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This is a review of the Srixon ZX7 irons.
With the lowest offset, narrowest sole, and thinnest profile in Srixon’s ZX line, the ZX7 is unapologetically a players iron with a focus on workability and control.
The forged ZX7 features tungsten, a Tour Cavity, and various other 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 ZX7 irons won a gold medal on the 2022 Golf Digest Hot List and earned a spot on the GolfWRX Best Irons 2022 List. Critic reviews have been highly positive.
The irons have fantastic average customer scores of 4.9/5 on Global Golf, 5/5 (100% recommended) on PGA TOUR Superstore, 5/5 on Rock Bottom Golf, and 5/5 on the Srixon store.
What People Like
- sleek tour-preferred looks
- pure, premium feel with great feedback
- very workable yet impressively forgiving
- long for a forged iron
- reasonably priced
What People Don’t Like
- top line is on the thick side
The Features
Tour Cavity
Found on the back of the head, the Tour Cavity concentrates mass in the sweet spot and adds mass to the perimeter.
The result is exceptional performance on center strikes, increased workability, soft feel at impact, and a touch of mis-hit forgiveness.
Multi-Piece Construction
The ZX7’s multi-piece construction consists of:
- 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
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 ZX7 become sharper, narrower and deeper in the short irons and wedges in order to generate maximum spin and stopping power.
Stock Info
4-PW stock sets are available for the ZX7, as are individual irons from 3-AW.
The stock shaft offered with the ZX7 is the Nippon N.S. PRO MODUS 3 Tour 120. The stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360. Custom options are available.
Below are the specs of the Srixon ZX7 irons. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
The ZX7 irons deliver a very solid amount of distance for a players iron. There are no surprises here.
The irons seem to generate a couple mph less ball speed on average compared to the ZX5, with a launch angle that is about the same or slightly lower. However, the ZX7 has a slight edge when it comes to spin, so you can expect plenty of stopping power into greens.
Where the ZX7 irons impress the most is how consistent the distance is across the face (ball speed preservation on mis-hits is above average for a players iron) and how repeatable the results are.
Forgiveness
The ZX7’s forgiveness is very impressive and not that much worse than the ZX5. In fact, many would consider this unassuming iron to have a game-improvement level of forgiveness.
Performance in mis-hit regions is very good, with distance loss only being a few yards on average.
This is no doubt thanks to the tungsten as well as the Tour Cavity adding some mass and stability to the perimeter. This also results in tighter dispersions.
You’d be hard-pressed to find an iron that delivers the pure feel and look of a blade with such a high level of forgiveness; the ZX7 manages to pull it off.
Playability/Trajectory
Compared to the ZX5, the ZX7 iron produces a slightly lower launch (mid-high trajectory) with an average of 50-100 RPM more spin.
The ZX7 irons tend to interact with the turf better than other irons with a similar sole width. This is because of the shape of the sole and the sole notches, which help the ZX7 glide a little better instead of dig.
There are no complaints when it comes to workability. Left, right, launch it high or flight it low — the ZX7 is fully capable of fulfilling your needs. It may not have quite the elite level of control provided by the slimmest musclebacks, but it’s really the next best thing.
The Look
With a compact, traditional blade shape, the ZX7 iron clearly suits the eye of better players. The top line is thin and the offset is very minimal. The sole width is also the narrowest in the ZX line.
At address, the ZX7 sets up very traditional and clean. Similar to the ZX5, the angular aesthetic on the back of the head makes for a unique, unmistakable look in the bag.
Overall, the look of the ZX7 iron should check all of the boxes that skilled players look for. The one thing that’s worth pointing out is that the top line is a little thicker than similar irons in its class — this helps provide more forgiveness on shots hit high on the face.
The Sound & Feel
The ZX7 iron shares the very crisp impact sound of the ZX5 and ZX4 models, but I found it to be slightly higher-pitched and also a little quieter in the sweet spot. The sound is very well-balanced and doesn’t change much as you move into mis-hit regions.
When you strike it solidly, the feel of the ZX7 is simply marvelous: pure, soft and smooth. The “clickiness” present in the ZX5 and ZX4 was almost non-existent here. The ZX7 is certainly one of the better-feeling players irons I’ve tested.
Mis-hit feedback is very informative and is mostly gleaned through feel in the hands. Feel becomes firmer as you get closer to the heel and toe.
Turf interaction isn’t as forgiving as the other ZX models, but it’s very pleasant and appropriate for a players iron of this calibre. It’s rather sharp and conducive to taking divots, especially if you tend to hit down on the ball.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
Aside from the Srixon store, if you want a brand new set of ZX7 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 ZX7 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
The Srixon ZX7 iron is a rock-solid better-player offering that provides plenty of forgiveness, a high level of control, workability, consistency, and a pure feel in a slim package.
Many pro golfers have put these irons in their bag at one point or another including Brooks Koepka, Keegan Bradley, Harold Varner III, and Shane Lowry. If that isn’t a confirmation that they’re the real deal, nothing else is!
With that said, because of the slightly thicker top line and added forgiveness, the ZX7 irons are viable not just for elite-level players, but also low and even mid handicappers. I would have liked to see a more distinct “players” difference between the ZX7 and ZX5, but the iron is definitely a must-try for experienced golfers.
Are you interested in the ZX7 irons? Have you played them? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
