Mizuno JPX One Select Driver Review

Mizuno's identity in the golf world is intrinsically linked to the feel and tradition of its forged irons. However, its metalwood journey, stretching back decades, reaches a significant landmark with the introduction of the JPX One family.

I was excited to test the JPX One Select driver, positioned as the more compact, tour-preferred model, to see if Mizuno’s cutting-edge material science could translate into a dominant performance that could challenge the best drivers in the game.

The JPX One Select driver is introduced as the world's first to feature Nanoalloy face technology. This material uses microscopic polymer dispersion to produce a face that dynamically alters its elasticity under impact. The result, Mizuno claims, is a material that stores and releases more energy than traditional titanium, paired with a newly engineered Cortech Face, which is up to 0.35mm thinner than previous generations, expanding the high-speed rebound zone by over 15 percent.

Unsurprisingly, from Mizuno, from both the 'in the bag' perspective and the playing position, they look fantastic. I genuinely loved the overall aesthetic and colorway, and it only heightened my excitement to start testing.

I couldn’t help observing that the new blue face gives the visual a hint of the TaylorMade Qi10 driver, and I immediately loved the compact, squat head and the shaping on offer. This is clearly the tour-preferred look, appealing to my eye by sitting perfectly square behind the ball.

Another thing that deserves a shout-out in this review is the new Golf Pride grip Mizuno has used on the JPX One driver range. It might be the nicest grip I have ever held! It is a very lightly corded Tour Velvet 360 in an attractive, blue/grey colorway, and it just feels absolutely fantastic.

However, the experience of striking the ball was where I began to feel a slight disconnect with this driver. I just didn't love the feel of the brand new face; in truth, it felt a little clunky to me. While the sound was powerful, the sensation was significantly less refined than the soft, dense impact Mizuno achieves in its forged irons.

This may be the inevitable trade-off for using the Nanoalloy material for maximum speed, but it wasn't the signature "Mizuno feel" I have become accustomed to, even from last year's ST drivers.

The JPX One Select is billed as the model that delivers a neutral-to-fade bias, and I certainly saw that in terms of shot shape. A pretty repeatable, gentle fade was the order of the day in all my testing sessions with my Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor, which was pleasing to see.

Out of the middle for me, it performed excellently, with strong, low spin numbers and high ball speed output.

In robotic testing, Mizuno claims the JPX One Select outperformed many leading competitors for both ball speed and carry from the center, and while I would say that 'outperformed' is a stretch, my own pure strikes confirmed its power potential.

However, in truth, I did find it a little unforgiving when I missed the absolute middle of the club. In particular, for me, it did not perform well on low heel strikes on the face, spinning up significantly more than I would have liked, and feeling sub-optimal to say the least.

Where the best drivers today, like the Ping G430 Max 10K and even some of the ‘low spin’ brigade like the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond, mitigate the effects of mis-hits, the JPX One Select seems to demand a more center-focused swing than I was capable of producing with much regularity.

The lack of perimeter stability on off-center strikes I experienced contrasts somewhat with the claims of expanding the high-speed zone across a wider area of the face.

The data suggests that for the elite ball-striker who consistently finds the sweet spot and needs to manage spin, the JPX One Select is a formidable weapon. However, players seeking high forgiveness may want to look elsewhere.

The Mizuno JPX One Select is a compelling driver that has genuinely pushed the boundaries of material science with its Nanoalloy face. I absolutely loved the overall aesthetic and colorway and found its speed from the center of the face to be excellent.

However, the slightly harsh feel and limited forgiveness on common mis-hits hold it back from being a true top-tier all-rounder. Ultimately, this driver will appeal most to the golfer who trusts their strike and wants a compact head packed with revolutionary face technology.

The JPX One Select driver is being sold with an RRP of $600/£529.