50 Words or Less
The Srixon Z 965 irons are a perfect blend of beauty and function with a few modern touches to make a brilliant blade iron.
Introduction
Remember when Srixon irons were a Japan-only offering, and they were hard to come by in the US? Well, the first ball I hit with the Srixon Z 965 made me so thankful those days are in the past. The new Srixon Z 965 is every bit a true-blue muscle back blade iron but with a little more modern look and a couple of twists to make for better ball striking.
Looks
The word “clean” doesn’t even begin to describe the Srixon Z 965 irons. They have a compact head shape with a high toe, thin top line and sole, and very minimal offset. Everything about the Z 965 at address screams classic traditional blade.
When you look at the back of the club, there’s very minimal branding on the polished chrome surface. What makes the Z 965 stand out as a bit more modern looking are the geometric contours on the back of the club. For my money, the Srixon Z 965 is easily one of the best looking muscle back irons to come to market this year.
Sound & Feel
Golfers love tossing around the term “butter” when describing feel. We try to avoid it as much as possible at PluggedInGolf, but I feel like it’s appropriate for the Srixon Z 965. Before you assume I mean “buttery soft off the face,” let me clarify that I mean the Z 965 iron cuts through the turf “like a hot knife through butter.” Srixon implemented its new Tour V.T. sole which is designed to improve the clubs efficiency through the turf to “reduce impact resistance” and give the player more control in their shot. The results are a powerful thump sound from the turf interaction and a tight, piercing ball flight.
The best pairing for a nice thump from that perfect divot is a prototypical “click” from the ball striking the face of a nice forged iron. The Srixon Z 965 has a great click when you catch one pure and gives very precise feedback in your hands. Srixon used an extremely soft 1020 carbon steel in these clubs which may not mean much to anyone, but, rest assured, they succeeded in creating a very smooth and soft muscle back iron. Player be warned: mishits will cost you a little sting.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the Srixon Z 965 does exactly what it’s supposed to do in the right hands. It’s not a forgiving iron that’s going to give twenty yards more distance, but the Z 965’s good feel, Tour V.T. sole, and newer larger grooves make this club easy to control. Most importantly, the Srixon Z 965 gave me confidence over the ball that I could hit any type of shot imaginable.
Conclusion
Long story short, the Srixon Z 965 made me so happy Srixon returned to the American market. You’re going to have to be a pretty good stick to maximize the Z 965, but if you’re a blade player then the Z 965 is a must. The small tweaks Srixon made to the Z 965 will leave you with everything you loved about a classic set of blades but with just enough change to remind you that these aren’t your grandpa’s old muscle backs.
Buy the Srixon Z 965 Irons HERE
Srixon Z 965 Irons Price & Specs
Bill plays Scott Readman Concepts putters and accessories.
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How do the Srixon blades compare to the Callaway Apex MB?
Chris,
Bill, who wrote both reviews, is no longer writing for PIG. Sorry we can’t be of more help.
Best,
Matt
I have a set of older version 965. I also have a home golf simulator with a quad pro launch monitor. I just ordered a set of the apex mb. Both have x100 shafts. To me, my srixons outperformed in all categories, modestly. Srixons were also more solid feeling for me. I’m gonna exchange callaways for new set of 965’s. Callaways are great looking, but just weren’t appreciatively better and performed worse on misfits. My mishit is heavy, and the extra bounce on 965 seems to help me.
Any good for 18 handicap?
Charles,
With this – https://pluggedingolf.com/should-you-play-blades/ – as my caveat, no.
-Matt