ZX5 vs. ZX7 -- a 6HC's review

[SeaIsland]

I was ready to place my order for the ZX5's... replacing the 4 iron with the 4/Utility, and go with the TM Sim2 3 and 5 woods, because the top set gaps for me were perfect. I am a club junkie, so I replace my bag every two years. I currently game the Ping i500s 4-PW (Modus 120s stiff) and like the setup, but can't help but believe at my age (63... 6 HC), a graphite drop to 105 or 95 (shaft weight) wouldn't be a good move for me. Surprisingly, my miss with the 120's (really 114g) is a balloon. While I know the i500s are not known for feel, I have to say that any centered strike with any club feels good to me. I like the fact that the Pings have little offset (I'm 2 degrees up already), and I've considered replacing the Modus shafts with lighter graphite (MMT 95s or 105s) and re-shafting the Pings/saving a few bucks. Anyway, I tried out the ZX5's for the tenth time, and finally got an opportunity to hit the ZX7's with a 95gram graphite shaft (recoils). I've never been a fan of the recoils, but I wanted to feel the weight and convince myself that I could drop to 95 vs. 105 (btw, the recoils were F3). 

 

Bottomline: I had concerns about the spin with the ZX5s. I'm here to tell you that the I hit both the ZX5 and ZX7 well during my test, and the ZX5s carried about 5 yards longer. I also had a occasional flier (not extreme, about 5-9 yards longer). My dispersion on the ZX7s was better and the spin was 500-800 RPMs more (5000 vs 5800). Peak hight was almost the same (29-30). I liked everything about the ZX7s better. Look, feel, etc., Despite the differences being very small, they were not too small for me --the longer I stood over the ball, the ZX7's kept looking better to my eye. The forgiveness was identical in my experience and based on the numbers that matter (if you're willing to give up 5-9 yards in carry), the ZX7's were superior. 

 

I've changed my thinking. 1) I preferred the ZX7s. 2) Although I was ready to get the MMT 105s, I'm going to go with the 95s and pay a slight premium (special order shipping costs only) 3). I'm still going to replace the 4 iron with the utility 4 iron and be done with it. There's still a chance I may sweat the decision and throw in a ZX5 5  iron, but I don't think I'm going to do it. The 7's are remarkably forgiving. If you don't take anything else away from this post, just know that if you're even a reasonable ball striker, the forgiveness between these two irons is negligible. 

 

Anyway, I hope this helps some of you who are older, don't have professional swing speeds, but generally hit the club face. As stated, I think my epiphany was: 1) No difference in forgiveness. 2) better control and stopping spin with the 7's and 3) the 7's are better looking... they may look the same on the rack, but hit a few dozen balls and they start to look very different, especially if offset matters to you.  My only question to those of you who know the difference between the recoils and MMTs --and the fact that I was essentially hitting a regular flex in the F3s, which I never have-- should I not look a gift horse in the mouth or am I safe/better off with the MMTs? My test today was after 36 holes, so I was grooved, but tired. My SS was down about 8 MPH (below 80 on the 7 iron). I was still carrying the ZX7 a consistent 155-158 and assume I can rely on 160-162 when I'm not tired (83-86)... a distance that is fine with me. Thoughts on the shaft selection are welcomed. I have hit the MMT 95s and 105s in different heads and felt the difference.... I preferred the 95s (stiff)... definitely felt the difference.

Edited February 21, 2021 by SeaIsland

[Pmookie]

I want the ZX5s in a big way! Nice write-up. Thanks!

[SeaIsland]

5 minutes ago, Pmookie said:

I want the ZX5s in a big way! Nice write-up. Thanks!

They are both excellent club choices. I'm still questioning my decision. 

 

[Pmookie]

Just now, SeaIsland said:

They are both excellent club choices. I'm still questioning my decision. 

 

I wouldn’t! Your reasoning is sound, so don’t question it! The ONE thing I fear are what you mentioned: fliers. 

[SeaIsland]

26 minutes ago, SeaIsland said:

I was ready to place my order for the ZX5's... replacing the 4 iron with the 4/Utility, and go with the TM Sim2 3 and 5 woods, because the top set gaps for me were perfect. I am a club junkie, so I replace my bag every two years. I currently game the Ping i500s 4-PW (Modus 120s stiff) and like the setup, but can't help but believe at my age (63... 6 HC), a graphite drop to 105 or 95 (shaft weight) wouldn't be a good move for me. Surprisingly, my miss with the 120's (really 114g) is a balloon. While I know the i500s are not known for feel, I have to say that any centered strike with any club feels good to me. I like the fact that the Pings have little offset (I'm 2 degrees up already), and I've considered replacing the Modus shafts with lighter graphite (MMT 95s or 105s) and re-shafting the Pings/saving a few bucks. Anyway, I tried out the ZX5's for the tenth time, and finally got an opportunity to hit the ZX7's with a 95gram graphite shaft (recoils). I've never been a fan of the recoils, but I wanted to feel the weight and convince myself that I could drop to 95 vs. 105 (btw, the recoils were F3). 

 

Bottomline: I had concerns about the spin with the ZX5s. I'm here to tell you that the I hit both the ZX5 and ZX7 well during my test, and the ZX5s carried about 5 yards longer. I also had a occasional flier (not extreme, about 5-9 yards longer). My dispersion on the ZX7s was better and the spin was 500-800 RPMs more. Peak hight was almost the same (29-30). I liked everything about the ZX7s better. Look, feel, etc., Despite the differences being very small, they were not too small for me --the longer I stood over the ball, the ZX7's kept looking better to my eye. The forgiveness was identical in my experience and based on the numbers that matter (if you're willing to give up 5-9 yards in carry), the ZX7's were superior. 

 

I've changed my thinking. 1) I preferred the ZX7s. 2) Although I was ready to get the MMT 105s, I'm going to go with the 95s and pay a slight premium (special order shipping costs only) 3). I'm still going to replace the 4 iron with the utility 4 iron and be done with it. There's still a chance I may sweat the decision and throw in a ZX5 5  iron, but I don't think I'm going to do it. The 7's are remarkably forgiving. If you don't take anything else away from this post, just know that if you're even a reasonable ball striker, the forgiveness between these two irons is negligible. 

 

Anyway, I hope this helps some of you who are older, don't have professional swing speeds, but generally hit the club face. As stated, I think my epiphany was: 1) No difference in forgiveness. 2) better control and stopping spin with the 7's and 3) the 7's are better looking... they may look the same on the rack, but hit a few dozen balls and they start to look very different, especially if offset matters to you.  My only question to those of you who know the difference between the recoils and MMTs --and the fact that I was essentially hitting a regular flex in the F3s, which I never have-- should I not look a gift horse in the mouth or am I safe/better off with the MMTs? My test today was after 36 holes, so I was grooved, but tired. My SS was down about 8 MPH (below 80 on the 7 iron). I was still carrying the ZX7 a consistent 155-158 and assume I can rely on 160-162 when I'm not tired (83-86)... a distance that is fine with me. Thoughts on the shaft selection are welcomed. I have hit the MMT 95s and 105s in different heads and felt the difference.... I preferred the 95s (stiff)... definitely felt the difference.

By the way, before anyone jumps on my numbers (I'm no expert): the machine giving me my numbers today was at EW and the guy watching me wasn't a guru. The monitor did not give SS (or he didn't know how to get it). But he made a calculation and said that my SS was 78MPH, which, if you read my post, surprised me. 

[jvincent]

@SeaIsland Thanks for the review.

 

ZX7s are definitely my next iron.

[MileHighGuye]

Thank you for write up. So relevant. Ordering a set. 

[jaggolfer1]

I am currently a 5 and play between a 5-8. My experience with the zX5/7 was exactly the same as yours. Needless to say, I have a set on 7s on the way.

[rxk9fan]

Curious what you don't like about the Recoils?

I currently play the 110F4 in my Z945's.

I have a combo set of ZX7's and ZX5's coming in Recoil F4's.

My HC is one point worse than yours. I am one year younger and my Trackman Driver SS three weeks ago was 99.8. 

My 7i SS was 81.4 with 156 carry with my Z945's and Recoil 110 F4.

I am hoping to pick up a little with the 95g F4's in the new build?

But, I love Recoils.

[SeaIsland]

Don't really have a good reason other than a bad experience in a Vega build (F/5 prototypes). The MMTs felt the best so far, but to your point, those Recoils I hit during my test were fine (weight great; flex just a tad loose as compared to what I'm use to, but so much fun that it had me scratching my head). 

[kenomikes]

9 hours ago, SeaIsland said:

I was ready to place my order for the ZX5's... replacing the 4 iron with the 4/Utility, and go with the TM Sim2 3 and 5 woods, because the top set gaps for me were perfect. I am a club junkie, so I replace my bag every two years. I currently game the Ping i500s 4-PW (Modus 120s stiff) and like the setup, but can't help but believe at my age (63... 6 HC), a graphite drop to 105 or 95 (shaft weight) wouldn't be a good move for me. Surprisingly, my miss with the 120's (really 114g) is a balloon. While I know the i500s are not known for feel, I have to say that any centered strike with any club feels good to me. I like the fact that the Pings have little offset (I'm 2 degrees up already), and I've considered replacing the Modus shafts with lighter graphite (MMT 95s or 105s) and re-shafting the Pings/saving a few bucks. Anyway, I tried out the ZX5's for the tenth time, and finally got an opportunity to hit the ZX7's with a 95gram graphite shaft (recoils). I've never been a fan of the recoils, but I wanted to feel the weight and convince myself that I could drop to 95 vs. 105 (btw, the recoils were F3). 

 

Bottomline: I had concerns about the spin with the ZX5s. I'm here to tell you that the I hit both the ZX5 and ZX7 well during my test, and the ZX5s carried about 5 yards longer. I also had a occasional flier (not extreme, about 5-9 yards longer). My dispersion on the ZX7s was better and the spin was 500-800 RPMs more (5000 vs 5800). Peak hight was almost the same (29-30). I liked everything about the ZX7s better. Look, feel, etc., Despite the differences being very small, they were not too small for me --the longer I stood over the ball, the ZX7's kept looking better to my eye. The forgiveness was identical in my experience and based on the numbers that matter (if you're willing to give up 5-9 yards in carry), the ZX7's were superior. 

 

I've changed my thinking. 1) I preferred the ZX7s. 2) Although I was ready to get the MMT 105s, I'm going to go with the 95s and pay a slight premium (special order shipping costs only) 3). I'm still going to replace the 4 iron with the utility 4 iron and be done with it. There's still a chance I may sweat the decision and throw in a ZX5 5  iron, but I don't think I'm going to do it. The 7's are remarkably forgiving. If you don't take anything else away from this post, just know that if you're even a reasonable ball striker, the forgiveness between these two irons is negligible. 

 

Anyway, I hope this helps some of you who are older, don't have professional swing speeds, but generally hit the club face. As stated, I think my epiphany was: 1) No difference in forgiveness. 2) better control and stopping spin with the 7's and 3) the 7's are better looking... they may look the same on the rack, but hit a few dozen balls and bthey start to look very different, especially if offset matters to you.  My only question to those of you who know the difference between the recoils and MMTs --and the fact that I was essentially hitting a regular flex in the F3s, which I never have-- should I not look a gift horse in the mouth or am I safe/better off with the MMTs? My test today was after 36 holes, so I was grooved, but tired. My SS was down about 8 MPH (below 80 on the 7 iron). I was still carrying the ZX7 a consistent 155-158 and assume I can rely on 160-162 when I'm not tired (83-86)... a distance that is fine with me. Thoughts on the shaft selection are welcomed. I have hit the MMT 95s and 105s in different heads and felt the difference.... I preferred the 95s (stiff)... definitely felt the difference.

 

I think you need to go try some more shafts to dial that in. I'd be real leary of the regular F3 I had those once and had to use a bunch of lead tape to feel the head. 95 stiff weight sounds about right but go hit some more. I'm about your age handicap and swing  speed I'd bet.

[SwooshLT]

I had Z785 but only up to 7i.....really wish I had gotten up to 4i as your findings are very similar to what I saw.....z585 are nice but looks, feel and performance had Z785 winning in spades

[llaw999]

Didn’t take long for Brooks koepka to win with the zx7.
 

Think I might need to order a set... cause you know... my game is so similar to Brooks’... 😂

 

 

[nsxguy]

On 2/20/2021 at 9:40 PM, SeaIsland said:

I was ready to place my order for the ZX5's... replacing the 4 iron with the 4/Utility, and go with the TM Sim2 3 and 5 woods, because the top set gaps for me were perfect. I am a club junkie, so I replace my bag every two years. I currently game the Ping i500s 4-PW (Modus 120s stiff) and like the setup, but can't help but believe at my age (63... 6 HC), a graphite drop to 105 or 95 (shaft weight) wouldn't be a good move for me. Surprisingly, my miss with the 120's (really 114g) is a balloon. While I know the i500s are not known for feel, I have to say that any centered strike with any club feels good to me. I like the fact that the Pings have little offset (I'm 2 degrees up already), and I've considered replacing the Modus shafts with lighter graphite (MMT 95s or 105s) and re-shafting the Pings/saving a few bucks. Anyway, I tried out the ZX5's for the tenth time, and finally got an opportunity to hit the ZX7's with a 95gram graphite shaft (recoils). I've never been a fan of the recoils, but I wanted to feel the weight and convince myself that I could drop to 95 vs. 105 (btw, the recoils were F3). 

 

Bottomline: I had concerns about the spin with the ZX5s. I'm here to tell you that the I hit both the ZX5 and ZX7 well during my test, and the ZX5s carried about 5 yards longer. I also had a occasional flier (not extreme, about 5-9 yards longer). My dispersion on the ZX7s was better and the spin was 500-800 RPMs more (5000 vs 5800). Peak hight was almost the same (29-30). I liked everything about the ZX7s better. Look, feel, etc., Despite the differences being very small, they were not too small for me --the longer I stood over the ball, the ZX7's kept looking better to my eye. The forgiveness was identical in my experience and based on the numbers that matter (if you're willing to give up 5-9 yards in carry), the ZX7's were superior. 

 

I've changed my thinking. 1) I preferred the ZX7s. 2) Although I was ready to get the MMT 105s, I'm going to go with the 95s and pay a slight premium (special order shipping costs only) 3). I'm still going to replace the 4 iron with the utility 4 iron and be done with it. There's still a chance I may sweat the decision and throw in a ZX5 5  iron, but I don't think I'm going to do it. The 7's are remarkably forgiving. If you don't take anything else away from this post, just know that if you're even a reasonable ball striker, the forgiveness between these two irons is negligible. 

 

Anyway, I hope this helps some of you who are older, don't have professional swing speeds, but generally hit the club face. As stated, I think my epiphany was: 1) No difference in forgiveness. 2) better control and stopping spin with the 7's and 3) the 7's are better looking... they may look the same on the rack, but hit a few dozen balls and they start to look very different, especially if offset matters to you.  My only question to those of you who know the difference between the recoils and MMTs --and the fact that I was essentially hitting a regular flex in the F3s, which I never have-- should I not look a gift horse in the mouth or am I safe/better off with the MMTs? My test today was after 36 holes, so I was grooved, but tired. My SS was down about 8 MPH (below 80 on the 7 iron). I was still carrying the ZX7 a consistent 155-158 and assume I can rely on 160-162 when I'm not tired (83-86)... a distance that is fine with me. Thoughts on the shaft selection are welcomed. I have hit the MMT 95s and 105s in different heads and felt the difference.... I preferred the 95s (stiff)... definitely felt the difference.

 

Forgive me if I missed some of your points but it's a loooooong post with only a few paragraph breaks. Tough to get through.

 

You seem to be stuck on lightweight shafts. I don't understand why you believe a move to lighter shafts couldn't be a bad move for you. May I ask why ? A 160 yard 7 iron is plenty long enough and solidly in the lower-to-middle end of the stiff range.

 

Do you have physical issues ? Do you get really tired as early as the 11th hole where the club weight becomes an issue ?

 

I would think a player of your caliber would could be easily thrown off by going so much lighter. Tempo, timing, etc....... Don't forget, getting in a groove testing/hitting the same club iron over and over again ain't the same as hitting a (usually different) iron every 10-15 minutes or so on the course.

 

Anyway, I'm older than you and 10 yards shorter than you and hit Dynamic Gold S300s (130 grams) for their consistency and tight dispersion. Personally I feel shaft weight is much more important than flex,,,,,, provided the flex isn't WAY off,,,,,,,,,,

 

I get the feel of graphite is reallllllly good. I feel it too. Pretty much any graphite shafted iron feels great. Consistency and dispersion though ? I'm thinking you'll see a difference there as you play them.

 

Without looking I'm guessing the ZX7s are about 2 degrees weaker lofted than the ZX5s - thus the 5 yard difference.

 

Interesting that your "bottomline" begins with spin rates. I can honestly say I've never heard of anyone being overly concerned with spin rates.

 

I have seen players notice a higher or lower spin rate but when it comes down to playing, most players will/can adapt to different spin rates as a properly struck shot with a short iron will hit and release a few feet, stop right where it lands, or maybe spin back a few feet. Any one of those can easily be accounted for/gotten used to if the irons are that much better.

 

As for forgiveness, I expect you really just hit them roughly equally. The 7 has a narrower sole and a shallower cavity so realistically the 5s should be a bit more forgiving. That said, if the 7s work better for you, by all means,,,,,,,,,

 

And finally, while it shouldn't be too much of a concern (but since you seem to change clubs a lot) you do realize you might have some difficulty finding a buyer for your ZX7s with lightweight graphite when it's time to sell them. Especially if you decide on regular flex Recoils.

 

Anywho, I've seen and hit the new Srixons. Great looking and feeling clubs. Good luck if you decide to get them. 👍

 

 

[Go_Blue!]

This isnt new with the ZX7's. Srixon irons have been smooth and easy to play for awhile now. They make some of the best irons in the market, imo. 

[IPA4Me]

I've got ZX5s being built right now - the wait is painful.  So looking forward to playing them.

[jbole267]

These irons are amazing. Canada must be faster than the US right now too. Ordered and had within 7 business days. 
 

 

[JMA1181]

49 minutes ago, IPA4Me said:

I've got ZX5s being built right now - the wait is painful.  So looking forward to playing them.

I feel your pain. I ordered mine through PGASS on 1/29 and was told that it was standard 2-3 week lead time. Now I’m being told it’s 4-6 weeks and they are hopeful they will ship early March. 

[cbjuhr]

I'm curious to hear more about the move to lighter weight graphite/steel in these sticks after you get a few rounds. I'm also thinking of going lighter than my current S300's with a set of ZX7s and curious what you settle on and why.

[IFAggie]

I recently went through an iron fitting at Club Champion and ended up with ZX7 in 6-AW and ZX5 in 4-5. Like you, I'm older and my swing speed has been dropping. I've used the Modus 120 S for at least 10 years and thought I would simply drop to the 105. However, I ended up with the SteelFiber i110cw because it helped in every way possible (i.e, club speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, dispersion, and carry). Haven't had a chance to hit them outside yet but based on what I saw on Trackman I'm really excited!

[Mookieb10]

6 hours ago, jbole267 said:

These irons are amazing. Canada must be faster than the US right now too. Ordered and had within 7 business days. 
 

 

its the exchanged rate dummy. 3weeks US is 10 days Canadian. 

[SeaIsland]

5 hours ago, IFAggie said:

I recently went through an iron fitting at Club Champion and ended up with ZX7 in 6-AW and ZX5 in 4-5. Like you, I'm older and my swing speed has been dropping. I've used the Modus 120 S for at least 10 years and thought I would simply drop to the 105. However, I ended up with the SteelFiber i110cw because it helped in every way possible (i.e, club speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, dispersion, and carry). Haven't had a chance to hit them outside yet but based on what I saw on Trackman I'm really excited!

I definitely get it. 

[Cakalacman]

I got fitted last night and chose the ZX7's. I had the same experience. My misses were right and after hitting 10 balls initially then trying 4 other heads came back to the ZX7 and hit another 20 balls. I never looked at the launch monitor, just hit balls. When I was done my average miss right was 4.6yds the second time. The first it was 2.3yds. So the fatigue cost me a few yds. The rest of the clubs I hit were 14yds right. So the dispersion was what I cared about and it feels amazing when struck well. I ended up in the 120 Nippon shafts with a swing speed about 88-90mph. I love them, can't wait to get them Saturday and go play immediately. 

[MitchCumstein]

I'm a 2 handicap and use ZX5 5-AW.  

 

It's just a game and use what you want obviously but I personally feel most should use more forgiving irons. 

Edited February 26, 2021 by MitchCumstein

[nsxguy]

6 hours ago, Cakalacman said:

I got fitted last night and chose the ZX7's. I had the same experience. My misses were right and after hitting 10 balls initially then trying 4 other heads came back to the ZX7 and hit another 20 balls. I never looked at the launch monitor, just hit balls. When I was done my average miss right was 4.6yds the second time. The first it was 2.3yds. So the fatigue cost me a few yds. The rest of the clubs I hit were 14yds right. So the dispersion was what I cared about and it feels amazing when struck well. I ended up in the 120 Nippon shafts with a swing speed about 88-90mph. I love them, can't wait to get them Saturday and go play immediately. 

 

So you're here 3 weeks and have bought the Mizzy 32s, played them once and sold them and now are getting the ZX7s.

 

You'll fit in just fine around here !!!

 

By-the-by, a couple of questions. Everything seems to be in such short supply around golf. There are no ZX7s on the racks but you're getting them in a week ? How'd they manage that ?

 

B-T-B 2 - I hoped you watched enough of those shots on the screen to determine how good your dispersion was. Average may not be much of a help here.

 

I mean 1 shot 20 yards right and another 20 yards left equals an average of "0", i.e. dead on target. A shot a foot left and another a foot right "averages" the same; dead on target - but is considerably better,,,,,,,,,,, I think,,,,,,, 🙃

[Cakalacman]

1 hour ago, nsxguy said:

 

So you're here 3 weeks and have bought the Mizzy 32s, played them once and sold them and now are getting the ZX7s.

 

You'll fit in just fine around here !!!

 

By-the-by, a couple of questions. Everything seems to be in such short supply around golf. There are no ZX7s on the racks but you're getting them in a week ? How'd they manage that ?

 

B-T-B 2 - I hoped you watched enough of those shots on the screen to determine how good your dispersion was. Average may not be much of a help here.

 

I mean 1 shot 20 yards right and another 20 yards left equals an average of "0", i.e. dead on target. A shot a foot left and another a foot right "averages" the same; dead on target - but is considerably better,,,,,,,,,,, I think,,,,,,, 🙃

I never bought the Mizzy's to be my full time baggers. The shafts were S300 and 20 yrs after hitting a 130g shaft it felt like a telephone pole swinging and way too damn much work to swing to enjoy IMO. I had two choices...1. Re-shaft them for about $250 and "hope" I liked them that way or sell them and put all the money towards a new set. So I opted for new sticks. 

 

There are plenty of ZX7's on the rack if you know where to look and are not looking for anything special or too custom with L/L/L and you are standard like I am. TGW has probably 50 sets w/ S Nippon Modus 120's. I loved the way the Nippon's felt and it showed on the monitor and the strike tape considering it was dead center I saw no reason to keep dialing anything in. I got fitted last night and had the clubs last night paid for on hold with my name on them. I just have to drive to the beach to get them Saturday and will play 18 while I'm there then come back. 

 

Dispersion was dialed in to 4.6yd R on average. No shots went left...I miss right, just always been my miss side so that's pretty good. My dispersion....8, 2.4, 1.8, 7, 6.2, 2.7, 3.2, 6.2, 4, 4.4 = 4.59yd average

 

But yeah...who knows what will be next...I was racing go karts and sold out and got back into golf. Up until this point golf is still way cheaper than racing. Lol!

Edited February 26, 2021 by Cakalacman

[bombs]

ZX7 all day. The best iron in it's category.

 

ZX5 is a bit ho hum IMO. Many other irons I would rather game in that category (Apex, 921 Forged, P series). 

[SeaIsland]

On 2/25/2021 at 6:12 PM, MitchCumstein said:

I'm a 2 handicap and use ZX5 5-AW.  

 

It's just a game and use what you want obviously but I personally feel most should use more forgiving irons. 

Your position is precisely why I made this post and remain indecisive. The rule of thumb should be, "hit the most forgiving club you can..." and I intellectually subscribe to that. In the ZX5 vs. ZX7 case, I stated that I saw little to no difference in forgiveness, but I saw a difference in terms of distance, given loft differences (which I should have), dispersion, spin (short irons) and aesthetics, which were better in the Zx7's and notable (I think). That said, height differences were insignificant (29-30 with 7 irons), so does spin matter?  I wish I knew, because I did not have the opportunity to hit the shafts I think I want (MMTs) in either head. I only had Recoil F3s as an option (to try) and from everything I've heard, the MMTs are lower spin and lower launching than the F3s (I wish I could have tried F4s). My guess is, the differences across all are negligible, but as a club junkie, these are the things that keep me up at night. Obviously, I'm overthinking it at my HC (5-8)!  I thought I hated the idea of a combo set. Maybe I don't anymore. The Srixon 4 iron Utility makes sense to me regardless of iron choice. For the same reasons, I'm thinking the 5 iron in the Zx5 makes sense too (higher launching, longer). But I'm leaning toward ZX7's otherwise because I didn't experience a forgiveness difference, I can adjust to the gaps (distance) and frankly, they look and feel better. Thanks for your comment. 

Edited February 27, 2021 by SeaIsland

[Meerkat213]

I'm in the same handicap range as @SeaIsland and chose the ZX5  in the 5 iron and the rest is ZX7 with MMT shafts.  Don't overthink it would be my advice.  You'll play equally well with whatever choice you make.  Good luck.  

[nsxguy]

On 2/26/2021 at 7:52 PM, SeaIsland said:

Your position is precisely why I made this post and remain indecisive. The rule of thumb should be, "hit the most forgiving club you can..." and I intellectually subscribe to that. In the ZX5 vs. ZX7 case, I stated that I saw little to no difference in forgiveness, but I saw a difference in terms of distance, given loft differences (which I should have), dispersion, spin (short irons) and aesthetics, which were better in the Zx7's and notable (I think). That said, height differences were insignificant (29-30 with 7 irons), so does spin matter?  I wish I knew, because I did not have the opportunity to hit the shafts I think I want (MMTs) in either head. I only had Recoil F3s as an option (to try) and from everything I've heard, the MMTs are lower spin and lower launching than the F3s (I wish I could have tried F4s). My guess is, the differences across all are negligible, but as a club junkie, these are the things that keep me up at night. Obviously, I'm overthinking it at my HC (5-8)!  I thought I hated the idea of a combo set. Maybe I don't anymore. The Srixon 4 iron Utility makes sense to me regardless of iron choice. For the same reasons, I'm thinking the 5 iron in the Zx5 makes sense too (higher launching, longer). But I'm leaning toward ZX7's otherwise because I didn't experience a forgiveness difference, I can adjust to the gaps (distance) and frankly, they look and feel better. Thanks for your comment. 

 

Couldn't get through the entire run on paragraph but I did see where you said there wasn't much difference in forgiveness between the 5 and 7.

 

With all the chatter here on WRX about the (especially) 7s,  and with one of the fitters at my local store raving about them I thought I'd give them (another) try the other day.

 

Hit the 7s and they felt pretty good. Better than I remembered. I was hitting the middle with some consistency and the smaller misses felt pretty good and the distance/direction told me they were fairly forgiving.

 

Then I hit the 5. Clearly more forgiving IMO. YMMV of course.