Mizuno Pro M-15 Irons Review: Great irons outshone by their sibling

Looks & features

Get comfy, because there's a lot of new tech to run through with these irons.

Mizuno's team of Hiroshima-based engineers have combined two materials and three different forging process to create the clubs that make up the Pro M-15 set, all of which feature a hollow-body construction.

The longer irons are made with a unique process Mizuno calls Grain Flow Forged construction, combining an alloy it calls Chromoly 4135 with 431 stainless steel, boosted further with the addition of strategically-placed Tungsten weights, improving forgiveness while maintaining the buttery-soft feel Mizuno players are accustomed to.

Further down the bag, the 9-iron and wedges are forged from a combination of 1025HD Elite steel and 17-4 Stainless Steel for Mizuno's softest, most responsive feel.

All of the M-15 irons have seen tweaks to their sole designs to complement this new tech, with Mizuno reshaping the Triple Cut sole and adding bounce to aid turf interaction, while all are tuned with copper underlays and Mizuno’s Harmonic Impact Technology to deliver that soft, crisp sensation that only Mizuno Pro irons deliver.

The M-15 is designed primarily to stand apart from the M-13 as the more forgiving, distance-oriented option of the two irons, and comes with many of the features premium manufacturers tend to include in their players' distance irons as a result. In addition to the aforementioned Tungsten weights, the M-15s also have variable face thicknesses to deliver more speed on off-centre strikes, and are lofted stronger than the M-13s to produce more distance without sacrificing too much launch and control.

Looks-wise, Mizuno have maintained the signature aesthetic of the Pro line, with a reshaped mid-line much more akin to that of the S-1 irons running along the back of the club and a small badge stamped into the back of the club denoting its place in the new line. Outside of this, there's not a whole lot to distinguish these clubs from the rest of the Pro range to the naked eye, which is exactly as it should be – however we do think the stamp is a bit of an unnecessary add-on when compared to the super clean good looks of the Signature models. 

However at address the M-15s are markedly different from their sibling, particularly as you get towards the shorter irons and wedges. They're still relatively sleek, but you'll find much more material behind the ball compared to the M-13, and possibly a little too much if you really prefer the thin top line and compact heel of a classic Mizuno Pro iron.

Performance

With the stronger lofts and variable thickness faces, we were expecting the M-15s to produce a sizeable distance gain over the more controlled M-13, however we were surprised to find that the difference in real-world conditions actually wasn't all that drastic. The M-15s are certainly longer and straighter, especially as you get towards the longer end of the bag, and are certainly the most forgiving option we've tested in the Mizuno Pro range.

This added distance and forgiveness, however, comes with a few major caveats. While longer compared to its stablemate, the M-15 produced a noticeable drop-off in feel compared to the buttery softness of the M-13. Hit side by side, the M-15s just felt a little bit flat in comparison, and while they still feel at the very upper end of all forged irons available today, those who really value that classic Mizuno feel at impact might find the M-15 marginally wanting.

It's also worth noting that the distance gains you'll no doubt find with the M-15s are pretty slim. The difference between the two, despite the stronger lofts, generally comes down to a matter of a few yards. Likewise, while the M-15s are certainly more forgiving than the M-13s, the difference isn't so stark that we'd immediately recommend the M-15 for someone wanting an iron that's drastically easier to hit. 

While still plenty controllable, the M-15s, by virtue of their stronger lofts, also produced less spin and stopping power with the shorter clubs compared to the M-13s, which is a small notch against them for better players who value workability in the approach game.

The M-15s, then, are slightly longer and slightly more forgiving. Are they worth what you give up in terms of feel and control compared to the M-13, however? We're not so sure.

Should you buy the Mizuno Pro M-15 Irons?

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Mizuno Pro M-15 Golf Ironsfrom £1,440.00 at Scottsdale Golf

While undoubtedly beautiful clubs in their own right, the Mizuno Pro M-15s get a little in their own way with just how similarly they perform to their sibling in the M-13. Indeed, if anything Mizuno are guilty of making the latter simply a bit too good, making it a whole lot harder to recommend the M-15s in comparison.

Players who want a set of Mizuno Pro irons but really value distance and forgiveness may find the M-15 works better for them, likewise you may prefer it if you're a player who draws a little more confidence from having more club behind the ball at address.

However we'd simply feel much more comfortable recommending the M-15 if there was a clearer distinction in distance and forgiveness between the two. In our hands, we found the two strikingly similar, and given the added looks, feel and spin of the M-13, it would lead us to pick it as the victor between the two every time.