Srixon ZX Mk II Irons

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Srixon ZX Mk II Irons – Key Takeaways

Updates to ZX7, ZX5 and ZX4 fashions and utility irons
Designed for combo units—all toplines the identical width
New Z-Forged blades additionally a part of the discharge
$1,199 for a 7-piece set; Utility irons $239.99
Accessible Jan 20; blades April 19

The brand new Srixon ZX Mk II irons, at first look, observe Srixon’s well-documented Kaizen philosophy of incremental enchancment. Positive, there are technical updates and enhancements however nothing that grabs you by the shirt and says, “Notice me!”

Nonetheless, a mere cursory take a look at the Srixon ZX Mk II could be a mistake.

Srixon irons have lengthy been an underground favourite for MyGolfSpy readers. In our latest WITB Survey, Srixon irons sold on par with PING and PXG. That’s a fee that’s roughly double Srixon’s general irons market share.

Make no mistake. Srixon goes after massive canines Callaway, TaylorMade and Titleist. From all outward appearances, we predict Srixon has Mizuno in its crosshairs and needs to be the participant’s alternative.

And from what we will inform, the brand new ZX Mk II irons—and the companion utility irons—are a wholesome opening salvo.

Srixon ZX Mk II Irons: What’s New?

In true Kaizen style, many of the upgrades to the Srixon ZX Mk II irons are incremental. The one-piece 1020 solid ZX7 will get a lift to its Pureframe expertise. And the participant’s distance ZX5 is getting the next-generation AI-designed Mainframe variable thickness face.

Possibly the obvious improve is to the newly slimmed-down game-improvement ZX4. Once we examined the unique ZX4 in 2021 Most Needed, it was included within the super game-improvement category (the ZX5 was thought of game-improvement). However with its new, modern profile and thinner sole width, the ZX4 jumps to game-improvement whereas the ZX5 strikes into the participant’s distance class.

That’s all nice and dandy however the massive information with the Srixon ZX Mk II irons can solely be seen from above. Just like the Mizuno Professional iron household, the Srixon ZX Mk II irons are made to be blended, a lot in order that Srixon has deliberately made the entire toplines the identical width. That features the utility irons.

“We’ve talked about combo units and mixing for a number of generations,” says Srixon Engineering Director Dustin Brekke. “We’ve been conscious of it, however for this line, it’s been a degree of emphasis from the engineering to the specs.”

Contemplating 75 % of Srixon’s irons gross sales are {custom} orders, it’s a clever path to take.

Toplines, Sole Widths and Blade Lengths

The topline in all three of the brand new Srixon ZX Mk II iron units is six millimeters because the topline for the ZX utility iron. Whereas it looks as if a no brainer, Brekke says it’s not that simple to drag off. “Getting the topline to match with hole our bodies just like the ZX4 and ZX Utility, that’s not a trivial feat. You may have wider soles (than the ZX5 and ZX7) and also you’re going to have a again facet to it. And you need to be sure it has a extra participant’s sort measurement face.”

Within the earlier era, the ZX 4 and ZX Utility appeared, as greatest, like half-siblings to the ZX5 and ZX7. That they had a shorter, fatter profile with a lot wider soles, lengthy blade lengths and thicker toplines. Srixon has taken care of the topline and has narrowed the variations in blade lengths and sole widths.

For instance, there’s a scant three millimeter distinction in pitching wedge blade size between ZX7 and ZX4, and fewer than a 4 millimeter distinction in 7-iron blade size. The only widths, clearly, have wider deltas, however they’re not loopy. The distinction in 4-iron sole width between the ZX7 and ZX4 is lower than 4mm whereas the ZX Utility 4-iron sole is 7mm wider than that of the ZX7. Because the irons get shorter, the only real width distinction will get wider.

Offsets with combo units can get hinky however, once more, the variations listed below are minimal. All through all three units and the utilities, the widest distinction loft to loft is barely 1mm.

Srixon ZX7 and Pureframe

Surprisingly, the Srixon ZX7 was a bottom-third performer in 2021’s Most Needed Participant’s Iron testing. Whereas it scored very extremely for distance and testers beloved the texture, it struggled in Strokes Gained. The brand new mannequin is getting an up to date model of Srixon’s Pureframe expertise. It’s a ridge solid into the physique of the iron that locations 80 % extra mass on the candy spot.

“Mass behind the ball pertains to vibrations and face deflection at affect,” says Brekke. “On this era, there’s extra evaluation so we higher perceive face deflection in a solid cavity-back. We’re higher capable of create a blade-like buttery really feel.”

The ZX7 is unquestionably on the better-player facet of the participant’s cavity-back section. Nonetheless, changes to Srixon’s trademark VT Sole and distinctive Sole Notches are aimed toward making it a bit extra pleasant.

“Sole Notches are there to cut back drag the place the heel or toe could also be catching the turf greater than supposed,” says Brekke. “Possibly it’s turf situation or perhaps the participant is a bit more upright or flat. We’re making an attempt to cut back that variable.”

Moreover, the VT Sole has a bit extra added bounce on the vanguard to get the membership head via the turf higher and to cut back the affect of barely fats pictures.

The ZX5 and Mainframe

The Srixon ZX5 was a top-five performer in our 2021 game-improvement iron but it surely completed within the backside half for distance. Since Srixon is shifting the ZX5 into the participant’s distance class, one thing has to offer.

“There’s no huge evolution with the ZX5,” says Brekke. “However there are changes and enhancements to the Mainframe face and the variable thickness sample to cut back mass and improve ball velocity.”

Mainframe is Srixon’s computer-design face expertise. It’s a variable thickness sample with grooves, channels and cavities solid into the again of the cast SUP10 face. Srixon has been utilizing SUP10 for years. It’s a tricky metal with comparatively excessive tensile energy. The ZX5 iron physique is solid from 1020 carbon metal.

Overhaul for the ZX4

When Srixon launched the ZX4 in 2021, it appeared like an iron and not using a dwelling. It was, and nonetheless is, a hollow-bodied iron constructed for distance and forgiveness. But it surely appeared misplaced within the tremendous game-improvement class and had a little bit an excessive amount of junk within the trunk to be participant’s distance. For this go-round, Srixon isn’t leaving it as much as interpretation: it’s calling the ZX4 “game-improvement” (interval and exclamation level!.

The lofts are very a lot consistent with others within the GI class (28.5-degree 7-iron) however with greater than 25 % much less offset that Paradym X, it positively leans towards the higher participant facet of game-improvement. Srixon is utilizing high-strength HT 1770M chrome steel for the Mainframe-designed variable thickness face for the ZX4’s hollow-bodied building.

And it’s actually a hole physique with no TPU, microspheres or some other sort of medicated goo to soak up sound and vibration. Often, that sort of building sounds, effectively, clanky—at greatest. However the mixture of HT 1770M face, a 431 chrome steel physique and a few engineering and geometry make the ZX4 really feel extra like a single-piece forging than a game-improvement iron. It’s a fairly slick trick.

The only has additionally been thinned out in comparison with the earlier model so it’ll match extra seamlessly right into a combo set with the ZX5 and ZX7.

It wouldn’t be a game-improvement iron story and not using a “low CG” paragraph or two. A low heart of gravity helps get the ball within the air and, when mixed with sturdy lofts, makes the ball go like hell. The ZX4 options further hunks of tungsten low within the sole to push the CG to subterranean ranges.

Srixon ZX Utility Irons

The ZX utility irons are additionally getting a makeover. The objective is to make them circulation seamlessly right into a combo set with the ZX5s, given a ZX4 long-iron participant is extra prone to companion up with a hybrid than a utility iron. Once more, the topline has been thinned however the sole is definitely only a tad wider than the earlier mannequin.

“As you get to your longer irons, you aren’t taking almost as massive of a divot,” says Brekke. “You may have a shallower angle of assault, you’re compressing much less and your palms are much less in entrance of the ball. So that you want much less bounce.”

The ZX utility irons characteristic the AI-designed Mainframe variable thickness face. It’s produced from the identical solid SUP10 materials because the ZX5 face and the physique is identical solid 1020 carbon metal.

Srixon utility irons are a favourite amongst MyGolfSpy readers. You named it your third most popular utility in our WITB survey and many PGA TOUR gamers recreation a minimum of one Srixon utility and not using a contract. That features Scottie Scheffler, who had one in his bag when he received the Masters final 12 months.

Srixon ZX Mk II Irons: Specs, Value and Availability

As talked about, 75 % of Srixon’s irons gross sales are custom-ordered and -built. The ZX Mk II iron line is designed to maximise {custom} builds. The ZX7 and ZX5 lofts are shut sufficient to make the 6- to 7-iron transition easy however the ZX4’s sturdy loft matrix would possibly make gapping with the ZX5 a little bit hinky. Nothing becoming and a bending machine can’t repair.

The utility irons can be found in 2-, 3- and 4-irons (18-, 20- and 23-degree lofts).

The Nippon Modus3 120 is the inventory metal shaft for the ZX7s whereas the KBS Tour Gentle is inventory in each the ZX4 and ZX5. The UST Mamiya Recoil Dart is the inventory graphite shaft for all three irons units in addition to for the ZX utility irons.

The Golf Satisfaction Tour Velvet 360 is the inventory grip. The whole line is on the market for lefties and righties.

Regardless of the way you combine and match, a seven-piece Srixon ZX Mk II iron set runs $1,199.99 or simply over $171 per stick. The ZX utility irons will retail for $239.99 every.

The total Srixon ZX Mk II iron lineup might be out there beginning Jan. 20. For extra info, go to the new Dunlop Sports-Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO website.

New Srixon Z-Solid II Blades

Srixon can be giving its solid blades their scheduled four-year makeover. In case you’re a critical OEM, you want an attractive set of blades. And these scream critical. And horny.

“The product lifecycles with blades are longer as a result of it’s not evolving as shortly,” says Brekke. “We will enhance the high-low MOI, which may be very small in a blade. If we take away a little bit mass from the perimeters and go away extra within the heart, within the blade flange and within the muscle, we will make some minor enhancements.

“That might assist a Tour participant so long as we don’t mess up the texture on the middle or mess up efficiency on the only real.”

The Srixon Z-Forged II blades are solid from 1020 carbon metal and have among the similar expertise because the ZX Mk II irons. There’s Srixon’s VT sole for turf interplay in addition to Srixon’s distinctive progressive grooves. The three- via 7-irons characteristic wider grooves (perfect for distance) whereas the 8-irons via pitching wedges have deeper, nearer set grooves to channel via grass and different junk to reinforce spin on strategy pictures.

“It’s a staple of the product line,” says Brekke. “But it surely’s really helpful for only a few.”