Pros: Premium irons that are built with forgiveness unlike Miura irons of the past, but do not sacrifice feel like other game-improvement irons on the market.
Cons: Miura purists may scoff at the club being a two-piece forging rather than one piece. The longest iron is a 5-iron, but better players may want longer irons to use as driving irons or in mixed sets. There are no left-handed options.
Bottom Line: For those who have always wanted to play a Miura iron but felt they weren’t forgiving enough, the Miura Passing Point Neo Genesis 9005 irons are for you.
Overview
Miura Founder Katsuhiro Miura says he never produces clubs unless he feels they are better than previous iterations, and Miura has never been known to put out multiple sets a year. So every time a Miura club is released, golfers should know they’re getting something better, or at least different. As a consumer, this philosophy gives me great confidence that I’m getting something new and improved; I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth.
Since I’ve played (and reviewed) so many Miura clubs, golfers often ask for my recommendation on what set would best match their game. And let’s face it, not every golfer that asks the question is Tiger Woods. Miura is known for its better player’s iron, and better players do tend to see the best performance from the company’s irons. As such, mid-to-high handicaps struggle to find an iron for them in the Miura stable, and I struggle to recommend an iron that suits their game.
The Passing Point 9003 irons were, in my opinion, a decently forgiving head, but I’ve always felt Miura lacked a set of irons that was aimed specifically at the higher-handicap player. Some of my friends with higher handicaps and slower swing speeds needed much more than the 9003 could offer — something with a thin, hot face that could produce higher trajectories and more distance.
Enter the Genesis PP-9005’s into the Miura lineup, which are the successors to the PP-9003’s. They were first featured as Japan-only products under the Miura-Giken label, but are now available to the rest of the world — and they’re unmatched by anything Miura has ever produced. The Genesis 9005’s satisfy the needs of higher-handicaps, but could also appease low-handicaps looking for a bit of extra distance and forgiveness. And that makes me happy since I now have a Miura iron to recommend to my buddies who are less-than-stellar ball strikers.
The Genesis 9005 irons are available at select Miura authorized club fitting centers for approximately $350 a head (price may be higher depending on shaft selection).
Clubs Tested
Irons: Miura Passing Point Neo 9005 Genesis (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS CT95 (Japan Exclusive Model), Black Finish
Grips: Elite Y360SV from Japan
Build: The entire set was custom fit and built at Miura Authorized Fitting Center, Aloha Golf Center in Las Vegas.
The Engineering
The Genesis PP-9005 irons feature a deep undercut channel that runs from heel to toe in the heads, which I was told was the reason why Miura had to seek a foundry to make the club outside of Himeji. The Himeji factory didn’t have the capability to forge this head, so Katsuhiro and his sons went out and visited other makers to find one that could produce their head.
Some may take this as a negative, not having their Miura clubs entirely made in Himeji, but I trust the Miura family wouldn’t release a club that did not meet their high build, quality and tolerance standards.
The head is comprised of two pieces; the back is forged out of S20C and the faces are 455 carpenter steel. Although the soles are wider, the taller face of the club disguises it because you can’t see the sole peeking out from the rear. The face shape also features a slightly higher toe that’s rounded and blends in well at address, and the top lines have been constructed thinner.
These clubs certainly have all the signs of a game-improvement clubs — an undercut, two-pieces and thicker topline. Now let’s see how they perform.
Performance
I’ve been playing the Genesis PP-9005 set for over a month now, and as a long-time Miura iron player the performance has frankly stunned me. Initially, I felt there was no way I could play a set with the longest iron being a 5-iron, but with the distance of the Genesis PP-9005 irons those doubts have been put to rest.
There have been countless shots I’ve hit with these irons that I simply would not have been capable of with Miura irons of the past. The thin, hot face launches the ball higher and farther than I’ve ever seen from Miura; I’m a full club to a club-and-a-half longer with the PP-9005 over my Miura CB-57 set. The distance adjustment was one of the only knocks I had against the irons, actually.
Although the lofts are stronger than other irons Miura has put into the market, these heads are specifically designed for a higher trajectory. Some may call this “loft-jacking,” but really it’s just helping golfers produce more distance while maintaining the familiar trajectory of that iron. That means you’ll likely be a club longer, but you’ll have an easier time holding the green than ever before from the same distances.
The clubs are also built with wider soles to help golfers get the ball into the air and make clean contact, helping the club glide through the turf rather than dig. The grind is similar to recent Miura sets, and has a slight bevel at the leading and trailing edge. The combination of width, bounce and bevel is what keeps you from digging, and allows for increased forgiveness from a variety of lies you’ll encounter throughout a round of golf.
Due to the forgiving nature of the clubs — and they’re very forgiving — better players won’t find them terribly “workable.” The irons seem to reduce the effect of toe and heel strikes, and what would likely be hooks and slices end up going relatively straight, at least from my experience. That means, however, that those who want trajectory control and like to shape shots will have to work harder with these irons.
As I previously mentioned, I was concerned that a 5-iron was the longest iron available in the set. As it turned out, I was carrying the Genesis PP-9005 5-iron just shy of my 3-iron. I was producing a much higher trajectory, too, which greatly helped my approach shots hold the green. If you’re looking to purchase this set, know going in that you’ll need to supplement the set with either a driving iron, hybrid or fairway wood since the 5 iron flies much too high to be considered a viable option from the tee, especially in high winds.
Another performance gap to consider is one I found with my wedges. The pitching wedge flies significantly farther than any pitching wedge I’ve ever hit, which isn’t surprising because it’s lofted at 44 degrees (just 2 degrees weaker than the 9-iron in my previous set). That’s great for hitting and holding more greens, but did leave a large gap between the PW and my gap wedge. You’ll likely need to strengthen your gap/sand wedge to better fill your distance gaps at this end of the set.
Looks and Feel
Unlike most irons in the Miura line, these irons are flashy. While the finish is a familiar soft-brushed satin, they have a much shinier, glossy look than I’m used to, and they have vibrant orange dots on the back of the sole. Also, good luck finding the “Miura” name anywhere on the club head, which is a bit odd.
The distance gains are also flashy, but feel hasn’t been sacrificed in my opinion.
Although I’ve never purchased and owned a set of forgiveness-first clubs, I have tested them at the golf shops. I’m usually immediately put off by the hollow dead feel and higher pitched sound at impact, mostly due to undercuts that are also in these Genesis PP-9005 irons. I will admit, I was not expecting much difference from these heads despite my clubmaker telling me they were “different.” Since he didn’t have a demo ready for me to try, I had to take his word on it since he hit them during his visit to the factory in Japan.
So I took a leap of faith.
In my first round with them, the Genesis PP-9005’s left me scratching my head with how they felt… in a good way. Despite being two-piece irons with an undercut that I’ve been sensitive to in the past, they felt solid and soft, yet still flew off the face. I expected a harsher, hollow feel, but was pleasantly surprised with a club that was much more lively; it felt active with a trampoline-like effect. The sound at impact was not the usual Miura forged “thwack” sound, but it wasn’t the off-putting, higher-pitched tone like other brands that I’ve tested.
With other brands on the market offering game-improvement irons, even the newest one with only three letters in it’s name, I can’t tell if I hit the ball solid or missed it. The Genesis PP-9005 face offers much more feedback, but nothing is sacrificed on the performance end, still offering the same distance gains and forgiveness across the face.
Also, despite the thicker toplines, you don’t get the feeling you’re swinging a shovel like you do with other game-improvement irons. Even the purest of the Miura purists may not be too put off by the slightly larger look.
The Takeaway
By definition, the word genesis means the origin or beginning of; but this release seems more like the Alpha than the Omega in the game-improvement space. If this club is the “Genesis” of forgiveness-first irons from Miura, as the name implies, it makes me very curious what’s next from the company.
For those looking to get “more” out of their irons by way of more distance, a higher trajectory, more forgiveness and can afford a set of ultra-premium irons, the Genesis PP-9005’s are probably going to be perfect for you. I have no reservations in recommending this club to prospective users.
But, please, before spending the money on these irons — and yes, they are expensive — get FIT at a local Miura fitter. You throw away any potential performance benefits of the club design without having them properly fit to your swing.
Related: Miura Golf sold, new owner plans “significant investment”