Thoughts on Mizuno Pro 243

[mtnbiker5]

On 4/22/2024 at 10:30 AM, MerryTex said:

The 243 irons are great. I was torn between the new 243 and the outgoing 223 model. I had played the 223 in the past but not with the Modus shaft I was looking for. I scored my set brand new at my local shop for $500+ less than what the 243 retail for. They had a $100 off irons sale and were already marked down. 

 

The 243 plays similarly to the 223 and offers a split set-like performance but with the continuity of having one iron style in your bag. I'd put these alongside the T150 regarding performance and design characteristics but with the classic Mizuno feel. 

How they feel against t150?

[MerryTex]

43 minutes ago, mtnbiker5 said:

How they feel against t150?

243 feel better than the T150. The T150 feel good but they do feel more modern and have a crisp feeling. I'd rather play the 620 CB with a T200 in the 4 and 5 iron.

[hh2nd]

17 hours ago, mtnbiker5 said:

How they feel against t150?

Ball sinks in to the face of the 243 before it takes off. T150 just takes off. 
 

I’ve been playing the 243 for about three months and do not feel tempted to even look at other irons. 

[Whit1969]

On 8/18/2024 at 4:13 PM, Dewdman42 said:

how do the 243's compare to JPX923Tours?

 

I do not think that you will give up much at all in terms forgiveness with the 923 Tours.  They are outstanding irons that still give you the blade look at address and a narrower sole.  Plus they added the copper underlay to the 923 Tours as well.  To me they are kind of a tweener iron in that they are not really a true blade nor are they a true cavity back.  It's almost as if you get hte best of both worlds with them.  Easily Mizuno's best iron out right now.

[Dewdman42]

I am currently playing the Tours already.  And I do love them.  best irons I've ever had!  my scoring has absolutely improved dramatically I believe from the accuracy they have brought me and they are forgiving enough for my imperfect swing.  

 

Just asking for comparison between the 243's and Tours...they are very close.  I am curious what other people think about comparing them being very nit picky.

 

What i have seen so far on various reviews I have seen:

 

1. the 243's have slightly more bounce which may result in slightly more forgiveness in that regard
    
2. The 243's have slightly less offset, and I'm not sure how that will make a difference either way
    
3. the 243's offer 2 degrees of loft jacking and essentially each club hits the ball roughly 5 yards further then the Tours with very even gapping all the way down to GW (unlike the Forged line which has horrible gapping from 9i-GW.  Reviewers claim they still obtain pretty decent spin even with this loft jacking, particularly improved since the 223 in that area.
    
4. They are both cavity back and I do not get a clear indication about which iron would be better for off center hits.  I only hear speculation, but I can't find any actual nitty gritty comparison between these two, the 243 have been compared against Forged line only that I can find, which I feel is a dumb comparison.
    
5. They both have smaller clubhead size and thin top line to look down at.
    
6. They both have a fairly player-oriented sole width
    
7. They both have copper underlays for softer feel, again I have not seen a proper comparison in terms of softness or feel.

Honestly I think they are very very close and probably depends more on whether you want 2 degrees of loft jacking or not, which I am currently on the fence about.  I did not at all like the 4 degrees of loft jacking on the Forged line when I had a set of those.  But also i didn't like the huge clubhead and for some reason I would occasionally get these long zingers with low spin.

 

The tours are great because they are one of the only players irons out there with standard lofts and cavity back forgiveness.  In general that makes it a one of a kind product and personally I have really really liked this iron a lot in terms of accuracy.

 

but I do struggle a bit between 165-190 due to not having enough swing speed to hit my 7i out to 170 and inconsistency with 6i and 5i, particularly the 5i.  I think the 243's maybe I could hit out to 175 even 180 pretty reliably with just maybe a consistency hole briefly around 180-185 before switching to my hybrids that handle 190+ very well.  But i'm just speculating, no way to find out without owning a set and playing rounds with it.

 

But aside from lofts, all other things considered, they seem very comparable to each other in terms of forgiveness and feel.  But I would love to hear other opinions and feedback from people that have played them both.

 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2024 by Dewdman42

[mtnbiker5]

Looking forward to the new release.  Tour in January?

[mtnbiker5]

On 8/20/2024 at 5:15 PM, MerryTex said:

243 feel better than the T150. The T150 feel good but they do feel more modern and have a crisp feeling. I'd rather play the 620 CB with a T200 in the 4 and 5 iron.

I hated the new T200.   Badge in back snapped off twice on me when I first got it.  Cheap plastic backing.   Distance was not even close to what I’m gaming now.  Feel was ok.  They looked nice in the bag but traded it in.  Club did nothing for me.

[nmadde02]

I got fitted for the t150 and ended up not getting along with the feel and sold them. Felt too clicky in the long irons. Mizuno just has superior feel ball melts into the face 

[holdem75]

Might want to consider the TM P770. Smaller profile than 790 and still provides good feel and distance. 

[STank724]

Has anyone hit these against P7CB’s? Curious if these two are a similar class or if 243’s would be slightly more forgiving.

[grantley88]

2 hours ago, STank724 said:

Has anyone hit these against P7CB’s? Curious if these two are a similar class or if 243’s would be slightly more forgiving.

tried the P7CB in a fitting bay and much preferred the feel of the 243. I went with the 243 and they are really forgiving in my opinion.

[tkre2000]

I was told Mizuno is going to a longer release cycle on the MP line, meaning the next versions won't come out until late 2026 or January 2027.  Their customer service folks have indicated they are considering bringing the 243 lefty due to the longer wait times and high demand for the iron.  Has anyone heard anything?  These would be an instant buy for me and a few other lefties I know.

[FOOTJOY16]

On 4/22/2024 at 9:40 AM, poor_putting said:

I have the 241’s in p-6 and 243’s in 4-5. If I could do it all over again, I would only do the 243 in the 4 iron. 
 

I like a thinner sole and the 243’s are quite a bit wider. Also, the sound/feel isn’t as good as the 241’s. I know the lower lofted irons are a different material than the higher lofted but it’s definitely noticeable. 
 

For me the 243’s are long. I went 1 degree weak in 243’s to try to match up gapping and I need to go at least another degree to get gapping correct. 6 iron carries about 192-3 on stock shot and 5 iron about 212-215 (per launch monitor averages)
 

If you don’t mind the difference in feel/sound, and the sole width isn’t an issue definitely go with them. Those are just nit picky things for the most part.

I totally agree with this.  I'm playing the combo set as well.  I'm going to order the 241's in 4-6 to replace the 243's.. I just like the lower bounce and thinner sole on the 241's better

[70sinsight]

On 12/26/2024 at 2:22 PM, FOOTJOY16 said:

I totally agree with this.  I'm playing the combo set as well.  I'm going to order the 241's in 4-6 to replace the 243's.. I just like the lower bounce and thinner sole on the 241's better

I just picked up a set of 243s in a trade. Matched them loft wise to my P7MC set I've been gaming for a couple seasons. 5-7 yds longer throughout the bag, which I wasn't expecting. I figure the 4-7 would be because of the slot, but wondering why these have a little bit more pop wise for a cavity.

[edutch22]

Anyone find a gapping issue going from the 7 to the 8 iron? Thanks

[aquapig]

2 hours ago, edutch22 said:

Anyone find a gapping issue going from the 7 to the 8 iron? Thanks

Not at all 

[aquapig]

On 8/23/2024 at 9:01 PM, nmadde02 said:

I got fitted for the t150 and ended up not getting along with the feel and sold them. Felt too clicky in the long irons. Mizuno just has superior feel ball melts into the face 

Agreed. The feel between the 243s and T150s isn't even close. 243s are soft and feel like you're compressing the ball. The T150s feel like your hitting a TopFlight or Range ball.

[ATatman10]

On 8/21/2024 at 10:05 AM, hh2nd said:

Ball sinks in to the face of the 243 before it takes off. T150 just takes off. 
 

I’ve been playing the 243 for about three months and do not feel tempted to even look at other irons. 

 

I have gamed the T150s for a year now and they are great but I have a set of 243’s coming in I am excited to try. 

[LeicaRedDot]

The 243’s are a set on my shortlist, moving away from the MP20 blades. I just absolutely hate the 44 degree PW and the effect on the rest of the bag.

 

Has anyone bent the 243’s two degrees weaker? Any adverse effects?

[Padders87]

On 4/22/2024 at 5:30 AM, Red4282 said:

I made the switch from blades to 223s and havent looked back. Extremely happy and will have until they wear out. What are your hesitations on pulling the trigger?

Hi. I’m toying between a 2nd hand set of 223s. Had a fitting and loved the 243. Wondered if there’s much of a difference. Have you tried the 243?

[Red4282]

43 minutes ago, Padders87 said:

Hi. I’m toying between a 2nd hand set of 223s. Had a fitting and loved the 243. Wondered if there’s much of a difference. Have you tried the 243?

I have not. The differences will be small. I think the overall profile was shrunk down just a hair (like 1 mm blade length), added 1-2 deg of bounce. The lofts of the 9 and Pw strengthen for gapping. Id say if you like a little bit larger head, or like a little less bounce, go 223. You may  or may not want to check lofts/gapping. Some people didnt like the gapping in the short irons, but I didnt have any issues.

[bombs]

On 12/30/2024 at 11:51 AM, edutch22 said:

Anyone find a gapping issue going from the 7 to the 8 iron? Thanks

 

In some circumstances, yes I did. 

 

Shut the face and hit a pull with the 8 iron and you'll get away with it. 

But do it with the 7 iron and expect to miss long and left by a country mile.

[bombs]

19 hours ago, Padders87 said:

Hi. I’m toying between a 2nd hand set of 223s. Had a fitting and loved the 243. Wondered if there’s much of a difference. Have you tried the 243?

 

I've played both extensively.

They are similar.. few differences. 

Lofts are a little bit different in the short irons, from memory the newer ones are 1* stronger. 

 

243's are noticeably more compact in every dimension. 

 

And while the longer irons in the 243's are meant to have faster faces I saw no distance gains whatsoever. 

[gooding89]

Has anyone managed to hit the 243 gap wedge or have it? 

[bosgolfer]

Have one with my set. No issues with it (Modus 120). Have used sparingly as I prefer my SM10 with S200. 

[gooding89]

4 minutes ago, bosgolfer said:

Have one with my set. No issues with it (Modus 120). Have used sparingly as I prefer my SM10 with S200. 

thanks. Do you find it flies pretty consistently? Spin is ok? 
Due to young kids the amount of golf I’m playing is minimal so want to make the game as easy as possible and think a gap wedge from the set will be easier to hit consistently as will probably only hit it full and then looking at SM10s for the other two wedges based on what get fit intro 

[bosgolfer]

6 minutes ago, gooding89 said:

thanks. Do you find it flies pretty consistently? Spin is ok? 
Due to young kids the amount of golf I’m playing is minimal so want to make the game as easy as possible and think a gap wedge from the set will be easier to hit consistently as will probably only hit it full and then looking at SM10s for the other two wedges based on what get fit intro 

Very similar to the set PW. Slightly more forgiving than the SM10. Flies a tad further 4-5 yards. Easy to hit 3/4 though and flight down. 

[stratgolf]

2 hours ago, gooding89 said:

Has anyone managed to hit the 243 gap wedge or have it? 

 

Yes, currently have it in the bag. I use it as a full swing club, no issues.

[gumpy]

On 4/22/2024 at 11:27 AM, BCULAW said:

I’m searching right now. Iron play has fallen off due to lack of play. Long time blade player that has been going with more forgiving options. I am realizing that I prefer smaller profiled irons, but could use a bit of easier distance. I’m not looking for the BIG distance you can get from something like a p790 or Pro 245, and both are a bit more sluggish than I want. The i530s don’t give the type of feel I like. 

 

The Pro 243s have been really impressive on the simulator - outstanding feel, good enough looks, and exactly the type of distance gains I am hoping to find.  Curious how you all are getting along with them. 

My iron purchase 8 months ago came down to these two. I went with the I230 because of slightly better height and spin for me but the mizuno did go further and felt much nicer. Both were equally forgiving. 

 

One key decision point was the gap wedge being 50* for the i230 vs 48* for the 243 which made my wedge setup up easier. 

 

Overall I think the 243 would be perfect for what you’re wanting. 

[BladesOShanter]

Interesting thread. I'm playing with the 221s (5-P, but just got the 4 and plan to reshaft the set, as the current 760 Recoil F3s feel a bit hollow, or lackluster) combo'd with the 225 2-3 (in Recoil 95 F3s that are also not playing very nice for me for some odd reason).

Prior, I was playing the MP-20s, but the shafts in that set were too much for me as age and a 1yr layoff due to injury have overtaken me. Before the MP-20s I played the 716MB (5-P)/T-MP (3-4) combo.

In between the MP-20s and the current 221s, I tried the Zx7s in MMT 80 R flavor. My neighbor, who is a 3G clubmaker/fitter in his 70s with a huge following here let me try some shafts and head in his Flightscope X3/GCQ dual LM studio. My numbers were super-depressing, as I've lost 10 mph of club speed.

I took his advice and dropped my shaft weight about 30 grams, and went from X to R flex in those Sroxons. I had tried Axioms, as I have played the SFs, Recoil Protos, and MMTs already.

I played the Srixon MMT 80 Rs for about a month this past May. They were a 'mixed bag', in that they either went really far and kinda straight, or I was losing the face maybe due to laziness or floppy shaft timing being off, or my 'swing in pergatory' mode was the culprit, not sure.

Hard to describe it, but I can get sloppy or lazy with some heads, especially if I 'think' they will 'help' me. I don't mean to say there is anything wrong with those Zx7s. On me, totally! Might be I was not able to get totally comfy with them is all. 

The 221 v Zx7 distance-wise was noticeable. I played some very long iron shots with the Zx7s, and I need help with distance. I don't think misses with most clubs 'feel' any different. They all suck whe you whiff the ball. Do you get more out of some than others? I think so. The experts here know better.

I wasn't sure if it was the shaft or the head, but I decided to try a blade in a weaker Recoil as the old F5 110 Proto Recoils I had in my 716s were fun to play with, and I never had issues with them. Just know my 'new normal' calls for something else.

So, I snagged the 221s off the Bay with a lighter shaft. Only a few grams lighter than the MMTs. I like them a lot, as I am used to the head shape, and it helps me focus on accuracy vs distance. That was great, in the past, when I could hit a ball. Now, I'm finding the lack of club speed has really fallen off. I'm here reading this 243 thread as I do NOT like the 225s, and fantasize the 223 might have more mass, or jacked lofts, and not be a mallet so I will maintain some degree of focus.

I see a new set with SF R 95s for $1400 (speical offer). That is a Hellava lotta coin for a set of irons, and I already have the 716s, 221s, MP-20s, and a set of 770s. BTW, the 770s: I thought these might 'feel' nicer than my P-790 2I, and they 'do', to a degree. More muted and soft-feeling, but balloony sort of non-piercing ball flights, and I am a draw trapper with a shite OTT from inside move that gets very wonky in the slot, but I've always managed to get away with that, until my recent 'comeback'. I took them out, again, in May to try them. The shafts at MMT 125 S SS'd 1x. I think the shafts are just to heavy for this old bear tho, and while I hit the heads fine, they still don't do much to make the effort satisfying. Just on me, the indian, and not the club/arrow....

Now, June and half of July have gone by, and I will say my iron distances have fallen off so much I'm on here and BST every minute I'm not practicing, playing, or doing life's essentials, reading about the 243s! 

They have mass behind the face, and my misses are a groove or two high when I'm hitting off of a tee (hate hitting my rons off tees!), or if I have a ball sitting up too much. The only CBs I played were Tour Action gun metal 588s in the 90s. Just for short, but went back to my old faithful pre-buttonback Dyna-Powers.

I'll have to go across the street and try the 243 or 223 head in my neighbor's studio. I don't like hitting balls on LMs. It's a skill I am not good at, as the target never seems correctly set up and as I know I am being 'monitored', I tend to overswing and get myself really lathered.... But... beggars can't be choosy, eh?

Hope more post about their experiences with the MP 223 ans 243, as I am not a fan of the offset on the JPXs, or the head, although I know it is a cult club, so no insults here intended. Just not my kinda club.