Thoroughly Hit Testing The “BR-X” Series

Testing the new BR-X Series by Mizuno and GOLF Partner

Today, we will be reviewing a brand I have never seen before! Taking a first glance, you can see that it says “BR-X”, which can be pronounced as “B R X”. On the grip and crown, you can see Mizuno’s famous Runbird logo. 

 

 

 

 

You would assume this is a Mizuno produced club, but this is an original model co-developed with Golf Partner! It’s not solely Golf Partner’s private brand as this is made in collaboration with Mizuno and likewise, it is not solely Mizuno’s brand. 

 

I have in hand with me today, an iron, utility, fairway wood, and a driver, which I believe will be sold individually when released, but in my opinion, should be used as a full set. We will be testing the whole lineup and I’m very excited to try out clubs that I have never tried, so hope you read on and enjoy! 

 

Overview and first impression

This driver’s loft is 10.5 degrees, and the Runbird logo being displayed proves that Mizuno is confident in this brand and collaboration. 

 

 

 

 

Just from looking at the club and observing the color and style, these aren’t made for senior golfers. The target for this club would be the new generation of golfers who are in their 30’s or 40’s, currently in the workforce, and looking to start golfing. It is stated that like high-end golf clubs, BR-X series clubs are forgiving and give more distance, which are perfect for a wide range of golfers. They don’t cost over 100,000 yen, so they’re affordable. Check out the price breakdown below:

 

Price of BR-X Series 

• Driver: 28,000 Yen (with tax) 
• Fairway Wood: 16,800 Yen (with tax) 
• Utility: 15,800 Yen (with tax) 
• Iron Set: 59,800 Yen (with tax) 
• Putter: 11,000 Yen (with tax)

 

You may doubt the quality based on the price, but you can never judge quality from just the pricing of the product. I’m here to give my honest assessment and will let you know if it’s good for beginners or if it can help you break 100! I think this shaft is an original model by Mizuno, and by holding this, I can tell it’s not for senior golfers.

 

 

 

 

It’s not very light and as stated in my other videos and blogs, lighter clubs are easy to swing, but not very stable. For beginners and other golfers aiming to break 100, a driver should weigh about 300 grams. I call myself the “human scale” and when holding this driver, it’s apparent to me that it’s not a 280-290 gram driver. It weighs a little over 300 grams and has a good weight to it. It’s about 45.5 inches long.  

 

Exact Weight Details: 

• (R) : 294 g
• (SR) : 300 g
• (S) : 306 g 

 Length 

• 45.5 inches 

 

When waggling, it is apparent that the shaft isn’t too soft. I check the stiffness like so: 

 

 

 

 

Not too stiff and not too soft, it seems to be really well balanced. The club is dark blue, the loft is 10.5 degrees, but the face is turned a bit to the left, which is to be able to catch the ball better. 

 

 

 

 

First swing with the driver

 

 This has a very nice face! Let’s do a light swing to start.

 

 

 

 

That was my first swing and a light one, but it is nicely balanced and catches the ball well. I’m surprised about the feel off the face. Similar to top brands, it has the same rebound. This has a lot of potential! 

 

I’ll raise the head speed a bit this time!

 

 

 

 

The sound of the titanium is nice! What a great sound! I raised the speed to 40 m/s and I’m impressed. The shot was very straight!

 

As there are many senior golfers, many golf clubs nowadays are geared towards them, but this club suits younger players. 40 m/s seems to be the right speed but I’ll try increasing the head speed once again. 

 

 

 

 

It’s very easy to hit with! Very easy and stable. A smash factor of 1.45 and it’s barely curving, I’m pleasantly surprised and this club is good. 

 

 

 

 

Who this club is for

 

When swinging, the shaft tip bends as you hit, so it really catches the ball. This club could be for you if you’re a newer golfer or looking to break 100. For those who have more money, I would recommend other high-end models, as this is more for people looking for affordable new clubs rather than second-hand clubs. As stated earlier, I would recommend this driver for beginners or those looking to break a 100, and suggest trying it out at a GOLF Partner store before you purchase it if you can! As a beginner, you want a stable driver and avoid clubs that are too light. Adjustable features are convenient, but I personally don’t use them and a fixed hosel is easy to use.

 

 

 

 

Next, I’ll be trying out the fairway wood, utility, and iron! Clubs are important as a whole set so I will be testing the others, let’s see how they perform! 

 

Let's try the 5-wood

 

This is a 5-wood, 18 degrees. Just like the driver’s face, it has a distinct feature and the coating on the crown does not reach the edge so that it is easier to align the face.

 

 

 

 

It uses the same shaft so it has the same feel when I waggle and the head is pretty big which I find reassuring.

 

Here I go!

 

 

 

 

This is very easy to hit with and has a pleasant sound, let’s hit again.

 

 

 

 

 I hit 200 yards, let’s increase the head speed.

 

 

 

 

It’s very easy to swing and the line of flight is stable. This would work great with the driver. Although you can purchase just the driver, I would recommend this wood too as they are both well-balanced. 

 

What about the utility?

 

Next up, is the utility! The head colors are the same which is important for beginners, as having different colors can make your setup feel different. This is the 4 utility, 22 degrees and I can tell this will have the same feel. It’s very nice and I am expecting to hit about 180 yards.

 

 

 

 

Perfect! It really went 180 yards! I consider myself very accurate and I’m often told I don’t need a TrackMan! The face of this utility is perfect for hitting 180 yards and it’s very easy to get the ball to go really high.

 

 

 

 

I’d say this is better than using a long iron. Let’s get technical! People often ask me, “Is a utility club an iron or a wood?”. They are similar, but there’s one point that I look at to check. Here’s the 5-wood an utility close up:

 

 

 

 

A look at the iron

 

If you look closely here at the shaft’s tip, the shape and thickness is similar to the iron, and the wood is a little thinner. So, if you were to use this BR-X utility, I would recommend it in place of the long iron. If you take a look at the iron here, it is very simple. It has the Mizuno logo with a pocket cavity and a wide sole that is not flat which is curved and raised a little.

 

 

 

 

Other brands make them this way as well due to the fact that when the sole is raised, it’s a bit forgiving even if it’s wide. The shaft is made of carbon fiber which makes it light. For the BR-X series, the driver shaft weighs about 60 grams and the iron shaft is under 60 grams. It is important to have higher-number clubs that are heavier! The head is slightly large and it has a semi-gooseneck design. 

 

It hits really well!

 

 

 

 

Let’s go again! 

 

 

 

It’s very forgiving. I thought I duffed it, but I still got good results. It has a great sound and it catches the ball well. If you can’t break 100 or if you’re a beginner and your swing is off, you won’t get great results, but this driver and iron go well together! Which also means that the utility and iron work well together, which is to be expected from Mizuno.

 

 

 

 

Final thoughts

 

They designed these clubs with the intention of buying them as a whole set. If you’re looking to make golf a lifelong hobby,  it is not necessary to get all 14 clubs, the first clubs you should invest in are this driver, fairway wood, utility, and iron. There’s no need to have a lot of clubs, but you should carry these four. Even if you’re on a tight budget, be sure that the driver, fairway wood, utility, and iron are of the same model. Also keep in mind that the shaft is very important. The flexibility of the shaft and the quality of the shaft are crucial.

 

 

 

 

When people ask me what they should buy first, I recommend a driver first, 5-wood second (you can also get a 3-wood but it’s not necessary, I would recommend a utility if the budget allows), and an iron set third (which includes the sand wedge). With this combination and setup, you can break 100 and you’ll often end up with 180 yards left, which is when you would utilize a utility (which you can buy later). As mentioned earlier, it’s not important to buy everything in the beginning, if you like the driver, then you should purchase the fairway wood and iron or try the iron first, then purchase the fairway wood and driver. I can say with confidence that for beginners or those in their 20s and 30s who are looking to start golf, the BR-X series is one of the best choices.