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

[vancouver81]

On 5/20/2021 at 2:32 AM, anth said:

I actually think the question that needs asking relates to gapping and how the irons fit with your wedges.  A 44 degree ZX5 PW can be a beautiful thing but what’s the next club in your bag?

 

And maybe you need the extra launch provided by the ZX5 in the long irons?

 

But in terms of forgiveness I don’t think there’s that much in it at all.

I’m very happy with splitting at the 6/7 iron in the set. The ZX5s launch materially higher, and without ballooning or losing distance. Last round I got into trouble off the tee and had 200 yards left, with a huge tall tree about halfway in between completely blocking the line. Took out the 5, flew it over the super tall tree and hit the green.  Something to be said about high launching mid irons. 

[anth]

12 hours ago, bogey777 said:

So was wondering if anyone has used ZX utility for their long irons i got a 2 an it hides the back of the club nicely ....So i was thinking of going zx5 5-pw an then 2 utilities i will figure the gapping issues 

I have the 23 degree utility and then the 19 degree hybrid.

 

I like the versatility this provides, especially from different lies. I couldn’t see using a 20 degree utility out of the rough or sketchy lies. It would exclusively be a tee only club for me.

 

The 23 is effectively my 4 iron.

[EastTNGolfer]

Well, got the ZX5s on the course today. I saw ball flights I have never seen before and terrible struck shots that still managed to find the green. Really tempted to just pull the trigger on this Utry set and not send them back; they feel great.

[VictorValiant]

Pulled the trigger on a ZX5 set today.  Kept on going back and forth between the ZX5 and the ZX7.  They were unable to do a combo set without 8-10 week wait time.  They had both the ZX5 and ZX7 in stock.  The 5 felt a little clicky with range balls, but I tried hitting it into a net with my gamer ball and didn't feel the clickiness.  The ZX7s were really nice, but I'm not certain that the sole would be that good for me (or rather me good enough for the soles) in some of the longer irons.

 

Got a tourney that my BiL signed us up for in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, my game is ready to go with these.  Have had some great rounds this year with my Mavrik Pros, but I had been looking to upgrade and was just awaiting the Apex 21 line coming out.  I preferred the ZX5 to the Apex 21.  

[cjblake09]

I ordered a combo set and have had the 7's for a couple of weeks and just got the ZX5 6 iron this week.  Like most have said it is a rocket launcher and was flying past my current 919 forged 5 iron.  Now i am in debate if i want distance over feel as the 7's do feel buttery soft.  I think i am going to order the 7-PW on the 5's just to have options and see which wins out after some good testing on my current gapping. 

[Bunkersarebigcups]

A ZX combo set is high up my list, as are the new Apex Pro's with standard Apex in the longer irons and the JPX 921 Forged.

 

One thing that worries me about the Srixons is the talk about them being rocket launchers and that Srixon does not account for that in the "stock" combo set, so I would have to guess the right lofts and order them at custom lofts "blindly".

[rondre3000]

7 hours ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

A ZX combo set is high up my list, as are the new Apex Pro's with standard Apex in the longer irons and the JPX 921 Forged.

 

One thing that worries me about the Srixons is the talk about them being rocket launchers and that Srixon does not account for that in the "stock" combo set, so I would have to guess the right lofts and order them at custom lofts "blindly".

Or adjust as the lofts you normally play and go from there.

[Bunkersarebigcups]

2 hours ago, rondre3000 said:

Or adjust as the lofts you normally play and go from there.

Would do, but currently I game a 36* 7iron so that will be tough =D

[rondre3000]

2 hours ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

Would do, but currently I game a 36* 7iron so that will be tough =D

With those specs, you actually sound like someone who would have fit the mixed set I listed in classifieds. 27* 6 iron would would probably be as long, if not longer than your current 4 iron...and much easier to hit. Gapping at the bottom of your bag might have gotten a bit wonky though.

[nsxguy]

12 hours ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

A ZX combo set is high up my list, as are the new Apex Pro's with standard Apex in the longer irons and the JPX 921 Forged.

 

One thing that worries me about the Srixons is the talk about them being rocket launchers and that Srixon does not account for that in the "stock" combo set, so I would have to guess the right lofts and order them at custom lofts "blindly".

 

I really don't understand all this recent facination about combo sets lately but there must be an awful lot of it since the manufacturers are now offering to combine their iron sets,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I don't see the point in (especially) a higher handicapper having 3-4 irons from one set and 3-4 irons from another set and 3-4 wedges that ALL look different and feel different from ach other.

 

Part of the point of an iron set is for them to all look and feel pretty much the same so one can put a consistent swing on each of them.

 

Goodness, isn't this game hard enough ?

 

No offense my friend but as a 14.7 index, unless you have money to burn, I'd worry less about a combo set of anything, or Apex Pros, or JPX forged, or gapping, and get a good (used ?) set of rather forgiving irons and earmark the rest of the ca$h for lessons.

 

When you get to hitting the center of the face with a good swing more often than you miss the center, then you can worry about all this,,,,,,,,, stuff,,,,,,,,, And although I totally get the "I want new clubs"  desires, cart before the horse seldom works well.

 

Good luck.

 

 

BTW, beautiful country Austria. Especially loved Salzburg. 👍

[rondre3000]

1 minute ago, nsxguy said:

 

I really don't understand all this recent facination about combo sets lately but there must be an awful lot of it since the manufacturers are now offering to combine their iron sets,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I don't see the point in (especially) a higher handicapper having 3-4 irons from one set and 3-4 irons from another set and 3-4 wedges that ALL look different and feel different from ach other.

 

Part of the point of an iron set is for them to all look and feel pretty much the same so one can put a consistent swing on each of them.

 

Goodness, isn't this game hard enough ?

 

 

 

Respectfully disagree. The point of my set make-up is that each club has a job to do. I couldn't care less if my PW was red and my 7 iron was blue, as long as the performance is what I was expecting and repeatable on each shot. 

[nsxguy]

1 minute ago, rondre3000 said:

 

Respectfully disagree. The point of my set make-up is that each club has a job to do. I couldn't care less if my PW was red and my 7 iron was blue, as long as the performance is what I was expecting and repeatable on each shot. 

 

No worries. Whatever works.

 

Some guys are very concerned with what they see when they look down. Others not so much.

[nostatic]

10 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

I really don't understand all this recent facination about combo sets lately but there must be an awful lot of it since the manufacturers are now offering to combine their iron sets,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I don't see the point in (especially) a higher handicapper having 3-4 irons from one set and 3-4 irons from another set and 3-4 wedges that ALL look different and feel different from ach other.

 

Part of the point of an iron set is for them to all look and feel pretty much the same so one can put a consistent swing on each of them.

 

Goodness, isn't this game hard enough ?

 

No offense my friend but as a 14.7 index, unless you have money to burn, I'd worry less about a combo set of anything, or Apex Pros, or JPX forged, or gapping, and get a good (used ?) set of rather forgiving irons and earmark the rest of the ca$h for lessons.

 

I think it depend on why a player is a 15, and what their goals and trajectory is. I want my irons and wedges to be reasonably predictable wrt distance and flight. If I put a good swing on it, I should know where it’s going to land. Then just a question of how many swings are good 🙃

 

A “set” is largely arbitrary, and only recently have players gotten a lot of easy options. Back in the day you bought 3-pw and did your best. Now you can buy what you want and/or need in order to get predictable results.

 

I could easily see a 15 losing most of their strokes with short game or driver. Or in my case, I’m focused on getting back to single digits so I’m willing to work on my swing.  I also think it is common for folks to be fine with pw down to about 6 or 7 iron, then things get harder - tougher to elevate, etc. Hence people going with blended sets or moving to hybrids.

 

certainly easy for someone to get caught up in the shiny new club syndrome (guilty), but you get to put 14 clubs in the bag - pick the ones that work best for you. 

[nsxguy]

5 minutes ago, nostatic said:

I think it depend on why a player is a 15, and what their goals and trajectory is. I want my irons and wedges to be reasonably predictable wrt distance and flight. If I put a good swing on it, I should know where it’s going to land. Then just a question of how many swings are good 🙃

 

As I mentioned above to the other gentleman, whatever works.

 

But I personally have never seen these 15s who can stripe their irons but can't drive the ball or chip or putt.

 

Everybody has strengths and weaknesses but someone who's an "8" hitting their irons generally isn't a "2" with their driver. At least I've never seen that guy.

 

But there are some surprises to be seen. A guy in my old club was about a "4" in ball striking (both driver an irons) but an 8.5 around the greens, both chipping and putting.

 

Also a poor ball striker who also couldn't putt worth a darn but chip the ball from off the green ? An 8.5. As an opponent I'd rather see him ON the green than miss it.

 

But for the most part, a full swing with the driver and with the irons ? Always at least in the same "ballpark".

 

That said, in the overall scope of things, mine is an incredibly small sample size.

[Bunkersarebigcups]

29 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

I really don't understand all this recent facination about combo sets lately but there must be an awful lot of it since the manufacturers are now offering to combine their iron sets,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I don't see the point in (especially) a higher handicapper having 3-4 irons from one set and 3-4 irons from another set and 3-4 wedges that ALL look different and feel different from ach other.

 

Part of the point of an iron set is for them to all look and feel pretty much the same so one can put a consistent swing on each of them.

 

Goodness, isn't this game hard enough ?

 

No offense my friend but as a 14.7 index, unless you have money to burn, I'd worry less about a combo set of anything, or Apex Pros, or JPX forged, or gapping, and get a good (used ?) set of rather forgiving irons and earmark the rest of the ca$h for lessons.

 

When you get to hitting the center of the face with a good swing more often than you miss the center, then you can worry about all this,,,,,,,,, stuff,,,,,,,,, And although I totally get the "I want new clubs"  desires, cart before the horse seldom works well.

 

Good luck.

 

 

BTW, beautiful country Austria. Especially loved Salzburg. 👍

I just got back into the game after 7 years of playing <10 rounds a year, hence my index is relatively high (our Handicap system is WHS now, but its a little different than in the states) but I broke my low round 4 times this year already. As for irons, I want more forgiveness in the longer irons, but shape a lot of shots at the shorter end of the set. Hence, a combo set. I dont want them all to do and look the same. I want a long iron to just go high and long and straight. My 9i has to do everything from full out to a 110 yards knockdown or a greenside chip.

Strike in general is not my problem, my misses are mostly directional and I am a terrible putter (new putter has seen me making a lot of progress) plus I waste a lot of shots due to poor decision making, especially of the tee.

[Bunkersarebigcups]

2 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

As I mentioned above to the other gentleman, whatever works.

 

But I personally have never seen these 15s who can stripe their irons but can't drive the ball or chip or putt.

 

Everybody has strengths and weaknesses but someone who's an "8" hitting their irons generally isn't a "2" with their driver. At least I've never seen that guy.

 

But there are some surprises to be seen. A guy in my old club was about a "4" in ball striking (both driver an irons) but an 8.5 around the greens, both chipping and putting.

 

Also a poor ball striker who also couldn't putt worth a darn but chip the ball from off the green ? An 8.5. As an opponent I'd rather see him ON the green than miss it.

 

But for the most part, a full swing with the driver and with the irons ? Always at least in the same "ballpark".

 

That said, in the overall scope of things, mine is an incredibly small sample size.

I certainly dont "stripe" my irons and the rest sucks. Its just what I am used to. I used my MP52 to break 100 and irons were never something that held me back big time. At least from 7i down, longer irons are a different story

[nostatic]

1 minute ago, nsxguy said:

 

But there are some surprises to be seen. A guy in my old club was about a "4" in ball striking (both driver an irons) but an 8.5 around the greens, both chipping and putting.

 

Also a poor ball striker who also couldn't putt worth a darn but chip the ball from off the green ? An 8.5. As an opponent I'd rather see him ON the green than miss it.

 

But for the most part, a full swing with the driver and with the irons ? Always at least in the same "ballpark".

 

That said, in the overall scope of things, mine is an incredibly small sample size.

when I was playing regularly about 30 years ago, I typically shot low 80s, and almost all of the strokes lost to par were driver and putter. My dad used to say, “drive for show, putt for dough.” I did neither 🙃

 

it’s a stupid game…

[rover_t]

In my fitting, I narrowed it down to the Srixon ZX7s and the Honma TR20 combo set I ended up getting.  The ZX7s felt great and I was comfortable looking down at them at address.  Having never hit a Sirxon club before, I was impressed.  However, the Honma irons gave me slightly better launch angles and higher dispersion.  I also felt the sole of the Honma irons was a bit wider, which helped my turf interaction.  

 

 

[Shilgy]

On 2/21/2021 at 8:29 PM, llaw999 said:

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’... 😂

 

 

Frankly I am surprised Brooks could handle a wrx’rs irons. 😏

[Tiptx1122]

Has anyone seen the You Tube video when the KING TOUR MIM's Srixon ZX7 and Wilson all went head to head. Looks like the MIM's had the tightest shot pattern way more consistent than the ZX7's. The only thing the ZX7's had were the lofts were more jacked up and had the most distance but the dispersion was not that great. Too bad Cobra couldn't get Brooks to play their clubs. Looks like Mizuno will still be the only brand he has won 4 Majors with. 

[nostatic]

There’s always another club out there to tempt you. Another range session today, now that my swing is settling in (thanks coach Chris!), I love the way the ZX7s hit. Ball flight is high and piercing, best 7i trajectory I’ve ever had.

 

I still maintain it is important to try the Srixons on real grass. Mat tests really don’t cut it, at least IME.

[GC70]

On 2/20/2021 at 7:40 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.

I had the same experience with the forgiveness. I went in for my fitting last month thinking I was going to get the 5’s , but the 7’s just blew them away in every category. I did order the ZX5 4i and 5-PW in the ZX7’s with MMT 105’s and they just came in a couple days ago and of course I’m down in Arizona. 🤬

[Downtown_Brown_41]

I apologize if this has been covered already. Has anyone found success bending the Zx7’s by a degree or 2 to get more spin? I have gotten a few “heaters” that flew abnormally far

Edited May 24, 2021 by Downtown_Brown_41

[Double Dodger]

18 hours ago, Tiptx1122 said:

Has anyone seen the You Tube video when the KING TOUR MIM's Srixon ZX7 and Wilson all went head to head. Looks like the MIM's had the tightest shot pattern way more consistent than the ZX7's. The only thing the ZX7's had were the lofts were more jacked up and had the most distance but the dispersion was not that great. Too bad Cobra couldn't get Brooks to play their clubs. Looks like Mizuno will still be the only brand he has won 4 Majors with. 

LOL. A YouTube review. Really?

[VictorValiant]

6 hours ago, Double Dodger said:

LOL. A YouTube review. Really?

Word of the YouTube video got me to cancel my ZX5/7 combo order.  If a reviewer hit five shots with each iron and the dispersion was slightly better with one, the verdict is in.

[Tiptx1122]

I would never cancel my order because of a video as I know your just kidding but it's not just on You Tube video's, I've seen it in actual testing during demo days and by others during fitting sessions and myself. If you're wanting to hit what BK hits then fine. The 5 and 7's are pretty similar in looks but let's be honest many here are jumping on board because of what others have said in their reviews on here without ever trying them.  It's funny how so many have to mix their sets to get what is best for them. Then you have to deal with such gap differences. Srixon was such an under rated brand till BK won with them. Why don't people try other brands like Wilson as there is a brand that should get more attention but not many Pro's play them like they did in the past. You wouldn't believe how Callaway sales have sky rocketed since Phil just won the PGA Championship. 

[Tiptx1122]

[Tiptx1122]

Has anyone ever tested these against the ZX5's or 7's. You would be shocked as these will never get the attention they deserve 

[nostatic]

Hmm, must be a bug in the site. I thought I clicked on the ZX5 vs ZX7 thread, not the Wilson appreciation thread. Better clean my reading glasses…

[VictorValiant]

29 minutes ago, Tiptx1122 said:

I would never cancel my order because of a video as I know your just kidding but it's not just on You Tube video's, I've seen it in actual testing during demo days and by others during fitting sessions and myself. If you're wanting to hit what BK hits then fine. The 5 and 7's are pretty similar in looks but let's be honest many here are jumping on board because of what others have said in their reviews on here without ever trying them.  It's funny how so many have to mix their sets to get what is best for them. Then you have to deal with such gap differences. Srixon was such an under rated brand till BK won with them. Why don't people try other brands like Wilson as there is a brand that should get more attention but not many Pro's play them like they did in the past. You wouldn't believe how Callaway sales have sky rocketed since Phil just won the PGA Championship. 

You think the Srixons are popular simply because Koepka won the Phoenix Open with them? He won all of his majors with Mizunos. There are several good irons out there from all the big name brands.  I really like what Wilson Staff does with their irons.  Would love to play their blades, but alas, I need some work before I get there.  The CBs were out of stock when I got fit and every shaft that I was considering was an upcharge.  I think most on here went and got fit into the Srixons.  I know I did. 

 

I was leaning towards a combo set of the Apex 21 and Apex 21 Pros.  Callaway's customer service has just proved so great over the years to me.  I tried the Apex 21/Pro, JPX 921 Forged/Tour, King Tour/Forged Tec and the P770.  Ultimately came down to the Apex and ZX based on fit and feel and ended up with the ZX combo.