Review: Mizuno MP-650 Driver

Subtle changes make for a better driver
When I initially saw the MP-650 I was wondering how it was any different from the MP-630.   It has almost the exact same look from the top.  The face is almost the same, besides the different scoring lines and the sole was slightly changed, but similar in the mostly mirror finish.  But other than some similar appearance features, there are a number of subtle changes that make the MP-650 driver much better than the MP-630.
The MP-630 was as anti-left of any driver I have ever reviewed.  It basically wouldn’t go left, and was even difficult to hit straight sometimes.  The MP-650 is much more neutral.  It still has a slight right tendency, but much easier to hit straight and even possible to hit a tiny little draw. 

Just like any Mizuno product, the sound/feel are perfectly solid.  It matches their forged irons very well with that pure sound and feel on well struck balls.  Even on a less than perfect tee ball, it still feels quite good.

I really like the Fujikura Orochi 65 gram shaft.  While it is a made for Mizuno shaft, it feels very similar to the Motore F3.  It has a nice feel with an easy mid launch.  It is a great combo with the MP-650 because it allowed for a nice mid launch, yet low spin.  The ball just hangs in the air for a long time.
 

What I was most surprised with the Mizuno MP-650 was the low spin length and how it got there.  Sometimes drivers just wow you by how hot they feel like the smash the ball, but it wasn’t like that with the MP-650, it just sprung off the face with a great solid feel and it seemed like it just floated in the air forever and then hit the ground running.   My early indoor LM testing put this driver up near the longest drivers.  It really seemed to run out when it hit on firm fairways.

The Mizuno MP-650 is not game-improvement club, but can reward the better golfer.  The face is big, but not the most forgiving, so it can be amazing or a little wild.  I used this driver on 2 vacation rounds.  I had two very distinct results with this club.  My first round at the TPC Oak of San Antonio, which is one of the hardest courses on the PGA tour, I shot one of my better scores by hitting 12 of 14 fairways.  Which was enough to help me score a 79, which is considered a great score on this course for an amateur playing from the tips.  I was striping it all day long.  2 days later I played the Palmer Course at La Cantera in San Antonio and only hit 6 of 14 fairways.  I was swinging awful and not getting any help from the driver.  It was plenty long, but kept going right on me.  The ones I hit well were so long, and the missed fairways were long, but sometimes way right.  The other 5 rounds I used this driver had its ups and downs.  Some amazing shots with some right-side-leakers mixed in.  It is great in the right hands, and tougher to hit when your swing is off.

There has always been some concern that Mizuno’s top PGA pro doesn’t use their woods, leading to a possible conclusion that Mizuno woods were inferior, but trust me they are not.  The reason he doesn’t play this Mizuno driver is that he actually likes an anti-right driver which is opposite of most PGA pros.

The Mizuno MP-650 is not for the high handicap or someone who wants an anti-right driver.  It can really reward the low-handicap golfer who likes to keep the ball away from the left side.  Compared to the MP-630, it is an easier to hit, longer combo.   It is still in the Mizuno tradition of great feel and looks.  While it may look like subtle changes, they really did make a better driver in the MP-650.

For more information: www.mizunousa.com/golf

Quick Hits
+Traditional looks
+Anti-left driver
+Excellent sound/feel
+Long and low spin

–Demanding