a certain direction.
• Aesthetic Appeal: They are great-looking irons. I love the slimmer topline, smaller clubhead, and minimal offset. It's very appealing to stand over.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Launch Angle: The launch angle has been really low with the long irons for me. Because of this, my carry distance has been much lower than I would like with the long irons—mainly the 5 and 6 iron. Although, I’ve only hit them on the simulator, so I'm hoping they will carry further out on the course.

Best shot with this club

My dad and I were playing Bandon Dunes on the E6 connect simulator software. It was a par 3, and the distance was a little less than a stock 9 iron, so I decided to hit a high cut to account for that. The ball shaped from left to right just perfectly and was the perfect distance. It took a soft bounce on the green and stopped about four feet from the hole—which led to a birdie.

Value for the money vs. other options

These irons are a great value. The performance and quality for their price range is unmatched. These are comparable to the Srixon ZX7 Iron Set or the Cobra King Tour MIM Irons, but they are less expensive than both.

Final verdict

I would definitely recommend these clubs to anyone. For those who are a higher-handicapped player, I would go with the regular JPX921 Hot Metal Iron Set instead of the pros. But for mid to low handicappers, then the pro version would work great.