About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the irons, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2021.

My take

The Mizuno JPX921 Forged Irons are aimed at mid-handicap players looking for overall help in all aspects of their iron game. They combine distance, forgiveness, workability, and feel from both a player's irons and a game improvement iron to create a middle-area club.

About the club I own

• Model: 2021 Mizuno JPX 921 Forged Irons
• Loft setting: 4-PW
• Shaft type: Project X 6.5
• Shaft flex: X-Stiff

About me

• Average score: 72–79
• Handicap: 2
• Experience: 8 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Left-handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-High Fade
• Golf ball used: TaylorMade TP5X
• Club swing speed: 90 mph (7 iron)

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: January 2021
• Days tested: 2 years
• Where I’ve used it: Various golf courses and practice ranges
• Weather and wind conditions: Rain, dry, windy, calm, etc

How it performs

What I was looking for

When I purchased these irons, I was looking for more confidence in my long irons. I knew I had the ball striking for a player's iron in the shorter irons, but wanted forgiveness from a distance iron with the larger sweet spot.

Why I chose this club

I chose to buy this club because I fell in love with the “Mizuno feel” that they had to offer. People often say that “nothing feels like a Mizuno." I considered the TaylorMade P790s, but I was the most consistent with these Mizunos.

What I love about it

• Distance: Distance has been great with these irons—especially in the longer irons. I often use the 4 iron on a par 4 where I need to hit a fairway because it gives me the confidence that the ball will travel far.
• Forgiveness: There is more forgiveness on this iron than a blade-like iron and less than a game improvement iron. The forgiveness off the toe on mishits is very responsive and helps maintain a straight ball flight.
• Feel: These irons feel very soft on strikes on the sweet spot as well as on mishits towards the toe. I want the iron to feel soft even when I miss the center of the face, and these irons do exactly that. The “Mizuno feel” is a popular term in the golf world, and these irons explain why.
• Sound: Hitting this iron flush off the tee or from the fair sounds similar and just as crisp as any other iron I’ve tested.
• Shaft Feel and Performance: Project X shafts are very reliable, which is why many tour pros trust them in their irons. The 6.5 version (X-Stiff) requires top-level swing speeds but gives a low-spin and low-launch result, which is exactly what I was looking for.
• Launch Angle/Workability: The launch angle and workability I have been able to produce might be my single favorite aspect of the club. I find myself in trouble and under trees requiring a punch shot pretty often. The JPX 921 Forged 4 iron has been great at hitting low-flighted shots and punch-out stingers whenever needed. The control has been better than I ever expected. I can go from a stinger under branches to a high-launching ball flight into the green. The workability in a distance iron like this one is not expected to be as good as a player's iron. Regardless of this being true, I find I can work the ball to my advantage out of any troublesome spot on the course.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Adjustability: There are no adjustability options on these clubs unless when custom ordering.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The cavity back design has a shiny area on the back of the clubhead. I have noticed that over time it is very hard to remove any dirt that collects on the surface. Everywhere else on the club can be cleaned, but that area does not look great if it gets dirty.
• Grip Feel: I put the Golf Pride MCC Plus 4 Grips in midsize on my irons. I want to note that one should take into consideration the larger nature of the MCC Plus 4 Grips in general. I chose them because I preferred the soft feel of them, but they do have less of a taper down the grip than others. Especially if one gets them in midsize, they can be comparable to what some other grips would feel like in jumbo. Although this has no relation to the irons themself, if one is customizing grip options, it can affect one’s golf swing and, thus, the iron performance.

Best shot with this club

The best club I hit with my Mizuno JPX 921 Forged set came from the 4 iron. I missed the fairway left and found myself under trees. I hit a stinger through a gap in the trees about three yards wide and let it fade left right in front of the green where it would roll out to about 10 feet. I sunk the putt and made birdie from a spot where bogey was in play after my tee shot. The versatility of the long irons was demonstrated very well with that shot.

Value for the money vs. other options

Since these clubs are a year old, their price point has dropped, which makes them a more affordable option when compared to almost all 2023 irons. However, this limits one’s customization ability. Additionally, players who want the newest technology will want to spend more on the newest model. Though, for a similarly priced and very comparable option, I’d check out the Srixon ZX7 iron.

Final verdict

Mid handicappers looking for a game improvement iron with a players-quality feel should check these clubs out. This iron also unlocks the ability for low handicappers to create a combo set using the 4 and 5 iron to increase ball-striking confidence, distance, and forgiveness in the longer irons.