Iron Head Comparison: How large are Miura, Honma, Mizuno and Srixon Irons?
Since we are asked again and again how one iron looks in comparison to another, we thought we would simply measure each iron individually. This way, every iron we offer is actually comparable. And yes, there are some interesting differences and special features of the irons, but more about that later.
Our categories are: Blades, Cavity Backs, Two-Piece and Hollow Construction irons. The transitions are often fluid and therefore we have made this classification to the best of our ability.
The measurements in detail
Topline - Measuring the topline has been very easy on all irons except Mizuno's MP20. Here the topline is slightly rounded. We tried to find the thickest part of the topline on all irons.
Sole width - The width of the sole was determined in the middle of the clubface. The sole of most irons gets wider towards the toe.
Width of Grooves - This value is easy to determine. Simply the "milled" area was determined, which basically corresponds to the length of the grooves. This is the actual clubface.
Length of the Blade - The actual length of the club blade differs slightly. This is mainly about the centre of gravity and how much confidence a clubface is giving.
Height - The distance between the highest point of the clubface and the lowest point of the sole determines the height and therefore to a large extent the forgiveness in the vertical direction.
All data in mm.
Blade Irons
| Topline | Sole Width | Groove Width | Blade length | Height | |
| Miura MB-101 | 4.3 | 16.3 | 51.7 | 69.0 | 54.2 |
| Miura MC-501 | 4.4 | 18.2 | 53.7 | 69.8 | 53.0 |
| Honma TR20 B | 4.9 | 17.8 | 53.5 | 69.0 | 54.4 |
| Srixon Forged | 4.9 | 16.5 | 54.5 | 72.8 | 54.6 |
| Mizuno MP20 | 5.4 | 16.4 | 54.5 | 71.3 | 54.0 |
Blades are typically characterised by a narrow topline, a narrow sole and at least a low height. The length of the blade is also often shorter.
Among our blades, there is a clear leader in terms of these values, namely the Miura MB-101. We consider this iron to be the most classic blade on the market anyway. The topline is the thinnest at 4.3mm, the sole is the narrowest at 16.3mm and the width of the grooves is also very small at only 51.7mm. This makes this iron the sportiest - from an optical point of view.
The Mizuno MP-20 and Honma TR20 B perform similarly, but in a much less aggressive way. The Srixon Z-Forged is the big exception in this category. Although it has a narrow topline and sole, it is comparable to a Honma TR21 X in terms of face length and to the Srixon ZX5 in terms of height. And these are actually more game-improvement irons.
Cavity Back/Player's Irons
| Topline | Sole Width | Groove Width | Blade length | Height | |
| Miura TC-201 | 5.5 | 19.0 | 53.4 | 71.0 | 53.8 |
| Miura CB-301 | 6.1 | 19.0 | 56.4 | 74.0 | 55.1 |
| Honma TR20 V | 5.5 | 18.5 | 52.3 | 70.6 | 53.6 |
| Srixon ZX7 | 6.0 | 18.5 | 56.0 | 73.4 | 54.6 |
| Mizuno JPX921 Tour | 5.0 | 18.1 | 55.1 | 72.0 | 55.7 |
| Mizuno MP20 MMC | 5.2 | 17.9 | 56.8 | 73.1 | 54.9 |
In the "Player's Irons" category, the variations are manageable. The sportiest irons in this category are the Honma TR20 V and the Mizuno JPX921 Tour. The latter has the thinnest topline, among the thinnest soles, but the highest club face.
The Miura CB-301 is only in this category because it is classically forged from one piece and has a typical cavity back. The topline is quite wide and the face is relatively long. It is clearly the easiest iron to play in this category.
Two-Piece Construction Irons
| Topline | Sole Width | Groove Width | Blade length | Height | |
| Miura IC-601 | 7.6 | 19.7 | 55.8 | 72.1 | 54.2 |
| Honma TR20 P | 6.3 | 20.7 | 54.1 | 72.4 | 53.1 |
| Mizuno JPX921 Forged | 6.1 | 21.0 | 56.6 | 73.6 | 55.9 |
| Srixon ZX5 | 6.4 | 22.2 | 56.9 | 73.4 | 54.6 |
We are now entering an area where the main focus is on avoiding mistakes and supporting the player in terms of launch and ball speed. Therefore, the topline and sole are much wider and the clubface a bit bigger.
But there are big differences here as well. The Miura IC-601 has by far the widest topline, but the thinnest sole. The clubface itself is relatively short and more in the range of the player's irons category.
Hollow Construction Irons
| Topline | Sole Width | Groove Width | Blade length | Height | |
| Honma TR21 X | 6.5 | 22.3 | 54.5 | 72.8 | 54.7 |
| Mizuno MP20 HMB | 7.7 | 19.9 | 56.8 | 73.3 | 56.4 |
These irons are clearly game improving. The Mizuno MP20 HMB has the widest topline of all irons, the Honma TR21 X the widest sole. The MP20 HMB is also the highest of all irons.
The Results Summarised
Let's take a look at the individual categories:
Thinnest topline: Miura MB-101
Thickest topline: Mizuno MP20 HMB
Thinnest sole: Miura MB-101
Thickest sole: Honma TR21 X
Narrowest clubface: Miura MB-101
Widest clubface: Srixon ZX5
Shortest club face: Miura MB-101 and Honma TR20 B
Longest club face: Miura CB-301
Lowest height: Mizuno MP20
Highest height: Mizuno MP20 HMB
Miura vs. Mizuno
Many have certainly played Mizuno irons or seen them in bags. With Miura, this might not be the case. That is why we are often asked which Miura irons are comparable to which Mizuno irons. For this reason, we would like to briefly discuss the similarities here:
Miura 101 and Mizuno MP-221: The classic blade irons from Miura and Mizuno. The Miura Blade is a bit narrower with a thinner sole and shorter face.
Miura 201 and Mizuno MP-223 and JPX921 Tour: Miura does not use multiple materials like Mizuno. That is why this comparison is difficult. Because the MP-223 also uses different materials like its MMC predecessor while the Miura 201 and the JPX921 Tour are classically forged.
Miura 401 and Mizuno MP-225 and JPX921 Forged: The Miura 401 is the only Miura iron with two-piece technology and therefore easily comparable with the MP-225 and JPX921.