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

My take

The Mizuno MP 223 Iron Set is perfect for ball strikers looking to increase accuracy and precision without losing too much forgiveness. In addition, these irons are ideal for shot shaping due to their great workability.

About the club set I own

• Model: 2022 Mizuno MP 223
• Loft setting: Standard
• Shaft type: Project X 6.5 Rifle
• Shaft flex: X-Stiff

About me

• Average score: 70
• Handicap: +2
• Experience: 5 years of playing golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-High
• Golf ball used: TaylorMade TP5x
• Club swing speed: ~180mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: April 2022
• Days tested: 100+
• Where I’ve used it: TrackMan and GC4 simulators, as well as various golf courses
• Weather and wind conditions: Wind, calm, rain, dry, warm, and cold conditions

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a club that would allow me to have more consistent accuracy with my distances without giving away too much forgiveness. I also wanted an iron that would be a smaller clubhead and that had a lot of workability.

Why I chose this club

I was between this club and the MP 221 set and ultimately chose the MP 223 set because they had a touch more forgiveness and distance than the muscle back option. Additionally, the look, sound, and feel of these clubs were better than any club I had tested.

What I love about it

• Distance: The MP 223 iron set is not the most distance-designed iron, which is why I love them so much. Most of the irons designed for more distance have a really good sweet spot, but when I mishit the shot, they do not go nearly as far as if I were to hit the sweet spot. However, these irons do exactly that. I do not have nearly as much disparity of distance between a well-struck and poor iron shot.
• Feel: Being a Mizuno iron is all I need to hear when it comes to feel. The saying “nothing feels like a Mizuno” rings true with these irons. These were the best-feeling irons I tested, aside from the MP 221, the smaller muscle back version, which feels even a little softer. However, in terms of cavity back players’ irons, there is no better feel than these MP 223s
• Sound: The sound of the MP 223s is amazing. Each and every iron shot sounds so crisp and professional, making me feel like a tour pro when I hit my irons.
• Workability: The workability of these irons is great. I have had no trouble shaping my shots in any way I want. I can hit draws and fades and fly the ball low and high.
• Shaft Feel: The Project x 6.5 shafts feel amazing but may feel heavy to some, so I recommend the 6.0 or 5.5 shafts for most players.
• Shaft Performance: The Project x 6.5 rifle shafts are the best steel iron shafts I have ever played with and have used for the past few years. They allow me to shape the ball in any way I choose and always provide the best spin and launch numbers.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The Mizuno MP 223s look beautiful. They are one of the most aesthetically pleasing irons in the cavity back players iron category on the market. Additionally, the top line is just large enough to provide me confidence without being too large and looking bulky.
• Grip Feel: The Golf Pride Tour Velvet cord grip is amazing, and there is a reason so many players on tour use it. The grip it provides is amazing, although some players may find it feels firm. This grip has a “cord” within it which are small cotton fibers within the grip to help repel moisture, making grip better in rain conditions as well as sweaty hands.
• Launch Angle: I have no complaints about the launch angle from these irons. They launch great for optimal distance without sacrificing a good angle of descent to help hold greens.
• Spin: These irons provide a lot of spin, giving me added confidence that I can be more aggressive and aim at pins knowing the irons will spin and hold the green.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Forgiveness: These irons certainly have more forgiveness than the smaller clubhead MP 221 model; however, for players looking to add forgiveness to their irons, these clubs will not be the best help.
• Adjustability: There is no adjustability with these irons once one receives them aside from bringing them to a local golf shop and having the loft and lie adjusted on a machine.

Best shot with this club

The best shot I hit with these irons would probably be my 6 iron on a par 3. It was 227 to the pin, but the greens were very firm, and it was only 202 to the front of the green. I chose to hit my 6 iron and hoped it would run back to the pin. The pin was tucked back right with a bunker along the right side, so I hit a fade, starting it at the middle of the green, and it cut back perfectly towards the pin and landed about 12 yards short and just ran along the green back to the pin, and I was left with 4 feet for birdie. Thankfully, I can say I made the putt.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Mizuno MP 223 is the best cavity back player iron set for the value. The MP 223s cost roughly $1,310. Similar sets like the TaylorMade P7MCs cost about $1,299, and the Titleist 620 CBs cost around $1,399, making them the most expensive of the group. The MP 223s are the best value because they are almost the same price as the P7MCs while performing and looking better. Additionally, they are roughly $100 cheaper than the 620 CB from Titleist while performing very similarly. Ultimately, all three of these irons perform extremely well, and it comes down to which set most appeals to the eye.

Final verdict

The Mizuno MP 223 Iron Set is one of the available top cavity back players' iron sets on the market. This set looks amazing while keeping a great feel and sound. In addition, these irons will provide players with a smaller clubhead without sacrificing too much forgiveness and distance while offering lots of workability.