50 Words or Less
The Srixon ZXiR irons offer a balanced blend of distance and forgiveness. Easy to launch with a pleasant feel. Attractive family looks add to the appeal.
Introduction
When manufacturers created the ‘players distance’ moniker by carving a segment out of the game improvement category, I jumped on board. For 2025, the naming perfectly suited Srixon as they could deem the ZXi5 irons [review HERE] as players distance, thus opening up the game improvement slot solely for their ZXi4’s [review HERE]. But in a bold new move, Srixon now refers to the ZXi4 irons as ‘player development’ – a term I have not seen used before. Why the change? Because the all-new Srixon ZXiR irons need to be categorized as game improvement. So take a deep breath, forget names, and let’s explore the new ZXiR irons together.
Looks
In keeping with the ZXi family looks, the Srixon ZXiR irons have a multi-faceted cavity badge with a speckled finish. The positioning and size of the branding maintains a modern, classy look. At address, heel-to-toe length, thickish topline, and moderate offset align with the game improvement category perfectly. To my eyes, the matte finish of the face extending to the topline is a winner. Overall, the Srixon ZXiR irons have wonderful aesthetics.
Sound & Feel
Sitting down to write reviews, it’s always interesting to look back to my field notes to see my first impressions on clubs. For the Srixon ZXiR, my first entry was “loudish” followed by “firm ‘crack.’” To be fair, when I took those notes it was a glorious sunny 60° day with not another golfer in sight (that changed quickly) and sounds seemed amplified in the crisp air. During further testing sessions, the irons were still a bit louder than what I’d call average. The mid-pitch ‘crack’ was consistent across the face.
The ’firm’ descriptor was more indicative of the feel in my hands. And to be clear, firm does not imply hard – the overall feel on reasonable strikes is quite pleasant. More noteworthy was that true mishits didn’t sting. I believe that Srixon would attribute that feature to their use of a softer steel alloy they refer to as i-Alloy.
Performance
For most golfers in the game improvement space, when it comes to performance, they’re looking for two things: distance and forgiveness. From my testing, the Srixon ZXiR irons deliver both. The ZXiR irons produced solid and consistent ball speeds – even when strikes weren’t perfect. Although the irons have somewhat strong lofts, I was impressed with the launch they produced. Mid-spin resulted in strong distances, and minimized side to side dispersion.
Need higher launch? Check out the Srixon ZXiR HL irons HERE
To accomplish what I outlined above, Srixon engineered their signature MainFrame design specifically for the ZXiR. First, they lowered the sweet spot on the face to aid in the launch. Second, they milled the back of the face to increase MOI for more forgiveness. Technology tailored to the needs of the target golfer – very smart.
Looking closely at the photo of the face of the ZXiR, you’ll note etched lines between grooves. According to Srixon, these laser milled lines add “bite” for better spin consistency on the various lies golfers encounter. The ZXiR irons also feature progressive grooves, where the width and depth are tailored to the club. Srixon doesn’t share the exact specs other than stating that grooves are wider in the longer irons and tighter in the higher lofted clubs.
One final design feature is worth noting – Tour V.T. Soles. The combination of higher bounce on the leading edge and relief on the trailing edge truly helps the playability of the ZXiR irons. The V.T. Sole gave me confidence on executing shots from varied turf conditions – including playing out of sand.
Conclusion
Forget names and categories. What Srixon has done with their new ZXiR irons is add another option to their stellar family of golf clubs. And with the aesthetically aligned looks across the iron family, Srixon gives golfers the ability to create a mixed set that best suits their performance needs. If you’re looking to add playable distance with a healthy dose of forgiveness, check out the new Srixon ZXiR irons.
Visit Srixon HERE
Srixon ZXiR Irons Price & Specs
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9 Comments
What is the lowest lofted iron would you feel comfortable playing? I wonder if I would be able to stop a 6 iron on the green because the landing angle would be too flat.
Are you doing the ZXir HL review?
Thanks for reading Alex. I’m ok with the 5 iron. 6 iron no problem. And yes HL coming soon.
– Meeks
Very curious to see the difference between the ZXiR and HL irons.
Reviewing the Srixon website the ZXiR HL irons match up with 1 club lower in ZXiR. For example the ZXIR HL 6 iron would theoretically be the ZXiR 7 iron with a 1/2” longer length. Of course the offset is a consideration. I’m 68 years old with a 70-72 mph 7 iron swing speed. With the KBS PGI 65 regular flex graphite shaft I carried the ZXiR 7 iron 142 yards and the HL 7 iron 134 yards which was expected given the HL iron is 4° weaker.
I’m considering replacing my Ping 410 irons. I had a Srixon only iron fitting yesterday and I liked them, we spent over an hour trying different head and shaft combos and settled on the ZXIR with a MMT 85 regular shaft. I wasn’t considering Srixon but I picked one up in the pro shop and really liked the looks. I’ll try other irons in the coming weeks but does anyone out there have any experience with the Srixon ZXIR?
I played my course using the demo ZXiR 7 iron with KBS Max 65 regular flex shaft. With my ~72 mph 7 iron swing speed I got a high launch with more than enough spin to hold fast greens. I was pleased with the performance enough to order the ZXiR 6-PW with the Nippon 750GH Neo shaft in regular flex based on my hitting ZXi7 8 & 9 irons with the Nippon shaft. I prefer Nippon shafts over KBS shafts.
I demo’d both the ZXiR and HL 7 irons on my course. Given the limited shafts in the Srixon fitting cart at my pro shop, I used the KBS Max 65 R flex in the 28° ZXiR and the KBS PGI 60 in the 32° HL (lower launch shaft on higher lofted iron). I’m 68 years old with a 7 iron swing speed of ~72 mph. Both irons were forgiving (my miss is typically toe side) and launched ball similarly. I carried the ZXiR ~143 yards and the HL ~134 yards which was expected based on a 4° higher loft. The HL lofts are 3.5° to 4° weaker. So the HL 6 iron loft matches the ZXiR 7 iron loft and so on. I ordered the ZXiR 6 through PW with the steel Nippon 750GH Neo shaft regular flex based on my hitting a ZXi7 with the Nippon shaft.
These vs PXG Gen 8 or 7 XP. I know you like pxg so I respect your opinion
Mark – Meeks here. I reviewed the ZXiR irons and Gen 7 XPs, but it’s been a while on the latter. Saternus tested the Gen 8 irons. So neither of us is going to be able to offer a fair opinion. Regardless of whose opinion you respect, we appreciate you reading the reviews. Both PXG and Srixon offer great products right now – let us know what you decide.