The brand new Mizuno T24 wedges pull off a reasonably neat trick. They signify the identical reply to 2 utterly reverse questions.
The reply to each questions is straightforward, but cryptic: “Nicely, cowboy, the brand new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to vary your thoughts.”
However the two questions are diametrically opposed. The primary query asks, “Do you by no means consider Mizuno in the case of wedges?”
The reply? “Nicely, cowboy, the brand new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to vary your thoughts.”
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, the query, “Are you one of many enlightened few who has gamed – and preferred – Mizuno wedges?” could be answered with the very same sentence.
“Nicely, cowboy, the brand new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to vary your thoughts.”
So, whether or not you’re an enthusiastic Mizzy fanboy/fangirl or a Vokey/Callaway/Cleveland/TaylorMade wedge snob, the brand new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to vary your thoughts, shift your considering or alter your opinions.
However that doesn’t imply they aren’t good sticks.
New Mizuno T24 Wedges
From 2017 to 2019, Mizuno had a reasonably spirited run in MyGolfSpy’s Most Needed wedge testing. The T7 copped the highest honors in ’17 whereas the S18 and T20 had sturdy second-place finishes in ’18 and ’19. Since then, Mizuno has solely entered the T22 two years in the past and it completed a decent seventh general. It completed third for spin that yr and, in moist testing, it was one in every of solely a handful of wedges that maintained not less than 85 % of its dry spin.
Not a stellar performer nevertheless it was no doorknob, both.
So for the brand new T24 wedge, Mizuno’s problem is fairly simple: preserve the great things, enhance the iffy stuff and eradicate the dangerous stuff. We stated it’s simple. We didn’t say it was simple.
To enhance each dry and moist spin efficiency, the brand new Mizuno T24 wedges function up to date loft-specific grooves. You’ll additionally see a extra compact head form with a thinner topline and higher versatility within the line as you transition from lower-lofted to higher-lofted fashions.
And the brand new shaping has the additional benefit of shifting some mass barely increased on the toe to assist with vertical MOI, convey down the launch angle and enhance spin.
And, as you’d count on, the brand new Mizuno T24 wedges are grain-flow HD-forged from 1025 stainless with a boron kicker. The HD stands for Excessive Density which principally means there’s extra materials density proper behind the hitting space for the type of really feel you count on from Mizuno.
Strains and Shapes
There’s solely a lot reshaping you are able to do with a traditional participant’s-type wedge. It doesn’t matter what, it nonetheless has to appear like a wedge. And likewise it doesn’t matter what, there’s nonetheless going to be a clunky transition out of your final set-matching iron and your first wedge.
To mitigate the clunk, Mizuno is pulling a web page out of the Wedge Designer’s Handbook and going with an “improved, extra compact head form.”
First is a thinner topline (as a result of who, pray inform, doesn’t need some thinner topline?) and fewer meat on the higher toe space. Mizuno additionally trimmed materials from the transition from topline to hosel.
The place did these trimmings go? A lot of it’s increased on the blade for what Mizuno is asking Spin Weighted Blade Design. That top-heavy mass raises the CG ever so barely which brings down the launch angle a contact and boosts spin a tad.
The wedge-to-wedge transition can be getting some refinement. The 46- via 52-degree wedges function straighter traces. Mizuno says they’ll visually movement extra seamlessly out of your, presumably, Mizuno iron set.
The 54- and 56-degree wedges function extra of a standard teardrop form so that you’ll really feel comfy utilizing them on each partial and full pictures. And the higher-lofted 58- and 60-degree wedges are full teardrop. When mixed with Mizuno’s grind choices, the thought is to present you full versatility across the inexperienced.
Mizuno wedges have historically had a considerably busy look to them with loft and bounce prominently displayed on a badge on the again of the blade. The brand new T24s look a great bit much less busy with the loft and bounce engraved extra historically, and fewer conspicuously, on the toe.
A Groovy Sort of Love
Wedges are all about spin. And, to be taken critically within the wedge recreation, an OEM has to have a groove story. The Mizuno T24 wedges function newly optimized loft-specific grooves. The lower-lofted wedges have 17 grooves on the face that are narrower on the high and the underside and barely deeper – all the higher to spin you with on full pictures, my expensive.
The 58- via 60-degree wedges are optimized for partial swing efficiency. The grooves are wider on the high and backside to higher transfer moisture and particles out of the way in which. They’re additionally barely shallower and are wider aside with solely 15 grooves.
Each grooves have been redesigned to have a extra conical shoulder form and an elevated aspect taper. Mizuno says that successfully makes them a bit sharper whereas nonetheless staying inside USGA guidelines and regs.
And OEMs additionally want a wet-performance story so as to be taken critically within the wedge recreation. Mizuno’s moist efficiency has been stable ever because it launched Hydroflow Micro Grooves within the T20 again in 2019. Hydroflow Micro Grooves are Mizuno’s tackle an extra laser-milling sample on the face to channel away much more moisture when it’s moist.
Mizuno goes loft-specific right here, as nicely. For the 46- via 52-degree wedges, the milling has a extra vertical sample since these wedges are used usually for straight-on full pictures. The milling is barely tilted by about 10 levels on the higher-lofted wedges. The thought is to have the Hydroflow Micro Grooves at extra of an angle to work higher with a glancing blow from an open membership face – something to squeeze out just a few extra rpm in moist circumstances.
Playin’ These Grind Video games
One other requirement within the “Let’s Be Taken Significantly In The Wedge Enterprise” recreation is a grind story. Bland grinds equal bland gross sales. Grind choices don’t essentially imply you’ll promote a whole lot of wedges. Grind choices are like jacks or higher to open. It’s a must to have them to play the sport.
The Mizuno T24 wedges have the 4 requisite sole grinds however the line is including an fascinating fifth one. The 46- via 52-degree fashions function the S-Grind with a straight bevel throughout the trailing edge and reasonable heel reduction for full pictures. The D-Grind is a mid-bounce sole with reasonable reduction on the heel and toe which Mizuno says offers good versatility. It’s out there within the 54-through 58-degree fashions.
The C-Grind is a higher-bounce model of the D-Grind with extra aggressive heel, toe and trailing-edge reduction. As such, Mizuno says it offers extra versatility than the D- or the S-grinds. It’s out there within the 56- via 60-degree fashions.
Mizuno’s X-Grind is the bottom bounce of the bunch with excessive (therefore the “X” label) heel, toe and trailing-edge reduction. It gives most versatility across the inexperienced and is accessible solely within the 58- and 60-degree variations.
New to the celebration is what Mizuno is asking its V-Grind out there within the 56-, 58- and 60-degree fashions. Because the title suggests, it options very aggressive trailing-edge reduction to create a V-shaped sole. Such a grind tends to have a better bounce than the C-Grind whereas sustaining a excessive diploma of greenside versatility.
Mizuno T24 Wedges: Remaining Ideas, Worth and Availability
As we talked about on the high, when you’re a Mizuno wedge fan, there’s nothing about this new providing that’s going to vary your thoughts. You continue to have the dead-sexy Denim Copper end in addition to the Uncooked end. And Mizuno has up to date its Gentle White Satin end to chop glare. Add to {that a} thinner topline, a extra compact look and tilted Hydroflow Micro Grooves and you’ve got a winner.
However when you’ve been largely detached to Mizuno wedges, there’s additionally nothing right here to vary your thoughts. I’m keen to guess all of Warren Buffett’s cash, all of Jimmy Buffet’s cash and most of Tony Covey’s cash that the T24 will likely be a stable, doubtlessly top-five performer in subsequent yr’s MyGolfSpy wedge testing. However even when it takes high honors, cracking the Vokey-Callaway-Cleveland market stranglehold is hard. Even with a wedge as sturdy because the MG3, TaylorMade nonetheless sits at perhaps a 14-percent wedge market share.
It’s a tricky enterprise. And massive manufacturers spend some huge cash to make it even more durable.
Be that as it might, the Mizuno T24 wedges will come at a premium, priced at $180 every. The Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty S400 is the inventory males’s shaft whereas the Recoil ESX 460 F1 is the inventory shaft for the ladies’s mannequin. The black/grey Golf Satisfaction MCC is the inventory grip.
All three finishes and all lofts will likely be out there in right-handed fashions. Lefties can have any end or loft they need so long as it’s the Gentle White Satin end and between 50 and 60 levels.
They’ll be out there at retail and on-line beginning Sept. 14.
For extra info, go to the Mizuno web site.
Test Worth
