REVIEW: Srixon Z 785 Irons

Srixon Z 785 Irons

players distance, players control, incredible forgiveness

Srixon Golf's new Z 785 irons are designed for the better player looking for a boost in distance while maintaining a tight shot dispersion throughout the set. An upgrade to the previous Z 765 model, this new offering delivers on everything it says it would.

Srixon Z 785 Irons Background and Tech

It's hard to believe that Srixon can improve on the already stellar Z 765 offering from previous years, but the Z 785 does exactly that in almost every category. Before we get into the specifics, however, it's important to understand how this new series came to be.

Srixon released two updates to its popular Z Series: the Z 585 and Z 785 models. Designed with the better player in mind, the two models are complementary to one another and can be played as a combo set. This is trend that carries over from the previous generation, and an option I gamed for most of this season.

“The Z 785 and Z 585 Irons are yet another step forward for Srixon as we continue to produce
some of the highest-performing irons designed for better players,” said Jeff Brunski, Vice
President of Research and Development.

“The forged carbon steel Z 785 muscle-backs are the best feeling irons we’ve ever made,
featuring best-in-class turf interaction from the Tour V.T. Sole, and enhanced control from
deeper, sharper grooves,” said Brunski.

The V.T. Sole is another continuation from the previous generation, but that should not imply that this is the same-old-same-old. This sole design simply works from any lie condition, so why try to improve on something that's already great? 

Where technology is updated is in the feel and performance of the irons. This is exemplified by the Z 785-only tour cavity, which places extra mass behind the impact area to assist with shot shaping and forgiveness better players want.

Feel and Performance

When you think of the Srixon Z-Series irons, you should immediately think of:

• Soft Feel

• High ball speeds

• Optimal forgiveness

The Z 785 irons provide all three in spades, which shouldn't be surprising. They feel incredibly solid yet soft at impact, the ball explodes off the iron's face and shot distances remained strong even on miss hits. Despite being designed for the better player in mind, the Z 785 can be played by a wide range of handicap levels.

Distances were also impressive, even with lofts that are more on the "standard" side than other distance irons. For example, the pitching wedge comes stock at 46°, the 6-iron at 28°, and the 4-iron at 22°. Traditionalists will argue there is no such thing as "standard lofts" anymore, but it was nice to see that the pitching wedge wasn't pushing 9-iron territory.

During a dry-ball test, the 6-iron yielded an average total distance of 180 yards (long 193, short 168). Ball speed average was 114 mph, which is higher than my current gamer average. Shot dispersion was also solid as shots landed within a 12 yard circle during my test.

Most impressive, however, were the scoring clubs. For example, the 9-iron yielded shots that were 7 yards farther than my current gamer. That's almost a full club difference, which is almost reason enough to make the switch immediately in my mind.

Overall Impression

While the updated version of the Z-Series isn't mind-blowingly different from the previous generation, there is enough to make you seriously consider your options. Again, it's really damn tough to make a great thing better.

The Srixon Z 785 irons are incredibly solid, will hold their own against any competitor on the market, and will undoubtedly help you shoot lower scores. If you are looking for distance gains without playing jacked-up lofts, the Z 785 needs to be at the top of your list for purchase options.