REVIEW: Srixon Z 565 Driver

Srixon Golf has been called a lot of great things over the past few months, including having the best golf equipment offerings throughout the bag. Their new Srixon Z 565 driver is a big contributor to this buzz, so I knew I had to get my hands on this club and try it out. In a nutshell, this driver absolutely rocks.

Srixon Z 565 Driver Specifications and Tech

Retailing at $449.99, the Srixon Z 565 driver is a little on the higher end in terms of cost when compared to other drivers. However, there is a ton of technology that supports that price point, assuring you that your money will be well-spent.

The driver's head features a "Power Wave Sole" that looks like a cascade design when looking at the clubhead from the toe profile, which Srixon says helps with COR and aerodynamic stuff that I'm not smart enough to understand. What I do understand, however, is the super-lightweight clubhead design and the Stretch Flex Cup Face, which gives you a larger sweet spot.

Something else of note: the Srixon Z 565 driver features grooves across the entire clubface. This is becoming a rarity in the driver market as of late as more brands are going almost groove-less. I prefer the look of this design as it reminds me of drivers of yesteryear. Call me a nostalgic softy. Whatever.

The driver is available in 9.5- or 10.5-degree lofts, features a 460cc clubhead, and comes equipped with a Miyazaki Kaula Mizu 5 shaft.

Srixon Z 565 Driver Feel and Performance

Like my current gamer -- the Callaway GBB Epic -- the Srixon Z 565 driver feels "hard" at impact. This is not a bad thing. It might just take some getting used to if your current driver feels softer or sounds "muted" at impact.

The driver is very light, but not to an annoying degree. I want to know that I have something in my hands when swinging a driver, and not something that feels like a feather. Swinging the club felt fluid and quick, giving me confidence that I could blast a tee shot at any time and remain totally in control.

In terms of performance?

During my test, I hit a series of balls with both my gamer and the Srixon driver. On average, using data obtained from my personal ball launch monitor, my distance with the Epic hovered around 258-yards of carry with ball speeds around 140-150 mph.

The Srixon Z 565 driver matched -- and at times surpassed -- these numbers. My average was just under 260-yards of carry with similar ball speeds to the Epic.

Overall, I would say the (very unscientific) test resulted in a tie between the two clubs. I did not see any substantial difference in distance between the two, but both drivers feel great and had similar ball flights.

Overall Impression

For me, the Srixon Z 565 driver performed as good and sometimes better than my current gamer. While I want to be clear that both drivers performed extremely similar, I think it is safe to say that Srixon deserves just as much buzz as any other company when it comes to driver performance.

I will absolutely play the Srixon Z 565 in my bag this season.