Head-to-head Irons Test: Ping i200 v Mizuno JPX900 Tour

GM Technical Editor Joel Tadman pits two of the best low-handicap irons of 2017 up against eachother in a head-to-head battle

Head-to-head Irons Test: Ping i200 v Mizuno JPX900 Tour

The Ping i200 boasts a 30% thinner clubface over the previous i iron to provide the speed and forgiveness while a larger elastomer insert behind the face improves the feel.

The Mizuno JPX900 Tour is a Grain Flow Forged iron that features a perimeter weighted PowerFrame design for forgiveness and a tapered sole to promote crisp ball striking and shot making.

Let's take a look at how each iron performed and give you our assessments in various categories that affect our decision making when choosing one club over another.

Specs tested

Ping i200 Shaft: Dynamic Gold x100 7 iron loft: 33˚ RRP: £120 per club

Mizuno JPX900 Tour Dynamic Gold AMT S300 7 iron: 34° loft RRP: £120 per club

Looks

Ping i200 The i200 has the marginally larger overall face area and thicker top line, which makes it more inviting to hit down by the ball. But interestingly, it appears to have a narrower but taller hitting area than the JPX900 Tour. There’s a touch more offset in the long irons and a classy brushed satin finish. 8/10

Mizuno JPX900 Tour This has much more of the look of a true better player’s iron with minimal offset through the set and a thinner topline. The JPX900 Tour has a raw, unfinished look that is especially visible from the back, as is the muscleback type of design – there isn’t a cavity behind the hitting area. 9/10

Feel/Sound

Ping i200 The feel and sound is very similar to that of the iBlade, soft, crisp and powerful from the sweetspot with enough feedback on strike. This didn’t change too much on mishits either, it’s a very consistent club in this category no question. 9/10

Mizuno JPX900 Tour While the JPX900 Tour might edge it on shots from the sweetspot, shots marginally from the heel and toe felt a little harsher, with a bigger drop off in the soft buttery feel you get rewarded with on well struck shots. It’s less powerful than the Ping, but arguably more pleasant. 9/10

Forgiveness

Ping i200 The Ping just looks and feels a little more user-friendly than the Mizuno. It’s larger, but still doesn’t look chunky, and has a wider sole too that just seems like there’s a greater margin for error with the strike. 8/10

Mizuno JPX900 Tour Arguably not this club’s strongest suit but there’s enough help there to cater for the small miss better players are prone too. Golfers will likely experience a bigger drop off in carry distance on heel and toe strikes compared to the Ping. 7/10

Related: Ping i200 irons review

Ball Flight

Ping i200 We experienced a high, towering ball flight with lots of stopping power into greens. Our testing showed a higher launch angle, a higher ball flight by five yards and higher, more consistent spin levels over the Mizuno but the long irons had a tendency to miss left more often, perhaps because of the extra offset. 8/10

Mizuno JPX900 Tour We were surprised to see the more penetrating flight with the Mizuno given the 7-iron loft is actually one degree higher. The lack of cavity and narrower sole perhaps raises the CG, suggesting faster swing players will benefit more from this iron. We found this ball flight easier to control and work the ball with our preferred shot shape. 8/10

Related: Mizuno JPX900 irons review

Overall Appeal

Ping i200 This club will provide more distance and forgiveness than the Mizuno with a feel that is not too dissimilar. Good players may find the profile too chunky and the long irons have too much offset for their liking but there’s plenty to like. 9/10

Mizuno JPX900 Tour As well as the exceptional feel and controllable ball flight, golfers that choose the JPX900 Tour will be rewarded with tight distance control on well struck shots. The drop in feel and forgiveness levels on mishits is a worry, but 8/10

Totals

Ping i200 42/50

Mizuno JP900 Tour 41/50

Performance data

Ping i200 Carry: 166 yards Launch: 20.1° Peak height: 37 yards Spin: 6700 rpm Ball speed: 120 mph

Mizuno JPX900 Tour Carry: 165 yards Launch: 18.2° Peak height: 32 yards Spin: 6060 rpm Ball speed: 118 mph