Srixon is really excited about its new ZX line of clubs (for good reason) and today they introduced the new ZX line of woods to compliment the ZX irons. The ZX irons were recently announced to a lot of attention, buzz, and excitement and the ZX woods are well positioned to continue the enthusiasm and praise from golfers. Of course, if you missed the information on the ZX irons, you should check them out here, but today we have the launch of Srixon ZX Drivers, Fairway Woods, & Hybrids.
Rebound Frame – Srixon’s Latest Innovation Achievement
The big tech story across all of the ZX woods is the all-new Rebound Frame that Srixon is really excited about. The Rebound Frame solves an engineering challenge of providing more ball speed when the club face is already thin, flexible, and fast. The answer is to make the frame flex together with the face for greater output. Rebound Frame technology provides layers of speed through alternating flexible and rigid zones to maximize the energy to the ball at impact. Unlike most drivers on the market that only have a flexible face, all of the ZX woods have been engineered so the face and frame flex selectively inward and outward.
As shown in the image above, albeit in an exaggerated image, Srixon’s Rebound Frame has a thin and flexible face that flexes inward at impact and the frame that deforms outward at impact. The result of this additional flexing frame region is that the amount of energy that can be stored is increased and it is ultimately transferred to the ball when the frame and face snap back to their original shape. This means more efficient transfer of energy into the ball than ever before. Just like compound interest is good for your wallet, compound energy transfer is great for ball speed and the length of your drives.
ZX5 and ZX7 Drivers
The achievement of Rebound Frame is on full display in both new driver models – the ZX5 and ZX7 – as both are designed for maximum energy transfer and ball speed, so if you didn’t already read above, make sure that you do. The ZX5 and ZX7 heads are designed to feature the same core technology but in a package that delivers minor differences in the performance and aesthetic. Consistent with previous releases, the 5-series head is designed to be a confidence inspiring, forgiving driver and the 7-series head features a tour-friendly look and lower launch and spin.
Both the ZX5 and ZX7 heads also feature the same large visible carbon crown that is 15% larger than previous generation drivers. This additional carbon removes more weight from the crown and allowed it to be repositioned to push the center of gravity deep and low and to maximize the MOI of the 460cc heads (more on MOI in a bit). Although both heads have many of the same core technologies and features, there are differences between the heads that can be meaningful in fitting and depending on your skill level.
The ZX5 is the more forgiving, higher MOI head that promotes high, straight drives. It has a confidence inspiring design through its slightly larger footprint and more rounded crown compared to the ZX7. A single 8-gram weight is placed in the rear of the sole for a low and deep weight location to aid a higher launch window. Additional weights can be purchased, available between 4-gram and 12-gram, to alter the swing weight. For the internet golfers among us, the ZX5 has an MOI that is over 5000 g*cm2 (higher is better at resisting twisting) without sacrificing any ball speed that the Rebound Frame delivers.
The ZX7 is with the more tour-inspired look and delivers a more penetrating flight with the ability to add bias for shot shaping that is commonly demanded by the better player. Although it is still a 460cc head, the ZX7 has a more symmetrical design and a flatter crown to give it a smaller appearance at address. The ZX7 has interchangeable heel and toe weights in the sole (a 4 gram and an 8 gram weight) to give fade or draw bias depending on player preference depending on placement. Placing a heavier weight in the heel position will provide draw bias whereas a heavier weight in the toe will promote a fade bias. According to Srixon, the ZX7 is designed to launch around 1 degree lower and spin several hundred rpms less than the ZX5. Of course, the ZX7 is still pretty forgiving with an MOI around 4500 g*cm2.
Building off the success of the Z785 driver, it should come as little surprise that Srixon has already seen early tour adoption of its ZX woods at the highest levels and the Rebound Frame is garnering some real attention. Although I would never be confused for a tour-level player, the early adoption does not surprise me one bit because I have seen ball speeds that rival or exceed many of the top drivers on the market today after only a few weeks with the ZX5. And in my opinion, Srixon got the sound of a carbon head right as the ZX5 has a pleasing sound at impact that doesn’t have the common faults of carbon heads and it sets up square at address without having the design being distracting. Srixon has been making some sneaky good drivers for a few years and the ZX line looks primed to make a statement in the market.
The Details
Price: ZX7 – $529.99, ZX5 – $499.99
Lofts: 9.5° and 10.5° heads (adjustable +/- 1° with the hosel)
Shafts: ZX7- HZRDUS Smoke Black 60, ZX5 – EvenFlow Riptide 50/60 or HZRDUS Smoke Black 60
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360
Available: January 15, 2021
ZX Fairway Woods and Hybrids
While the ZX5 and ZX7 drivers are likely to steal the show, you should not sleep on the ZX fairway woods and hybrids because each brings the same Rebound Frame technology, performance, and improved energy transfer into smaller heads.
The ZX fairway woods, available from 3+ (13.5 degree) to a 7 wood (21 degree), compliment ZX drivers by bringing the Rebound Frame and pairing it with technology that Srixon calls its Cannon Sole. The Cannon Sole is a weight pad that floats above the sole and is angled forward (roughly taking the shape of a cannon) that provides a flexible frame for the Rebound Frame while optimizing the center of gravity for a penetrating ball flight. The ZX fairway woods also have the carbon crown that moves discretionary weight low, deep, and around the perimeter for increased forgiveness and MOI. Finally, the fairway woods have a crown step that transitions the face to the carbon crown. Srixon says this stepped design helps to lower the center of gravity for a higher launch and raise the MOI for added forgiveness.
Finally, the ZX hybrids have also taken a step forward in performance thanks to the Rebound Frame and a new compact design. The ZX hybrids have a similar crown step to that of the fairway woods (without the carbon crown) that increases the launch and forgiveness of the club but the real story (to me, at least) is the new player preferred shape. The new ZX hybrid footprint has also been refined into a more tour-friendly look that has a straight face angle and squared-off toe, which results in a compact package with a lot of speed.
You can find out more about the ZX drivers, fairway woods and hybrids by visiting Srixon at www.srixon.com or by joining in the discussion on the forum.
The Details: Srixon ZX Drivers, Fairway Woods and Hybrids
Price: ZX Fairway Woods – $269.99, ZX Hybrids – $229.99
Lofts: ZX Fairway Woods – 3+ (13.5°), 3 (15°), 5 (18°), 7 (21°); ZX Hybrids 2 (16°), 3 (19°), 4 (22°), 5 (25°), 6 (28°)
Shafts: ZX Fairway Woods – EvenFlow Riptide 50/60 or HZRDUS Smoke Black 60, ZX Hybrids – EvenFlow Riptide Hybrid 85 or HZRDUS Smoke Black 80
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360
Available: January 15, 2021
Thought about grabbing a 5, but the last time I checked it was back ordered until Jun 3rd.
It’s maybe the most under talked about driver head on the market right now. If I didn’t have the event coming up that I do, it’d be in the thick of the fight for the bag. I can’t do anything but hit the middle of the face with it.
Plus, the shape of the 5 is flat out stunning.
The 5 will be a great driver for a lot of people. I still think it is too loud but that’s just me.
It’s definitely loud but it’s overshadowed by the deafening roar of the ball landing on the fairway 270 out. [emoji1]
Happily living with it.
I’d say it’ll be the better of the two for the vast majority.
I’d also say a little hot melt will fix that.
I did that with the last version and its a great program, I had no issues returning the driver as it didn’t work for me.
Good luck with it.
It’ll be interesting if it comes in next week. I forgot we have a 2-day Ryder Cup style event next weekend. May not be the best time to test a new driver, lol!
Comparing to the Mav Max, I am not turning the ball over as easily. Several tee shots I set up for the draw and the ball just stayed straight. That is a good problem to have and if that is going to be the result on well struck shots, I’ll take it. For me off the tee I saw a pretty straight ball or a slight cut. On my better drives I saw total distances of 257 and 263yards. Those two were not quite struck center, so a more consistent driver of the golf ball can unlock some serious distance. I played with @badolds today and he hit this off 18 tee. The result was a nice baby draw that ended up 300 or so. This was a test against the Max LS and it was right there next to it.
The LIN-Q Purple is a great pairing with this one also. Nice mid/high ball flight and spin felt like it was where it should be. I did not see a drop off distance wise from the Mav Max and if anything the dispersion was a little tighter.
Next will be getting an adapter for my Ventus Blue and comparing to see which one is a better fit.
Ahhhhummmmm!!
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Nice, I’m also getting my ventus blue 6s fitted with a srixon adapter to see how it goes. Although pretty happy with the AV Raw Blue, but i thought it was a shame to leave a ventus sitting around.
Forgiveness – The ZX5 is as good as anything out there. For me the only comparison I have is to the Mav Max and it’s just as forgiving with tighter dispersion. (that could be shaft related though)
Sound – I am not the one to comment as sound doesn’t bug me, but to me it’s not overly "tinny" or hollow sounding at impact. I didn’t think it was any louder or quieter than the Mav Max. Not a muted sound at all, just a nice sound at impact.
Distance – The driver is hot. It has plenty of pop and I will put it up there distance wise with any driver on well struck shots. @badolds hit one 300 so it has potential to be a bomber in the right golfer’s hands.
Looks – Probably a top 3 in terms of crown and shape at address. Not overly elongated but not too compact. For me it sets up with a lot of confidence.
Weight – I don’t have a scale but it feels a touch heavier than the Mav Max. That could be the shaft at play, but overall the setup I have feels stable and not too light or heavy
I enjoyed reading these last couple of posts, you’re killing me actually. ZX5 was so much fun to hit when I was demo’ing it. Great combination of point and shoot ease of use, and distance. Looks fantastic at address.
Some great thoughts on this driver.
We need to try it, right?
I have a demo ZX5 on the way. I may just turn it into an extended demo for a month or two to see if I love it beyond the traditional honeymoon.
It’s a bold and awesome decision on their part. Hopefully it proves successful and they keep doing it in the future.
and just shook her head.
I was expecting it to be a lightly used demo club. But it was brand spanking new with the shrink-wrap over the head and grip. It was a 9.5* with the stock Evenflo stiff shaft.
I had a gap between meetings and live less than 5 minutes from my home course, so I had to take it to the range. I’d hit balls before work this AM (another benefit of working from home) and my swing had felt pretty grooved.
After a breif warm up with an 9 ron, I put it head to head against my PING G410 Plus (9* turned up to 10* with the Alta shaft).
The ZX5 looks gorgeous. I play the ZX5 irons and the driver looks just as good. The first impressions were that it had a very ‘clangy’ sound. The sound of a driver isn’t normally a big deal for me, but just the feeling/sound at impact wasn’t something I liked.
The ball jumps off the face pretty well. But I don’t think the Evenflo is a great fit for my swing. It felt ‘light and loose’ and I had a 2 way miss going with it. There was a 30 mph headwind which exacerbated any side spin and obviously ate up the distance. But the PING felt better from a weight/balance perspective and felt more ‘solid’ at impact. My results were better as well.
The good thing about it being an extended demo is I’ll get a chance to take it out a few more times this week. Today was a rushed midday session. I look forward to getting it out when I can take my time with it. I may also put it into play for the 9-hole league game we have on Thursday night.
That’s not an indictment of the ZX5 at all. Everybody makes REALLY good stuff right now. A lot of it comes down to preference and fit. I highly suspect part of it is the Evenflow Riptide is just not a good fit for me. But even with a different shaft, the sound/feel isn’t what I’m looking for.
It was definitely worth the $30 to demo it. I’ll give it another few sessions to see how I like it.
Perfect circumstances would be being able to try different shafts at an outdoor range.
The only outdoor fitting I’ve done in the last 6 months was a Titleist fitting at my club. I REALLY liked the TSi2. It edged out my PING on performance. My only issue is the fitting felt a little rushed. The fitter just had me try to different shafts (AV Blue X in 60 gram and 70 gram.). I had no idea what flex I was hitting until he wrote down the specs. I’ve never been an X player and felt like once I knew the flex, I would try to swing it differently.
Distances look on par with everything else out there and I can hit little tight draws or little tight fades. The sound is good for me. A bit louder then the Mavrik Max for example but in a good way. It sounds and feels alive and powerful.
if anyone is struggling with the stock 8gm weight, go grab the 10 or 12 gm weight and tinker. I think it will unlock another level for this driver.
I had a Callaway Rogue Sub Zero 9° with a stock project X Evenflow Blue 6.0S. When I bought the driver I had a very strong grip so the fade bias of the driver really suited my swing. I then underwent a big swing change to get rid of my very hook based swing. I can now hit everything straight except this driver. I have been really struggling with my driver dispersion, frequently hitting shots way out to the right to the point where I would take it out of the bag.
So I decided to get a new driver that would help me to hit more fairways.
Booked in a fitting and explained all my problems to the fitter. He had me hit my Rogue so we could get a baseline to work with. I proceeded to hit 5 or 6 absolute bombs right down the middle. I couldn’t believe it because that very rarely happens. Either way I needed a new driver as I had already sold it and was posting it off after the fitting! Haha
Personally I think it’s because I had already explained how bad I hit it and was trying to show him, all pressure was off to hit it straight. One thing I really don’t like is that I feel that the clubhead doesn’t sit square to the ball, I have to pick it up and turn it in my hands to get it to square up to the ball. I am always worried then whether it is square or not.
Anyway the fitter was a bit bewildered/amused but we went ahead with the fitting. First thing was to take some swings with the Mizuno Shaft Optimiser at my request. It recommended two shafts at around 70 grams in X flex and another in 60 X.
He put together a few drivers, Callaway Max LS, Ping G425 LST, Cobra Radspeed and XB and the TaylorMade Sim2 Max. I really wanted to try the Mizuno STX but he told me there is a 3 month waiting period for it so I decided against.
I then proceeded to put on a slice clinic with every club! Haha that’s more like it, just like how I normally hit my Rogue. I felt that all of these, except the Sim2 and Radspeeds sat very open with me needing to close them with my grip to make them square. The radspeed was actually quite good at hitting straighter than the others but it was way too low spin. My balls were carrying less but rolling out for miles.
After I had hit all of these he was like why don’t you try the Srixon ZX7, you are buying the irons so why not try the driver?
In all honesty it didn’t really appeal to me just because it looks a bit goofy with the sole graphics. Anyway he put it together and handed it to me.
Wow! What a beautiful clubhead at address! It just looked so right, very traditional shape and it sat perfectly square with no manipulation from me. I just knew I was going to hit it well.
I went on to hit 10 or so beautiful high draws into a very similar area. I was down on distance vs the Rogue but by this point I had been hitting driver swings for over an hour.
It was clear to us that this was the right driver for me. We agreed that I should come back after a couple of days and try it again when fresh.
I went back 2 days later and I wasn’t swinging quite as well but this was a good thing. I put several bad swings on it and all of them would be on the fairway. The shortest being 265 and the longest 309. All of this was with the Graphite Design Tour AD HD7 X. This is an up charge so he got me to hit some of the stock shafts as well just to confirm that this was best.
It was easily the best both on dispersion and distance. It was a good session because it showed an improvement in dispersion for me and also the ability to really get out there when I swing well.
So I bought it! Now it’s just a waiting game for it to arrive.
But yeah big lesson learned there. Don’t dismiss something without even trying it!
Blue circle is Rogue SZ
Red is Epic Max LS
White is G425 LST
Yellow is Radspeed
Orange is ZX7
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What was the deciding factor over the the Rogue? That blue circle is looking pretty good on that screenshot
The blue circle looks truly fantastic! Haha
The truth of the matter is that Shotscope has me down at 18% FIR with my driver in 2021.
The Srixon appealed to me as I am looking to get back into the fairway off the tee. I felt like there was a level of control with the Srixon which wasn’t there with any of the others. I could set it up and hit a draw or a fade. With the others I was just struggling to keep it straight.
How much of that is down to the shaft I don’t know. But the ZX7 head certainly sat very square for me which gave me confidence before hitting the ball.
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Right on, looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it once you get out on the course. I have yet to see either of the Srixon heads in person but really like the look of them in pictures
Still, I can’t say enough about how much I love the ZX7. I have tried so many drivers and had quite a few I really liked after the same amount of time as this one but I don’t recall ever being this enamored with one. It’s just a great club.
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Get off the fence and go try one. You won’t regret it. #reboundframe #hittingbombs
I was in the sim today at the tech studio and played a round using the ZX 3 hybrid primarily off the tee, this club just hits straight bombs…
The ball speed was sick, I got one up to 142 Mph… If you are looking for a hybrid take a look at this line of hybrid.
– The ZX5 is hands down longer. I am not sure if its spinning at a number that is better for me than the Mav Max or launching into a better flight window, but overall I am seeing longer tee shots and the ball is actually running out a little more than the Max did.
– I really like the head shape at address also. It’s more compact, but not too small to be intimidating and make you think you need a perfect swing
– Forgiveness is packed into this driver. I have tested ball speeds across the face, and mishits are still getting out there with some great distances and the dispersion keeps me in play. I bought the extra weights and I have the 10gm weight in the back and for me that’s made it a better set up. Paired with the LIN-Q Purple it’s a great set up that lets me transition through the ball without any issues.
– Sound is subjective and one that I really can’t tell anyone if its loud or muted. This one for me sounds great at impact. If I had to describe it I think it would say its a nice composite sound with a higher pitch.
I think anyone who is looking for a different driver and this one is available to hit, you need to put it through the paces before writing it off.
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I have both a Mizuno ST-Z and a ZX5. Very similar clubs in terms of performance and forgiveness since they both have the weight in the back.
STZ is much longer front to back so the ZX-5 looks better to me at address. But sound and feel go to the Mizuno and it’s not close.
So jealous I’m still waiting on mine!
Let us know how you get on out there. [emoji1417]
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Lo and behold, my driver arrived today! [emoji3060]
Haha was so super excited.
Went straight after work, picked it up and drove straight to the course.
I just love the way this driver sits behind the ball, so square and such a gorgeous shape too.
Initially I was getting a fair amount of left to right movement but I adjusted the loft to +0.5° and swapped the weights and that was it. Started hitting fairways and with great distance too.
I haven’t been accurate with a driver for so long that it even felt a bit awkward! [emoji23]
My friends were in shock a bit. I had 4 pars and 2 birdies in my 9 holes, was a great introduction to the driver. 40% FIR which is unheard of for me.
All in all I am super thrilled and can only imagine things getting even better.
One of the keys for me in getting my handicap down is good tee shots and I see that coming for sure.
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Snuck out to the range at lunch yesterday and crushed some bombs. A nice high controlled mini fade, some dead straight. Absolutely no pull hooks that I have with my g400. I like the sound, it’s not as sharp as my g400, and it feels pretty forgiving.
I have a round Monday morning so I’ll be able to compare distances then
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The headcover is undoubtedly the best I’ve ever had. The quality is far better than any of the other OEM ones I’ve had. Never really thought about something like that but this one is awesome.
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How was the launch? I am trying to debate between the 2 and 3 hybrid but am afraid the 2 may be just a stinger club.
Developed a nice draw swing and massive distance gains.
Pulled the club head more neutral with a shorter tee and LAUNCH!
Got my longest drive in years today. 335 and I was routinely over 300. Amazingly with far more accuracy than I ever had with my Callaway! [emoji3060]
I am over the moon! Don’t sleep on these drivers!
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The level of confidence I have being able to stand on a tee knowing I won’t lose a tee shot is huge. Makes the game a lot easier.
I think as I dial this in, I may finally be able to get back to playing a similar level of golf as a few years ago.
Can’t stress enough how good this ZX7 is. Once again, I never reached that bunker with my Rogue Sub Zero.
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Not sure how much of it is tech but I can guarantee a lot of it is confidence to be able to go after it. The ZX7 certainly fills me with confidence.
Amazing driver, couldn’t be happier.
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I am bombing this driver… disclaimer: (I just recently purchased this driver so I’m still in the honeymoon stage experienced by any new driver owner)…
I used to own the 786 with the hand crafted hazardous black and swinging that club against this ZX5 is like night and day… the 786 was like swinging a stop sign… and I hated the sound…
love everything about the ZX5 right now…
I don’t think that would have been possible without this driver, really awakened me to a new swing and an extra 50+ yards.
I hit a beautiful low draw into the wind, a shot shape I’ve really been working hard on after years of high slices. Caught it absolutely perfect and nearly got onto the green.
After winning these so regularly it really felt good to finally get one again after years with driving troubles. [emoji4]
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Dont think I would get the added yardage from the ZX5, but do like the forgiveness factor.
If looking for forgiveness the ZX5 seems to be the way to go?
Thanking you in advance for the feedback.
I would try both and get fit if you can.
ZX7 suited me more despite looking for more forgiveness in general.
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