50 Words or Less
The Srixon ZXi7 irons are pure. Advanced technology in a traditional package. Immensely pleasurable sound and feel.
Introduction
The Srixon ZXi7 irons are the latest iteration of the company’s forged cavity back iron offering. This series of irons has helped make Srixon a cult favorite among gear heads over the past decade or so. You can count me among them, as countless attempts to unseat the trusty Z785s from my bag have been thwarted time and time again over the years. The ZXi7 irons’ changes from past iterations are subtle but meaningful. Find out what you can expect in this review.
Looks
To a certain extent, a player-preferred cavity back iron doesn’t have much room for change when it comes to looks. But there are several areas where these irons can differentiate themselves in the bag and at address. Here are a few things that I noticed about the Srixon ZXi7 irons.
At address, the topline is squared off rather than rounded. It’s fairly chunky as well. This remains consistent with what we saw with the ZX7 MkII but is different than what I’m used to with the Z785s. Frankly, I don’t love that aspect of the looks. The size and shaping of the clubhead appears virtually identical to the most recent iteration as well as my gamers. For me, they appear inviting at address with minimal offset and a familiar compact without being intimidating player-preferred shape.
In the bag, the Srixon ZXi7 irons are just beautiful. Clean, minimal, iconic. The most notable difference in the appearance comes in the design of the cavity, where a gentle curvature supplants a block shape in the impact area. When I see irons like these peeking out of someone’s bag, I’m going in for a closer look.
Sound & Feel
Matt was critical of the sound & feel of the previous iteration, the ZX7 MkII (review HERE). I haven’t had my hands on those so I can’t answer any questions comparing the two. However, I have spent the last several years gaming the Z785s. While I cycled through clubs at every other position in the bag every year or every other year, these refused to be kicked out by more than a few very good sets of irons. It’s their combination of looks and feel that have made them so dear to me.
The Srixon ZXi7 irons offer a similar experience of the sound and feel that I’ve loved in the Z785. It feels soft and responsive when hit near the center of the face. You get clear feedback through the hands on strike location. The sound is powerful, percussive, and precise, becoming less so with mediocre contact.
I-forged technology is a new metal forging process Srixon has introduced with this generation of irons. According to the company, its S15C steel is the softest it has used for an iron, measured at 7% softer than previous generations. In order to bolster that added softness with more strength, they’ve employed condensed forged inserts in the hosel area. The clubs feel great but perhaps I’m not perceptive enough to really feel that 7% difference.
Performance
Similar to my comment in the Looks section, there’s only so much in terms of performance gains that can be squeezed out of a traditionally shaped cavity back iron. These aren’t the kind of clubs OEMs can loft-jack and then claim it’s “up to 7 yards longer!” In fact, the lofts have stayed consistent over the years. You might note that the lengths are up 1/4″, but, per Srixon, the clubs are the same length – the measurement technique has changed to match USGA and R&A Industry Guidelines.
Yet, while the nuts and bolts remain mostly the same as in prior iterations, there are a few things to note where the Srixon ZXi7 irons differentiate themselves. One such example is the tungsten plug in the toe of the mid and long irons. This improves the feel of those clubs, on both quality strikes and mishits. Even so, you can’t expect a mishit to avoid punishment altogether as it’s a subtle difference.
While distance is not the selling point for these irons, workability is. If you’re a player who enjoys the ability to flight shots down or work the ball left and right, these are right up your alley. Someone who wants to prioritize forgiveness and straight ball flight will want to look at the ZXi5 (review HERE) or ZXi4 (game improvement category, review HERE).
Tour V.T. sole has been a constant with Srixon irons in the recent past, and I wouldn’t expect it to go away anytime soon. For the uninitiated, its unique shaping provides both leading edge bounce and trail edge relief, helping players get through the turf and compress the ball cleanly. It’s a hallmark of Srixon irons and, though it’s difficult to quantify, it seems to contribute to the excellent feel of impact with these irons.
As usual, the ZXi7 irons are built to combo, especially with the ZXi5. If you’re a player like me who really wants the versatility, workability, and player-preferred look of the ZXi7 in the short irons but doesn’t necessarily have the chops to hit them consistently in the long irons, moving up to the ZXi5 in the 4/5/6 irons can be a great solution.
Because of my experience with the Z785 irons I was very excited to get my hands on these, but they reinforced my earlier point about how much innovation can be expected from a club in this category. Visually, I still prefer my trusty gamers, and I’m hard-pressed to find a discernible difference in sound & feel, other than in the irons featuring the tungsten plug, where I do feel a bit more softness.
Conclusion
The Srixon ZXi7 irons do everything you would ask of a club in this category. The company’s new material and forging process is an intriguing addition to a club that was already known for quality sound and feel. If you’re in the market for new cavity back irons, you should do yourself a favor and find a way to test these.
Visit Srixon HERE
Srixon ZXi7 Irons Price & Specs
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10 Comments
A srixon GW?? Finally… left handed too?
Finally??
They’ve had a matching gw to order for 5 years my friend has the 2020 zx7 set and he ordered the matching gw it’s nothing new…
Just noting that while the stock lengths hasn’t changed from previous years, they do in fact run 1/4″ longer than standard (it seems they always have and the measurement has just been updated to align with a more universal standard). The same for Mizuno irons, I believe. It’s important to note since, if you’re used to another brand’s standard length and then purchase the Zxi7, you might want to order them cut down 1/4″.
Nice catch. Thanks.
I hit the ZXi5s a couple of weeks ago and was blown away. Have never hit irons that well in a quick test in my life. Too long, though (distance hit, I mean). I hate that because then you’re guessing on how much to weaken the lofts and even with a fitter it’s a guessing game. I’m a little paranoid about them getting the lies right even at the factory since I got some Mizunos 2 years back and they came as if built by someone under the influence.
Anyway, I’m a draw player and currently an 8 index heading back down after a major swing change, and the big left miss scares the ‘pee’ out of me. So I recently tried the ZXi7s but in a -2 lie config and couldn’t believe how consistently straight they were. Still a touch too long but definitely shorter than the 5s (by more than you’d think for only a 1-degree loft difference), and I’m thinking that if I get them cut down 1/4″ I may have found my new clubs.
As someone who has played 765’s forever and strugggled to find a good replacement, I landed in the mkii’s, but it looks like I need to check these out now as well! My bank account does not thank you! HA!
Yeah…we’re not a great site for fiscal responsibility. :)
-Matt
Matt,
Did you hit all hosel rockets with the zx7 mkii? I don’t know how you think the feel is exponentially worse for those. I’ve gamed both and think they both feel amazing
If you’re going to leave dumb comments, could you at least read carefully first? Dylan wrote this review, not me.
Also, rather than trying to be an internet tough guy, you might consider that feel is subjective, and people can have different opinions. It is possible to share yours without insulting others.
-Matt
Title: Srixon ZXi7 Iron Head – Different Hosel Lengths / “i-Forged” Stamp Variations? (7-Iron Replacement for Combo Set)
Post:
Hey everyone,
I’m looking to buy a Srixon ZXi7 7-iron head only (left-handed) and wanted a sanity check from anyone who owns these or has experience building with them. For reference, I’m about a 6 handicap.
Context / Why I’m Buying It
I currently play a combo set:
ZXi7: PW – 8 iron
ZXi5: 7 – 5 iron
I absolutely love the feel of the ZXi7s — buttery smooth and perfect gapping from PW to 8. The issue is my ZXi5 7-iron goes noticeably farther and feels “hot” compared to the ZXi7 8-iron, so the transition isn’t ideal.
My plan is to:
Pull the head from my current 7-iron
Install a ZXi7 7-iron head
Reuse my existing shaft (KBS $-Taper / “Money Taper”) to keep the set consistent
I do like the extra forgiveness in the 5 and 6 iron, but in hindsight I probably should have gone ZXi7 in the 7-iron, maybe even the 6.
—
What I’m Seeing Online / Concern
I’ve come across two different “types” of single replacement heads being sold:
Type A
Hosel looks very short, almost like part of it is missing
No “i-Forged” or “Forged” stamping visible
Overall head and topline look slightly different / more compact
Type B
Hosel looks longer / more normal
Clearly shows “i-Forged” stamping
Head shape and topline look more like what I’m used to seeing in retail photos
Both are labeled as ZXi7 7-iron heads, but visually they look dissimilar, especially around the hosel and topline. The short-hosel version almost looks like something is cut off, but I’m not a club-building expert, so it could just be angle or the absence of a shaft/ferrule.
—
Questions
Are there legitimate cosmetic or production variations in ZXi7 replacement heads?
Do component / replacement heads differ from full retail set heads?
Is a short-looking hosel normal when the head is unshafted, or is that a red flag?
Should all authentic ZXi7 heads have “i-Forged” stamping, or is it inconsistent by batch/model run?
Any known counterfeit signs specific to ZXi7 heads?
Seller feedback and pricing on both options look reasonable, but I want to be confident I’m buying the correct and authentic head before I swap it onto my $-Taper shaft.
Appreciate any guidance from ZXi7 owners or club builders who’ve handled loose heads or replacements.