Mizuno · Driver · 2024 · Previous model
Mizuno ST-MAX 230 driver
Maximum forgiveness, 4.0 of 5
Mizuno's 2024 driver built for the most stability it could give a head: a wide, low 460cc shape with 54 grams of weight at the back, which Mizuno called its most stable driver ever, in 9.5°, 10.5° or 12°. Mizuno no longer sells the ST-MAX 230 new, and its JPX ONE drivers replaced the ST230 family in January 2026.
4.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$89.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
In average condition or better: from $142.99
New instead: Mizuno JPX ONE, $450 at Mizuno, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- Your misses come off all over the face.
- You play left-handed: it was made left-handed in 9.5°.
- Class
- Maximum forgiveness
- Stock lofts
- 9.5° · 10.5° · 12°
- Hands
- Left or right; left-handed in 9.5° only.
- Used
- From $89.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the JPX ONE
Mizuno replaced its ST230 drivers with two JPX ONE heads, and the standard JPX ONE is the forgiving one: the larger, higher-MOI head of the two, though Mizuno no longer makes a head built only for stability, as the ST-MAX was. Both are 460cc and 45.75 inches long, with a lie you can set from 59° to 62° and 4° of loft adjustment. The JPX ONE comes in 9°, 10.5° and 12° heads against the ST-MAX's 9.5°, 10.5° and 12°, and it is left-handed in 10.5° where the ST-MAX was left-handed in 9.5°. Its face is new: a polymer layer over titanium 0.25 to 0.35 mm thinner than the ST-MAX's at its thickest points, which Mizuno says keeps ball speed up across more of the face.
Mizuno no longer sells the ST-MAX 230, and a used one costs a fraction of a new JPX ONE. Choose the ST-MAX for a head Mizuno built for stability above all, for the least money, or a left-handed 9.5°; choose the JPX ONE for the newer face, a left-handed 10.5°, or a new driver.
| Detail | ST-MAX 230 (previous) | JPX ONE (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Maximum forgiveness | Game improvement |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 of 5 | 3.0 of 5 |
| Stock lofts | 9.5° · 10.5° · 12° | 9° · 10.5° · 12° |
| Slice help | None stated | None stated |
| Stock flexes | Not published | Regular to extra stiff |
| Hands | Left or right; left-handed in 9.5° only | Left or right; left-handed in 10.5° only |
| Price new | No longer sold new | $450 at Mizuno, checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $89.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (10.5°, senior flex, poor condition), checked 31 Oct | From $229.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (12°, regular flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
ST-MAX 230: the questions buyers ask
- Is the Mizuno ST-MAX 230 forgiving?
- Yes. It is Mizuno's maximum forgiveness driver, with lofts up to 12°. It scores 4.0 of 5 on our reading of what Mizuno publishes about it, the top score among the drivers we cover.
- Who is the ST-MAX 230 for?
- It suits a miss that goes anywhere on the face.
- Is the ST-MAX 230 sold left-handed?
- Yes, at 9.5°; Mizuno made the other lofts right-handed only.
- How much does the ST-MAX 230 cost?
- Mizuno no longer sells it new. Used from $89.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. In average condition or better, from $142.99. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 4.0 adds up
The forgiveness score is our reading of what Mizuno publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 4 | A maximum-forgiveness driver head, the most forgiving kind Mizuno made. |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 | of 5 |
Draw help, lofts, flex and hand don't change the score. They decide which version fits you, and the picks for a slice or a slow swing use them.
Specification sheet
| Maker | Mizuno |
|---|---|
| Model | ST-MAX 230 |
| Model year | 2024 |
| Type | Driver |
| Class | Maximum forgiveness |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | – |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | Beta Rich Ti LFS face with Mizuno's CORTECH Chamber, a steel weight in an elastomer behind the face |
| Construction | A low, wide 460cc head with 54 grams of weight at the back, more graphite composite in the body, a Beta Rich titanium face, and a steel weight set in an elastomer behind the face to keep ball speed up away from the centre. 45.75 inches, with 4° of loft adjustment in the hosel. |
| Stock steel shafts | – |
| Stock graphite shafts | – |
| Stock flexes | – |
| Stock lofts | 9.5° · 10.5° · 12° |
| Hands | Left or right; left-handed in 9.5° only. |
| Men's or women's | – |
| List price when new | $499 (2024 model); not a price today |
| Price at Mizuno | – |
Compare with other maximum forgiveness drivers
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| Lofts | Slice help | Hand | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 10.5° · 12° · 15° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S | RH · LH | $299.99 at Tour Edge checked 2 Nov | ||
Cobra OPTM MAX-D (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 10.5° · 12.0° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
Cobra OPTM MAX-K (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° | – | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° | Slight draw bias built into the head | A · R · S | RH · LH | $399.99 at Srixon checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
Wilson DYNAPWR Max+ (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | – | A · R · S | RH · LH | $499.99 at Wilson checked 2 Nov | |
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $647 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov |
Order: Most forgiving in this class first, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all drivers on the most forgiving driver page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.
Sources
The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.
- Mizuno's specifications, archived copy of 25 Feb 2024
- GOLF.com's launch date and price
- Mizuno's page on availability (checked 16 Oct)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $89.99 (checked 31 Oct)