Srixon ZX Utility Iron Review

[OldandStiff]

I'm rebuilding this one, and it's madness because we just moved and stuff is everywhere. Taking me forever to tear apart and rebuild 3 clubs because I can't find anything, including my binders of notes.

So anyway, I know Srixon builds their UT fairly long (~1/2" longer than most of my others), so that influences swing weight, but this head seems pretty light to me for a 3. Definitely throwing off the build a bit at a more typical length with a heavier shaft. Like I said I don't know which box my notes are in, and my others are all built, so is it me, or is that pretty light?

Edit:

And upon further examination it appears there may be yet ANOTHER weight from their OG build still in the head. That's a light 3U imo. Weight seems less than a 2 would be.

 

[OldandStiff]

Upgraded. Let the competition resume.

 

[G-Man]

View attachment 8991201

I'm rebuilding this one, and it's madness because we just moved and stuff is everywhere. Taking me forever to tear apart and rebuild 3 clubs because I can't find anything, including my binders of notes.

So anyway, I know Srixon builds their UT fairly long (~1/2" longer than most of my others), so that influences swing weight, but this head seems pretty light to me for a 3. Definitely throwing off the build a bit at a more typical length with a heavier shaft. Like I said I don't know which box my notes are in, and my others are all built, so is it me, or is that pretty light?

Edit:
View attachment 8991202
And upon further examination it appears there may be yet ANOTHER weight from their OG build still in the head. That's a light 3U imo. Weight seems less than a 2 would be.

The U line in the prior generations looked great but that shape and contours.... oh my!

 

[OldandStiff]

The U line in the prior generations looked great but that shape and contours.... oh my!

The top line is fairly thick, but the offset and backside look really good. They did a great job of hiding the meat and making it look and feel more compact.

 

[jfrigo1003]

got to hit this along with the whole Srixon lineup and wow what a huge upgrade!!! The utility spot in my bag is always the most fun part to try new things. I went Saturday looking to try the ZX Utility, SIM2 rescue, and Callaway x forged UT

The ZX utility is such a better shape than the u85. This has fast ball speeds and still very forgiving compared to most utilities. What I liked most is the ball flight was much more penetrating and lower than the u85 even with the same Recoil shaft..... Gonna take a look at the shaft options today but this will 100% be in the bag!!

 

[jfrigo1003]

@OldandStiff how do you like the Recoil prototype utility?? I tried the recoil prototype 125 F5 in irons and didnt care for them but really didnt give them a fair chance. They launched pretty high on me..... ive always been curious about the utility proto. Right now im leaning towards the KBS TGI 100. Or the safe choice is SteelFiber i95x

 

[OldandStiff]

@OldandStiff how do you like the Recoil prototype utility?? I tried the recoil prototype 125 F5 in irons and didnt care for them but really didnt give them a fair chance. They launched pretty high on me..... ive always been curious about the utility proto. Right now im leaning towards the KBS TGI 100. Or the safe choice is SteelFiber i95x

From the time I've spent with them they don't work perfectly in iron sets for me either, for the same reason. I like the utility shaft, or them in a utility (I'm not sure how different they are) more. I can lean into them without some of my usual worries, but don't have to work hard at it. My feels don't always line up with everyone else's, but they remind me a little of a Modus 105. I can play the 105X well in long/utility irons, and that 95 F5 feels similar, but at a lighter weight. Might be just me. :confused2:

 

[OldandStiff]

My 20* is cured and I'm ready to get it out there! I've hit a bunch of the blind ball testing stuff with other clubs, but have been itching to lay some utility smackdown on those softies. Plus, my ZX7's are calling and they want their 3U cousin out there with them.

 

[OITW]

I had this sitting out on the carpet last night while I was rolling putts. After watching the THP showcase all week I am completely ready to shred some golf balls. Anyway, I had an X Forged utility sitting next to it. And while both are fantastic looking clubs, the Srixon plain looks like its going 200mph while sitting still. The polished finish just draws me in, like looking at a sports car. It screams, "drive me".

I can't wait to get some course time with this.

Need to try this in hand, we should play soon(in months lol)

It’s been almost two weeks and no word on the ZX Utility. I’m getting antsy!

Any update?

 

[tahoebum]

I will own one of these but I really need to wait until spring until I can get the shaft right. I have a U65 with a shaft that is not a great fit and I really want to get this ZX dialed right the first time. This thread doesn’t make it easier waiting for spring to arrive, lol.

 

[Molten]

Need to try this in hand, we should play soon(in months lol)


Any update?

On its way. Should be in hand by the weekend

 

[GraniteRoost]

Need to try this in hand, we should play soon(in months lol)

I’m on my way



And Yes, you need some swings with this #funstick

 

[Molten]

I think the F9 driving iron may have been unseated by the ZX with a GD DI shaft. The first swing was basically love and the numbers over the session said this should be a winner. Big wow

 

[Jman]

got to hit this along with the whole Srixon lineup and wow what a huge upgrade!!! The utility spot in my bag is always the most fun part to try new things. I went Saturday looking to try the ZX Utility, SIM2 rescue, and Callaway x forged UT

The ZX utility is such a better shape than the u85. This has fast ball speeds and still very forgiving compared to most utilities. What I liked most is the ball flight was much more penetrating and lower than the u85 even with the same Recoil shaft..... Gonna take a look at the shaft options today but this will 100% be in the bag!!

I tried to tell you all in the review.

They NAILED it with this one.

 

[Jman]

I think the F9 driving iron may have been unseated by the ZX with a GD DI shaft. The first swing was basically love and the numbers over the session said this should be a winner. Big wow

I definitely told you.

 

[Molten]

I definitely told you.

I was seeing tight dispersion with more than 10 yards gained. Hard not to pick it

 

[Jman]

I was seeing tight dispersion with more than 10 yards gained. Hard not to pick it

Like I said, I told you.

 

[GraniteRoost]

I put a fresh Lamkin Crossline Cord on the ZX Utility I received for review back in December. It will be occupying a regular spot in the bag this season, and I'm looking forward to playing it on course. I'd also like to put in some more time at the Simulator with it as it's been too long. In the meantime, quoting my initial review for those that may have missed it the first time around.

I hit up the golf shop this afternoon and was able to have a really fun first session with the ZX Utility. A couple of my favorite fitters happened to be there and I had the place to myself, so we tinkered around extensively with this and the new ZX driver lineup. Huge shoutout to Golf and Ski Warehouse in West Lebanon NH for the absolute best access to gear in New England.

To preface, I have not hit a ball in six weeks. Testing utilities cold? Why not. Two practice swings without a ball, and then connected dead center on the first shot. Almost stunned, I was instantly taken aback at the feel off the face. Paused and took this picture - off to a strong start:

View attachment 8982939

I continued to warm up and settle in, hitting balls off the deck. After five shots or so I was consistently noting very good launch angles and peak heights. Spin was also in a good place. I hit about 30 balls, about 3/4 off the turf and a handful off a low tee.

Feel: Classic Srixon feel is here in spades, it is even better than the predecessors. It is the perfect merger of that sort of classic “forged” feel if you will, and an explosive, fast face. The feel is very pure, and moving around the face you can tell where you are placing the ball but mishits never get rude in tone or feedback. (More on this later). I kept hitting ball after ball for little reason other than I was just plain having fun.

Launch: As mentioned above, I have not hit a ball in 6 weeks, and was stunned to catch the first one dead center. While lucky, the very first shot demonstrated ease of launch (14.5*!!!) and ease of use that really stood out today. I was consistently getting 12-13 degrees without much effort, and could go as high as 15 or down to 9. I was having such ease hitting balls off the deck that I really wasn’t tempted to use the tee much, nor did using the tee change the results significantly. Notable is the almost 41* average descent angle and 100-110 ft peak that I was getting from a typical shot I would play on course. This becomes a Par-5 killer with that kind of trajectory.

Forgiveness: Despite the slimmer sole and back profile, there seems to be plenty of forgiveness on tap here. Reasonable thin or lateral misses held up well with just a small distance drop off, and retained trajectory pretty well. I saw spin stay in a really nice range for me while moving the ball both ways. In particular, I hit one out off the grooves on the toe, and darned if it still didn’t carry 200 yards, on-line, with strong peak height, even though it was 15-20 mph down on ball speed.

View attachment 8982941
Ghost mark on the toe if you look close...
View attachment 8982942

Ball Speed: Easily keeps up with any utility I have hit – I was within 10 mph of my fastest driver ball speed today using this club. That is pretty fair territory. And, ball speed retention is really good when you move around. I was shocked that the mishit way off the toe flew 200. The combination of feel and ball speed is really addictive here.

Data: I hit about 30 balls, of which 2-3 were worm burners, and -10 were extravagantly offline. I saved the data on the other 20, and from there made a representative 10 shot sample with a fair mix of fades and draws to show what is going on, and I removed the the highest tilt-axis ones. Here are the numbers:

View attachment 8982944

You can see that even with a decent draw, there is plenty of spin to keep it in the air without nosediving. As well, fades did not creep up too much, and were getting solid carry distance. That ~3500rpm range is exactly where I am looking to be in this club, and launch just felt SO EASY.

I was just really impressed with the overall balance of feel, launch, ball speed, all of it. Not to mention that the appearance at address is miles better. Recoil 95 is a great pairing. What else? I have a ton of things I could comment on – I would love to hear your questions?

People are going to like these. One of the fitters hit this thing and instantly commented how solid if felt. Another fitter and a customer were testing Z-Forged when I walked in and the customer was drooling when I showed them and commenting how much he liked the U85 lineup.

 

[GraniteRoost]

Anyone pick up one of these headed into the season? How's it working out? I think I'm going to try and work in some swings with mine this afternoon.

 

[Jman]

Anyone pick up one of these headed into the season? How's it working out? I think I'm going to try and work in some swings with mine this afternoon.

I’ve given mine to one of my Freshmen, he’s downright giddy about it.

 

[Bethpage Hack]

I have had mixed results with mine. I have the tour 23* AD 95 in it, but it feels so light. I added some lead tape and the results have improved. Still debating whether to keep this in the bag or game a ZX5 4 iron.

 

[Jman]

I have had mixed results with mine. I have the tour 23* AD 95 in it, but it feels so light. I added some lead tape and the results have improved. Still debating whether to keep this in the bag or game a ZX5 4 iron.

ZX4 will launch higher.

 

[GraniteRoost]

ZX4 will launch higher.

After hitting the ZX4 7i and watching it carry forever with plenty of spin.... I'd be pretty keen to see what a ZX4 4i could do.

 

[Bethpage Hack]

ZX4 will launch higher.

I have found the ZX7 and ZX5's to really launch with the shaft combo I use. THE ZX4 must hit the stratosphere.

 

[GraniteRoost]

I have been wanting to test the ZX Utility up against a couple of iron-replacement oriented hybrids for a little while now. I went to the LGS and gathered the Titleist TSi3 and Callaway Apex Pro, all in 18*. The ZX Utility held its own amazingly well during the test. I left feeling quite confident about the prospects of gaming this on course.

For this test, all shots were hit off the deck. Golf ball is a Srixon Z Star XV, and GC Hawk overhead. Each were the same length, shafts are shown in the first graphic below. All were set to standard hosel settings.

First off, the ZX flat keeps up on ball speed and launch. My fastest with the ZX were equal to fastest from either of the others. My fitter and I were also quite impressed with how well it kept on mishits... it does a great job. I was not finding center that well and still the ZX was barely behind the Apex Pro, if at all. The worst shots I hit of the session were actually with the TSi3, which I was not hitting real well today. I was hitting the Apex Pro and ZX decent, and they were very competitive. I probably had my best swings of the day with Apex Pro, and its ballspeed numbers may benefit slightly from that. I ended up with tighter dispersion on the ZX. Most impressive to me was that overall carry, launch angle, and descent angle were so similar.

Honestly the differences here are so close. How I'm swinging them on a given day could swing the numbers. I was struggling with too much inside-out sweepiness today and it flared up a little more during the time I was swing the ZX. On the average, the Apex Pro is gaining a little on yardage from the slight draw spin, but ZX Utility is peaking higher and coming in steeper with a slight fade spin. For shots of the same shape, they look even closer.

The ZX Utility is very easy to use, and offers a surprising amount of forgiveness for a utility iron, one of the best. It is a ball speed and launch beast. While doing it, it offers some pretty amazing Srixon forged feels, even on mishits. I 'd go as far to say I think I like the feel over the hybrids. Yep, said it. The feel is sweet. I was hitting mini sets of 2-3 with each club, and swore out loud when I switched to the ZX from Apex, mishit one off the toe, and it still flew 224 and rolled out to 242. In fact, this mini set of 4 shots paints a nice picture of consistency IMO:

-The top is the highest ballspeed shot of the session, maybe a groove or two low.
-The second is mishit a good bit off the toe and a touch fat, down 8 mph, still flies 224 yds
-3rd shot is a relatively pure draw
-4th shot is a relatively pure fade.




Here are the visuals - best dispersion on the ZX! Need to work on that push fade tho...



And the full data:



EDIT: To further illustrate how competitive this was, here are the Top 5 with each. Max Carry potential in RED

 

[GraniteRoost]

That is about the carry distance I would expect from a utility that fits me well, and on the strong side. Like, get in my bag side. Also, it approaches the distance and maybe even descent angle that I expect from an 18* hybrid, which is wild.

4 months later.... this has aged well.

 

[Stryker]

I have the Z85U in 4,5, and 2. I got a chance to tinker with the ZX in 3U at the range today. As much as I love the Z85s, the ZX is a beast. I really only took a few swings but the Srixon rep kept saying “Whoa! You killed that!” and comments like that. First time a demo rep has said that repeatedly no matter what company or club haha. I just smiled because well he was right and I knew it.

This really is me doing some pondering. As it is now, I bet I don’t pull a fairway wood out the bag more then once every 15-20 rounds. I just don’t need them when I make good contact with the driver to reach the greens on my second shots. Even par 5s I find myself either being in range with an iron or feeling like the better option is to lay up because a less then perfect fairway is going to be big trouble. I never hit them off the tee either. If I am using less then driver off the tee it is typically going to be 2u or 4u depending on how I want to play the hole.

I am seriously considering leaving the fairways at home and adding a ZX 3U. I would then be going driver, 2u-5u, z585 6i, and z785 7-PW. Am I crazy? I mean I am honestly not hesitant to hit a 3 or even my current 2 off the fairway at any time.