Mizuno likely isn’t the first name you think of when it comes to golf balls. It doesn’t have the Tour rep of the larger OEMs nor does it offer the trendy cachet and value proposition of the DTC brands.
Still, perhaps it’s worth considering what Mizuno has to offer with the new Mizuno Pro S and Mizuno Pro X golf balls.
The second-generation RB Tour and RB Tour X were, in my opinion, the most pleasant surprises from our 2023 Golf Ball Test. The original RB Tour series flew low and spun a lot … like Kirkland a lot.
The 2023 models increased height, dropped spin and were generally solid all-around performers. “We’re really happy with where we are,” says Chris Voshall, Mizuno’s Director of Product for the Western World, “but there are a few things we wanted to tweak.”
Mizuno Pro S and Pro X golf ball updates
At the highest level, Mizuno’s objective for the new Mizuno Pro S and Mizuno Pro X was to meet or exceed the performance of the most-played golf balls on the PGA Tour.
To that end, Mizuno made a few notable changes.
Thinner Cover: Mizuno reduced the cover thickness by 12 percent compared to RB Tour and RB Tour X. While it’s counterintuitive, all things being equal, a thinner urethane cover is a more durable cover.
Thicker Mantle: To increase COR and ultimately ball speed, Mizuno made the mantle six percent thicker.
12-Percent Softer: With increased COR from the mantle, Mizuno was able to make the cores of the Mizuno Pro golf balls softer.
New Dimple Pattern: Unlike many smaller brands, Mizuno develops its dimple patterns in-house. The new aerodynamic package features a 332-dimple design, a significant increase from the 272-dimple cover on the current balls.
From a performance standpoint, Mizuno says the new dimple pattern offers lower drag with a lower peak trajectory off the driver. “It doesn’t get as high but it stays in the air,” says Voshall.
Improved wind performance is also part of the package.
The other advantage of the new dimple pattern is a bit harder to quantify. Mizuno believes that with the higher dimple count, the new ball just looks better.
“It [RB Tour] looks a little goofy because the dimples are so bit,” says Voshall. “It looked a little JPX-y.”
The quick performance rundown
In testing conducted by Mizuno, the new balls were shown to be faster and lower-spinning off both irons and the driver.
With irons, Mizuno saw higher peak height with steeper landing angles and more distance.
Off the driver, the new balls flew lower, had shallower descent angles and were longer than their RB Tour equivalents.
The same tests show Mizuno’s new balls compare favorably to the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
While it’s not strictly a performance metric, in player testing, golfers preferred the feel of the Mizuno Pro over the Titleist equivalents on both wedge shots and when putting.
Mizuno Pro S versus Mizuno Pro X
As you can probably guess, the Mizuno Pro S offers lower compression and softer feel than the Mizuno Pro X.
Mizuno says the Pro S offers a mid-trajectory flight while the Pro X should fly higher. While, like everyone else, Mizuno says both balls offer high greenside spin rates, the Pro S should produce lower spin in the long game and presumably off the driver as well.
Reality check
Unlike others in the category, Mizuno has no serious aspirations of becoming the No. 1 golf ball brand. It’s not lost on the company that you have to give golfers a reason to play something other than a Pro V1 and so while there are sure to be Titleist loyalists who never give Mizuno Pro a second look, there isn’t any real shortage of golfers will to try something different.
That said, the golf ball is never going make or break the Mizuno Golf brand. For Mizuno it’s not so much about taking over the market as it is making a ball it can be proud of and get its logo in front of more golfers – whether that’s on the course or on store shelves alongside the dozens of other golf ball options.
In one sense, being seen is almost enough but, not for anything, the RB Tour series was under-the-radar good and there’s no reason to expect that the Mizuno Pro lineup won’t be even better.
Availability and pricing
Mizuno Pro S and Pro X golf balls carry a retail price of $47.99. Availability begins Jan. 22.
For more information, visit MizunoGolf.com.
Looking for a deal?
While supplies last, the now prior-generation RB Tour and RB Tour X golf balls are selling for $34.99. While ball fitting is golfer-dependent, I’m particularly fond of the RB Tour X.
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