The Mizuno MP 60 iron isn’t the longest-hitting, highest-spinning, or most accurate iron, but it impressively blends the performance and head size of the MP-23 blades with the forgiveness you’d get from the MP-30 hybrids’. These irons are best for mid- to low-handicappers only.
I firmly believe club preferences are personal to each individual. However, having played the MP-60s for about 13 years until I got new clubs this summer, these irons will definitely improve distance and dispersion.
The Mizuno MP 60 has been gaining fresh attention in the golfing community recently, and given that I miss the feel of the Mizzys, I decided to test and create this review guide on the MP 60s, which I hope will provide you with more precise information on how these irons work and the category of players they are best for.
Mizuno MP-60 Irons Specifications
Words on the street concerning the MP-60s have always been that they are for serious golf players only.
I also noticed that these irons lie flatter than most. However, there’s more to the specifications than this. Here are the key specs of this 16-year-old club:
| Iron | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW |
| Loft | – | 18 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 31 | 35 | 39 | 43 | 37 |
| Lie | – | 59.0 | 59.5 | 60.0 | 60.5 | 61.0 | 61.5 | 62.0 | 62.5 | 63.0 |
| Length | – | 39.25 | 38.75 | 38.25 | 37.75 | 37.75 | 36.25 | 36.25 | 35.75 | 35.50 |
| Offset | – | 0.154 | 0.142 | 0.134 | 0.134 | 0.130 | 0.126 | 0.126 | 0.114 | 0.114 |
| Bounce | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Swing Weight | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Mizuno MP-60 Irons: Full Review
- Date Launched: 2008
- Material: Steel
- Shaft Flex: Stiff, Regular
- Set Makeup: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
- Shaft Types: Steel, Graphite
- Club length: From 32″ to 36.5″
- Price
The Design
I can’t absolutely recall the first impression I had of the MP-60s at the time I first tried them in 2011. However, upon looking at it now, I can say the design of this club grabs attention more.
With a closer look at the details, you will agree that there’s nothing too extra about it. The top line, offset, sole, and cavity sizes are all small to moderate.
- The club head has a nice little gouge that provides that organic feel.
- A very plain sole, organic toe, and heel profile
- Plain black ferrets, which, again, speak loudly of the iron’s minimalism design
- It features a Dynamic Gold True Temper steel shaft.
- And golf pride grip
One noteworthy area of the design is that it helps the stick reflect the quality of your swing and the direction of the clubface.
The club cavity back also allows you to know where you made contact.
Forgiveness
The Mizuno MP-60 is notoriously famous for being less forgiving, especially for high handicappers or beginners.
Although, during my testing, I did notice a fair amount of forgiveness. Because each time I miss the sweet spot a bit, they perform just fine.
And when you hit them with a closed or open club face, they will draw or fade rather than go straight, like a lot of game improvement irons out there.
So even when you do hit a bad shot, you may not get all the forgiveness you need with the MP-60s. You won’t reach the benefit of, say, the Big Berthas.
But whenever you nail a hit with these irons, the feeling never gets old.
Distance
Just like when testing other clubs, distance has always been determined by the swing speed, shaft, and loft. So it wasn’t much of a surprise to see that the MP-60 iron did not go as far as the strongly lofted clubs that I’ve tried in the past.
In all fairness, the lofts of these irons are more traditional. So, in terms of distance, especially as a handicapper, you shouldn’t expect much.
Which Handicap Range Should Mizuno MP-60 Irons Use?
While the Mizuno MP-60s have an ollow back design, they are not exceptionally forgiving, and it can be hard to get acclimated to the Dynamic Gold SL shafts. Hence, these irons will favor players who are 12 handicaps or lower.
In other words, I would not recommend the MP-60s for low handicappers.
If you’re in the latter category, you may still enjoy playing with these sticks since they are pretty easy to hit but don’t offer that much-needed forgiveness as with many newer game-improvement irons out there.
Who Is The MP-60s For?
If you want a club that allows you to know how your swing is going without being over-punished, then the MP-60s are ideal for you.
Understandably, these are for serious golf players with lower handicaps. It will also appeal to players who value simple, uncomplicated irons.
If you want to just slap at the golf ball and get a decent result, then I don’t recommend this iron.
Mizuno MP-60 Irons: Pros and Cons
Before you play with the MP-60s, consider these pros and cons:
Pros
- When you hit the sweet spot, the feeling of Mizuno forged is second to none!
- They’re great out of the rough since they’re heavy.
- Simple, minimalist design
- Very workable.
- The hollow back design, which is ideally supposed to assure moderate forgiveness,
Cons
- Not really forgiving
- On mishits, you pay for it due to the increased workability of these irons.
- If you have a reasonably low ball flight, you won’t like the shaft of this iron, as you’ll need something with a mid-kick point.
- The lighter shaft’s feel requires some getting used to.
- While they’re good-looking, they ding up pretty quickly in the bag, so you’ll need something to keep the clubs from banging together.
Mizuno MP-60s Alternatives
One of the most talked-about replacements for the MP-60s is the MP-64 irons.
While these two are arguably the best Mizzy cavity backs ever made, the MP-64 isn’t the only perfect replacement.
I would recommend the following irons if you want an alternative to the MP-60s:
- Taylor-Made RAC LT
- Mizuno MP-27 irons
Mizuno MP-64 irons
The clubs have a very shallow cavity, so they do offer a touch of forgiveness, but the main point of these irons is to deliver exceptional feel and more feedback. They are described as better player irons.
Just like the MP-60s, the MP-64s are beautiful to look at and also compact enough to offer workability.
What makes it better is the ample feel and forgiveness.
However, it still shares a similar problem of not being overly long, and distance control can be an issue at times.
Taylormade RAC LT
The Taylormade RAC LT is a semi-cavity-back iron with a medium offset, a low center of gravity, a medium topline, and a midsized head shape.
It is definitely easier to hit and is more forgiving on “miss-hits” than the MP-60s. But I found that the shaft seemed a bit “whippy”—for a first-time user, it would appear as though the club was coming out of you during the swing (regular shaft).
Upon comparing these two irons, I was able to hit the Mizuno MP-60 longer and more tightly bunched than the RAC LT (by about 5–10 yards).
But many golfers have confessed how, on “off” days, the MP-60s provided complete feedback, which, in the long run, helped improve my swing and, thus, my game.
Mizuno MP-27 irons
If you want something like the MP-60s but still within the Mizuno line, then you can’t go wrong with the MP-27s, especially when you want a club that will be a hell of a lot more forgiving.
With the MP-27s, you will get the most out of your game because you will start gaining a tremendous feel from the forging. And even when you play badly, they will not punish you as much as the MP-60s.
Meanwhile, do not forget the bling-bling factor of the MP-60s, which will be standard everywhere shortly. On the other hand, MP-27s are Japan-only and will be unique amongst any four-ball!
In terms of looks, the MP-60s obviously win. But not too many people look into these Mizzys for aesthetics alone.
Final remark
As I mentioned earlier, preference for clubs is a very personal thing. But then, you won’t enjoy the Mizuno MP-60s if it’s not your fit.
If you can constantly strike the ball correctly, then I highly recommend these irons. If you are still struggling with average scoring, then the MP-60s are not for you.
Summary Rating for the Mizuno MP-60 Irons
| Appearance | 10 |
| Forgiveness | 4 |
| Feel | 8 |
| Distance control | 6 |
| Spin Control | 8 |
| TOTAL (50 points) | 36/50 points |
While some people call the MP-60s the best club they’ve ever played with, others insist that they aren’t overly forgiving.
So, if you don’t plan on consistently working on and molding your swing, then the MP-60s probably aren’t for you. If, however, you are willing to put in the time, these clubs will reward you.
I particularly adore the ‘carvability’ that these clubs have helped add to my game, and that can be your story.
I won’t recommend it for total beginners, but if you’re playing challenging courses that will find you with some tricky shots (and you’re ready for that), then the MP-60s are your sticks.
