Srixon have had a really good couple of years on Tour, racking up a number of wins including major titles. However they still aren’t really mentioned in the same breath as the big five driver brands, even though Ryan Fox and Shane Lowry have both won with the driver in the bag.
It’s a bit of an odd one. Winning majors still hasn’t quite shifted them into the mainstream everyday golfer’s thoughts, even though their irons and balls are still hugely respected in their own right
So it’s worth asking what’s actually changed with the new ZXi RKT. Srixon’s own players are choosing to use these drivers, so they must be doing something right.
Who’s It Aimed At?
The RKT keeps the ZXi name and offers three different heads, with this standard ZXi said to provide a nice combination of speed, forgiveness and workability.
There’s also an LS version if you want less spin, and a Max for more forgiveness.
Srixon drivers tend to attract their own following rather than pulling in new golfers off the shelf, and if you’re looking at one of these over the obvious mainstream choices, you’re probably already fairly into your gear. You likely know your own game and don’t mind spending a bit more to get it. At an RRP of £569, this definitely isn’t cheap.
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The Tech
The big addition is RKT Face, which Srixon say is really several technologies working as one system rather than separate features.
It’s built around VR-Titanium, a new alloy with silicon added in to create more flex through the face and body, and it’s paired with an upgraded i-Flex face structure to get the energy transfer at impact more efficient.
There’s also a Variable Roll Design to help keep off-centre strikes travelling straighter, and a Rebound Frame that uses two flex zones instead of one to protect ball speed when you miss the middle.
The other headline piece is Acousticore, a new chassis using AI to work out the internal rib structure, with the aim of giving every ZXi RKT head a crisper, more controlled sound.
The adjustable sole weights are back too, so you can shift weight between heel and toe to help fine-tune shot shape.
Looks
Both from the sole design, or looking down at it at address, this is very much the same ZXi as before rather than anything new. The finish, the colourway, the overall shape, it’s all pretty much identical, with just a small change to the alignment aid on the crown.
The bit that’s actually noticeably different is the face itself. It frames the ball nicely and makes the sweet spot look a bit bigger, which does give you a touch more confidence stood over it. It reminded me a lot of the face design of my Titleist GTS4 Driver.
The sole is smart looking and clearly well made, but it plays it safe. There’s not a huge amount of personality to it, and I don’t think it’s going to catch the eye of anyone browsing purely on looks, it just looks like a Srixon, technical rather than exciting.
The headcover’s a small step back as well. I preferred the design over the old one, but it felt less plush and less premium.
Feel
This is where things didn’t quite match up with what Srixon were saying. A lot of the story around this year’s driver is the new Acousticore technology, built on player feedback pushing them to improve the sound, with the suggestion that people weren’t keen on how the old ZXi sounded at impact.
That wasn’t my experience at all. If anything I thought the old ZXi sounded better, and felt better too. The new head is louder, higher pitched and a bit tinny, a bit like the old Ping G425, which had a reputation for being one of the loudest drivers around.
I actually had to double check that I had the right head in my hands because I was expecting to be impressed, having read all the talk about the new sound.
I would be interested to hear if other golfers find the same thing when they test this driver too, because it didn’t feel quite as responsive off the face either, and not as fast through impact.
Performance
I tested the RKT alongside the previous generation, the ZXi driver, on the GCQuad to see exactly what had changed.
The ball speed was basically identical, 154.3mph average on the old ZXi, 153.9mph on the RKT, despite some updates to the face technology this time around.
The spin is where the difference is, down from 3073rpm to 2423rpm, a drop of about 650rpm. Launch angle came down slightly too, half a degree or so, and that dropped peak height from 96.5ft to 80.8ft. During my testing I noticed that it produced a flatter, more penetrating flight.
As a result the carry distance went up a fair bit, from 251.2 yards to 256.0, while the lower flight increased the total distance from 270.7 up to 277.3.
The biggest thing for me was how much tighter the numbers were shot to shot. Carry dispersion went from 9 yards to 3 yards with the ZXi RKT, while total distance went from 9.9 to 4.0.
This provided me with more consistency and more forgiveness from what is basically the same shaped head. It also matched with what it felt like out on the course, mishits weren’t getting punished like they used to.
If there was a miss pattern it was slightly left, mostly hitting a draw, but that’s more down to me than the driver. Performance wise I can’t fault it, it’s a clear improvement on the last model, and the numbers make it pretty obvious where that’s coming from, tighter dispersion and more consistent spin rather than lots of extra speed.
Verdict
At £569, the ZXi RKT actually costs more than a few of its rivals. It’s more than TaylorMade’s Qi4D, and above what Cobra, Wilson and Mizuno are charging too, which doesn’t make life easy for Srixon.
Off the back of the numbers, it’s an easy one to recommend over last year’s model. But the two things Srixon pushed hardest, the sound and the feel, just didn’t show up for me the way they were talked up, which makes the whole thing feel more like a refinement than a leap forward.
There’s no doubt that this is a good driver, but if Srixon want to properly compete with the likes of Qi4D, Quantum or GTS, I’d like to see them take a few more risks with how it looks on the shelf rather than tweaking the same shape again.
Would I Use It?
Compared to last year’s model, yes, but not compared to my own GTS4 or even the Qi4D. Those drivers are better sounding, faster and better feeling.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Srixon ZXi RKT driver designed for?
It’s built to cover most bases, distance, forgiveness and launch all together, with an LS option if you want less spin and a MAX option if you want more forgiveness and stability.
How much does the ZXi RKT driver cost?
£569.00, rising to £679.00 depending on spec, which puts it above rivals like TaylorMade’s Qi4D, Cobra, Wilson and Mizuno.
What technology features in the ZXi RKT driver?
RKT Face is the headline addition, built on a new VR-Titanium alloy and an upgraded i-FLEX face structure, along with a Variable Roll Design and a two-zone Rebound Frame to help protect ball speed on off-centre hits. ACOUSTICORE is the new AI-designed chassis aimed at improving the sound, and the sole weights are adjustable heel to toe for shot shape.
Is it worth upgrading from the previous ZXi driver?
On performance, yes, it’s longer, spins less and is more forgiving. The sound and feel improvements Srixon talk up didn’t really come through for me though, so if you’re happy with your current ZXi on those fronts, you might not notice much difference.
How does the ZXi RKT compare to rivals like the Qi4D or GTS4?
It holds its own on the numbers, but in testing those still edged it out on sound, feel and outright speed, which is worth bearing in mind given where the ZXi RKT sits on price.
