Srixon ZX Irons Review

Srixon ZX iron family.

The new Srixon ZX irons and utility irons have been unveiled, proving once again that the brand is a force to be reckoned with in the players and game improvement categories. Boasting an all-new look and impressive tech under the hood, the new Srixon ZX iron series might be the best they’ve ever produced.

Srixon ZX Irons Background and Technology

Srixon has clearly committed to bringing the highest quality innovation to their customers as evidenced by utilizing AI optimization in the design of their ZX irons.

“While the new ZX Irons are gorgeous to look down at, it’s the technology inside that’s even more exciting,” said Jeff Brunski, Vice President of Research and Development. “Hotter faces designed using AI optimization delivers more speed. Meanwhile, varying grooves throughout the iron set gives golfers consistent distance control, and forged construction helps them feel incredible at impact.”

Srixon ZX irons.

Feel and consistency have always been paramount with Srixon irons, which have matured to rival the finest irons anywhere in the industry. The biggest story with ZX is what Srixon calls ‘MainFrame’, a one-of-a-kind face design that increases ball speed on every shot. Milled into the backside of every iron face, MainFrame is a variable thickness pattern made up of grooves, channels, and cavities. It’s this combination that produces the distance control Brunski mentions.

Mainframe was a labor of love for over two years before this release, which offers greatly improved COR by maximizing flex at impact for more ball speed on every strike. Srixon’s patented V.T. Sole returns to ZX, making these irons as easy to glide through any turf as one expects from one of the game’s best products.

The new ZX Utility Irons feature a smaller and more compact design compared to previous generations, delivering a more blade-like address. Players of any caliber will appreciate the seamless transition from one iron style to the next with ZX, beginning with the utilities through ZX5 and ZX7.

ZX Utility Irons deliver Srixon’s MainFrame technology, along with a hollow design and multi-piece construction. All of these powerful technologies come together in a smaller profile, with all the same forgiveness that is expected from a utility iron.

Performance and Feel

During my test, I was able to try out both lines of the ZX5 and ZX7. As a long-time fan of Srixon, I had some expectations going in to my first few swings with the new products.

At address, both irons look similar in terms of topline and size of the clubface. Both the ZX5 and ZX7 frame the ball well without seeming too excessive or wide. The more forgiving ZX5 does have a little more meat in the cavity, which is noticeable at address but not distracting. Both irons showcase a rounded shape at the toe, which is something I prefer.

Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 irons at address.

At impact, both the ZX5 and ZX7 boast solid, somewhat “clicky” feedback in terms of sound. Well-struck shots provide a feel you expect from Srixon: muted and soft but just enough in your hands to let you know where you made impact on the face. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of feel in the ZX5, for example, considering the design’s forgiving focus.

The ZX5 irons, however, really stood out to me in my testing. The ball explodes off the face, leading to boosts in launch and ball speed that I simply cannot replicate with my gamer irons. For example, 5-iron shots with the ZX5 averaged a launch of 15 degrees, a peak height of 25 yards, and ball speeds averaging over 120 mph. All of these numbers exceed my typical 5-iron.

The ZX7 irons held their own in this comparison, yielded similar numbers in launch and peak height (16 degrees and 28 yards, respectively), but ball speed came down a bit for me to the tune of 3 mph less.

My big takeaway: the benefits of more forgiveness and speed in longer irons is available with ZX5, while more predictability and control is available in the ZX7. This is a recipe for a fantastic combo set approach that I’ll carry into 2021.

Srixon ZX Irons Pricing and Availability

Pricing: ZX7 Irons (8-piece steel) - $1,299.99, ZX5 Irons (8-piece steel) - $1,299.99, ZX5 Irons (8-piece graphite) - $1,399.99, ZX Utility Irons - $219.99

U.S. Retail Launch Date: January 15, 2021