The New Iron That Every Low Handicap Golfer Should Try In 2025
Joe Ferguson looks at an intriguing new iron release from Mizuno, the Pro S3 iron, to see where it fits in
An exceptionally premium-looking iron that will massively appeal to the low-handicap player. A compact profile, shorter blade length and straighter lines than normally found on Mizuno irons offer a refreshing look, and the feel is simply outstanding.
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Outstanding looks
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Soft feel
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The new sole is excellent
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A fairly niche iron, only feasible for a select few
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As an iron tester, when you hear that a new Mizuno iron aimed at the better player is on its way, it is difficult not to get your hopes up. Being responsible for some of the best irons in history, Mizuno doesn’t often disappoint so I was keen to see how the brand new Pro S3 iron would perform.
In terms of the technology on offer, Mizuno says that the Pro S3 was designed with only two objectives - feel and control. This has been addressed through its Grain Flow Forged HD process using the finest materials on offer. A 1025E Pure Select Mild Carbon Steel is complemented by a copper underlay to provide the very distinctive Mizuno feel. Furthermore, there has been a lot of work done to the bottom of the club with a new triple-cut sole, which involves a beveled leading edge, a ‘hard-cut’ trailing edge and some refinements to the overall geometry.
The looks on offer are absolutely sensational. From the shelf appeal perspective, the Pro S3 is about as clean as an iron gets. The satin finish looks extremely premium and the branding has been used sparingly but with genuine attention to detail. It is difficult to picture a much better-looking iron to grace any golf bag.
In the playing position, it would be fair to say that Mizuno hasn’t always been my favorite brand due to the somewhat angular profile they often employ in models like the Pro 241 and Pro 243, but the Pro S3 is comfortably my favorite ever Mizuno iron from this viewpoint. Significantly straighter lines than ever before, coupled with an exceedingly short blade length, make this head a thing of beauty at address.
I did the majority of my testing with the Pro S3 at Saunton Golf Club, using my FullSwing KIT launch monitor and TaylorMade TP5 golf balls, and they delivered exactly what they promised.
The feel is a stunning combination of Mizuno softness with flawless turf interaction from the newly engineered sole. You certainly know when you have mishit a shot, but the pure joy of even one flushed strike makes even a good few poor shots feel worth it to get there! Being fortunate to do most of my practice from tight, crisp, links turf at Saunton Golf Club, turf interaction is crucial to my iron testing as any imperfections are magnified from this type of ground, and the Pro S3 passed this test with flying colors. Producing beautifully uniform slivers of turf, and traveling through the ground like a knife through butter, these irons are as good as anything I have tested in that department.
As is often the way with more squat iron head shapes, the shorter blade length seems to make it easier to manipulate the clubface and produce a variety of shapes and trajectories at will.
Despite the slight cavity in the design, there really is little in the way of forgiveness to speak of here, and the conservative lofts (34˚ in 7-iron) don’t offer much in the way of an artificial distance boost, but purchasers will be going in well aware of that and will be prioritizing the many other fine assets on show. Mizuno has designed this iron with the purist of ball strikers in mind, and this type of player is going to absolutely love it.
The Mizuno Pro S3 provides an extremely enjoyable user experience. Like a straight-talking boss or a sharp-tongued sibling, feedback can be somewhat brutal, but is always honest. If you’ve put a poor swing on it, the Pro S3 will have no qualms about letting you know, but if you get it right, there aren’t many other irons out there I would rather experience a centered strike from.
Sets are available in 4-PW in both left and right-handed options. The stock shafts will be Project X with Golf Pride MCC Black-Grey grips. They have a recommended retail price of £215 per iron.
