Mizuno MP-20 MMC Irons Review – Stable Playability

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Mizuno MP-20 MMC Irons - 3 Perspectives

Today I’ll be doing a full review of the Mizuno MP-20 MMC irons.

Labelled “layers of feel”, the MP-20 MMC irons are better-player cavity backs and the 2nd generation of Mizuno’s multi material concept.

Where does the MMC fit in the MP-20 line of irons? Which golfer is it best suited for? Is it worth using over other recent offerings from Mizuno?

Here’s what I’m going to be covering in this review:

Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.

Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.


What are the reviews like?

The MP-20 MMC irons have very positive ratings ratings from consumers and critics, although they haven’t been on the market long enough to get a real sense of where they rank.

Currently, they have 5-star buyer ratings on the official Mizuno website and Global Golf.

What People Like

  • good workability while still having some forgiveness
  • smooth and solid feel
  • looks like a blade at address
  • consistent distance

What People Don’t Like

  • lacking some extra length and forgiveness
  • difficult to categorize as being suitable for a particular type of golfer

What are the features?

The MP-20 MMC iron is based on the set flow, proportions and chassis of the MP-20 muscle back.

The idea is to provide playability, superior feel, and precision shotmaking around the greens.

1025E Pure Select

Like the JPX919 Tour irons, the MP-20 MMCs are made of 1025E Pure Select steel, which has a six times tighter tolerance than the industry standard for greater purity.

Multi-Material Construction

Special materials are strategically positioned in the iron to increase launch and improve forgiveness.

Copper Underlay

Mizuno’s famous copper underlay makes a return in the MP-20 line. It was originally used in popular irons like the MP-29 and TN87 to adhere the chrome plating to forged steel.

The underlay consists of a thin layer of copper beneath a nickel chrome finish, providing an enhanced impact feel.

Grain Flow High-Density Forging

The MP-20 MMC irons are forged through the patented Grain Flow Forging Process in Hiroshima, Japan.

This process involves several precise steps, and the end result is a feel, consistency and durability unique to Mizuno. The forging increases grain density in the impact area for soft, consistent, solid feel.

Forged Titanium Muscle

The carbon steel body has had titanium forged directly into it, allowing for weight savings that are redistributed to increase forgiveness.

Tungsten Toe Weighting

Low and towards the toe is a high-density mass of tungsten. This improves launch and effectively increases the size of the sweet spot.

Stock Info

The 4 iron through the PW are available, and this also happens to be the stock set. The stock shaft is the KBS S-Taper.

Full information on shafts, grips, their specs, and the Mizuno Custom Program can be found on the Mizuno website. For best results, I recommend getting a custom fitting, if you can.

Below are the specs of the MP-20 MMC irons (click to enlarge):

Mizuno MP-20 MMC Irons Specs

How do these irons perform?

Distance/Distance Control

Distance results are solid. The MP-20 MMC isn’t a distance monster, but the results are respectable and, more than anything, consistent.

The consistency isn’t only there on center strikes, either. Mis-hits retain a very good ball speed, and players should be very pleased with the forgiveness.

If you want precise yardages in your irons, the MMCs will do it for you nicely.

Forgiveness

I would say that the forgiveness of the MP-20 MMC is quite good. In particular, they’re stable through the shot, they do a good job of staying on line on mis-hits, and at the same time, they’re workable enough to be able shape draws and fades quite easily.

In fact, Chris Voshall of Mizuno essentially said that the MMCs are for those who want playability and a traditional look but also some stability on off-center strikes (MOI, basically).

Long irons are easy to get up in the air, and the scoring irons are versatile.

Trajectory/Playability

The lofts on the MMC are the same as the HMB irons, which might surprise some, but I found trajectories to be a little higher. During my tests, I found ball flights to be very consistent and controllable.

The MP-20 MMC irons really provide a good balance between playability and forgiveness.

And with the larger blade size and tungsten weighting, they perform beautifully through the rough and out of other trouble lies — some of the best results I’ve seen.


What about look, sound & feel?

The Look

The MP-20 MMC iron is a cavity-back and in the “middle” of the MB and HMB models in the MP-20 line. Compared to the MP-20 MB, it is slightly larger, has a larger sole and thicker top line, and has stronger lofts.

Compared to the previous MP-18, the top line and sole are narrower, which is an attempt to make the iron more playable across the entire set.

The design on the back is very sharp, simple and professional with unassuming logoing. The offset is negligible.

Like the rest of Mizuno’s recent iron releases, the MMC has an all-silver chrome finish (satin and mirror) that really looks awesome in my opinion. Many golfers will absolutely love this look.

The Sound & Feel

I find the feel of the MP-20 MMC irons to be okay, but compared to other forged iron offerings, I think it’s a little disappointing.

More than anything, the MMC irons feel stable at impact — not surprising considering all the perimeter weighting Mizuno put into them.

The sound and feel are pretty solid and crisp, but for some reason, I was expecting a little more than I got. With that said, I do think the copper underlay makes a difference, which is great.


Where should you buy these irons online?

Getting a custom fitting is highly recommended with these types of irons. Go to this page, and if the irons aren’t available, use the store locator on the custom fitting page.

Alternatively, you can order the MP-20 MMC irons to custom specifications on this Global Golf page (check the coupon codes and other promotions).

eBay is a fantastic source for new and used sets, and you’re pretty much always going to find listings there.


Conclusion

The MP-20 MMC iron is a very solid offering from Mizuno.

It provides the traditional look of a blade and has benefits of a players iron like control and accuracy, but at the same time, it has very good forgiveness.

For me, this is one of the tougher irons to put in a category. Nonetheless, I think it’s best suited for golfers who like the feel and look of a players iron but want some extra stability and forgiveness to go with it.

If you’re not buying them at a discount online, the best thing to do is get a custom fitting or test them out and see where they fit into your game.


Have you tried the MP-20 MMC irons? What do you think about them? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Mizuno MP-20 MMC Irons - Featured
Mizuno MP-20 MMC Iron
Distance/Distance Control
9.5
Forgiveness
9
Playability
9.5
Look
8.5
Sound & Feel
8.5
Pros
Playability with forgiveness
Solid & smooth feel
Has the appearance of a blade at address
Distance is consistent
Cons
Not particularly long or forgiving
Difficult to put in a clear category
9
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