ZX4 long iron vs ZX Utility

[nezander]

What's the differences between these two clubs, really?  Slight loft differences, one is D2 swing weight vs D3, and there are some different options in shafts, but is there much difference in the head between say the ZX Utility 4i vs the ZX4 5i?  I can't see much difference, not enough to justify the $45 price differential. Seems like product overlap. 

[1221]

49 minutes ago, nezander said:

What's the differences between these two clubs, really?  Slight loft differences, one is D2 swing weight vs D3, and there are some different options in shafts, but is there much difference in the head between say the ZX Utility 4i vs the ZX4 5i?  I can't see much difference, not enough to justify the $45 price differential. Seems like product overlap. 

Ya I am in the market for a driving iron and looking at a few GI irons especially the ZX4 4 iron or the ZX 3 utility tiny bit more offset on ZX4 but bend it a degree weaker and they will end up similiar enough so overall very similiar Let me know what you go for if you do buy 1!

[1221]

56 minutes ago, nezander said:

What's the differences between these two clubs, really?  Slight loft differences, one is D2 swing weight vs D3, and there are some different options in shafts, but is there much difference in the head between say the ZX Utility 4i vs the ZX4 5i?  I can't see much difference, not enough to justify the $45 price differential. Seems like product overlap. 

You could also go ZX5 4 iron!

[driveandputtmachine]

I have the ZX4 in the 4 iron at the top of my irons and a ZX5 in 5 iron and then 6 - PW are all ZX7.

 

I looked at the utility, but I went with the ZX4 for a couple of reasons.  I little higher ball flight and a little more spin than I had with a similar utility.  I tried both with the same shaft (my gamers) and the CPMS were within 1 of each, so it was as close as a like for like test as I could do since both are .355.  

 

The utility is good, probably the best of any I tried, but the 4 just performed better for me.

 

I had the 3 Utility and I bent it to 21 to make them the same loft. 

Edited April 10, 2021 by driveandputtmachine

[nostatic]

16 minutes ago, driveandputtmachine said:

I have the ZX4 in the 4 iron at the top of my irons and a ZX5 in 5 iron and then 6 - PW are all ZX7.

 

I looked at the utility, but I went with the ZX4 for a couple of reasons.  I little higher ball flight and a little more spin than I had with a similar utility.  I tried both with the same shaft (my gamers) and the CPMS were within 1 of each, so it was as close as a like for like test as I could do since both are .355.  

 

The utility is good, probably the best of any I tried, but the 4 just performed better for me.

 

I had the 3 Utility and I bent it to 21 to make them the same loft. 

 

I saw your sig on another post and wanted to ask about it - this thread is actually on-topic for that! Wondering how you're liking the ZX4-ZX5-ZX7 transition through the irons and how you gap to the top end of the bag.

 

I've been testing ZX5 and ZX7 and have found I'm hitting the text ZX7 8i really well, ZX7 7i a bit less well. But the ZX5 6i that showed up this week hits great - better than my hybrid. So given the ZX4 reviews I've read, I'm thinking:

 

ZX4 5i - ZX5 6i - ZX7 7-PW

 

I think the irons will all gap well, then just a question between the 5i and 7W (which I'm waiting on). My 3H is about a 195y club.

Edited April 10, 2021 by nostatic

[driveandputtmachine]

16 minutes ago, nostatic said:

 

I saw your sig on another post and wanted to ask about it - this thread is actually on-topic for that! Wondering how you're liking the ZX4-ZX5-ZX7 transition through the irons and how you gap to the top end of the bag.

 

I've been testing ZX5 and ZX7 and have found I'm hitting the text ZX7 8i really well, ZX7 7i a bit less well. But the ZX5 6i that showed up this week hits great - better than my hybrid. So given the ZX4 reviews I've read, I'm thinking:

 

ZX4 5i - ZX5 6i - ZX7 7-PW

 

I think the irons will all gap well, then just a question between the 5i and 7W (which I'm waiting on). My 3H is about a 195y club.

So far I love them.  I am more of a low ball hitter, but tend to hit it close to the SS most of the time.  The ZX4 4iron is great as is the ZX5 5iron.  I have not had any trouble with the ZX 6 iron, and love the the ZX7's.

 

All in all I went with the Srixon's over a few other options because of how well they blend as I move up and wanted some more forgiveness in the longer irons.  

ZX4, 21*

ZX5, 25*

ZX7 6 iron 29*

7 33*

8 38*

9 42*

PW 46*

 

Because I play 1/4" short iron gapping (7 iron is normal, go down 1/4" from there to PW and all wedges same length) and go up 3/8" in the 6,5,4 I bend my lofts and everything to get my gaps and spin where I want.  I did my best to MOI match my irons with my weird lengths, but mainly go to the range with lead tape and put it on until I hit the SS the most.

 

I find the 3* loft gaps in long irons do not work for the gappings I want, and they never have since I was younger and stupid long.  Even now I am just long, they don't work either.

Edited April 10, 2021 by driveandputtmachine

[nostatic]

1 hour ago, driveandputtmachine said:

So far I love them.  I am more of a low ball hitter, but tend to hit it close to the SS most of the time.  The ZX4 4iron is great as is the ZX5 5iron.  I have not had any trouble with the ZX 6 iron, and love the the ZX7's.

 

All in all I went with the Srixon's over a few other options because of how well they blend as I move up and wanted some more forgiveness in the longer irons.  

ZX4, 21*

ZX5, 25*

ZX7 6 iron 29*

7 33*

8 38*

9 42*

PW 46*

 

Because I play 1/4" short iron gapping (7 iron is normal, go down 1/4" from there to PW and all wedges same length) and go up 3/8" in the 6,5,4 I bend my lofts and everything to get my gaps and spin where I want.  I did my best to MOI match my irons with my weird lengths, but mainly go to the range with lead tape and put it on until I hit the SS the most.

 

I find the 3* loft gaps in long irons do not work for the gappings I want, and they never have since I was younger and stupid long.  Even now I am just long, they don't work either.

thanks, very helpful and I’m with you on needing a bit more loft gap. I’m also hitting low these days. Since I haven’t ordered the zx7 7i yet, I’m thinking maybe 1* strong so I’d have

 

zx4 23

zx5 27

zx7 31 (instead of 32)

zx7 36

zx7 41

zx7 46

cbx2 50

 

that gives me 4* down to my 3H with the 7w sitting in between the 5i and 3H. In theory should be about right for me and give options depleting on the situation. Will have the 7w in a few day so the experimentation continues.

Edited April 10, 2021 by nostatic

[mootrail]

It comes down to the sole and a longer shaft length..  The look at address is nearly identical with the exception of the big butt wide sole on the ZX4.

 

The ZX4 has the notched V.T. Sole.  The ZXU has a flat cambered sole just like the previous U series.  I could never hit my U45 3 (or U85 2) from the turf, so I opted for the 21° ZX4 4 over the 20° ZXU 3.

 

Srixon has really gone rogue in how they measure.  My ZX4 4 is 39" not 38.5" (the ZXU 3 was 40" not 39.5").  My ZX4 4 sole measures ~28.5mm and not the 23.7mm listed. 

[driveandputtmachine]

4 hours ago, nostatic said:

thanks, very helpful and I’m with you on needing a bit more loft gap. I’m also hitting low these days. Since I haven’t ordered the zx7 7i yet, I’m thinking maybe 1* strong so I’d have

 

zx4 23

zx5 27

zx7 31 (instead of 32)

zx7 36

zx7 41

zx7 46

cbx2 50

 

that gives me 4* down to my 3H with the 7w sitting in between the 5i and 3H. In theory should be about right for me and give options depleting on the situation. Will have the 7w in a few day so the experimentation continues.

Looks pretty good, a 4 degreed gap between the zx7 and zx5 may be your biggest gap(distance wise), but should be manageable.

[bunta]

between the ZX4 and the ZX Utility .. are there any distance advantages of either one ??? What i really want to know is if i were to match both the loft and length of both clubs, will i have the exact carry yardages ??

 

Im wanting to uprade my ZU65 utility. Just wondering if its worth it.

[JFM628]

I hit both indoors and the ZX4 was simply more forgiving and produced better results for me.  I am not sure if its the head or the shaft length but the ZX4 just wanted to go long and straight.  I was also able to get it built to match the rest of the irons I ordered.

[driveandputtmachine]

16 hours ago, bunta said:

between the ZX4 and the ZX Utility .. are there any distance advantages of either one ??? What i really want to know is if i were to match both the loft and length of both clubs, will i have the exact carry yardages ??

 

Im wanting to uprade my ZU65 utility. Just wondering if its worth it.

The issue here is it is gonna depend on the player and delivery.  The ZX4 seems to have a little more weight lower in the head because of the wider sole.

 

For me the ZX launched higher and spun a little more than the utility, carry distance was very similar.  For someone with a high launch and high spin, the utility will carry farther, but for me as a medium to low launch high spin guy the ZX4 carried just a bit further.  The utility ran more on a "normal" shot.  The ZX4 though for me is versatile enough to hit the low/low shot and get it running off of the teebox.  

 

I did like the ZX utility much better than the U65 I had before.  I like the ZX4 better off of the turf than either as well.

[nezander]

20 hours ago, driveandputtmachine said:

The issue here is it is gonna depend on the player and delivery.  The ZX4 seems to have a little more weight lower in the head because of the wider sole.

 

For me the ZX launched higher and spun a little more than the utility, carry distance was very similar.  For someone with a high launch and high spin, the utility will carry farther, but for me as a medium to low launch high spin guy the ZX4 carried just a bit further.  The utility ran more on a "normal" shot.  The ZX4 though for me is versatile enough to hit the low/low shot and get it running off of the teebox.  

 

I did like the ZX utility much better than the U65 I had before.  I like the ZX4 better off of the turf than either as well.

This is the kind of input I was looking for.  Thanks everyone who responded, I feel like I have a better idea of which club would work best for me.  Now if somebody could just do something about the backorder situation...😆

[driveandputtmachine]

9 minutes ago, nezander said:

This is the kind of input I was looking for.  Thanks everyone who responded, I feel like I have a better idea of which club would work best for me.  Now if somebody could just do something about the backorder situation...😆

I ordered a ZX4 4 iron and just ordered it stock since I had the shaft I needed here, and I got it in well under two weeks, same fore my zx5 5iron I ordered.  Since I ordered stock they both moved quick.  An entire set of irons may be a different story though.

[Gundee]

Just ordered a ZX4 4i to go along with the rest of my 5-7 ZX5 and 8-AW ZX7 set. 

 

Currently carry a TS2 21 and 17 degree hybrid and not in love with the gapping. Once the club come in will trade-in the two hybrids for either a 19 degree or maybe just keep the 17 depending on yardage and if I hit anything better. 

[AlwaysLayUp]

Am I the only guy on planet who bought a Srixon set and didn't blend them? Just Zx5 straight through

[Mike_C]

I got the 785 6-pw, 585 in the 5i, and originally had a U85 4i.  I had all but the U85 bent 1 degree flat and are plus 1/4. I never seemed to hit the utility far enough, seemed to play about the same as the 585 5i, just launched higher.  I finally just got rid of it.  I have a U65 3i, but it really goes too far for gapping, I really want a 4 iron.  I should have gotten the 585, been thinking of getting ZX 5 or ZX 4, I had a set of 565/765s, 565 in 4 and 5, really liked those, but dumped the set when elbow problems came up playing the modus 120X shafts I had in them, finally moved to graphite.  The big question is, how long would it take to special order...

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by Mike_C
Spelling

[JFM628]

13 hours ago, AlwaysLayUp said:

Am I the only guy on planet who bought a Srixon set and didn't blend them? Just Zx5 straight through

I was close.  I am a 6 index and bought the ZX5 5-GW - just didn't see the reason with my swing and want I want to blend the ZX7's. 

 

I did buy the ZX4 4 iron because I wanted the help and liked it more than the utility.

[BallerNate]

Could anyone compare the ZX4 4-iron to the ZX5 4-iron? Is there a big difference in performance and turf interaction between the two?

[Mike_C]

I decided to order a ZX 4 4 iron, but the new ZX utilities do look great.

[mootrail]

A quick wrap up on my ZX4 4 vs my U45 3.  On the plus side, the notched V.T. Sole worked well from the turf for someone who sweeps with long clubs.  Unfortunately, that's about it.

 

The forged face and steel body just feels harsh compared to my forged body U45.  It's not bad, maybe P790 like, but not forged feeling at all.  For the same reason, the face doesn't feel hot and the distance seemed average.  Lastly, I just didn't like the looks of the cast textured back.

 

The 21° 4 launched surprisingly lower then my 20° U45 and I had a hard time finding the sweet spot.   Maybe the longer Neo shaft, could be the chunky looks and extra offset, or possibly the D2 vs D0 SW.  I had a similar issue with my U85 and that was a D4.  Whatever it was, it was cut and run time.

 

So it's back to the U45 3 that looks stunning, is easy to hit and feels like butter.  Just can't play it from the turf, but you can't have everything.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by mootrail

[manima1]

On 4/15/2021 at 9:27 PM, Mike_C said:

I got the 785 6-pw, 585 in the 5i, and originally had a U85 4i.  I had all but the U85 bent 1 degree flat and are plus 1/4. I never seemed to hit the utility far enough, seemed to play about the same as the 585 5i, just launched higher.  I finally just got rid of it.  I have a U65 3i, but it really goes too far for gapping, I really want a 4 iron.  I should have gotten the 585, been thinking of getting ZX 5 or ZX 4, I had a set of 565/765s, 565 in 4 and 5, really liked those, but dumped the set when elbow problems came up playing the modus 120X shafts I had in them, finally moved to graphite.  The big question is, how long would it take to special order...

 

I had the same predicament in the 4 spot.  745 4i just spun too much into the wind and not enough separation from the 5i, U45 4i went high but also not far enough. 545 4i is has been the answer.  This thing is very hot, launches high and far.  Perfect bridge from 5i to the U45 2i for me.

[Mike_C]

18 minutes ago, manima1 said:

I had the same predicament in the 4 spot.  745 4i just spun too much into the wind and not enough separation from the 5i, U45 4i went high but also not far enough. 545 4i is has been the answer.  This thing is very hot, launches high and far.  Perfect bridge from 5i to the U45 2i for me.

I cancelled my ZX4 4 iron order after a month's wait, then getting an indefinite delivery date.  My local store had a good deal on a new stock set of 585s, 4-PW, took the cash I was going to spend on the ZX4, and got from a returned Bettinardi putter, and just bought the full set of 585s.  We will see how it goes, if I want I could mix and match up what I have been playing with the new irons...

[Seamus_McDuff]

I’m going to replace a ZU65 4i with a ZX4 4i. I’m assuming I’ll have to bend the ZX4 to 23 to get similar distance. Are the ZX4s as easy bend as most other Srixons?

[Russ757]

Any new updates? Acquired a zx4 that I'm gonna go head to head with my zxu. 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Russ757

[dmeeksDC]

4 hours ago, Russ757 said:

Any new updates? Acquired a zx4 that I'm gonna go head to head with my zxu. 

Will be interested in your findings. I have the ZX4 4 iron in my bag and no matter what else changes, it’s not coming out. I find it easier to hit, and easier to hit high, vs the utility. I have hit it in multiple situations from tee and turf and it is so good I seriously feel like adding the 5 iron. I can’t hit a hybrid as accurately with the same consistency. 
 

The sole is wide but the trailing edge is so cambered that a lot of the width you see never touches the ground. Also has notches at the toe and heel to smooth interaction. I swear it moves through the turf better than the utility. It is no doubt easier to launch off the turf for me vs the utility. The feel off the face is as good as the Mizuno Pro 225, and that’s pretty darn good. Very well-designed club. 
 

[Natural1]

10 hours ago, Russ757 said:

Any new updates? Acquired a zx4 that I'm gonna go head to head with my zxu. 

 

I have both (ZX4 bent to 23*, so same loft). I find the ZX4 easier to hit, with more consistent results. I think the main issue with the ZXU is that I don't really jive with the UST graphite shaft.

[Russ757]

4 hours ago, Natural1 said:

 

I have both (ZX4 bent to 23*, so same loft). I find the ZX4 easier to hit, with more consistent results. I think the main issue with the ZXU is that I don't really jive with the UST graphite shaft.

What shafts in your zx4? Heads usually have more bearing on performance than shaft alone 

 

But I've also had some that were clearly not for me 

[Seamus_McDuff]

I also have both now. 
 

ZX4 - GD AD-95S driving iron shaft

ZXU - GD AD-95X hybrid shaft

 

Intend to bend them both to 22*. One will go with my ZX5/ZX7 combo set and the other with my ZX7 set. 
 

I have not hit the ZXU yet but if it’s as good as the ZX4 I’ll be happy. 

[Russ757]

2 hours ago, Seamus_McDuff said:

I also have both now. 
 

ZX4 - GD AD-95S driving iron shaft

ZXU - GD AD-95X hybrid shaft

 

Intend to bend them both to 22*. One will go with my ZX5/ZX7 combo set and the other with my ZX7 set. 
 

I have not hit the ZXU yet but if it’s as good as the ZX4 I’ll be happy. 

 

I'm actually going the other way

But both at 23* 

 

Zx5/7 with the zxu

Zx5 with the zx4 (fora more forgiving set) 

 

Both with mmts 95,105, scoring wedges

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Russ757