Srixon ZXi5+ first look: a forged distance iron for players

The ZXi5+, new to Srixon’s second-generation ZXi iron family, is what the brand calls a “Players Distance” iron: a fully forged, hollow head with a compact shape and stronger lofts than the ZXi5. It sits between the ZXi5 and the chunkier game-improvement ZXiR, aimed at golfers who want a club that looks tidy at address but need more help than a players’ cavity back gives them.

Pre-sale opened in the US on 8 September. UK pre-sale starts on 2 October, and all four models reach shops on 16 October.

What’s in the new ZXi family

There are four models this time, all forged by Endo in Japan:

• ZXi7 – the players’ iron. One-piece S15C steel body, narrow soles, short blades, minimal offset. 32° 7-iron.
• ZXi5 – the “players performance” iron, wider in the sole than the ZXi7 with moderate blade length and offset. 31° 7-iron.
• ZXi5+ – new. Hollow, forged, longer blade, wider sole, stronger lofts. 29.5° 7-iron.
• ZXiU – a utility iron designed as a long-iron replacement.

The ZXiR and ZXiR HL game-improvement models continue alongside them, and the first-generation ZXi4 is still listed on Srixon’s US site.

A hollow head with a tungsten toe weight

Srixon’s pitch is more distance and forgiveness without the look of a game-improvement iron. The recipe it lists is stronger lofts, a longer blade, a wider sole and a hollow body, with a tungsten weight in the toe of the long and mid irons.

Two pieces of technology run through the family. The first, i-FORGED, is Srixon’s name for a forging process that it says strengthens high-stress areas, such as the high toe and topline, while heat-softening the rest of the head. Srixon says this makes the face technology more durable than before without costing any feel. The second, MainFrame iQ, is a network of grooves, channels and notches milled into the back of the face on the ZXi5, ZXi5+ and ZXiU. Srixon says AI-assisted simulation of thousands of impacts helped it cut face mass by up to 8% and move that weight elsewhere in the head, and it claims faster ball speeds, higher MOI and more consistent results across the face. Those are the manufacturer’s claims; independent testing is still to come.

The ZXi7 gets its own version, PureFrame iQ: a wider, thicker ridge of steel behind the sweet spot, designed to firm up the impact zone and give the soft but stable feel better players look for.

All models share Srixon’s Tour V.T. Sole, which uses a mix of sole widths, bounce and notches to help the club move through turf, even from a slightly heavy strike.

ZXi5+ versus ZXi5: the numbers

The official spec sheets show how the two compare:

	ZXi5+	ZXi5
7-iron loft	29.5°	31°
Pitching wedge	43°	44°
Srixon’s category	Players Distance	Players Performance
Stock steel shaft	Dynamic Gold Mid 100 (106g in S)	Dynamic Gold Mid 115 (115g in S)
Graphite option	Mitsubishi MMT Iron 60 (R and A flex)	Mitsubishi MMT Iron 60 (R flex)
Srixon’s handicap guide	Mid	Low to mid

The ZXi5+ is 1.5° stronger at 7-iron and a degree stronger at pitching wedge, so part of any extra distance will come from lower loft alone. Check where the 43° pitching wedge leaves your gaps to the wedges below it; Srixon offers an AW (49°) and a 56° SW in the ZXi5+.

The stock steel shaft is lighter, too, and there’s an A-flex graphite option, which points the ZXi5+ at moderate swing speeds as much as at strong players.

One ZXi5+ in Ryan Fox’s Open-winning bag

Srixon’s launch leans on Ryan Fox’s win at The Open in July, and the ZXi5+ was in his bag, though not as a full set. GolfWRX’s check of his winning setup lists a ZXi5+ 3-iron with a Fujikura Ventus HB Blue graphite shaft, ZXi5 4- and 5-irons and ZXi7 6-iron to pitching wedge, with Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts from 4-iron down.

We think a long iron in a combo set, where a hollow head sits above more compact short irons, is its most convincing use for club golfers too. Srixon says the shared shaping across the family is designed to make blending the models easy.

Mid-handicappers, long-iron strugglers and game-improvement graduates

• Mid-handicappers who strike it reasonably well, like a clean look and want more distance and help on mishits than the ZXi5 gives.
• Better players who struggle with long irons, as a 3-, 4- or 5-iron under ZXi5 or ZXi7 short irons.
• Golfers moving on from game-improvement irons who want something more compact but aren’t ready for a players’ cavity back.

It’s probably not for you if you want to shape shots a lot (Srixon rates its workability as “mid”), or if you already hit your irons high and far enough and would rather have loft gaps that suit your wedges. If you need maximum forgiveness, the ZXiR or ZXiR HL still makes more sense.

Price and availability

• UK: £1,099 for a six-iron set in steel or graphite for the ZXi7, ZXi5 and ZXi5+, according to UK launch reports; the ZXiU is £249. Pre-sale from 2 October, in shops from 16 October.
• US: $1,499.99 for a seven-piece steel set of ZXi7, ZXi5 or ZXi5+, or $1,599.99 in graphite (ZXi5 and ZXi5+). Pre-sale is open on Srixon’s US site, with free personalisation (paintfill, ferrules and alignment lines) until mid-October.

Sources

• The First Call: Srixon launches second generation ZXi irons (press release)
• Srixon (Dunlop Sports US): ZXi5+ irons
• Srixon (Dunlop Sports US): ZXi5 irons
• Srixon (Dunlop Sports US): ZXi7 irons
• Srixon (Dunlop Sports EU): ZXi5+ irons
• GolfWRX: Ryan Fox’s winning WITB, 2026 Open Championship
• GolfWRX: Club of the week, Ryan Fox’s Srixon ZXi5+ 3-iron
• Golf Monthly: Srixon’s new ZXi irons
• Golf News: Srixon launches new range of ZXi irons