Of the woods in the Mizuno JPX900 range, it is the hybrid that has undergone the biggest makeover.
Compared to the previous Mizuno JPX850 hybrid, it is taller and more compact and in short, looks less like a mini fairway wood and more like a hybrid that better players would use.
If you want that larger fairway/hybrid look then the Mizuno JPX EZ 2016 hybrid is still in the range, but for me the JPX900 style of head is what a hybrid should be like.
The taller face gives you more options from the tee and longer grass, whilst there is enough depth in the sleek head to assist with the launch and forgiveness that you associate with hybrids.
What is also new is the Quick Switch adjustable hosel that Mizuno has added to a hybrid for the first time. This enables you to change the loft +/- 2° and the lie +/- 1°, but not at the same time, so there are plenty of options available.
Changing the loft to the ends of the range did not really change the face angle much, which is a good thing. It had a minor effect on launch and flight so it will be more of a useful tool for fine tuning the spin and launch once you have got the initial head loft selected from the range of 16°, 19°, 22° and 25°.
I really like the way it sat at address with the classy matte blue head contrasting with the black face for ease of alignment and the dark looks carrying into the shaft unlike the JPX900 driver and fairway.
It still has a Fujikura shaft but now it is the Pro Hybrid version which I found to be very stable, solid and much more responsive than the previous Orochi shafts.
All these differences became apparent when I took both models on SkyTrak. The more compact head of the JPX900 created a similar launch but with 700rpm less spin and more ball speed to give around 6 yards more carry at my swing speed.
It also gave a slightly lower flight as you might expect, but it was still descending steep enough to give it chance of stopping on the green.
The sound is also a big improvement and is much more solid than the JPX850, so all in all there is no reason why you should not upgrade.
Mizuno has maybe taken this hybrid down the handicap range, but that is no bad thing and any category 1, 2 and maybe 3 players should check the JPX900 out because it is one of the best they have done and a real contender for your bag.