Mizuno Yoro Department Custom Hand Ground MP-5 Pics and mini review

[FairwayFred]

I have always been very particular about my golf clubs. I know what I want and often time have had a hard time finding it. That never ending quest was a big part of what drove me to start Scratch Golf in 2003. Through Scratch I was able to get hand ground custom clubs made how I wanted. When Scratch closed down October of 2015 I decided to embrace my inner HO and try some other clubs and see what else was out there. (still playing Scratch wedges)

 

I have been playing Mizuno MP5s since the middle of the summer. I originally did not consider them when looking for new irons due to the thicker topline and the offset being more than I am comfortable with and ultimately settled on a set of Yonex N1MBs. (also gamed briefly Cobra Bio Cell Pro Combos, Cobra Fly Z Pro MBs, Titleist TMBs, PXG 0311Ts) Loved the Yonex but the sole has just a little too much bounce for me. One day I was playing with a friend who had just gotten a set of MP5s and spent some time hitting them on the range. I was instantly smitten with them. The sole grind goes through the turf perfectly for me and the shiny polished chrome finish took my visual focus away from the parts of the club that I didn't like to look at. The feel is great. Both soft and solid with great feedback. The muscle design is fantastic, they are as forgiving as most players CBs and have all the feel and workability benefits of a muscle back. The lower COG fits what I need out of a blade. I have played my best golf of the year with them.

 

After a couple months of playing them I realized that if I could get a set ground a little closer to my specs I would have a pretty ultimate set of clubs. Enter the Mizuno Yoro Department. Little known to most US customers, the Mizuno Yoro Department is part of Mizuno Japan and gives the customer the opportunity to basically design their own set of Mizuno irons. You can pick any of their current models and some of the older models. You can modify the stampings some, add custom stampings, pick paint fill, any shaft and grip and shape the head to your liking. They can shape the topline how you want, modify the toe, change the sole grind, add or decrease bounce, modify the toe, add or decrease offset etc. They also offer multiple finishes. I decided to order a set that kept everything I loved about the retail set and modify the rest to fit my eye.

 

Here are the specs I ordered:

 

MP5

4-PW

Polished Chrome finish

Remove MP5 stamp

Remove hosel stamp replace with 2010C Tour marking

Fujikura MCI 120 shafts

Golf Pride CP2 Tour grip

Lies based off 63* PW decrease 1/2* each club

Lengths cut before gripping

PW - 36"

9 - 36.25

8 - 36.75

7 - 37.25

6 - 37.75

5 - 38.25

4 - 38.75

Swingweights D5 4-9 D5. 5 PW

Thinner and rounder topline

Decrease offset as much as possible

Soften transition from hosel to topline

Standard toe shape

No paintfill

 

The clubs came in almost perfect. The shaping looked exactly as I had hoped for. (I wish they could have taken a little more offset out but understood in advance the limitations there and they look great) The look to my eye is greatly improved from the retail set. The swing weights were dead on spec. I have a digital swing weight scale and the 4-9 are each either D5.0 or D5.1. The PW is exactly D5.5. The only thing they missed was the paintfill they came with black paint in the club number and the word MIZUNO but no big deal I can fix that easily.

 

I will get a chance to play with them next week. I expect them to be everything I loved about my retail set but greatly improved visually. For anyone looking for a completely custom hand ground set of irons the Mizuno Yoro Department is an incredible option. As someone who used to have my own boutique company it's cool to be able to work with a much bigger OEM on a similar set of hand made custom irons. I'll report back as I get more rounds on them.

 

Pics below. Sorry no pics of the 4i as I have a hybrid in my bag in that spot atm and its still in plastic. Yoro customs have black ferrules, retail set has blue striped ferrules.

[cz13X4]

Sweet! Yoro is the only way to go mizuno

[2putttom]

Beautiful .... absolutely beautiful

[swizbeatz]

Pretty sweet. I've played a set of MP5's last few rounds and will echo your thoughts on them.

[Kingcat990]

Gorgeous irons, nice specs too.

[Sir Stymie]

Very nice set of sticks...how much more over retail do the Yoro's go for if you don't mind me asking?

[AUTIGER07]

Beautiful looking set! Got to love the Yoro department and what they can do.

[rymail00]

Wow! Amazing how much different the the narrowing of the top line plays in making them look "thinner" from address (even excluding the the offset). It has the apprearance of a players cavity vs. a blade when side to side at address, but their the same head. I wish I could have my 716 AP2 with less offset, or really like my old EZ/AR set with zero offset, but with all geat things of the AP2's.

 

Love Yoro, and hope to someday get a set if I find a model I truely like.

 

Nice to know the Scratch wedges are still in the bag. My TD DW are my "can't be replaced" clubs in the bag. Had them 2 full seasons and currently trying to choose the right company to send them too for the 1st refinish/regrooving. It'll be a sad day down the line when they can longer be regrooved/refinished.

 

Anyways, hope the Yoro build turns a good set of clubs, to the great set. It's hard going from how you exactly want a set of irons, to OTR. Yoro gives that outlet to make a set of iron to have the desired look people want. Wish more OEM's offered this.

Best of luck of with them.

Ryan

[craz-e]

Pretty much the best MP5's I have ever seen ?

Always tempted myself to order a raw set

[easyyy]

I saw these last Friday and I was floored. They were noticeably shorter heel to toe and had almost zero offset over the retail MP-5. Incredible craftsmanship from Mizuno Yoro Dept.

 

Joe Kwok told me that he went to the Yoro workshop and was very impressed. He said they has special tooling that allowed them to make these dramatic changes while preserving the sole grinds and other significant design characteristics.

 

These are sick. Something that I have allways wanted to do but did have the kahunas to pull the trigger. Ari is a very sick human. He will play in teh Detroit area all winter long. He is our Ho fearless leader.

 

Congrats on the new babies.

 

Ohhh.... did you say you were thinking back up set? ;)

[FairwayFred]

Very nice set of sticks...how much more over retail do the Yoro's go for if you don't mind me asking?

 

Anyone with price questions or anything like that please send me a PM

[FairwayFred]

Pretty much the best MP5's I have ever seen ?

Always tempted myself to order a raw set

 

I was dead set on a raw set until I got my retail set and I just fell back in love with polished chrome. So easy to just concentrate on the scorelines and let the rest of the club disappear at address.

[fjk]

Let us know if you find wedges to replace yours! I loved my 8620s and nothing comes close to their compact, simple head shape.

[FairwayFred]

I saw these last Friday and I was floored. They were noticeably shorter heel to toe and had almost zero offset over the retail MP-5. Incredible craftsmanship from Mizuno Yoro Dept.

 

Joe Kwok told me that he went to the Yoro workshop and was very impressed. He said they has special tooling that allowed them to make these dramatic changes while preserving the sole grinds and other significant design characteristics.

 

These are sick. Something that I have allways wanted to do but did have the kahunas to pull the trigger. Ari is a very sick human. He will play in teh Detroit area all winter long. He is our Ho fearless leader.

 

Congrats on the new babies.

 

Ohhh.... did you say you were thinking back up set? ;)

 

Can't wait to get them on the course. Hoping to get at least a couple round in this week in Michigan.

 

Already thinking specs for another set.... ;)

[GBBM]

Congrats on the Yoros! I'd like to think I had a tiny little part in this. ?

[gigem_ags]

Is there anywhere online to see the full list of options? Thanks in advance

[dan360]

Those. are. nice.

 

.....all this temptation to give up on my 33s.....

[toophewbirdies]

Raw's would look cool! Nice "Scratchtastic" ferrules on the retail set!! ;)

 

Play them well Ari.

[1018CS]

those look great Ari... jealous!

 

What was the timeline from when you submitted the order to shipped?

[bladehunter]

as a fellow Iron ho and Blade lover let me say that those are top shelf.... Soo much better than retail set its unreal!

[manxytag]

Why didn't you just get some MP4'sleep???

[MJisGOAT]

Those make the retail ones look pretty shatty. What's the process for ordering yoro? Also, would they be able to replicate this?

 

 

[Foxee]

Is golfsex a word?

[andrew_m]

Stunning set...now I know where my next set is going to come from. Do you happen to know if they'll create a set that isn't currently at retail? If, say, I wanted a set of raw MP 67's with the shorter blade length and less offset.

 

Thanks for posting these! Have to go pick my jaw up off the floor.

[Tcann32]

Is golfsex a word?

 

It is now.

 

Who am I kidding. The two have always been one in the same to me.

 

I want these clubs..... Real bad.

 

Add these to the list of sticks I wish were lefties.

 

1957's, These Mizunos, and a few putters. uhhhhhg.

[Jwin323]

Beautiful irons. They remind me a lot of a set of Hogan Apex from the '80s.

[MJisGOAT]

Is golfsex a word?

 

No, it's two separate words.

[Yarra]

Used to think 3K for Yoro Mizuno is too much... with PXG on the market, I think I would order one of these too.

[Nic1972]

Those are beautiful!

[FairwayFred]

those look great Ari... jealous!

 

What was the timeline from when you submitted the order to shipped?

 

It took about 4 weeks.