MP-58
This is the bigger version of the MP-68 and these irons are just as good and will be perfect for the single-figure player who might not have the time to keep their game honed. They look great, feel ultra-solid and will not disappoint die-hard MP fans
The second of the Reading-based company's new irons in the consistently excellent MP range, the Mizuno MP-58 perfectly complements the Mizuno MP-68. It's a classic 'good cop, bad cop' scenario. Where the MP-68 is tougher, meaner and leaner, a club that demands absolute respect, the MP-58 is a little more easy going, a little easier to deal with, yet no less compromising. It's a good mixture, with MP players of all levels - from scratch to 10 - able to find a club that will suit their games.
That's not to say that the MP-58s are a doddle to hit - after all, they're very much an MP club. The offset is minimal, and although the topline and face length measurements are slightly up on the MP-68, there's not much in it.
But what sets these apart is the technology that has gone into them. It's a half-cavity, in the vein of predecessors like the MP-30 or MP-60, but instead of steel, the cavity on the MP-58 is filled with a block of titanium. This is the first time that Mizuno has allowed an intruder like titanium into the blade's inner sanctum so it must be truly special to have earned its place on an MP club.
The key to this decision is weight. Titanium is 40% lighter than steel yet it retains the density required for a solid strike. This removal of mass allows weight to be spread across the clubhead, widening the sweetspot, but without moving the CG (centre of gravity) too far away from the clubhead, thus ensuring a lower flight and plenty of workability.
At impact, the feel is incredibly solid, markedly different from the MP-68, which is much softer and more buttery. Despite what Mizuno says about a penetrating flight, I found the trajectory higher than the MP-68, but given that it is designed to offer a little bit of help, that is surely no bad thing - particularly if the towering iron shot is just your thing.
The MP-58 also feels more powerful, like there is more spring off the face. You can almost feel the acceleration off the clubface, where with the MP-68 the sensation is one of being cushioned.
Like the MP-68s, the MP-58s were tuned for the optimum vibration frequency, which translates into feel. Indeed, so much work has gone into the feel of this club that Mizuno says that playing-wise, it could have been released a year ago. But they wanted to get the feel element absolutely perfect and carried on working at it. Now that's attention to detail!
In terms of working the ball, it's still predictably good, although the increased forgiveness and technology does make it more of an effort than the MP-68. Again, that might not be a bad thing for some MP players. In the looks department it's another definite winner, with a stunning clubhead giving real confidence at address. (Many thanks to Kevin Merry at The Grove for his help in the compilation of this review.
