About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the irons, which I purchased with my own money in March of 2023.

My take

The Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Irons are great for high-handicap golfers looking for added distance, forgiveness, and launch to hit more greens and lower their scores.

About the club I own

• Model: 2023 Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal
• Loft setting: Standard
• Shaft type: Project X 6.5
• Shaft flex: X-stiff

About me

• Average score: 70
• Handicap: +2
• Experience: 5 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-high
• Golf ball used: TaylorMade TP5x
• Club swing speed: 95mph-7 iron

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: March 2023
• Days tested: 30+
• Where I’ve used it: TrackMan simulator and various golf courses
• Weather and wind conditions: High and low winds, rain, warm, and cold

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted to test out a set of game improvement irons to help people find the best set for their game. In addition, I wanted to better understand the performance and feel of game improvement irons to help customers.

Why I chose this club

I chose the Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal because I used the JPX921 Tour irons, which are my favorite irons. Therefore, the first game improvement set of irons I wanted to test had to be these because Mizuno is the best in feel and performance.

What I love about it

• Distance: These irons go extremely long and far. I typically hit my blade 7 iron about 195 yards which is already pretty far compared to the average. However, I effortlessly hit the 7-iron 220 yards with this Hot Metal set. These irons are very long, and I am surprised that they do not have the same problem other game improvement irons have. Many game-improvement irons go extremely far when hit well and out of the center, but off-center strikes have a significant drop-off in distance up to a 20-yard difference. However, I did not notice that at all with these irons, which makes them great for consistency.
• Forgiveness: The Hot Metal Irons are very forgiving due to the larger head shape and thick top line. These irons give me added confidence, feeling that I can hit the ball anywhere on the clubface and the ball will go straight where I am aimed.
• Feel: I gave this iron set a 4 out of 5 in feel just because the forged model irons from Mizuno are the best feeling irons on the market. However, these Hot Metal Irons are the best feeling game improvement irons I have ever felt. Typically, improvement irons have a dull or clunky feel on most shots, but these irons feel extremely soft and responsive on every shot.
• Shaft Feel: The Project X rifle shafts have my favorite feel out of any iron shafts. These shafts do not have a designated kick point, and as a result, the whole shaft feels very stiff and string through the golf ball, which is perfect for my faster aggressive swing.
• Shaft Performance: The Project X 6.5 shaft is perfect for me due to my faster swing speeds. The extra weight helps prevent the ball from spinning too much and keeps the launch angle lower. These shafts are also extremely responsive, allowing me to feel where the golf club is at all points in my swing to help hit the center of the face more often.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The JPX923 line from Mizuno has amazing designs and great-looking irons. I was specifically surprised with these Hot Metal Irons because, typically, an iron of this caliber looks very big, but these have a great shape to create a sleeker design. Additionally, the contrast between shiny and matte finishes on the sole of the club makes the sole look smaller and more attractive to someone who prefers a smaller clubhead.
• Launch Angle: These irons launch really well due to the low center of gravity that helps launch the ball even higher. I can hit the long irons, such as 6 and 5 iron, into greens having confidence they will launch really high and ultimately land softly on the green and, hopefully, get close to the pin.
• Spin: These irons are surprisingly spinny for a game improvement iron. Most of these irons are typically low spinning for maximum distance, but I have found the JPX923 Hot Metal Irons spin really well. I have had multiple instances where the ball stopped right where it landed on a green or, in some cases, would even spin back. This is great for consistency and control in a high launch and distance iron.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Sound: These irons generally sound great on all well-struck irons relatively out of the center of the clubface. However, these irons sound dull and clunky on big mishit shots.
• Workability: I find these irons' high launch and distance factors make it more difficult to shape golf shots. Players should have no trouble with a small fade or draw, but players looking for an iron with a lot of workability should look at the JPX923 Forged or Tour models.
• Adjustability: These irons have no adjustability once purchased. The only way to adjust these clubs is a complete reshaft or using a machine to adjust the loft and lie.
• Grip Feel: I have the Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips on these irons. This grip is great for the first two to three months of use, but I have found that these grips are the fastest to wear out and will need a deep clean or regripping much sooner than other grips. I recommend the Tour Velvet Z-Grip or MCC, which will last much longer and offer a great grip.

Best shot with this club

The best shot I hit with these irons was on a long par 3. I was playing my home course from the tips and was on a 230-yard par 3 with about 10-15 yards of wind into the face. This made the par 3 play closer to 240-45 yards, and I hit the 4-iron from this set. I started the ball just left of the pin and hit a small cut that started turning just back towards the pin, and the ball ended up just short of the pin leaving me seven feet left for a birdie putt. Thankfully the putt was very flat and straight uphill, so I was able to put an aggressive stroke on the ball and made the putt for birdie.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Irons cost roughly $970 with great performance and design. Similar irons are the Callaway Paradym X, the TaylorMade Stealth, and Titleist T300. The Mizuno is by far the best feeling of these irons, with more spin as well. All of these irons go roughly the same distance, so I would say the Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Irons are the best value set of game improvement irons.

Final verdict

The Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Irons are perfect for mid and high-handicap golfers looking for more distance without sacrificing spin. These irons have a great feel and control to help players hit more greens and shoot lower scores.