Srixon had a really strong year in 2025, with a very highly rated ZXi iron range, a solid metalwood showing, and lots of success on Tour thanks to the likes of JJ Spaun and Shane Lowry. Right at the end of the year, they surprised us with yet another addition – the Srixon ZXiR Irons.
This adds game improvement irons, and for the first time, super game-improvement irons, to the range.
Srixon irons in general have a devoted band of followers, but you could probably argue that they’ve never quite broken through to really challenge the likes of Ping, TaylorMade and Callaway. Maybe this latest model could do that?
Who Are They Aimed At?
Srixon irons are known for having an excellent feel, as well as consistent performance, so if that’s what you’re after, then look no further.
The new ZXiR irons are designed to still offer that feel and performance, but with added forgiveness. This means that they’re suitable all the way up to golfers with handicaps towards double-digits.
There are two models in the new offering – the ZXiR and the ZXiR HL. The HL model is Srixon’s first ever super game improvement iron. This is designed with higher lofts and optimised specs for golfers with slower swing speeds.
With an RRP of less than £1000 (£959) for a set of six irons, the ZXiR still offer great value for money as we have come to expect from Srixon over the years.
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The Tech
One of the balances that manufacturers have to manage, especially when it comes to game improvement irons, is trying to improve performance without sacrificing feel.
To do this, Srixon have developed a new i-Alloy. This is a brand new material, said to be 10% softer than 431 steel. It’s said to deliver more feedback, quieter vibrations, and a softer feel than other models in this category.
Using this i-Alloy material allows Srixon to create new MainFrame milling patterns. This helps to redistribute mass across the club face, raising ball speed and forgiveness. Using real player data from game improvement golfers, this sweet spot is moved lower on the face which is the most common strike pattern.
Compared to the ZXi5 and ZXi7 models, the ZXiR irons have longer blade lengths, wider soles and more offset. However Srixon say that they still maintain premium cavity-back shaping and a clean topline look.
Golfers can also benefit from Srixon’s Tour VT sole. This is a V-shaped sole with balanced bounce and relief, helping to prevent digging and help with turf interaction.
There are progressive grooves as you move through set the set. The grooves adjust in width and depth to match the type of shot desired. Wider grooves in the long irons help with launch and speed, with tighter grooves in the scoring clubs for better spin and control.
Finally, laser milling etched between each grooves helps to add bite on every loft for more control from different lies.
Srixon ZXiR Irons Review
To test these irons, we decided to do things a little differently and put them into the hands of somebody who would be best suited to using them.
Matthew, who works as part of our wider Dev Team, is a 17 handicap golfer and we decided to let him try the irons out, to see if they could be worth a place in his bag. This is what he thought:
Matthew felt that the irons looked really smart and had great visual appeal initially, from the overall branding to the inviting face design.
Down by the ball they actually gave him a bit of extra confidence that even on mis-hits he’s going to have some idea of where the ball is going.
There is a decent cavity behind the ball but as a mid-handicapper Matthew didn’t mind that – it was a good reminder of the forgiveness of these irons.
As you would expect from a game improvement iron, Matthew found that the ZXiR range was easy to hit, even at the top end of the set.
Having used the same set of irons for a number of years, the ZXiR immediately gave him confidence and produced good levels of performance and forgiveness. This level of comfort is important as he he uses irons for the majority of shots, even off the tee.
Matthew has a relatively steep angle of attack and an out-to-in path, but he was surprised by how easy it was to hit the ball straight. The irons even produced a tiny draw at times, which is something he has historically found difficult to achieve.
We tested the ZXiR irons on the launch monitor, and straight away Matthew was really impressed with the distances he was able to achieve.
He is still using an old set of Ping G20 irons, which are nowhere near as strong in loft compared to the ZXiR. The 7 iron is 28.5 degrees in the new Srixon set, compared to 32 degrees with those Ping irons.
As a result, an average carry distance of 175 yards with the 7 iron, and close to 190 yards with the 5 iron, is much higher than he was used to seeing.
The spin rates were pretty low, down at 4500rpm with the 7 iron and around 6300rpm with the 9 iron. This is quite a big step-up from an iron that’s around 15 years old, but Matthew was impressed by how easy the transition seemed. With a bit more time, he felt like he could’ve even achieved more yardage, but he was more than happy with his new-found distance.
One of the big positives for him was that the long irons performed better than his current ones. As someone who can struggle off the tee, especially with driver, this means he has another great option to try and get himself in play without having to use a wood.
Srixon ZXiR Irons Verdict
It’s nice to see Srixon really starting to make a bit of an impact in the equipment world over the last year or two. They don’t have the same marketing budgets or Tour presence as some of the big boys, but they’re still winning tournaments and you’ll struggle to find a bad review of their ZXi range anywhere online.
The new ZXiR Irons are another excellent addition to the range. They’re easy to hit, there’s plenty of distance there, and they’re great value for money.
Would I Use Them?
When I posed this question to Matthew he said:
“”I would be happy to put these irons in the bag. I’d like to do a bit more testing but my initial thoughts are that there were no real negatives, and only positives which could help my game.”
“One thing I would like to see is how the short irons land into the greens, as the the spin rates are low which might not pair well with my lower ball flight”.
