Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi Utility Iron Review

When it comes to utility irons, the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi might be one of the best on the market right now. Featuring the same great feel and sound you would expect from a Mizuno iron, the Fli-Hi is designed to help you launch the ball easier without compromising distance or having your golf ball balloon in the air. It also looks great in your golf bag.

Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi utility iron.

Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi Utility Iron Features

The new Mizuno Pro iron family offers a gorgeous sleek design wrapped around technology that is geared to helping your game, and the Fli-Hi utility iron is no exception.

For the first time ever, Mizuno has incorporated the same face material they use in their fairway woods into a utility iron. This means that you are getting an extra boost in distance while a wider sole with appropriate weighting aides in launch. Combined, the Fli-Hi — as the name implies — becomes one of the easiest utility irons to hit that you’ll ever try.

Mizuno worked diligently on perfecting this blend of distance, accuracy and launch with the Fli-Hi. Combining a bendable 431SS body, MAS1C face and 21g Tungsten weight, Mizuno was able to produce a utility iron with consistent flight off the tee or turf, no matter the playing condition. In many ways, the Fli-Hi was designed to be on “auto-pilot” in terms of predictability.

A slightly longer clubhead allows for a wider hitting area, adding to its overall forgiveness. Coupled with the aforementioned complex design, Mizuno's modelling of vibration (Harmonic Impact Technology) was vital in designing a satisfying sound right from the start. As we all know, “nothing feels like a Mizuno” and sound at impact plays a large part in that sensation.

Performance and Feel

Having been custom fit to my Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi, I was able to focus on the loft, lie, and length characteristics that would benefit me most. Since I was adding the new Mizuno Pro 225 irons to my bag, I knew that appropriate gapping in my long irons was imperative to get the most out of my new sticks.

The Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi 4-iron at just under 22 degrees of loft was perfect for me in this case. I also preferred the jet black finish option.

At address, the Fli-Hi has a thinner-than-expected topline for a club in this category. Yes, you can still notice a slight bulge behind your golf ball from the iron’s back plating, but this is to be expected from a utility iron.

The weight of the iron was perfect: not too light and not too heavy. I prefer to feel the weight of the clubhead throughout my swing, allowing me to use gravity to perfectly time my release point. I had no problems with this quality with the Fli-Hi.

At impact, this iron definitely feels different from other utility irons I’ve played. I attribute this to the MAS1C face, which gave the club more of a hybrid feel and sound. The Fli-Hi exudes more of a “click” at impact, which admittedly was a bit of a surprise at first. However, the sensation in your hands at impact still feels like a Mizuno iron should: soft, muted, and powerful.

Most importantly, the Fli-Hi lived up to its name and launched in the air effortlessly without ballooning. I definitely noticed a higher ball flight compared to other utility irons I’ve played. As a player who struggles with hitting the ball too low, this was a welcome sight. Distance was also perfect and predictable, which serves as a reminder to all golfers: you don’t need a ton of power with a utility iron, but rather a consistent distance that should be less than your first fairway wood.

Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi utility iron unboxed.

Overall Impression

There’s no other way to describe it: the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi utility iron is the easiest I’ve ever hit in this category. I was super-impressed with the iron’s launch and predictable distance, especially out of the rough. The Fli-Hi performed as-advertised if not better and instantly became one of my favorite clubs in my golf bag.

For more information on the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi utility iron, visit the company website here.