Earlier this summer, Srixon gave golfers a first look at its next generation of irons at the 3M Open. There weren’t any specifications, no technology explanations and no launch details. Just three familiar names appearing in TOUR bags: ZXi7, ZXi5 and ZXiU. At Ryan Fox’s Open Championship win we also saw a mysterious new iron, the ZXi5+.
The photos suggested a few things. MainFrame and PureFrame appeared to be evolving, the shapes looked cleaner and a missing model left some questions about how Srixon planned to structure the new family. Now we have the answers.
The second-generation ZXi lineup includes four models: ZXi7 Players Irons, ZXi5 Players Performance Irons, the all-new ZXi5+ Players Distance Irons and ZXiU Utility Irons. Across the family, Srixon has reworked its forging process, brought AI-assisted design into both MainFrame iQ and PureFrame iQ, refined the shaping and expanded customization options considerably.
The addition of ZXi5+ may grab your immediate attention, but the entire line looks incredibly strong. Srixon has used metallurgy, face design and head geometry to create four noticeably different options, all while keeping the family visually connected. That’s a mouthful to say. Imagine the challenges involved with actually pulling it off.
i-FORGED Changes How Srixon Builds ZXi Irons
Feel has always been central to how Srixon talks about its irons, and its new i-FORGED process starts at the beginning of the manufacturing process.
Srixon combines what it calls Condensed Forging with a controlled heat-softening process. During the early stages of forging, additional material is placed in specific high-stress areas of the head. That material is then compressed during forging, tightening the grain structure where extra strength is needed.
The location changes depending on the iron.
In ZXi7, impact stress tends to be concentrated around the hosel. In ZXi5, ZXi5+ and ZXiU, Srixon says those stresses are more concentrated around the high toe and topline. The process allows those areas to retain added strength while the rest of the head can be heat-treated for a softer response.
Srixon also says the revised process strengthens the material around each groove, improving durability of the face technology compared with the previous generation without increasing the core hardness of the material.
“From the materials we use to the way each head is forged, shaped, and weighted, every decision was made with feel in mind,” said Casey Shultz, Srixon Senior Product Manager. “It’s the hallmark of Srixon Irons and something we’ve always refused to compromise on.”
Every second-generation ZXi face and body is forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan.
MainFrame iQ and PureFrame iQ
The “iQ” branding we spotted during the TOUR preview does represent a significant change.
ZXi5, ZXi5+ and ZXiU use MainFrame iQ, a variable-thickness network of grooves, channels and notches milled into the rear of the face. Srixon used thousands of simulated strikes, based around the impact tendencies of each model’s likely player, to determine how those structures should change from club to club.
The new design can reduce face mass by as much as eight percent in ZXi5. Srixon then redistributes up to four grams elsewhere in the head to lower CG and increase MOI. Weight-pad placement also changes through the set, with more emphasis on forgiveness in the longer irons and greater control in the scoring clubs.
ZXi7 requires a different approach. Rather than asking the face to flex for additional speed, PureFrame iQ is centered on feel and stability. Srixon uses AI-assisted simulation to expand the forged S15C ridge directly behind the sweet spot. The thicker structure stiffens the impact zone and reduces face deformation while using less mass than the previous PureFrame design.
That freed-up mass is again redistributed throughout the set. ZXi7 long irons receive more perimeter weighting, while the short irons concentrate more mass centrally for control and workability.
So, while both technologies were developed with simulation tools, they’re solving different problems. MainFrame iQ is trying to create speed and consistency across the face. PureFrame iQ is working to control deformation and tune the impact response of a player’s cavity.
Tour V.T. Sole and Progressive Grooves Return
Srixon’s Tour V.T. Sole remains one of the family’s defining features, and you could probably fill a book on how many words we’ve devoted to it over the years. The system combines sole width, bounce geometry and notching to help the head move through a variety of surfaces without losing as much speed when contact occurs slightly behind the ball. Each model receives its own version of that formula rather than sharing one universal sole.
Progressive grooves also return throughout the set.
In ZXi7, ZXi5 and ZXi5+, the 3- through 7-irons use wider grooves suited to longer shots. The 8-iron through scoring clubs move to deeper, more closely spaced grooves to help manage grass and debris and increase friction on approach shots. Laser milling is added between the grooves throughout the set.
Cleaner Shaping Across the ZXi Family
The new ZXi family of irons looks both familiar and refreshed, which is something Srixon is always skilled at. While they are unmistakably Srixon, the company confirms that every model has been refined through feedback from its global TOUR staff, with slightly thinner toplines and cleaner transitions than the previous generation. Blade length, sole geometry and offset still change depending on the model, but the shaping is deliberately similar enough that combo sets should look natural in the bag and at address.
Srixon ZXi7: Players
ZXi7 remains the control-oriented model. It uses a forged S15C steel body with tungsten and is shaped with the narrowest soles, shortest blade lengths and least offset in the family. Srixon positions it for golfers who prioritize workability, feedback and precision.
The 7-iron is 32 degrees, while the pitching wedge is 46 degrees. The stock steel shaft is True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 115, paired with a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip.
Srixon ZXi5: Players Performance
ZXi5 adds more speed and forgiveness without moving too far away from the player’s-iron formula. Compared with ZXi7, it has a wider sole, slightly longer blade and more offset. The face is forged Sup10 steel, while the body is forged S20C with tungsten in the long and mid irons.
This is also where MainFrame iQ comes in, helping Srixon move weight away from the face and into areas that support forgiveness and stability.
The 7-iron is 31 degrees and the pitching wedge is 44 degrees.
Srixon ZXi5+: The New Players-Distance Model
ZXi5+ is the newcomer here, and we expect it to get early love from a variety of different players. Srixon describes it as a fully forged hollow players-distance iron that sits between ZXi5 and the company’s ZXiR game-improvement line.
It shares the same 4.5 mm topline thickness and identical offset measurements with ZXi5, but stretches the blade length, widens the sole and strengthens the lofts. In the 7-iron, for example, ZXi5+ measures 80.6 mm from heel to toe compared with 78.6 mm for ZXi5. Functional sole width increases from 18.6 to 21.0 mm.
The 7-iron is 29.5 degrees, while the pitching wedge is 43 degrees.
“With the inclusion of the ZXiR and ZXiR HL Iron series serving the needs of game-improvement golfers, we saw an opportunity to introduce a fully forged hollow Players Distance Iron for those seeking more distance and forgiveness in a more tour-authentic package,” Shultz said. “Our ZXi5 Irons have been, and will continue to be, phenomenal performers but the addition of ZXi5+ allows us to fit a broader range of golfers within the series.”
That fills the space we wondered about when the new irons first appeared on TOUR. There still isn’t a ZXi4 here, because Srixon is handling the game-improvement category separately with ZXiR and ZXiR HL. ZXi5+ instead expands the forged family toward players who want more distance and forgiveness without moving all the way into a game improvement iron.
Srixon ZXiU: Utility
ZXiU remains the dedicated long-iron replacement, and it’s a beauty this time around. It uses a forged Sup10 face, forged S20C body and tungsten in the sole, with MainFrame iQ helping produce speed and forgiveness across the face. Srixon offers it in 18-, 20- and 23-degree lofts.
Its blade-like profile and moderate offset keep it visually connected to the iron family, while the wider sole and lower weighting support higher launch.
Built For Combo Sets
Nobody seems to handle the building of combo sets better than Srixon, and that hasn’t changed with this generation of ZXi. Because the four models share similar topline proportions and overall shaping, golfers can move between them without creating dramatic visual transitions. Srixon even provides suggested combinations, including ZXi5 long irons into ZXi7 scoring irons and ZXi5+ long irons into ZXi5.
That gives fitters quite a bit of freedom. A golfer could keep ZXi7 through the scoring clubs but add ZXi5 or ZXiU where more launch and forgiveness are needed. Likewise, someone who likes ZXi5 but wants even more help at the top of the bag now has ZXi5+ as another option.
Expanded Personalization
Srixon is also opening up the cosmetic side of the fitting process. Golfers can select custom paintfill colors across logos, loft markings and even the face alignment line. There are 20 paintfill colors, multiple ferrule designs and color-matched Golf Pride MCC Plus4 grip options.
Complimentary personalization will be offered from the start of pre-sale on September 8 through October 15.
Our Take
The new ZXi family still looks unmistakably Srixon, but there’s quite a bit more going on than a cosmetic update.
The shaping has been cleaned up, but the larger changes are underneath the hood. Srixon reworked its forging process, introduced AI-assisted MainFrame iQ and PureFrame iQ, changed how mass is distributed through the sets, and added an entirely new ZXi5+ model to stretch the family farther into players-distance territory.
The common Srixon traits are still easy to recognize. Tour V.T. Sole remains, the heads are still forged by Endo, and the four models share enough visual DNA to blend naturally in a combo set. ZXi5+ may be the most noteworthy addition because it gives Srixon another stopping point between the traditional player’s cavity and the game-improvement category. It should also make the combo-set possibilities much more interesting.
Srixon ZXi Irons Pricing and Availability
The second-generation Srixon ZXi irons are available for pre-sale beginning September 8, 2026, with retail availability starting October 16. Complimentary personalization is available through October 15.
ZXi7 and ZXi5 are priced at $1,499.99 for seven steel-shafted clubs. ZXi5 is also available with graphite for $1,599.99. The new ZXi5+ is $1,499.99 in steel and $1,599.99 in graphite. ZXiU is priced at $259.99 per club.
More information is available on their website.
