18 months on from when they first introduced the ZXi irons to the equipment world, Srixon are back again with their second generation of this product line, with four different models in total.
In that time, the brand have enjoyed lots of success, with staff players Ryan Fox and JJ Spaun both winning major titles, as well as numerous other victories on the pro tours.
Last year I really enjoyed testing the ZXi5, which are Srixon’s ‘players performance’ iron, so I was intrigued to see whether they’d manage to achieve even better performance this time around.
Who Are They Aimed At?
The ZXi5 irons now sit in the middle of Srixon’s ZXi family, providing a great option for single figure handicappers up into the teens who want a bit more forgiveness and pop from their irons, without sacrificing too much feel.
For more confident ball-strikers, the ZXi7 irons feature a forged construction, smaller footprint and less offset to provide a bit more workability.
New for this year is the ZXi5+, which is a players distance iron featuring a slightly bigger head, wider sole and stronger loft than the ZXi5 to suit golfers who want a bit more help with distance and forgiveness.
The Tech
Given that the previous range of Srixon irons were only released around 18 months ago, and were well-received by most golfers, it feels like a case of making small refinements with the new range rather than any wholesale changes.
Again, the irons are are i-Forged using Condensed Forging techniques, to strengthen certain areas of the head whilst retaining softness in other areas.
The process has been improved to improve the durability and longevity of the face technology compared to the previous ZXi irons, without impacting the feel.
Whereas the ZXi7 uses PureFrame iQ, the rest of the line uses MainFrame iQ. This system uses AI-assisted design and simulations to create a more efficient face structure. It’s resulted in a face that is 8 percent lighter, allowing weight to be redistributed for faster ball speeds, better forgiveness and higher MOI across the face.
Across the new generation, the irons feature slightly thinner toplines and cleaner transitions throughout the set for a more compact appearance at address.
You get the same Tour V.T. sole that we have seen previously in Srixon irons, helping to deliver better turf interaction across a range of playing conditions.
Looks
On the face of it, the ZXi5 irons look extremely similar to the previous ZXi5 model. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, because I think Srixon have developed their own unique look over the years which I do like.
The angular shape, the blend of brushed chrome with shinier sections, and the detailing on the heel and the sole shaping are all really characteristic of Srixon irons for me.
This time around the back cavity has been cleaned up a little, whilst the ZXi5 badge is now situated further up at the top of the head, rather than down the bottom.
I don’t think they’ll win awards for being the best looking irons in the category, given that they are up against the likes of the Titleist T150/T250 and the Mizuno M-13/M-15 irons, but overall it’s still a really nice premium package.
At address, you get a generous overall package without it looking too game improvement or chunky. I was maybe expecting the topline to be a little thinner, even if Srixon do say it’s slimmer than last year’s, but the overall blade length looks great and frames the ball really nicely.
As you move towards the long irons, you definitely start to see that extra bit of help in the sole width, cavity size and blade length. It just provides you with a bit of extra confidence that you’re going to get some help even if you don’t strike it perfectly.
Feel
To keep things short, these irons feel great. Given that they sit right between the players and players distance categories, they provide a really nice blend of feeling soft and workable, but still packing a bit of a punch.
If you’ve used forged players irons in the past, you might not get quite the same buttery soft feel at impact, whilst the sound is perhaps slightly clickier, but there’s still plenty of feedback particularly in the mid and shorter irons.
Performance
Despite being a players performance iron, Srixon are still keeping things pretty traditional when it comes to lofts, with a 7 iron coming in at 31 degrees and a 4 iron at 22 degrees.
As a result, I wasn’t expecting huge amounts of distance, and this is pretty much what I saw when testing on the GCQuad.
The 7 iron was producing an average carry of 163 yards, with a ball speed of 113mph, which is very similar to my own Titleist T150 irons, with a difference of just one degree in loft between the two models.
The carry and ball speed numbers were almost identical with the ZXi7 too – proving that these could still be more than usable for that better golf, or potentially used as a combo set as you move into the longer irons.
The only area where I struggled, which was the same in the previous generation, is that I wasn’t really generating enough spin or launch to keep the ball in the air. I am naturally a low-spin player but an average of 4600rpm and a peak height of less than 80 feet was a bit concerning for me with the 7 iron.
Moving into the 4 iron, whilst the ball speed was decent, the same issue with spin and launch meant that I just couldn’t get the ball to stay in the air for long enough, meaning that it ended up carrying almost the same distance as a 5 iron.
Out on the course, I was impressed by the overall predictability of these irons, as well as the extra forgiveness they offered out of a couple of tricky lies.
Some of this comes down to the Tour V.T. Sole, which is one of the best examples that I’ve seen in the industry when it comes to turf interaction. Tested on course post-heatwave and on a wet day with a mixture of firm and soft lies, and the interaction just felt really consistent throughout.
Verdict
After a few years of flying under the radar, it’s great to see Srixon enjoying some real success on Tour as they continue to produce great quality products, particularly their irons.
The new ZXi5 irons look great and performed really consistently, although I would say that I’m struggling to see a huge difference compared to the previous generation, especially considering they came out only 18 months ago. It feels a little strange that these irons have followed suit so quickly.
The only thing I would bear in mind is those spin rates especially as you move into the longer irons – so it’s definitely worth trying to test more than just a 7 iron if you go for a fitting.
Would I Use Them?
I really enjoyed using these irons, but the spin rates are just a little too low for me in this current setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Srixon ZXi5 irons designed for?
They sit in the middle of Srixon’s ZXi family, aimed at single figure handicappers up into the teens who want extra forgiveness and distance without giving up too much feel.
How do the ZXi5 irons differ from the ZXi7 and ZXi5+?
The ZXi7 is forged with a smaller footprint and less offset for more workability, aimed at more confident ball-strikers. The ZXi5+ is a players distance iron with a bigger head, wider sole and stronger lofts for golfers wanting more help with distance and forgiveness. The ZXi5 sits between the two, blending performance and playability.
What technology features in the new ZXi5 irons?
They use i-Forged construction with Condensed Forging for a strong yet soft feel, along with MainFrame iQ, an AI-assisted face design that’s 8% lighter to help redistribute weight for faster ball speeds and higher forgiveness. They also retain the Tour V.T. Sole for consistent turf interaction.
What lofts do the ZXi5 irons come in?
They stick to fairly traditional lofts, with the 7 iron at 31° and the 4 iron at 22°.
How do the ZXi5 irons compare to the previous generation?
Visually and technologically they’re very similar, with refinements rather than wholesale changes. Updates include a cleaner back cavity, a repositioned badge, a slightly thinner topline, and improved face durability.
