And another one..... i230 vs ZX7

[Inglewood]

I am in the same boat - cross shopping i230, 923 forged and Zx5/7 mkii combo set.  Golftec doesnt carry srixon unfortunately - going to have a fitting in a week for all three at PGA SS.  Until then, I have hit the i230 and 923F back to back with LZ 6.0 and can tell you the ping seem to fly straight and distances are consistent.  They are 3* weaker than the Mizuno JPX, so that would explain why they're consistently 10-15 yds shorter.  My miss is left and I have that still with the JPX; not so with the ping.  i230 ball flight is consistently high and straight...I just need to get the power spec if I go that direction.

[rjp322]

Hit both side by side over the weekend.  Went with I230s.  They spun about 500 more.  I was also getting 2-3 mph more ball speed and just found them consistently easier to hit.

 

FWIW, Ping irons have always worked for me as far as forgiveness.  I have just always spun the I series just too much and they just were always a club shorter than what I wanted.  The I230s seem to spin significantly less than the previous I series models but still launch and get way up in the air with ease.  I ordered on the spot

[VanTheMan0519]

Does anyone feel the i230’s go too high? I moved up to x100’s in a heavier shaft. And power spec. Always been a high ball hitter. 

[Mobert19]

1 hour ago, VanTheMan0519 said:

Does anyone feel the i230’s go too high? I moved up to x100’s in a heavier shaft. And power spec. Always been a high ball hitter. 

My i230 with DG 120 S300 launch higher than my ZX7 in modus 120S. What launch angles are you getting?

 

ZX7 is usually 17-18 and i230 I'm seeing 18-20

[VanTheMan0519]

27 minutes ago, Mobert19 said:

My i230 with DG 120 S300 launch higher than my ZX7 in modus 120S. What launch angles are you getting?

 

ZX7 is usually 17-18 and i230 I'm seeing 18-20

Not sure honestly. My ZX7’s with modus 105x go pretty high. But that’s a mid high shaft. I ordered dg120 x100’s

[TimBuma]

Anyone else with input on this comparison? 

[boycer]

See a lot a comments about people getting the i230 but no feedback. 

 

Any updates?

[drvrwdge]

Been going back and forth for a bit now and still can’t make a decision. It seems a bit silly but really prefer the shape of the short irons in the i230, especially the PW. As far as performance the i230’s def spin more. I think the srixons are a bit longer but forgiveness has to go to i230’s. I’ve hit a few balls that had no business going anywhere and I lost maybe 5 yards in distance. I think both feel really good but the Srixons do have the single piece of steel forged feel where the i230 feels a bit, “mechanical” if you will. 
 

Main difference is the sole. I thought I didn’t get along with the v-sole, then I bought and played literally every other players cavity back iron and realized I actually prefer the v-sole. It’s definitely slightly more narrow than all the other irons in this category but wide enough to provide that bit of forgiveness. What it does though is seemingly enters and exists the turf unlike anything else. Some have had too much bounce and never got into turf properly, other got in but didn’t seem to exist well. The Srixon does both. 

[blades_are_life]

5 hours ago, drvrwdge said:

Been going back and forth for a bit now and still can’t make a decision. It seems a bit silly but really prefer the shape of the short irons in the i230, especially the PW. As far as performance the i230’s def spin more. I think the srixons are a bit longer but forgiveness has to go to i230’s. I’ve hit a few balls that had no business going anywhere and I lost maybe 5 yards in distance. I think both feel really good but the Srixons do have the single piece of steel forged feel where the i230 feels a bit, “mechanical” if you will. 
 

Main difference is the sole. I thought I didn’t get along with the v-sole, then I bought and played literally every other players cavity back iron and realized I actually prefer the v-sole. It’s definitely slightly more narrow than all the other irons in this category but wide enough to provide that bit of forgiveness. What it does though is seemingly enters and exists the turf unlike anything else. Some have had too much bounce and never got into turf properly, other got in but didn’t seem to exist well. The Srixon does both. 

Brutal when you are deciding between look and feel.

[RobS]

15 hours ago, drvrwdge said:

Been going back and forth for a bit now and still can’t make a decision. It seems a bit silly but really prefer the shape of the short irons in the i230, especially the PW. As far as performance the i230’s def spin more. I think the srixons are a bit longer but forgiveness has to go to i230’s. I’ve hit a few balls that had no business going anywhere and I lost maybe 5 yards in distance. I think both feel really good but the Srixons do have the single piece of steel forged feel where the i230 feels a bit, “mechanical” if you will. 
 

Main difference is the sole. I thought I didn’t get along with the v-sole, then I bought and played literally every other players cavity back iron and realized I actually prefer the v-sole. It’s definitely slightly more narrow than all the other irons in this category but wide enough to provide that bit of forgiveness. What it does though is seemingly enters and exists the turf unlike anything else. Some have had too much bounce and never got into turf properly, other got in but didn’t seem to exist well. The Srixon does both. 

Srixon makes a really solid iron.  I have played 3 different generations of the 7 series, going back to the 745.  My preference is for a traditional sole but I'm fine with the V sole.  I don't notice any performance difference but I feel like the V sole wants to roll the club face a touch closed when I set the club behind the ball.  My primary complaint about Srixon's is the shape of the short irons. I just don't like the look of the 8-P and those a pretty important clubs within the set.  My other issue is that the flight on the long and mid irons is a little flat.  I play most of my golf on firm and fast greens and I like a set that's a little flighted so I can get good stopping power with a 4 and 5 iron. 

 

I've been playing the i230 since they were released.  For my preference, the irons look and set up better to my eye, especially in the short irons.  I find the i230 to be very forgiving for the type of irons it is, more so than the Srixon's.  The long irons are easier to hit and easier to stop on the greens.  I prefer the i230's in every category but feel.  The Srixon's feel great, very soft and solid.  The Ping's feel just ok to me.  I personally thought the i210 felt better than the i230, but I like the i230 for every other aspect.  Having played the i230 for several months now, I'm not conscious of the feel for better or worse.  As a side note, the Srixon's are few yards longer for me but that didn't factor into my decision.

 

In the end, these are 2 of the best sets on the market in the player CB range so it's not like you can make a bad choice.

[drvrwdge]

7 minutes ago, RobS said:

Srixon makes a really solid iron.  I have played 3 different generations of the 7 series, going back to the 745.  My preference is for a traditional sole but I'm fine with the V sole.  I don't notice any performance difference but I feel like the V sole wants to roll the club face a touch closed when I set the club behind the ball.  My primary complaint about Srixon's is the shape of the short irons. I just don't like the look of the 8-P and those a pretty important clubs within the set.  My other issue is that the flight on the long and mid irons is a little flat.  I play most of my golf on firm and fast greens and I like a set that's a little flighted so I can get good stopping power with a 4 and 5 iron. 

 

I've been playing the i230 since they were released.  For my preference, the irons look and set up better to my eye, especially in the short irons.  I find the i230 to be very forgiving for the type of irons it is, more so than the Srixon's.  The long irons are easier to hit and easier to stop on the greens.  I prefer the i230's in every category but feel.  The Srixon's feel great, very soft and solid.  The Ping's feel just ok to me.  I personally thought the i210 felt better than the i230, but I like the i230 for every other aspect.  Having played the i230 for several months now, I'm not conscious of the feel for better or worse.  As a side note, the Srixon's are few yards longer for me but that didn't factor into my decision.

 

In the end, these are 2 of the best sets on the market in the player CB range so it's not like you can make a bad choice.

Basically agree with everything said here. 

[drvrwdge]

2 minutes ago, drvrwdge said:

Basically agree with everything said here. 

Only thing I am slightly curious about, from other peoples opinions is how the higher swing speed players feel that don’t need help with spin or height if they actually prefer the flatter trajectory and less spin of the Srixons. 
 

[halfsumo]

My ZX7's are scheduled for Thursday delivery. I just like me a soft forged feeling iron and I convinced myself I need a lighter and less stiff shaft so I am going with $ Taper 120 vs the Tour 130s in my i230s.  No real complaints with my i230's other than they may be a bit heavy for me. In fact, I have hit some incredibly good shots with the 4, 5 and 6 irons, like surprisingly good how they launched up in the air and flew the distance and stopped. No problems with the feel. If any nit-picking, the soles are a bit big, but I play on soft turf most of the year. One or the other will probably be on the BST next Monday, though 😂 I definitely agree with the shaping on the short irons on the Srixons not being my favorite. The way they transition into the hosel at the high heel make them look more like mid irons than short irons if you know what I mean. Sure I can get used to it, though. I230 short irons are point and shoot, if perhaps a touch on the bigger side. 

[Pnwpingi210]

1 hour ago, drvrwdge said:

Only thing I am slightly curious about, from other peoples opinions is how the higher swing speed players feel that don’t need help with spin or height if they actually prefer the flatter trajectory and less spin of the Srixons. 
 

I played i210 power spec and zx7 at a 95 mph 6 iron ss
 

For zx7, I bent my 6 a degree weak, and 4-5 2 degress weak and that made them more playable.  Easier to hit and still more carry than the i210 long irons.

[SaVo_]

Ive been testing zx7's to i230's the last week. 230's seem to be a touch more forgiving and have a little more pop for me. Both very consistent spin. That v sole through the turf is butter, like it better than the ping's. Leaning slightly towards staying with my ping's tho. Its small differences between the two and theres small differences that people will prioritize more than others that may sway you one way or the other. Both great irons. I believe if you want more forgiveness and pop. I230. If you want to prioritize feel, turf interaction. Zx7. 

[drvrwdge]

On 7/3/2023 at 6:02 PM, SaVo_ said:

Ive been testing zx7's to i230's the last week. 230's seem to be a touch more forgiving and have a little more pop for me. Both very consistent spin. That v sole through the turf is butter, like it better than the ping's. Leaning slightly towards staying with my ping's tho. Its small differences between the two and theres small differences that people will prioritize more than others that may sway you one way or the other. Both great irons. I believe if you want more forgiveness and pop. I230. If you want to prioritize feel, turf interaction. Zx7. 

I actually felt, that because of the lower spin, the ZX7's were longer. 

[halfsumo]

Got my zx7's today. After one range session, going in the bag, and the i230's are going up for sale. I believe 90% of it is the shaft in the Srixons is a better fit for me. Playing a too heavy too stiff shaft in the i230's I now realize it was causing me to have worse misses on bad swings and too low of spin. The new irons get up in the air and spin which make them more consistent for me. I have the lofts on the zx7's bent to the same lofts as the i230s. I take back what I said about not liking the Srixon short irons. they look great when you get them out of the plastic and actually hit them. A lot of irons, you only get to see the short irons in plastic in the store and the refractions of light distort the actual shaping, IMO.  The srixons feel better on center strikes and worse on misses than i230's. You can really swing down on the srixons and the sole just pops the club right through. 

 

I read a comical review on plugged in website on the ZX7 MKii's where the guy said they felt terrible. I literally don't think he hit one in the center. Yes, thin shots can feel a bit dead, but flushed shots feel amazing. I think the i230's are just as good, just different. Its a lot of aesthetics and what you prefer. I don't think there is a night and day difference in forgiveness, in fact, I think they are pretty similar in performance overall. 

[halfsumo]

I'm ordering the ZX utility right away.