Srixon Z-Forged Irons

[GraniteRoost]

I will say this, the blade length on the Z- Forged is on the longer side and definitely eases the way it sets up to the eye a bit. Very similar in size and profile over the ball to my z745's excepting a thinner top line. The Cally Apex MB are a noticeably shorter, more compact blade, as are the Cobra MB's. Hitting balls inside is one thing but I am pretty excited to finally get on course with these.

 

[NoShanks]

I will say this, the blade length on the Z- Forged is on the longer side and definitely eases the way it sets up to the eye a bit. Very similar in size and profile over the ball to my z745's excepting a thinner top line. The Cally Apex MB are a noticeably shorter, more compact blade, as are the Cobra MB's. Hitting balls inside is one thing but I am pretty excited to finally get on course with these.

When I tried the apex and cobra and Titleist MBs I felt the compact heads were subconsciously demanding a perfect strike which messed with my confidence a bit. The z forged eliminated that feeling and I didn’t have to stress as much and still strike them very well. I think this is a great club to make the transition into blades.


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[Popeye]

Had a fitting last week. I went in expecting to walk out with Titleist 718 cb/mb. Or even the mizunos.

Came down to mizuno vs z forged. It was a coin toss because they both worked so well for me and I prefer Mizuno MP 18 mb look at address.

Z forged had the best dispersion and consistency and it felt more forgiving and more workable for me. Plus their pricing and customs shaft offering was amazing. I might end up getting a used mizuno set in the future to play with.



Ordered 4-pw in $ taper x. Can’t wait for it to come in!

Purple circle is srixon. Blue was mizuno 6 iron.

That's a hell of a grouping for a 6 iron. No way you could ignore that.

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[NoShanks]

That's a hell of a grouping for a 6 iron. No way you could ignore that.

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That’s why it was so hard to decide between mizuno and srixon. I went back twice to hit both of them within a week to decide.


I imagined with z forged’a dispersion at 7 iron that it would be better than mizuno at 6 iron. Plus with the v sole, I felt like I was cutting through the turf effortlessly.


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[DNice26]

Some really pretty clubs. They setup so nicely behind the ball.

Is it me or do these setup similarly to the new tailormade tiger irons. Of course I'm only going by photos, but they seem to have a similar profile.

 

[2BFAST]

They are def a clean iron

 

[Popeye]

That’s why it was so hard to decide between mizuno and srixon. I went back twice to hit both of them within a week to decide.


I imagined with z forged’a dispersion at 7 iron that it would be better than mizuno at 6 iron. Plus with the v sole, I felt like I was cutting through the turf effortlessly.


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The V sole is a minor detail but effects the playability of the head so much. Shame you were not able to hit the same shaft in the different heads. But with that kind of performance I'm not sure how much better it could get.

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[NoShanks]

The V sole is a minor detail but effects the playability of the head so much. Shame you were not able to hit the same shaft in the different heads. But with that kind of performance I'm not sure how much better it could get.

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It was a coin toss between the two and I literally could not sleep for a few days to decide between the two. If for some reason z forged does not work out well I know I can go to mizunos

Below was mizunos 6 iron numbers.

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[TheDoctor]

Picking up my irons later as I have had a message to say they have arrived

7i-PW going in the bag

 

[GraniteRoost]

Picking up my irons later as I have had a message to say they have arrived

7i-PW going in the bag

Congrats! Thanks for reviving the thread, because these irons are pretty sweet and deserve some discussion. I've got 3 rounds on my set and will post some thoughts when I get some time in the next few days.

 

[NoShanks]

Still loving mine after 5 rounds so far. Shot 76, 73 73, 68, 71.

These things are super accurate and forgiving.


I am surprised on the lack of attention they get.

 

[TheDoctor]

Unfortunately the clubs had the wrong grips on when I went to pick them up, but my instructor is sorting it out and will drop them off for me on Wednesday evening - Bit gutted, but at the same time I won't get a chance to play before we go away on Friday for a week anyway
I hit a few shots with them last night, but due to being in work clothes (shirt and dress shoes) I was a bit tentative with my swing and took it easy as the shoes don't have much grip

Whether it was because I was swinging very easy or whether it is truly the clubs, but the 7i was on a frozen rope down the centre-line of the simulator range, shorter than I would expect, but dispersion was just ridiculous, and the PW was even backing up at times according to the simulator and I think I saw a peak spin rate of 12K on one shot

Can't wait to get these dialled in and take them out on the course

 

[HuddieJ]

Here is my review of the 785/Z-Forged combo set, that I received as part of the Distance Powered by Srixon Event. The set that I received is: Z-785 4-6 Iron & Z-Forged 7-PW.
About me:
Handicap- GHIN 1.2
Swing Speed- 108-110 MPH (Driver Average)
Normal Ball Flight- Mid-High
Previous Iron Set- PXG 0311 Gen 1 4-6 iron & PXG 0311T Gen 1 7-PW (Combo Set)

Looks: First and far most, these have to be the best looking irons that I have ever held in my hands. They are beautiful, sharp, extremely attractive, and crisp. I have always really liked the way that the Srixon clubs looked. Any player will tell you that there’s nothing that looks or sounds better than a good golf shot that comes off the face of a blade such as the Z-Forged. I have always believed that, if a club looks good, it gives the player more confidence to play good golf, play all different kinds of shots. These defiantly provide me with that type of confidence. Now, it’s hard to compare these to my PXGs, but my old Titleist 714 MBs are the only irons that I have played that are comparable, and they don’t even hold a candle to the Z-785s or Z-Forged irons. The top line looks appealing, and there is a lot of hidden beef on the sole of the club, that you don’t normally see in a classic blade. I like the shape of both the Z-785 long irons & the Z-Forged short irons. This is hard to explain but the best part of the look of the Z-Forged is that it feels like there is a lot of face area on this club.


Distance/Forgiveness: The distances that I’m seeing, aren’t very much different than the PXGs that I was gaming. The PXG 0311T scoring irons are a hair longer than the Z-Forged, but within the same club range, meaning I’m not pulling a different club than I was before (up or down). The Z-785s are more forgiving than the Z-Forged, just because of the cavity back compared to a blade, but put it this way, I wish I would have got the full set of Z-Forged. All my irons are bent 1 degree strong, I tried to get all specs like my PXGs, they are much more forgiving than one would think. They come off the face extremely hot, with a piercing ball flight. I love when I get a shot that calls for a stinging draw. So, the stinger is back! I also have a mid to high ball flight on a normal shot, and on a regular shot it comes off like my normal flight that I love, but they can also come off low and with some pace when the shot calls for it. The High moon ball isn’t a problem either. In all different types of shots, both the Z-785s and Z-Forged don’t lack in the distance department.


Feel: Feel is such a relative term, so remember since feel is hard to quantify, this is just a personal opinion. Ask any low handicapper their opinion, and they will tell you that there’s nothing better than hitting a pured shot with a blade. That’s the feeling you get playing the Z-Forged. Now don’t get me wrong, the Z-785s hold their ground too, but during these last couple of months, words can’t express how it feels hitting the ball with the Z-Forged irons. They provide the softness that one will expect from a forged iron. You can’t discuss blades without discussing turf interaction. The Z-Forged irons cut through the turf, creating a fantastic dollar size divot, and the response you get from the irons is amazing. When you do hit it poorly, the club will always tell you what happened. There’s no difference in the feedback you get with either model. For shot shaping, distance, and response, it’s hard to find a better iron on the market right now than the Z-Forged.

Conclusion: In the interest of full disclosure, during the event the only time I actually hit the Z785 irons in my bag was testing the 5 iron on the range. I didn’t need to hit them in the competition at all, right Noelle? After seeing and hitting the Z-Forged, I instantly wished that I would have gotten a complete set of the Z-Forged. The Z-Forged isn’t for everyone, but it is a stunning looking iron, with a classic muscle back look. It’s a player’s iron, that has enough technology to be way more forgiving that what is normally seen in a blade. If you are looking for a set of blades, I would recommend giving them a try. Also, in the combo set the blending between the Z-785s and Z-Forged is seamless and looks very good. The only note that I would make about the blended set is that you might have to order the Z-Forged 1 degree strong to get the gapping between the Z-785s and Z-Forged portion of the set correct.

 

[GraniteRoost]

Srixon Z-Forged Irons

Great review as always @HuddieJ! I've said it before but it is great to hear the post event reviews from folks weeks and months after they have settled in. And your format for reviewing product is so good that since I said I've leave some thoughts in here a couple of days ago, I'm gonna play follow the leader for a sec:

About Me
Handicap - 6
Swing Speed - 106-110mph, 7-iron carry stock 172-176yds.
Normal Ball Flight - Mid-High
Previous Iron Set - Srixon z745, Callaway Apex MB

Looks: There is no doubt, these are an attractive, classic, and sexy profile. The overall shape coming from z745 bears unmistakable family resembalance at address, and that's the best compliment in my mind as the z745 is one of my all time favorite shapes that leaves me wanting for nothing. These inspire the same feelings, even more concentrated. The top line is a touch thinner, but the blade length is similar, such that the face area appears slightly larger than comparable blades and more confidence inspiring. By contrast, the Callaway Apex MB as visibly more compact, which makes them slightly more intimidating. As Huddie astutely notes, golf is so much about mental confidence that the fraction of extra face area makes it EASY to trust these. And the extra real world mass forgiveness plus mental confidence is worth something. The back of muscleback sweeps toward the toe and V-sole is slightly thinner than the 745/65/86 series. By every measure, these look the business in my book.

Distance / Forgiveness: I am getting distances basically completely equivalent to my z745's. My playing partner that knows my game well commented several times today on the strength of the ball flight off the short irons. I had a good day and was hunting pins. I am carrying these maybe a couple yards farther than my Apex MB, based only on course feel and no actual measurements or statistics. Either the Apex's are falling off worse on mishits, or these are simply a touch longer. I was level or long more often than short today playing what I consider normal clubbing so distance is not an issue. The extra blade length I do believe translates into more real world-forgiveness, I have noticed that mishits with these tend to stay online and true to distance amazingly well for a blade. The best part is that I have enough confidence that I don't live in fear of the mishit, rather the opposite. I look forward to puring these and dripping it next to the hole. During fitting I was wondering if these were lower spin or if it was just my shallow swing hitting off mats. I can definitively report these have brakes like an F1 car, spin and ball flight are a strength for me, and not a concern. I am drawing back short irons plenty, to the point that watch it the slopes you don't get more draw than you wanted!

Feel: All there. Coming from Srixon I love and know what to expect from the z-Series, but these really are great feeling irons. One of their strengths is that with the longer blade length in combination with the V-sole, I am noticing exceptional forgiveness for this profile from heavy strikes, even slightly off center. Today I had tricky 7i over water into a tight area, and despi9te hitting it a good 203" heavy and slightly off the toe, the ball retained its speed and flight and ended up 8 ft. short of pin high, just off the right of the green. Very acceptable, and I think that miss was benefited by the V-Sole and blade length. Now lets talk about pure shots. The pure shots are a dream. The ball feels heavy yet light on the face, like you can literally toss it where you want it. Salt water taffy plus laser guided steel. The feel is addictive and the sounds has drawn comment from multiple groups on course.

Conclusion: Srixon Z-Forged offers a really strong proposition. Great value at MSRP below most, class leading aesthetics, and is overall the most balanced Z-series blade yet. In particular the top line and slightly squared toe, along with laser milling and frosted chrome finish, are visual strengths of this iron. The extra blade length and face area offer just a fraction of playability that other blades won't, and the spin profile is conducive to both strong distance and stopping power. The V-sole invite superb turf interaction and ease of use. I've shafted mine with Nippon Modus and the combination of feel and performance is just what I was hoping for. The best part about Srixon clubs, is that over the years they have developed a recipe that both looks and performs so well, and they are smart enough to slowly evolve the best parts as opposed to drastically change course. This makes me confident that I know what to expect, and Z-Forged delivered to that promise. Srixon is killing it, alongside these irons are RTX-4 wedges, H85 hybrids, and ZStar golf balls that I have the highest praise for. I encourage everyone to give Srixon/Cleveland a shot, they are making some fantastic clubs at above average performance, looks, and value.

Visuals: Here is a 9i birdie look today that landed past the hole and drew back about 12 ft off a gentle slope for a putt below the hole. Lipped it.

 

[GraniteRoost]

Keeping this thread rolling, I had a great day with the Z-Forged again today. I hit 11 greens on a fairly difficult course including 6/6 on par threes. I average 7 GIR a round, so 11 GIR is a good day. The biggest thing that stood out to me was distance control was spot on and I was hitting some beautiful tight draws and fades. Lucky to be pin hunting frequently.

Pictures from Woodstock Country Club in VT, a target oriented RTJ course home of Keegan Bradley.

2nd hole 177 yds 7-iron, tiny fade. The ball pitched 5 ft left of the hole and rolled out to ~12 ft.

3rd hole demanding uphill carry to elevated green from 170+ distant fairway across river past bridge. 7-iron baby draw pin high!

7th hole 162 yds downhill nearly holed a 9-iron, baby draw. Also, yellow ball in second pic on the left fringe is a throttled back 8i... great distance control on these!

12th hole 161 yds Par 3 9i tiny draw between the pin and the bunker

 

[GraniteRoost]

Srixon Z-Forged Irons

You can pry the Z-Forged out of my cold dead hands. Several weeks later and too many nice irons shots to list in polite company.

So I’ll list just a few from today instead. 8 straight pars and last six GIR in a row on the back this afternoon:

9i 155 3rd hole

Or maybe you want to carve a 7i off a difficult lie above your feet from 185 out downhill -Hole 9

Or maybe you want a birdie put from 215 out all the way back in the chute with a 5i. Hole 15

And then after that maybe you nail a GIR on the difficult No 1 handicap 445yd dogleg right 16th using H85 3h off the tee and a Z-Forged 6i from 190 out

Filthy.

 

[TheDoctor]

These irons continue to shine - like @GraniteRoost said, I too have had many shots that I could mention from my last league round

170yd par 3 - downhill and I hit a nice flighted 7i straight at the flag, but unfortunately it was a club too much and I put it over the back of the green (pin was at the back of the green)
2nd shot on the 400yd par 4 12th hole, hit the 8i to pin-high but just left of the green

The round was full of shots that were struck very well, but a number of them were slightly offline but that is all on me and not the clubs

Considering I moved from the Z545 series, I was initially unsure about going with the Z-Forged/Z785 combo, but I have zero regrets based on the rounds I have played up to now

 

[GraniteRoost]

I keep telling myself I shouldn't be playing Z-forged mid-irons, that I could easily put my z745 5, 6, and maybe even 7i into the bag for a round or two. My setup with H85 4h blending into Z-Forged 5i doesn't have that progressive "flow", but I hit the Z-Forged mid-irons so well on course I can't put them down. WTF.

Today:

• Hole 1 lasered 5i from 210 to 8ft for eagle. Ball stopped within 3 ft. of pitch mark, pin high. Can't putt.
• 3 fairways split and pured with 5i from the tee
• 7i approaches to like 12 and 15ft respectively.

Anecdotally, my GIR% is up this year with the Z-Forged (and Apex MB). This is not to say it is due to the clubs, but rather they've not precluded progress or made things too generally worse. Overall my short game has been suffering from lack of actual practice and thus scoring average and putts are slightly up while scrambling % is slightly down. FIR and GIR have been steadily improving trends and Z-Forged are a happy part of that.

 

[TheDoctor]

I still have zero regrets about going with the Z-Forged blades from 7i to PW

Played a couple of rounds over the weekend and it still amazes me how easy they are to hit and how confident and comfortable I feel hitting them
There was a hole yesterday that is a strange one in that it is a dogleg par 4 that turns 90 degrees and the green is raised about 25-30ft above the fairway with a very steep bank in front of it that basically means unless you carry the slope you will be back at the bottom of it
I pushed my tee shot slightly (ZU85 2i) so had a longer shot than I wanted to the green - 150yds to the middle according to my watch, but with the additional height I was working on nearer 160yds
The green is very narrow from front to back so the only option is a high soft shot and hope you hold the green

Pulled my 7i and hit a high fade and expected the ball to be off the back of the green, but when we got up there it was sitting about 12ft left of the pin in the middle of the green (and I made the birdie putt)

Now that I have had the irons for a few months and played quite a few rounds, I am set with my bag for the foreseeable future

 

[sp00nman]

So I got these in 5-pw and a u85 4iron after a custom fitting. Now the wait....

 

[TheDoctor]

So I got these in 5-pw and a u85 4iron after a custom fitting. Now the wait....

I wasn't that brave....I only went to 7i in mine and got the Z785 in 4/5/6i with a ZU85 2i

You will enjoy them

 

[sp00nman]

I wasn't that brave....I only went to 7i in mine and got the Z785 in 4/5/6i with a ZU85 2i

You will enjoy them

Bit of a gamble from my side to be honest, but I just loved the feel and sound so much. The 4i u85 will be a beast from tee.

 

[TheDoctor]

Bit of a gamble from my side to be honest, but I just loved the feel and sound so much. The 4i u85 will be a beast from tee.

My 2i is the same off the tee, but it is also very good from the fairway and even semi-rough

Not sure I will get the chance this year now with the weather cooling down, but I can't wait to hit the 2i off the tee when the fairways are dry and firm as I have no doubt it will run for miles

 

[sp00nman]

They have arrived! Now to look at them for a few months during winter! ?

I'm hoping to give them a go soon! ?

 

[GraniteRoost]

Just stopping in here to banter about once more. After a full season of play I continue to enjoy these every time out. The standout attributes to me are the ease of use that the slightly larger heel-toe gives compared to a more compact profile. I have to wander fairly far off ideal for misses to start getting penalizing. On or near center, consistency of flight and distance are superb. The sole gives great turf interaction... and the feel of a pure shot followed by divot is just plain addictive. The spin is in a window where I am getting 2-3 yards more consistently than my Apex MB, and they are a touch more forgiving. I can't think of a thing I'd change, to be honest.