Over the last decades one of the big trends in the golf equipment world has been the introduction of the players distance irons, and Srixon have now become the latest brand to throw their hat into the ring with the new ZXi5+.
Designed to offer the feel and look of a forged iron, but with a little more distance and forgiveness, the ZXi5+ joins the rest of the updated ZXi lineup for 2026.
It’s off to a great start too, as Ryan Fox used a ZXi5+ long iron in his victory at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale this year.
Who Are They Aimed At?
Whilst the ZXi5 and ZXi7 fit into the better players category, the ZXi5+ marks a shift up towards the mid-handicap range with a slightly bigger footprint and more distance-oriented performance.
The long irons could still be ideal for a low handicap golfer who wants a bit more punch at the top end of the bag, but I think you’ll see these irons used predominantly by golfers who are in the high single figures up to the mid-teens.
If you love the overall look of Srixon irons, but you’re worried that you don’t hit the ball well enough, these could be ideal. The lofts are a couple of degrees stronger than the other ZXi models, with the 7 iron at 29.5 degrees, which should provide a bit of extra distance as well as easier launch and more forgiveness.
The Tech
ZXi5+ is the new addition to the range, sitting alongside ZXi5 as a distance-focused option, combining a compact players profile with longer blade lengths, wider soles and stronger lofts for more distance and forgiveness.
Again, the irons are i-Forged, though here the Condensed Forging stretches from the high-toe area along the topline of the blade, adding strength and durability. The forged faces on ZXi5+ are then softened further to improve feel.
Like the ZXi5, it uses MainFrame iQ rather than the PureFrame iQ found in the ZXi7. This is a variable-thickness network of grooves, channels and notches milled into the back of the face, which flex together at impact for more speed and consistency across the face.
The grooves are progressive through the set. The 3-iron to 7-iron get wider grooves, better suited to longer shots, while the 8-iron to sand wedge get deeper, closer-set grooves for more spin on approach shots. Laser milling between the grooves helps with friction and consistency in all conditions.
As with the rest of the range, the ZXi5+ has slightly thinner toplines and cleaner transitions for a more compact look at address, despite the longer blade lengths and wider soles.
You get the same Tour V.T. Sole as in the rest of the range, helping to improve turf interaction by encouraging smoother entry and exit through fairway, rough and sand.
Looks
The ZXi5+ follows a similar overall design to the rest of the range, although it is clearly slightly bigger head and you can see evidence of the fact that this is more of a hollow head, rather than the cut-out styling of the ZXi5 and ZXi7 irons.
As a result, it fits into the category with the likes of the TaylorMade P790, Ping i540 and Titleist T250 irons. It’s still a really clean, premium looking package which fits in nicely with the rest of Srixon’s offering.
You get a thicker topline, a slightly longer blade length, and you start to see a little bit of offset in these irons as you move up towards the long irons when compared to the other ZXi models.
The sole is also a bit thicker too, but you do still get the Tour V.T. sole which is there to help with turf interaction.
On the toe of the head you can see where the tungsten weight is placed – something which you will see in other brands too.
Feel
Whilst I was still a fan of the looks of the iron, once you start hitting shots you really can start to feel the extra power and forgiveness that it offers compared to the other irons in the range.
It’s a firmer feel, with a louder sound at impact, and it really feels like the ball is springing off the face.
Performance
As you’d probably expect, when hitting this iron on the launch monitor I saw a bit of a different story compared to the more traditional ZXi5 and ZXi7 irons.
The GCQuad showed that the 7 iron produced an average carry of 172 yards at 116.8mph ball speed – around 4mph and 8 yards more than both the ZXi7 and standard ZXi5.
Given the stronger lofts and more distance-oriented makeup, the spin came in lower at just over 4200rpm, with a launch angle of 15.3 degrees which was the lowest of the three.
Compared with the other irons in the range, I did also see a bit more inconsistency in the distance too, with a difference of nearly 16 yards in carry between the shortest and longest shot. This is something that does become a bit more common as you move from players irons into players distance and game improvement, but ideally I would want that gap to be a little bit smaller.
Out on the course, that extra distance and forgiveness was there to see, as I was comfortably a club longer with the ZXi5+ irons.
There’s a bit of a trade-off, but what you lose in feel in the shorter irons, you gain in overall forgiveness in the longer irons and I was glad of the extra help when it came to a couple of long par 3s and hitting 5 iron off the tee.
Verdict
Srixon are the latest brand to move into the players distance category and their new ZXi5+ irons are exactly what you’d expect from them – effective, smart, unfussy.
Competing with the likes of the TaylorMade P790 is tricky, but Srixon’s iron lineup now seems to make a bit more sense, moving from the ZXi7 all the way up to the game improvement ZXiR.
These irons delivered in the areas that you’d like them to, with a clear jump in distance and forgiveness compared to the ZXi5 and ZXi7 irons.
With an RRP of £1099 for 6 irons, they’re not cheap but with Srixon you are guaranteed quality, and the premium overall package helps with the value for money. All in all, a really nice set of irons.
Would I Use Them?
I loved using the longer irons, but I was a bit concerned by the lack of feel and the slight inconsistencies in the numbers. I think these are better suited to mid-handicap golfers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Srixon ZXi5+ irons designed for?
Unlike the better-player-focused ZXi5 and ZXi7, the ZXi5+ is aimed at mid-handicappers – broadly high single-figures through to the mid-teens – who want the classic Srixon look but with more distance and forgiveness. Better players may still find a use for the long irons if they want extra punch at the top of the bag.
How much extra distance do the ZXi5+ irons offer?
On the GCQuad, the 7 iron carried an average of 172 yards at 116.8mph ball speed – around 4mph and 8 yards more than both the standard ZXi5 and ZXi7. This comes largely from the stronger lofts (7 iron at 29.5 degrees) rather than a dramatic change in launch conditions.
What technology helps the ZXi5+ produce more distance and forgiveness?
The irons use i-Forged construction with Condensed Forging through the topline, along with MainFrame iQ – a variable-thickness network of grooves and channels on the back of the face that flex at impact for more speed and consistency. They also share the Tour V.T. Sole from the rest of the range for smoother turf interaction.
How consistent are the ZXi5+ irons compared to the rest of the range?
Testing showed a bit more shot-to-shot variation than the ZXi5 and ZXi7, with close to a 16-yard gap between the shortest and longest 7-iron carry. This is fairly typical moving from a players iron into a players-distance category, though ideally a tighter spread would be preferred.
How much do the Srixon ZXi5+ irons cost?
The ZXi5+ carries an RRP of £1099 for a set of 6 irons.
