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In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Srixon ZX5 irons.
Sitting between the max game-improvement ZX4 and players ZX7, the ZX5 has a medium sole width and is designed to deliver game-improvement distance and forgiveness in a thin, workable, forged-like chassis.
The ZX5 features tungsten and various performance-maximizing technologies. But how does it hold up compared to similar irons from the top brands? 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?
The ZX5 irons won a silver medal on the 2022 Golf Digest Hot List and earned a spot on the GolfWRX Best Irons 2022 List. Critic reviews have generally been positive.
The irons have average customer ratings of 4.8/5 on Global Golf, 4.8/5 on PGA TOUR Superstore, 5/5 on Rock Bottom Golf, and 4.9/5 on the Srixon store.
What People Like
- compact look with minimal offset
- very workable
- tremendous forgiveness across the face
- excellent consistency
- does very well through the rough
- buttery feel
What People Don’t Like
- strong lofts
- loud sound
- lacks a little distance
The Features
Multi-Piece Construction
The ZX5’s multi-piece construction consists of:
- a forged SUP10 face that enhances speed and distance
- a forged 1020 carbon steel body that produces a soft feel by absorbing vibrations
- tungsten in the toe of the 3-7 irons which increases MOI, stability and forgiveness
Mainframe
This is a milled pattern on the back of the iron, developed with machine learning, that maximizes COR for more ball speed and distance.
Tour V.T. Sole With Sole Notches
The Tour V.T. Sole is a V-shaped sole that is designed to glide through the turf so that hitting behind the ball will be much less penalizing.
The sole also features Srixon’s popular sole notches which improve workability without sacrificing forgiveness.
Progressive Grooves
The grooves of the ZX5 become sharper, narrower and deeper in the short irons and wedges in order to generate maximum spin and stopping power.
Stock Info
4-PW and 5-PW stock sets are available for the ZX5, as are individual irons from 3-AW.
The stock shafts offered with the ZX5 are the N.S. PRO MODUS 3 Tour 105 (steel) and UST Mamiya Recoil 95 (graphite). The stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360. Custom options are available.
Below are the specs of the Srixon ZX5 irons. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
During my tests, I found the distance of the ZX5 irons to be right about what you’d expect for a strong-lofted cavity back. These things pack plenty of punch.
The irons seem to have an edge of 2-3 mph of ball speed compared to the ZX7. And despite the relatively strong lofts, I was getting a very good launch angle with a decent amount of spin, so you can expect good stopping power into greens.
The ZX5 irons probably aren’t as long as the best distance offerings from top brands like Callaway and TaylorMade, but distance on its own isn’t that important for irons anyway.
Forgiveness
In my view, forgiveness is the ZX5 iron’s greatest strength. Performance in mis-hit regions — particularly towards the toe and low on the face — is remarkably similar to sweet-spot strikes, only losing a few yards of distance on average.
You’d be hard-pressed to find an iron that delivers the pure feel and looks of a forged construction with such a high level of forgiveness; the ZX5 manages to pull it off.
The tungsten in the mid and long irons really helps increase MOI which, in turn, increases resistance to twisting at impact and tightens dispersions.
Playability/Trajectory
Compared to the ZX7, the ZX5 iron produces a slightly higher launch (high trajectory) with an average of 50-100 RPM less spin.
Overall, the ZX5 irons are easy to get in the air and generate an appropriate amount of spin that isn’t too high nor too low. Performance is balanced in this regard.
I was really impressed with the turf interaction of these irons. They glide through the turf very well, even if you hit too far behind the ball — this should be really helpful to high handicappers and even beginners.
Workability is better than I expected. Not only can the ZX5 irons readily shape the ball left and right, but shots can also be flighted higher or lower with relative ease, which some might find surprising given the stronger lofts and high level of forgiveness.
The Look
The angular aesthetic on the back of the ZX5 iron makes for a unique look in the bag. You really can’t mistake it for anything else.
At address, the ZX5 sets up very traditional and clean. The top line is basically just as thin as the ZX7, but with a blade length that is just a touch longer and slightly more offset.
The biggest visual trait that sets the ZX5 apart is the wider sole width which is designed for more forgiveness and improved turf interaction.
Overall, the ZX5 iron has a nicely balanced look and sends the message that it can deliver forgiveness, control, and premium feel when needed.
The Sound & Feel
The ZX5 iron delivers a very crisp sound at impact that many people find to be too loud. I personally didn’t find this to be the case. I think the sound is very well-balanced — not too loud nor too quiet, and the sound gets even quieter as you move into mis-hit regions.
Feel is excellent: very explosive and muted with a fair amount of softness. With the ZX5, you reap the feel-related benefits of a forged construction, although there is a bit of clickiness there which some won’t like.
Mis-hit feedback is informative but not overly punishing.
There is plenty of help through the turf, and the ZX5 is quite resistant to digging at impact. This will be especially beneficial to players who struggle with fat shots and who tend to play in wetter, softer conditions.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
Aside from the Srixon store, if you want a brand new set of ZX5 irons with custom shafts, grips, lengths, lofts, etc., definitely head over to PGA TOUR Superstore.
PGA TOUR Superstore can accommodate custom requests and offers a performance guarantee as well as a club trade-in program to help you minimize the financial hit.
Another excellent destination for both new and used ZX5 irons is eBay. You can usually get irons there for prices that can’t be beat anywhere else.
You can also look at what’s available at Global Golf and Rock Bottom Golf.
Conclusion
A great way to describe the Srixon ZX5 iron is that it gives you distance, oodles of forgiveness, and high launch in a forged package that looks slim at address.
In other words, it does what it claims to do as the middle entry in the ZX line, and it does it well. There’s no doubt that it can hold its own as a unique and viable game-improvement offering.
It’s unfortunate that this iron is a bit on the pricey side; if it had a 3-figure price tag, I think it would have the potential to be a top seller in the competitive golf equipment space. Just be aware that these irons have relatively strong lofts which won’t suit everyone.
Are you interested in the ZX5 irons? Have you played them? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
