Mizuno MP irons are the company's blade line for better players, forged from a single piece of steel and built to give a soft feel and precise control over shot shape. The letters stand for Mizuno Pro, and the name replaced the earlier MS label that Mizuno used on its blades in the mid-1980s. Over the decades the line has covered true muscle backs, cut muscle cavities, and compact hollow long irons, so the right MP depends a lot on which generation you pick up.
A line built around feel
Several MP models have a following of their own. The MP-29, sold from 1992 until 2000, is the set Tiger Woods paired with MP-14 irons when he won the 1997 Masters, using the MP-29 for his 2 through 4 irons because of its low offset. The TN-87, named for Tommy Nakajima, was played by Nick Faldo when he won the 1990 Masters and Open Championship, and Mizuno re-released it in 2014. The MP-33 arrived in 2002 as a curved muscle back with a slightly lower center of gravity than most blades, and the MP-32 followed in 2004 with a Cut Muscle cavity that added some forgiveness in the mid and long irons.
The MP-20 and the copper underlay
Mizuno revealed the MP-20 at the 2019 Open Championship. It came in three versions: a tapered muscle back, the HMB (Hot Metal Blade) for longer irons, and a refined MMC that combined the roles of the earlier MMC and SC models. The heads are Grain Flow Forged, and Mizuno brought back a copper underlay beneath the chrome plating, a layer it had used in the MP-29, MP-14 and TN87. The company said its testing pointed to that layer as part of the feel of the older blades. The sets were designed to be mixed and matched, so a player could put an HMB in the long irons and a muscle back in the scoring clubs.
Common questions
Are Mizuno MP irons good for high handicaps?
Most true muscle back MPs are not. They reward a centered strike and give little help on mishits. The MMC and HMB versions, and the cavity models like the MP-32, are easier to hit, but a game improvement set such as Mizuno's JPX line is usually the safer choice for newer players.
Can you mix MP irons in one set?
Yes. Mizuno designed the MP-20 line for combo sets, and players have long blended long irons and short irons from different MP models. Check that the lofts and lengths gap evenly before you commit, since models from different years can differ.
If you want to look at what is in stock right now, browse our used Mizuno Pro iron sets. For a look at the forging process behind these clubs and the more forgiving JPX family, read our post on what Grain Flow Forged means.
