50 Words or Less
The Mizuno MP-20 irons are classic. Soft, satisfying feel. Smart COG placement to enhance performance. Very demanding to play.
Introduction
Though not a lot changes from one model to the next, the release of a new Mizuno blade still manages to get the golf internet fired up. The MP-20 was no exception. With a thin layer of copper promising to enhance the feel, elite players (and those that wish to be) were dying to get this new blade in their hands.
Looks
Both in the bag and at address, the Mizuno MP-20 irons announce that their owner is a player. Set the club down and you’ll see a slim – but not razor thin – top line and virtually no offset. To my eye, the shape of the toe is beautiful – squared up without being boxy or angular.
Mizuno also nailed the look in the bag. The chrome finish is classic and the branding is tastefully done. The running bird logo sits on the toe without any paintfill, and the small MP-20 branding is located near the heel. The club doesn’t even say “Mizuno” because if you don’t know, you don’t know.
Sound & Feel
Being a new Mizuno blade is like being the child of a Nobel laureate: the bar is set pretty high. The new MP-20, with its copper underlay, does a good job of living up to the hype. Centered shots are everything you’d expect: very soft, satisfying, the kind of feeling that says “This is why I play golf.”
When you miss, you get the feeling that says, “This is why you need to practice more.” These irons don’t sting your hands, but they deliver a clear message that you missed your mark. Feedback is very precise, which better players should appreciate.
Performance
While the MP-20 looks like a typical blade, Mizuno has done some subtle things to enhance performance. What they call “Flow Tapered Blade” means that the center of gravity is lower in the long irons to make them easier to launch. The higher CG in the short irons makes them easier to flight down and control.
Compared to the other MP-20 irons – and the vast majority of other modern irons – the MP-20 is fairly high spin. For the elite ball striker, this can be a positive as it makes it easier to shape shots. However, for the high spin player, this can be detrimental to distance. Speaking of distance, the MP-20 has weaker lofts than the MP-20 MMC and MP-20 HMB, so be careful if you’re trying to create a combo set.
The one unequivocal downside of playing a blade is the lack of forgiveness. The MP-20 is a true blade in that it is more than happy to leave your ball two or three clubs short of the target when you make a mediocre swing. The highs are high when you play a blade, but the lows of drowning balls in water hazards are pretty low.
Conclusion
As much as I wish there was an interesting take to deliver in this review, I just don’t see one. The Mizuno MP-20 is everything it’s supposed to be and nothing it’s not. The Mizuno fans and the high end players will be head over heels for these irons. However, if you’re looking for any forgiveness at all, stick to admiring these from a distance.
Mizuno MP-20 Irons Specs & Price
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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I think you mean “The higher CG in the short irons makes them easier to flight down and control.” – not lower.
Good catch, thank you. Correction made.
-Matt
Thanks for the review Matt. Two questions if I may. Firstly, what are your thoughts on using a properly fit blade 7 iron for range practice purposes to improve ball striking then using more forgiving gamers? Secondly what do you think (subject to fitting) will be the most popular combo set configuration ? Blade & HMB ?
David,
1) If the shaft is the same as your gamers, I love the idea. I do that quite a bit – practicing more with my PING Blueprint irons, playing more with my PING iBlades.
2) If I were doing a combo set, I would probably go straight from the blades to the HMB and figure out how to adjust the lofts to make it work. There will be a full review on the MMC, but the short version is that it’s not that forgiving but it also doesn’t look or feel as good as the blade, so I’d just leave it out.
Best,
Matt
Feels very confusing to pick clubs these says. “You want distance!”, “that distance is killing green stopping spin”, “forgiveness matters”, “my testing shows it doesn’t” etc. I appreciate the reviews! I’m a high ball speed/ball flight player, but don’t have the greatest face control. 9hcp. Do you think I’m better off in clubs like my current gamers (g30), something closer to a blade (i210), or would I see that forgiveness drop off moving all the way to something like these mp20’s/blueprint? Thanks!
Ben,
If you’re looking for new irons, the best thing to do is work with a fitter and try lots of different things. If your issue is controlling the face angle at impact but you have no issue finding the center of the face, you can play any irons you want. You may find a smaller iron relieves your face control issue…or you may find the opposite. Or your face issues may be the result of a poor shaft fit. A good fitter like Club Champion will get you on the right path.
Best,
Matt
I’ve found these to be quite forgiving for a blade and many other playing them have echoed that sentiment. Compared to a blade you know well – MB001 – how do you find the “forgiveness”? As a solid ball striker, I find them the perfect blend of control, feel, and “help” in a blade.
CJ,
I haven’t hit the MB001 in a while, but my recollection is that it wasn’t too far different from the MP-20.
-Matt
Hi matt, compare to PING blueprints which one is more forgiving?
Edwin,
The Blueprint is easier to hit.
-Matt
Hi Matt, I’m considering adding this iron for practice purposes. I’m looking for something that will give me precise feedback while working on my ball striking. Sounds like the MP-20 is a great option to have my fitter build up to my specs. In your opinion, is there a better iron for this application?
Ryan,
The MP-20 would be fine for those purposes, but you could get the same thing for less money with any older blade.
Best,
Matt
Matt, I love this club, but I am now 67 and while in good shape and regularly shoot 85-90 with my Wilson ci-7 I want a blade. It give me tremendous confidence and I am a good long iron player so I don’t mind going up a club with the Mizuno’s to get the right distance.
Do you think these clubs will only frustrate me?
Whitney,
I wrote a whole article on this very question: https://pluggedingolf.com/should-you-play-blades/
I hope it helps.
Best,
Matt