When the world’s best golfer, who is a TaylorMade tour player, still has an eight year-old Srixon utility iron in his bag, you know that they are probably doing something right.
We’ve tested their new ZXi5, ZXi7 and ZXi5+ irons already on Golfalot, and been really impressed by their overall performance. Now it’s time to round out the range with the new ZXiU Utility, replacing the previous ZXiU.
Who Are They Aimed At?
Utility irons can be a great option for golfers who prefer a flatter ball flight that promotes a bit more run out rather than just flat carry, whilst also being pretty workable too. That’s what makes them really useful for golfers who play a lot of links golf.
This is a pretty generous example of a utility, although I’d still say that you’d want to be quite a confident ball-striker to get full use of it from both the tee and hitting it off the deck. If you don’t like hitting woods though, and you fear that you might hook your fairways or hybrid, this could be an alternative.
The Tech
ZXiU is the long-iron replacement in the range, designed as a powerful, forgiving option with higher launch and a blade-like look despite the extra help on offer.
Again, the irons are i-Forged, with the Condensed Forging stretching from the high-toe area along the topline, adding strength and durability. The forged faces are then softened further to improve feel.
Like the ZXi5 and ZXi5+, it uses MainFrame iQ rather than the PureFrame iQ found in the ZXi7 – 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, even when you don’t strike it out of the middle.
As with the rest of the range, the ZXiU features slightly thinner toplines and cleaner transitions for a more compact look at address, despite being the most forgiving option in the family.
You get the same Tour V.T. Sole as before, and every ZXiU head is still forged at Endo in Japan, helping to deliver that soft feel that we’ve come to expect from Srixon.
Looks
The ZXiU does a really nice job of blending into the rest of the range this year, although as you’d expect, it’s a little bit bulkier than the other models.
There’s a pretty thick sole and quite a lot of cavity behind the ball. At address, Srixon have done a really good job of trying to hide it thanks to the mirrored finish, but for some golfers I think it will look bulky.
I think other brands do a better job of producing sleeker looking utility irons, but if you want a little bit of extra reassurance then you might actually like it.
In terms of design, there’s really not much difference between this iron and the previous ZXi Utility. The cavity has perhaps been tidied up slightly, thanks to moving some of the logos around, but if you’ve used a Srixon utility in the last few years, you’re going to be pretty used to the overall profile.
Feel
Given the size of this utility I wasn’t expecting a buttery soft feel, and to be honest I didn’t get one either. This iron fits much more into the hot, loud category and feels much more like an extension of a ZXi5 or even ZXi4 iron, packing plenty of punch behind the ball.
Having said that, I did feel like the overall profile, including the wide sole, did give me a decent amount of confidence over the ball. I am not a big fan of long irons, especially a 2 iron down at 18 degrees, because I struggle with low launch and spin, but after hitting a few shots I did straight away feel like I was going to get a bit more forgiveness than you might expect from a utility.
Performance
I tested the ZXiU on the GCQuad launch monitor, and compared it against my own 20 degree Ping G440 Hybrid which sits in a similar position in the bag between my 4 wood and my longest iron.
The numbers were actually a bit better than I expected. An average ball speed of 132.1mph and a carry of 203.6 yards is decent long-iron distance, and with 225.5 yards in total there’s a good 22 yards of roll on top too.
What stood out more for me was just how flat the ball flight was – something that I was worried about as quite a low-spin player.
A launch angle of 9.9 degrees and a peak height of only 56ft is a world away from my hybrid, which launches well over 100ft, albeit with a little bit more loft. The spin rate was low too, at 2,730rpm, which all adds up to a penetrating ball flight rather than one that’s going to stop quickly on the green.
Consistency was mostly good. Carry only varied by around 5.6 yards across the session and ball speed by 3.3mph, both of which are solid numbers for what’s still quite a compact head. The spin rate did jump around a bit more than I’d like though, and on a few shots I caught it slightly low on the face, which brought the launch and peak height down even further than the average.
Comparing it to the hybrid, my G440 carries just under 214 yards with around 15 yards of dispersion between my best and worst shots, so there wasn’t actually much in it when it came to overall numbers. The difference is really that the hybrid is much higher and softer landing, whereas the ZXiU is lower and will hold its line better into the wind, but isn’t going to offer the same stopping power into a green.
Verdict
Srixon’s utility irons are well used on Tour and it’s easy to see why, because they look and feel pretty good, and the performance is there for better players too.
I was a bit surprised by the overall footprint of the head, even if it is hidden well with the mirrored finish, but it does do a really nice job of giving you a bit of extra confidence especially if you want to hit this club off the fairway.
If you’ve had the last couple of generations of Srixon utility then you might not see much difference, but for golfers looking for something different at the top end of the bag it could be a great option.
Would I Use It?
On the numbers alone I’d be tempted to keep the hybrid in the bag for ease of use, but I can absolutely see why better players would prefer the look and workability of the ZXiU, provided they can find the middle of the face consistently enough to take advantage of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Srixon ZXiU Utility designed for?
It’s aimed at confident ball-strikers who want a flatter, more penetrating ball flight with extra run out, rather than a high, soft-landing shot. It suits golfers who dislike hitting woods or fear hooking fairways and hybrids, and is particularly useful for those who play a lot of links golf.
What technology features in the ZXiU?
It’s i-Forged with Condensed Forging stretching from the high-toe area along the topline for added strength and durability, and uses MainFrame iQ, a variable-thickness network of grooves and channels milled into the back of the face for more speed and consistency on off-centre strikes. It also features the same Tour V.T. Sole as the rest of the range and is forged at Endo in Japan.
How does the ZXiU compare to a hybrid?
Testing showed similar carry distance and dispersion numbers to an equivalent hybrid, but the ZXiU produces a much flatter, lower-launching ball flight with less spin. This makes it better suited to holding its line into the wind, whereas a hybrid will fly higher and land softer with more stopping power into greens.
Is the ZXiU much different from the previous ZXi Utility?
Not significantly. The overall profile is very similar, with only minor tidying up of the cavity and logo placement, so golfers familiar with recent Srixon utility irons will find it a familiar shape and feel.
What does the ZXiU look and feel like at address?
It has a thicker sole and more cavity behind the ball than other utility irons on the market, though a mirrored finish helps disguise the bulk at address. In terms of feel, it’s a hot, loud iron rather than a soft one, closer to an extension of the ZXi5 or ZXi4 irons than a traditional buttery-feeling long iron.
