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Today, I’ll be taking a look at the Srixon ZX5 driver.
The ZX5 is engineered for straight drives and high forgiveness, speed and launch using modern performance technologies. It’s more forgiving and higher-spinning than its sister driver, the ZX7, but its flatter head shape gives it a Tour-like appearance.
Many people are familiar with Srixon as one of the top manufacturers of golf balls. But does their ZX5 driver pass muster? What kind of golfer is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
In addition to winning a gold medal on the 2022 Golf Digest Hot List, the ZX5 driver enjoys very high average customer ratings including a 5/5 on Global Golf, 5/5 on Rock Bottom Golf, 4.8/5 (92% recommended) on PGA TOUR Superstore, and 4.8/5 on the Srixon store.
What People Like
- price has been reduced
- versatile performance
- ample adjustability
- excellent speed
- easy to launch
- effortless feel
What People Don’t Like
- no high-loft option and limited stock shaft options
- some would like more mis-hit forgiveness
The Features
Rebound Frame
This consists of alternating “flex zones” and “rigid zones”. It adds a second layer of flexibility (in addition to the face) for even more recoil at impact.
The “spring within a spring” design delivers unprecedented ball speeds, particularly in the middle of the face.
Carbon Crown
Coming in at 15% larger than previous models, this new crown shifts the CG low for increased MOI (5000+) and forgiveness.
Adjustability
A port on the rear of the sole contains a weight that shifts the CG low and deep for enhanced stability and launch. This port can be swapped in with different weights depending on individual preferences.
In addition, an adjustable hosel offers 12 combinations of loft, lie and face angle.
Stock Info
The ZX5 driver is available in 9.5° and 10.5° standard lofts at 460CC.
The stock graphite shafts offered are the Project X EvenFlow Riptide (50/60) and Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black (60). The stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360. Custom options are available.
Below are the specs of the Srixon ZX5 driver. Click or zoom to enlarge. Information on stock shafts can be found here.
The Performance
Distance
All things considered, the ZX5 delivers a respectable amount of distance that competes with many of the most popular GI drivers from Callaway, PING, TaylorMade, and other brands. Smash factor is superb.
What’s great about the ZX5 is that it still maintains a relatively shallow landing angle and produces good rollout despite the relatively high launch and higher spin.
At the same time, the higher trajectory does tend to be more vulnerable to the wind, and this can have a considerable impact on total distance.
Forgiveness
The ZX5 offers forgiveness in spades but doesn’t go overboard such that it has to start compromising in other areas of performance.
Stability in the heel and toe regions is excellent. During my tests on a local course with fairly generous fairways, I found that I had to make a pretty bad swing in order to land in the rough.
Srixon states that the ZX5 has an MOI of 5000+. In comparison to PING’s G425 series which claims to have an MOI of 10,000+, and Callaway’s Epic series which claims an MOI of 8000+, I quite honestly didn’t find the ZX5 to be much less forgiving, if at all.
Playability/Trajectory
The ZX5 driver tends to produce a high trajectory with a slight draw bias.
The cool thing about the ZX5’s design is that you can replace the sole weight (stock is 8g) to alter the swingweight. Srixon actually sells a driver weight kit with 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12g weights, so you can experiment and find something you’re most comfortable with.
For the same reasons the ZX5 is forgiving and stable, it’s also less workable. You can put some curve on your shots, but the ZX7 is definitely the better option in this regard.
The Look
Compared to the ZX7, the shape of the ZX5’s rear is a little bit sharper and more triangular. This creates better conditions for the CG to be shifted back for more forgiveness, which is represented by the single sole weight at the back.
The skirt is also shorter, and the crown is more rounded. At the same time, the ZX5 retains a somewhat pear-shaped look with a flatter face designed to appeal to high-skill players.
When it comes to branding and design, the ZX5 isn’t my absolute favourite, although I find the red/silver/black colour dynamic quite nice. The glossy black crown is very clean, and the ZX5 logowork on the sole is front and center.
Overall, it’s a solid look that won’t turn most golfers away, whether they are higher handicaps or better players.
The Sound & Feel
The feel of the ZX5 driver is certainly very explosive, but what I like is that it’s not too “hard”. In fact, the feel at impact is fairly soft.
This feel is paired with a loud, medium-pitched “smack” at impact. It sounds a bit on the cheap side to me, but that’s just my opinion. This is definitely one of the loudest drivers I’ve tested in recent years.
I think it’s a bit strange to have the sound/feel combination I just described (muted, explosive feel with a loud sound), but it didn’t bother me during my testing session and didn’t affect my performance.
Mis-hit feedback is fair. It’s easy to discern the general area of the strike (towards the heel or toe), but it can be difficult to pinpoint the precise location. This is perfectly consistent with what you’d expect given the ZX5’s forgiveness profile.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
For new and used ZX5 drivers, you should check out Global Golf, PGA TOUR Superstore, Rock Bottom Golf, or eBay. You can order a new ZX5 driver from the official Srixon store.
In addition to being able to input custom specs, PGA TOUR Superstore offers financing, a performance guarantee, and a club trade-in program to help you minimize the financial hit. eBay is a fantastic source for golf equipment, both new and used.
The ZX5 model is getting a little aged, but availability is still very good.
Conclusion
The Srixon ZX5 is worthy of being in the same conversation as any TaylorMade, PING, or Callaway driver.
The ZX5 performs admirably well as a game-improvement driver, and it will be particularly attractive to golfers who seek forgiveness without an excessively tall face.
The sound & feel may leave a little something to be desired, but it’s very forgiving, it packs plenty of speed, it launches high, it feels explosive, and best of all, it’s affordable. If you’re on the fence, you should definitely give it a try.
Are you interested in the ZX5 driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
