When I visited The Foundry, Mizuno Golf’s R&D and Fitting headquarters just outside of Atlanta, I picked up one of their new Pro Fli-Hi utility irons.
It was already built in the fitting bay with a Ventus Black HB shaft. I essentially fell (back) in love with the club.
There’s just something about the Fli-Hi that makes it one of my favorite utility irons on the market, if not my No. 1 favorite. I spent some time on the course with the Mizuno team hitting it into a tricky par-5, and it certainly showed off its abilities.
Let’s talk about why I think this one’s special.
The Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi has been at the top of the list for me for quite a while. Even four or five years ago, when I was working at a national club fitter, the Fli-Hi was very popular in the bays; but it’s always been for a more specific customer.
The Fli-Hi is probably the best option for the better player who wants more heat out of a driving iron but doesn’t want to sacrifice the look. There are a lot of really good driving irons in the market, but not all of them handle the visual very well.
The newest iteration of the Fli-Hi has gone even further to make sure that it looks good behind the ball. Not only have they given the shape some very nice nips and tucks around the edges, along with a very nice transition from the hosel into the leading edge that protects the visual offset, but they’ve also changed the finish.
They’ve typically had darker finishes on the Fli-Hi in hopes of creating a more compact-looking visual, but this latest iteration just looks… cleaner. The new Black Ion finish reminds you of the Mizuno Pro irons lineup; Nice and clean, with a little bit of sheen for a more premium player’s look, and by going dark over silver or chrome, it appears even smaller.
They’ve also done a really cool internal design trick with the top line of the club to reduce its size. They are using what’s called an ‘Offset Face Weld’ that allows them to put the weld on the inside of the upper face-gauge. On the bottom side, the weld is back away from the face, which allows for the face to flex more and create more ball speed.
Make no mistake, the iron is still a big utility-style design, but Mizuno’s time and care in carving the shape into something that any player can put in the bag is noticeable.
The thing I love most about the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi is how workable and versatile the club is. It’s also very hot. I remember when I got the stock build in for testing early on, I was hitting the 4-iron marked loft close to 240 yards. I actually sent my friend at Mizuno a text that said “What am I supposed to do with a 240-yard 4-iron?” to which he laughed and replied, “I’ve never heard anybody complain a driving iron goes too far.” Fair point.
That ball speed and the forgiveness of the larger C.O.R. area make for a fantastic tee option, particularly if you can handle the 2-iron lofted version of the Fli-Hi. It’s not just a stinger toy, either, which is my beef with other utility irons on the market. The Fli-Hi off of a tee can be hit high, it can be hit low, and it’s very easy to produce a big swinging draw with the club that helps promote roll-out when you need it to.
My favorite part, though, is how good it is off the ground. I like to hit hybrids and irons; I’m not a big fairway wood player, so having something that I trust off the ground is massive. If a driving or utility iron is going to end up in the bag, it has to prove that it’s not a one-trick pony.
You can see in the video that the Fli-Hi does everything I want it to do. I was able to hit a low stinger into the same hole that I hit a towering draw over a very tall tree. Both shots were on command, back-to-back. If that doesn’t showcase the usability of the Fli-Hi, I’m just not quite sure what would.
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