Mizuno JPX E600 vs PRGR GN502 Silver

As many of you know, I am a humongous fan of my PRGR GN502 Silver driver. It is easy to hit, feels great and goes a long way. The design of this club makes it easy to square up to the ball and really helped me with my bad shot, the dreaded slice.  The other day I had the chance to get a new 2009 Mizuno JPX E600 driver to hit head to head against my PRGR.

The GN502 is a high launch driver focused on maximum carry and designed to also help those battling the right side by placing the CG at a 30* angle relative to the face from the hosel which makes it easier to draw the ball. The GN502 has a longer face from heel to toe providing more hitting area and a recessed top line which is one of my favorite features as it allows me to go after the ball without fear of coming under the ball especially if I tee it up high.

Mizuno claims the  JPX E600 while only 460cc performs like a 500cc head with amazing forgiveness and a humongous sweet area. A low center of gravity and low spin create a maximum carry driver. Mizuno’s Ultra Dynamic Stability design stabilizes the head and prevents twisting for straighter more accurate shots. It’s a rather good looking driver at address with no alignment mark and a slight blue tint to it.

Spec wise and even size and shape wise, both drivers are very similar. The PRGR is a shallower faced larger 460cc head like the Mizuno E600 which is not quite as shallow but still shallow. They don’t have that high MOI shape but are not quite traditional shaped either. The larger head at address does provide a sense of confidence but those who prefer smaller heads may not like either. Both drivers are around 285g and are shafted with the original stock shafts at 45.5″ and Regular flex. The PRGR is a 10.5* with a PRGR Tuned GN502 Graphite shaft while the Mizuno is a 10* with a stock Quad JPX shaft. Both are rather high tech looking designs which is cool and doesn’t really come into play since most of the looks are on the sole (yes I know many golfers do prefer the minimalist look). So the bottom line is how do they stack up and perform against one another?

I had our pro shop check out the real loft of both heads before testing as this can have a big affect sometimes on trajectory of the drivers. The 10.5* PRGR had a real loft of just under 11.5* and a closed face of 0.5*. The 10* Mizuno had a real loft of 11.5* and a closed face of 1.25*.  The extra actual loft is not too big of a concern as I have seen much worse than 1.0* or 1.5* difference from stated loft.  Both these drivers are made to launch higher with their low CG but also spin low for carry and run.

I’ve had a lot of time with the GN502 as it is my gamer so I can say this. It has a great feel to it, a unique one almost a cross between the soft spongy feeling of a the old Epon 460ZR driver and the sold feel of an Tourstage X-Drive. With the PRGR it really squares up at contact making you feel like you have really grabbed the ball. Some of you may know what I’m talking about especially if you are a slicer, your driver lays a glancing blow off the ball, looks like its going straight then heads right. That glancing blow just feels weak. The PRGR totally overcomes that with the 30* gravity angle which really helps the head rotate square, and I have noticed this a lot as have other customers who have bought this driver in helping reduce slicing. The GN502 launches high but not ballooning and gives a good 10-15 yards of roll which is great for a high launch max carry driver. For the average R flex guy like myself, we are talking carry around 215-220 and with that extra roll, total drives over 230 approching 240. This is the longest driver I have hit. Even longer than my old Epon EMB. Back spin will vary from player to player based on swing style, ie a player with a steeper swing will naturally produce more back spin. I seem to average around 2500-2600rpm with the PRGR which is very good for a stock shaft. Launch is around 15* which is perfect. So the GN502 feels great and goes long for the average golfer. But what about Mizuno’s E600 which is indeed a direct competitor.

Initially setting up with the E600, I found it to be a bit upright and checking the lie discovered it was close to 62*. A more upright lie is actually supposed to be more forgiving for the average golfer as the club flattens out during the downswing and the more upright lie compensates for that allowing for better contact. For some lie is not that big an issue since the sole of the driver is not making contact with the ground any way. The Mizuno felt good at impact, a different feel from the PRGR, not quite as spongy but more crisp. I should mention that the sound of both drivers is rather pleasant unlike some drivers today which are obnoxiously loud.  The stock shaft of the Mizuno seemed a tad softer than the M-40 shaft I have on the PRGR. I’m glad to say I was able to hit quite straight with this  E600 and in fact performance was very close to the PRGR with a slightly higher launch of around 15.5-16*.  Another positive is the back spin which was again around 2650rpm. Distance is very very close with perhaps  bit less roll.

Being an average golfer, I will NOT brag that I am able to work power fades or soft draws at will. I am more than pleased with a driver that goes as straight as possible and stays in the fairway with as much distance as my swing can muster. I’m glad to say both these drivers can do that. Both PRGR and Mizuno claim these drivers as mid handicapper drivers but they could easily be played by higher handicappers and even low handicappers wanting an easy driver to hit. If you want a driver that feels good, is very forgiving and you battle a slice, both the PRGR GN502 Silver and Mizuno JPX E600 will definitely be options for you. If you are a lower handcapper wanting more workability and a lower trajectory, check out the PRGR GN502 Tour or the new Mizuno MP Craft S1 in the TSG Pro Shop!