Mizuno MX-20 vs Mizuno MX-23
Side-by-side factory specifications. Differing values are highlighted.
Specification comparison
| Club | MX-20 loft | MX-23 loft | MX-20 lie | MX-23 lie | MX-20 length | MX-23 length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 20 | 20 | 59.5 | 59.5 | 38.75 | 38.75 |
| 4 | 23 | 23 | 60 | 60 | 38.25 | 38.25 |
| 5 | 26 | 26 | 60.5 | 60.5 | 37.75 | 37.75 |
| 6 | 29 | 29 | 61 | 61 | 37.25 | 37.25 |
| 7 | 33 | 33 | 61.5 | 61.5 | 36.75 | 36.75 |
| 8 | 37 | 37 | 62 | 62 | 36.25 | 36.25 |
| 9 | 41 | 41 | 62.5 | 62.5 | 35.75 | 35.75 |
| PW | 46 | 46 | 63 | 63 | 35.25 | 35.25 |
Highlighted cells differ between the two sets. Lofts and lies are factory standard.
Lofts compared
- MX-20
- MX-23
What the differences mean
Every club the two sets share has exactly the same loft, starting with a 33° 7-iron. On paper there is no distance or trajectory difference: with the same swing, a 7-iron from either set should launch and carry about the same. The real differences are in how the heads are built, how they look at address and how they feel at impact, none of which a spec table can show. Lie angles and lengths match as well, so any fitting adjustment made to one set would carry straight over to the other.
The MX-20 is a players distance iron and the MX-23 a game improvement iron, so they sit one step apart on the forgiveness scale. The MX-23 is the more forgiving design, with a wider sole, more offset and more perimeter weighting for roughly 10 to 25 handicaps. The MX-20 trades some of that for a more compact head, thinner topline and more control over flight and shape, which suits roughly 5 to 15 handicaps who want extra distance from a compact head.
The MX-20 is listed as forged and the MX-23 as investment cast with a cut muscle cavity. Forging, as in the MX-20, is generally credited with a softer feel; casting, as in the MX-23, allows more complex cavity and weighting shapes, which is why it dominates forgiving irons. The MX-23's muscle-back shape keeps mass directly behind the strike for feedback and control, where a cavity spreads it to the perimeter for forgiveness.
There are 5 years between these sets (2001 and 2006), more than one design generation. Over that time irons moved toward stronger lofts, thinner and faster faces, hollow and multi-material heads and wider use of tungsten, so the newer set is not simply a better version of the older one: it may launch and spin quite differently.
Which should you choose?
The MX-20 and MX-23 share the same lofts on every club on file, so the difference is in head construction, feel and forgiveness rather than trajectory.
Both charts are reproduced in full on their own pages: Mizuno MX-20 specs and Mizuno MX-23 specs.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Mizuno MX-20 stronger lofted than the MX-23?
No. Both have a 33° 7-iron and the same loft on every club they share, so neither is stronger lofted. The difference is in construction and feel.
What is the loft difference between the Mizuno MX-20 and MX-23?
There is none. Every club both sets include has the same loft, including the 33° 7-iron.
Which is better for higher handicap golfers, the Mizuno MX-20 or the MX-23?
The MX-23. As a game improvement iron it is the more forgiving design, suited to roughly 10 to 25 handicaps. The Mizuno MX-20 is a players distance iron, better suited to roughly 5 to 15 handicaps who want extra distance from a compact head.
Do the Mizuno MX-20 and MX-23 have the same lie and length?
At the 7-iron, yes: both are 61.5° lie and 36.75 inches long.
Shop Mizuno MX-20
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