Last week I was fortunate enough to visit and meet with Mizuno’s Head Engineer in Melbourne to learn about their design philosophy and visit their workshop and fitting area.
This great experience vindicated the decision I took 4 years ago – prior to the club running the golf shop at Mount Lawley where I set up a fitting cart to service the club’s membership. The main considerations being providing a quality fitting service/cart and quality clubs. One of the things Mizuno are most famous for are the great feel produced with their forged irons.
The forging process produces greater consistency and quality in the metal. Casting may be a more economical way to produce clubs – a cast head costs about half as much to produce as a forged head. But the downside of casting is that when the metal is poured into the mould, it always traps tiny bubbles inside the metal structure. If you use the example of making ice cubes in the freezer; no matter how carefully you pour the water, there are always bubbles in the ice. These bubbles make the face inconsistent; two shots from almost the same place can produce different results.
The forging process that Mizuno use is call Grain Flow Forging. Mizuno irons are forged out of metal rods, or bars. These have a natural flow of the fibre, a grain. This grain acts as a strengthener/reinforcer, improving the block’s integrity, consistency and durability. Think of it like concrete, reinforced by steel rods inside; the grain acts like the steel rods. Mizuno is the only company to arrange and control this flow to pass on a performance benefit to the golfer. Mizuno maintain this flow into the finished head. It makes the club stronger and more consistent. They achieve it by taking the bar and stretching about half of it into a narrower diameter. This end eventually becomes the hosel. But because it is a squeezing, stretching action, they maintain the flow of the grain that is trapped inside the bar. After this they put the half with the squeezed metal into the primary forging mould and then forge it, so this hosel portion becomes the hosel and other part becomes the face. Other companies don’t do this – they do not care about the metal’s grain. Rather than stretch the rod they pound it, hammer it. It creates lots of flash – unnecessary parts – which must then be taken out. That’s usually done by milling and grinding. The whole process cuts through the natural flow of the fibre, which makes their irons weaker and less consistent. This process of forging is Trade Mark protected and can not be replicated by any other golf company.
Please visit the following link to YouTube for a visit for tour of Mizuno’s Grain Flow Forging process in their Japanese Forging Plant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9rVM4-QwiY
If you want to experience the best feeling, quality clubs on the market I encourage you to a book a club fitting session with me now. Myself, Ric Edwards and Ackzel Donaldson as three of your professional staff all choose to play Mizuno irons!
