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Srixon zx5
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Editor’s Conclusion
Srixon is one of those manufacturers that can slip a little under the radar compared to the golf market's big players. Other companies spend big bucks on marketing and sponsorship, pulling in all the big names and putting out tonnes of content to spread the word of their brand - Taylormade is the biggest example of this.
Srixon, on the other hand, goes about their business quietly. And yet, over the last couple of years, the Japanese manufacturer (who also own Cleveland) has started to put together a bit of momentum. Shane Lowry won the 2019 Open Championship with his Srixons, and just this year, Hideki Matsuyama reigned victorious at the Masters with a set of Srixon blades in his bag.
And, perhaps even more seismically, Brooks Koepka started gaming a set of ZX7s. This is so significant because Brooks isn’t sponsored, so he chose to play Srixons because he genuinely believed they were the best clubs for him. He even took out a set of Mizuno's - historically the best feeling irons going - to do it!
Srixon, on the other hand, goes about their business quietly. And yet, over the last couple of years, the Japanese manufacturer (who also own Cleveland) has started to put together a bit of momentum. Shane Lowry won the 2019 Open Championship with his Srixons, and just this year, Hideki Matsuyama reigned victorious at the Masters with a set of Srixon blades in his bag.
And, perhaps even more seismically, Brooks Koepka started gaming a set of ZX7s. This is so significant because Brooks isn’t sponsored, so he chose to play Srixons because he genuinely believed they were the best clubs for him. He even took out a set of Mizuno's - historically the best feeling irons going - to do it!
Key Features
The ZX5s are the little (or big, depending on your criteria!) siblings on the ZX7s. They fit somewhere between a player's iron and a game improvement one, appealing mostly to golfers in the 10-20 handicap range and filling a much-needed niche in doing so.
That being said, I can see single-figure handicaps interested in these and higher handicapped golfers looking for a slightly less bulky shape.
As with most club releases nowadays, Srixon has really doubled down on the technical jargon while promoting these clubs. Some of it is really interesting: the ZX5s boasts a new feature called the ‘Main Frame,’ which seems to be milling on the back of the clubface that apparently increases ball speed and, therefore, distance.
This was developed with the help of AI, much like how Callaway and Cobra have been implementing more and more technology into their design process. Slightly less sci-fi, but just as useful, is the ‘progressive grooves.’
Though to the naked eye, they will undoubtedly look the same, the eight iron through to pitching wedge have sharper, narrower, and deeper grooves, while the seven iron and up have wider ones. This increases spin on your approach shots, allowing you to stop the ball quicker on the greens while improving consistency on the harder to hit longer irons.
My personal favorite piece of tech in the Srixon ZX5s is the ‘Tour VT Sole.’ The soles of the golf club are almost v-shaped and concave. This allows the club to glide through the turf rather than digging, while it should help make up for slightly chunky shots. I can suffer from bouts of the golfer’s elbow, so this feature really appeals to me, taking away the chance of those painful Diggy iron shots.
One thing to note about the setup of the ZX5s is that they follow the current trend of pushing lofts down to increase distance. To put that into perspective, a classic seven iron would come in at thirty-four or thirty-five degrees. The seven iron in the ZX5 set up is thirty-one.
That’s a four-degree difference, essentially a whole club of loft, lower than standard. The manufacturers will say that their ability to create easy-to-hit high launching irons means they can pump those lofts down and still allow you to get the ball up and stop it quickly, which is fair.
But if you’re trading out old irons, you will see a jump in the distance, and that won’t be necessarily down to the tech: it will be because you’re essentially hitting a six-iron in your old set!
That being said, I can see single-figure handicaps interested in these and higher handicapped golfers looking for a slightly less bulky shape.
As with most club releases nowadays, Srixon has really doubled down on the technical jargon while promoting these clubs. Some of it is really interesting: the ZX5s boasts a new feature called the ‘Main Frame,’ which seems to be milling on the back of the clubface that apparently increases ball speed and, therefore, distance.
This was developed with the help of AI, much like how Callaway and Cobra have been implementing more and more technology into their design process. Slightly less sci-fi, but just as useful, is the ‘progressive grooves.’
Though to the naked eye, they will undoubtedly look the same, the eight iron through to pitching wedge have sharper, narrower, and deeper grooves, while the seven iron and up have wider ones. This increases spin on your approach shots, allowing you to stop the ball quicker on the greens while improving consistency on the harder to hit longer irons.
My personal favorite piece of tech in the Srixon ZX5s is the ‘Tour VT Sole.’ The soles of the golf club are almost v-shaped and concave. This allows the club to glide through the turf rather than digging, while it should help make up for slightly chunky shots. I can suffer from bouts of the golfer’s elbow, so this feature really appeals to me, taking away the chance of those painful Diggy iron shots.
One thing to note about the setup of the ZX5s is that they follow the current trend of pushing lofts down to increase distance. To put that into perspective, a classic seven iron would come in at thirty-four or thirty-five degrees. The seven iron in the ZX5 set up is thirty-one.
That’s a four-degree difference, essentially a whole club of loft, lower than standard. The manufacturers will say that their ability to create easy-to-hit high launching irons means they can pump those lofts down and still allow you to get the ball up and stop it quickly, which is fair.
But if you’re trading out old irons, you will see a jump in the distance, and that won’t be necessarily down to the tech: it will be because you’re essentially hitting a six-iron in your old set!
Performance
The ZX5s are designed to be fast and long. But one of the great things about them is that they don’t look like power irons. I game the ZX7s, and to be honest if you showed me a picture of these without any reference point, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.
Their sole is slightly wider, and the cavity at the back slightly increased, but apart from that, the ZX5s could easily pass as a player’s iron, albeit one with a slightly chunky profile and ever so slightly longer blade length.
All in all, however, these are a cracking set of irons to look at, as Srixon clubs often are. They also feel great - the ZX5s are forged - another rarity in more distance-focused irons - meaning they absorb vibrations and give a softer feel at impact off the face.
This should make them appeal to traditionalists looking for extra forgiveness or older golfers looking for more distance but not wanting to give up on premium feel and looks.
Their sole is slightly wider, and the cavity at the back slightly increased, but apart from that, the ZX5s could easily pass as a player’s iron, albeit one with a slightly chunky profile and ever so slightly longer blade length.
All in all, however, these are a cracking set of irons to look at, as Srixon clubs often are. They also feel great - the ZX5s are forged - another rarity in more distance-focused irons - meaning they absorb vibrations and give a softer feel at impact off the face.
This should make them appeal to traditionalists looking for extra forgiveness or older golfers looking for more distance but not wanting to give up on premium feel and looks.
The Verdict
Srixon makes great irons, so it’s no surprise that these perform like a dream. They help to launch the ball higher than more bladed sets and probably have a bit more distance in them as well - though the offset of that more traditional style is that these aren’t going to add massive amounts of length to your game - for that, you’d need something a bit chunkier and perhaps less pleasing on the eye.
But for a mid handicap player, these are a really great option. The slightly wider sole inspires confidence at address, the tech can bail you out on some of those slight miss-hits, and on top of that, you get a stylish, soft feeling iron that you can show off in your bag.
More and more pros are coming round to Srixon, but they’re still relative underdogs - off the back of these, they’re certainly a brand to look out for in the coming years!
But for a mid handicap player, these are a really great option. The slightly wider sole inspires confidence at address, the tech can bail you out on some of those slight miss-hits, and on top of that, you get a stylish, soft feeling iron that you can show off in your bag.
More and more pros are coming round to Srixon, but they’re still relative underdogs - off the back of these, they’re certainly a brand to look out for in the coming years!
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