Srixon's ZX7 continues the manufacturer's excellent Z line of irons and provides golfers with a sleek, better player option which has found its way into the bag of the likes of Shane Lowry and even Brooks Koepka on Tour.
When you think of compact, forged irons the usual names spring to mind - Mizuno, Titleist, TaylorMade - but Srixon have long been underrated in this market, and if you look back at our previous Srixon iron reviews from down the years you'll see that they consistently produce top quality options for the better player.
What's It All About?
Srixon describe the ZX7 as a 'players iron that looks and feels like a blade while offering more speed and total control' in a compact forged head.
It is a step down from the slightly bigger, more forgiving ZX5 iron which I recently reviewed, and the big difference in terms of technology is the addition on the 'Tour Cavity' in the back of each iron head.
This cavity is used to reposition a little bit of mass to the perimeters of the head, whilst concentrating more mass right into the centre of the head behind the 'sweet spot'.
The result of this is a softer feel at impact with increased workability, as well as some assistance on off-centre strikes.
The ZX7 is fully forged from one piece of steel and features many of the same features as in the ZX5 Irons.
As this isn't particularly geared towards distance you lose the MainFrame technology behind the face, but the V-shaped Tour VT Sole is still clearly visible on the bottom of each iron.
This shape has been designed to help the sole glide smoothly through the turf to improve your interaction with the ground on your iron shots, which should give you a little more leeway if you happen to hit slightly behind the ball.
The ZX7 irons also feature Srixon's sole notches cut into the heel and toe, which they say are there to enhance workability without impacting forgiveness levels.
Longer irons (4-7) feature tungsten weighting added to the toe which increase MOI and provide a little more stability as you work your way up the bag and need a bit more forgiveness.
Like in the ZX5, the irons benefit from a progressive groove makeup. From 8-PW the irons have narrower, sharper and deeper grooves which provide more spin and stopping power on those approaches into the green where you're looking to stick it close.
Srixon ZX7 Irons Review
Looks and Feel
I think you'll struggle to find a golfer who doesn't think that these irons are very good looking, and just like with the ZX5 and Z585 it's a big improvement on the previous Z785 iron in terms of appearance in my view.
The combination of brushed steel and chrome is fantastic, and I think Srixon have done a good job of showing you that there is some technology packed into the head without it looking cluttered.
Down by the ball these are fantastic. If you're not an elite golfer then they shouldn't be so small that you're worried about your ball-striking with the long irons, but a really simple classic look with no offset and a topline size which is perhaps a little bigger than in similar irons from other manufacturers but still looks great nonetheless.
As you'd expect from a fully forged iron it produces a very nice, soft feel with a good level of feedback from the face. Essentially if you hit it badly, you'll know about it, but they're not complete finger-stingers.
In comparison to the ZX5, they are a little sleeker although to be honest, I assumed that the difference between the two in terms of profile and look at address would be even greater. This makes them an ideal option for a combo set (more on that to come...)
The feel of the ZX7 was marginally better but the sound was much better, being much more muted than the ZX5 which made a louder click.
Performance
I was surprised and impressed by the distances produced by these irons considering they are 'better player' centred. Putting them head to head with the ZX5 on the launch monitor proved that the numbers were very similar, and the drop offs I got from weaker strikes were less severe than I was expecting.
This will probably be reassuring for those golfers who love the look of these irons but who perhaps aren't 100% confident that they strike the ball well enough, or hit the ball far enough, to use them.
Out on the golf course, the compact head shape and sole meant that these felt very easy to work. I only had the 5, 7 and 9 iron to test so there were a few occasions where I was between clubs and had to be a little creative, and I found that they were excellent for this.
Like with the ZX5 irons the Tour V.T. Sole is an excellent addition when it comes to aiding turf interaction. It would be easy to discount technology like this as a bit of a gimmick but I really did think it helped with the overall consistency of my iron striking, especially considering I was playing in wet conditions where there is less margin for error.
I could see them working well as a mixed set if you love the idea of a forged players iron but you're a bit worried about the forgiveness levels in the longer irons.
I suggest using the friendlier ZX5 in the 4-7 iron before switching to the ZX7 for the scoring clubs. The difference in loft between the two iron models is only 1 degree which means that you should have no issues with gapping either.
Srixon ZX7 Irons Verdict
Brooks Koepka has these irons in the bag, and as a free agent, he can choose from any iron in the world. You can be sure that he's put them up against the best that the likes of Mizuno, TaylorMade, Titleist and Callaway can offer. If that's not a seal of approval then I don't know what is!
Srixon say that these are all about control and workability, and I certainly found that to be the case during my testing.
They still retain a good level of forgiveness though, perhaps even more than I was expecting, which make them one of the best irons I have tested. Add in the fact that they are priced at £899, which is comfortably less than the other irons in this market, and this is the easiest five stars that I have ever given.
I wouldn't say that they're strictly aimed at tour players or even elite golfers - plenty of single figure handicappers could use these irons without having to sacrifice anything. If you're a competent ball striker who had been considering ZX5 then I would try both sets of irons as the difference in forgiveness levels was pretty negligible.
The Srixon ZX7 irons are pretty close to faultless if you're in the market for a 'better player' option. They look fantastic, feel great and perform brilliantly. If you haven't already added these to your testing list, then what are you waiting for?
Pros
Looks are as good as anything on the market
Great forgiveness levels for a tour cavity iron
Soft, forged feel
Tour VT Sole was great for turf interaction
Perfect for a combo set with ZX7
Good value for money
Cons
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