ZX5 irons vs ZX5 MKII irons.

[Qegurezi]

Hi peoples.

 

Reading past comments and reviews for the original ZX5 and current reviews for the new model i am getting the distinct impression the MKII is looking like a step back. Performance seems pretty similar and a lot of people aren't happy with the sound of the newer model seeing it as clicky. I've read a lot more claims of clicky for the current model than the original which quite a few laud. Granted the rare person has said they like the MKII better but i think the ZX4 MKII is so improved over it's own original model it's the better club vs the new ZX5 and has been called that by a lot of people that have tried both including plenty that thought they'd buy the ZX5. 

 

So if i was going to go ZX, bearing in mind i wouldn't want a players iron i.e. ZX7, i think i'd get the original ZX5 or current ZX4 MKII.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[Tiptx1122]

This is a main reason why I decided not to go with the new MKII's, the original ZX5's were just fine as the only MKII's that made a big improvement is the ZX4KII's. Not worth the upgrade if you have the originals. 

[mantan]

I owned the 565s, original ZX5s and MKii ZX5s.  I loved all three sets. I moved to the ZX5 because I preferred the Modus 105s over the GH980...and they were gorgeous irons.  I had no intention of getting out of the original ZX5s.  I got them a month after they launched and planned to play them at least 4-5 years.  Unfortunately, there was an issue with a shop that was working on them that led to me having to make the change. 

 

Both ZX5s are nearly identical. I actually find the MKii's to be a bit softer/better feeling at impact than the original ZX5.  The ZX5s were clickier than the 565s.  IMO, the MKii are closer to the 565s than the original ZX5. I don't think they are a step back in any way. If I had the choice between my original ZX5s and these, I'd play these every day of the week.  And I loved my old ZX5s.  That being said, the original ZX5s are great irons. If you went that route, you wouldn't be disappointed.

 

 

 

The ZX4s are getting rave reviews.  And they look fantastic. I just knew what I had/wanted with the ZX5s and didn't want to go through figuring out new distances with the ZX4s.  They are definitely worth a look.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by mantan

[MitchCumstein]

I've heard these are very clicky even compared to last gen.

Edited March 30, 2023 by MitchCumstein

[dmeeksDC]

Have hit both generations quite a bit. Not much difference in feel between the two, if the new one is clickier, it is slight. On a golf course in very short order I am not sure you’d notice any difference. They play great.
 

To me any of the Srixon series feel pretty good and better than most competitors. Not nearly as artificial feeling as TaylorMade p770/790, but I do think the ZX4 MKII and Cobra Forged Tec (2022 model) both feel better than the ZX5. Those two are best-in-class feel of the thin-faced/hollow/filled heads I have hit. 

[wam78]

I’ve only played zx5 in the 4i and thought it was pretty awesome.  Felt very similar to zx7 on center strikes.  Sweet spot the size of a softball… haha.  Can’t give any insight on mkii.  Off center strikes felt more clicky, but that should be expected on any iron.

[Brobespierre]

I have Zx5 mk II and previously had the OG Zx5.

 

To me they feel exactly the same. They are definitely softer than the other player’s distance irons I have tried.

 

I guess they might seem clicky compared to Zx7? Otherwise I don’t see it.

 

If you have the old Zx5, you’re fine. If you are looking for new irons I would definitely try them.

 

They aren’t a step back, they just aren’t a big step forward like Zx4 seems to be.

[Jeff58]

MKI

 

MKII

 

 

 

The different versions and their respective effects are easy to see. The sole configuration of the long and mid irons is very similar. The 8-PW are very different.

 

I’ve played the MK1 since their release. My swing mechanics are in line with Srixon’s expectations, I.e. I have a slightly descending AOA. The MK1 mid and short irons don’t like near-zero AOA’s. When faced with a thin/hard lie, there will be trouble, just as it would be trying to hit a high-bounce sand wedge off the same lie.

 

Typically, once or twice a round I run into this type of shot, and even knowing what is going to happen and trying my best to compensate for it, the ball will come off thin, and the result is low height and low spin. Clearly, the MKII sole addresses that situation.

 

The potential advantage of the MKI is it’s putting more mass below the strike zone, which should give added height, which they definitely need. I hit the MKII off a quality mat and didn’t see much difference, but that’s on a mat. Real play may be different.

[AbSWFPGA]

Have hit both in a decent capacity. Same shaft ect same specs. IMO the OG zx5s feel slightly better. Results are similar however I feel the new model zx5 caught fliers a little more often. Both sets look the same at address. If you are in the original model I don’t see a need to upgrade and overall prefer the original

[vman]

Having used Z545, Z565, ZX5 OG and now MKii I can honestly say there"s no real performance difference between any of them. Looks wise both ZX5's win hands down but I could happily use the Z545 or 65's. I feel like the OG ZX5's feel a little better, but it's a toss up.

[XHoop24]

I'd been a long time Mizuno iron player, JPX 800 Pro -> JPX 900 Forged, and recently moved into a set of ZX5 MK2 irons 4-GW.  I've only been on the course for 11 holes, but have had several range and one long simulator session with them. They are clicky. I'm going to give them plenty of time on the course to confirm performance, but the feel is taking some getting used to. I was at the range with my friend who plays the Mizuno 921 HMPs and those sound better than the Srixon's. I find the ZX5's to sound a bit like some of the older TaylorMade GI irons or the AP1s if you remember those. 

[BostonWRX]

On 3/30/2023 at 6:08 AM, Qegurezi said:

Hi peoples.

 

Reading past comments and reviews for the original ZX5 and current reviews for the new model i am getting the distinct impression the MKII is looking like a step back. Performance seems pretty similar and a lot of people aren't happy with the sound of the newer model seeing it as clicky. I've read a lot more claims of clicky for the current model than the original which quite a few laud. Granted the rare person has said they like the MKII better but i think the ZX4 MKII is so improved over it's own original model it's the better club vs the new ZX5 and has been called that by a lot of people that have tried both including plenty that thought they'd buy the ZX5. 

 

So if i was going to go ZX, bearing in mind i wouldn't want a players iron i.e. ZX7, i think i'd get the original ZX5 or current ZX4 MKII.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

Original ZX5 are amazing. Especially the long irons. I would say for the new mkii models the ZX4 bent weak to og zx5 specs would be a good comparison 

Edited April 29, 2023 by BostonWRX

[ECgolf]

I haven’t hit the OG zx5, so can’t comment on them. But, I tried zx5 Mkii and zx4 mkii in my fitting and saw no reason to go zx5 mkii over zx4. Center strikes on both felt about the same to me. Zx4 was said to be more forgiving and definitely had a bit more distance with similar launch in 7 iron for me. 

 

I love the zx4s. But, having played them for a few months now, the long irons which I didn’t hit in fitting (5 iron for me), are very long with seemingly lowish spin (I haven’t hit on launch monitor but based on run out). I now play a spinnier ball off irons to manage that (z-star diamond). But, knowing what I know now, that would be the only reason I’d consider choosing zx5 mkii over zx4. I may tweak the loft on my 5 iron at some point and weaken it a touch. 

[mantan]

3 hours ago, BostonWRX said:

Originally ZX5 are amazing. Especially the long irons. I would say for the new mkii models the ZX4 bent weak to og zx5 specs would be a good comparison 

 

I had some pro shop credit and took a flier on a ZX4 5-iron to potentially replace my MKii ZX5.  The 5-iron has always been the line of demarcation in my bag. I have full confidence in my 6-iron and 4H but am sometimes hesitant to pull out my 5.

 

Of course as soon as I place the order, the ZX5 5-iron is suddenly one of the gang.... including hitting two greens from 180 in my round Sunday.

 

I got the exact same Modus 105 shaft.  I did get it bent 1* weak to play at the same loft.  I was hoping for great things with it. It looks fantastic. The ZX4 profile is SO much more improved. It looks like a ZX5 after the freshman 15, not look a totally different club.  I'd heard so many great things that I couldn't wait to hit it at the range today.  

 

But that's where the excitement ended.  It looked sleeker, but felt chunkier and more 'clangy' at address.  I hit it lower than my ZX5 and not nearly as consistently. The ZX5 felt easier to hit high and straight. The thing I love about it is the peak height is the same as the other irons and it just gets out and goes.  The ZX4 felt like it was hitting low punchy shots by comparison.

 

But different strokes for different folks. I know a lot of players love the ZX4s.

[ECgolf]

2 hours ago, mantan said:

 

I had some pro shop credit and took a flier on a ZX4 5-iron to potentially replace my MKii ZX5.  The 5-iron has always been the line of demarcation in my bag. I have full confidence in my 6-iron and 4H but am sometimes hesitant to pull out my 5.

 

Of course as soon as I place the order, the ZX5 5-iron is suddenly one of the gang.... including hitting two greens from 180 in my round Sunday.

 

I got the exact same Modus 105 shaft.  I did get it bent 1* weak to play at the same loft.  I was hoping for great things with it. It looks fantastic. The ZX4 profile is SO much more improved. It looks like a ZX5 after the freshman 15, not look a totally different club.  I'd heard so many great things that I couldn't wait to hit it at the range today.  

 

But that's where the excitement ended.  It looked sleeker, but felt chunkier and more 'clangy' at address.  I hit it lower than my ZX5 and not nearly as consistently. The ZX5 felt easier to hit high and straight. The thing I love about it is the peak height is the same as the other irons and it just gets out and goes.  The ZX4 felt like it was hitting low punchy shots by comparison.

 

But different strokes for different folks. I know a lot of players love the ZX4s.

So interesting, and I think we’ve chatted on this in another thread, but the zx4 5 iron is the main bugaboo in my set. This is an endorsement for my crazy idea of getting a zx5 mkii 5-iron as the only non zx4 in my set. Sounds like it could actually work well. 

[BigMac_Finn]

The thing that got me on both is the “lies” of forged! Ok not lies but make sure you tell the customers what is really forged and what is not.. 

 

1. This is not an entirely forged club

2. Which brings me to the next big question, what is forged then?

3. Only the body is forged..

4. The face is steel (Yes you heard it right, the face is not forged, it’s how you get the mainframe face that is CCed)

5. It’s why the club has a little clicks sound (although they have attached a sound dampening play to the mainframe face

6. The biggest question to be asking, why didn’t they make the face forged and body steel?

7. Ya makes sense.. I don’t know why, maybe to get the customers to buy zx7? 

[mantan]

1 hour ago, BigMac_Finn said:

The thing that got me on both is the “lies” of forged! Ok not lies but make sure you tell the customers what is really forged and what is not.. 

 

1. This is not an entirely forged club

2. Which brings me to the next big question, what is forged then?

3. Only the body is forged..

4. The face is steel (Yes you heard it right, the face is not forged, it’s how you get the mainframe face that is CCed)

5. It’s why the club has a little clicks sound (although they have attached a sound dampening play to the mainframe face

6. The biggest question to be asking, why didn’t they make the face forged and body steel?

7. Ya makes sense.. I don’t know why, maybe to get the customers to buy zx7? 

 

 

IMO, forged is something that means less and less over time. The number of old school one piece forgings are dwindling by the year.  Whether it's a forged face on a steel frame with 'tech' on the head help with feel or sound or goo putt in a hollow head in PXGs clubs, the idea of what's forged/sorta forged has become blurred.

 

But is that a big deal?  Forged irons seems to be something that a lot of golfers got confused about. How many golfers have posted some version of an  'am I good enough to play forged clubs?' thread over the years. When being forged had nothing to do with the club design or the forgiveness of a club.

 

Things even changed from a feel perspective.  I'll still contend the JPX/MX line Mizuno irons stopped having that trademark 'Mizuno feel' when they started using Boron and other materials in the head.

[ob1soccer]

after playing all of these sets i dont think anyone can go wrong with any of the past and current models. Too me they all look similar, very forgiving and look great. I dont feel clicky at all when hitting srixon irons, the last clicky iron i tried out was the P790 and that felt awful

[BigMac_Finn]

21 hours ago, mantan said:

 

 

IMO, forged is something that means less and less over time. The number of old school one piece forgings are dwindling by the year.  Whether it's a forged face on a steel frame with 'tech' on the head help with feel or sound or goo putt in a hollow head in PXGs clubs, the idea of what's forged/sorta forged has become blurred.

 

But is that a big deal?  Forged irons seems to be something that a lot of golfers got confused about. How many golfers have posted some version of an  'am I good enough to play forged clubs?' thread over the years. When being forged had nothing to do with the club design or the forgiveness of a club.

 

Things even changed from a feel perspective.  I'll still contend the JPX/MX line Mizuno irons stopped having that trademark 'Mizuno feel' when they started using Boron and other materials in the head.

I agree on the losing the Mizuno feel. I used to game the mp52 and those felt amazing.. now on a journey to find the next ones. 
 

funny how back then they were considered “game improvement” now they are blades!! 
7 iron was 35 degree!! anyways

 

still interested in trying the new zx5 mkii 

 

 

[XHoop24]

1 hour ago, BigMac_Finn said:

I agree on the losing the Mizuno feel. I used to game the mp52 and those felt amazing.. now on a journey to find the next ones. 
 

funny how back then they were considered “game improvement” now they are blades!! 
7 iron was 35 degree!! anyways

 

still interested in trying the new zx5 mkii 

 

 

Seems similar to my situation. I don't mean to repeat myself or hijack the thread, but moved to the ZX5's from the 800 Pro->900F. I do see some increased performance from the long irons compared to those Mizzy sets. But I'm not sure it means that much to me. I swing the 7 iron around 88MPH and don't play super long courses.  If you need some distance, the ZX5's are a great combination of performance and looks.

 

After thinking about it a lot over the weekend, I need to give the Srixon's time to really settle into the bag over the next few months. Try to take an analytical approach to evaluating one simple question: Do they help my game at all?   If the answer is yes, they'll stay. If the answer is no, I'm going back to something that feels a bit better.

 

Will be interested to hear what you think of the feel if you get a chance to try the ZX5s. 

[BigMac_Finn]

12 hours ago, XHoop24 said:

Seems similar to my situation. I don't mean to repeat myself or hijack the thread, but moved to the ZX5's from the 800 Pro->900F. I do see some increased performance from the long irons compared to those Mizzy sets. But I'm not sure it means that much to me. I swing the 7 iron around 88MPH and don't play super long courses.  If you need some distance, the ZX5's are a great combination of performance and looks.

 

After thinking about it a lot over the weekend, I need to give the Srixon's time to really settle into the bag over the next few months. Try to take an analytical approach to evaluating one simple question: Do they help my game at all?   If the answer is yes, they'll stay. If the answer is no, I'm going back to something that feels a bit better.

 

Will be interested to hear what you think of the feel if you get a chance to try the ZX5s. 

Well was talking in the other thread of Miura CB-302 vs Ping I230 since they seem to fit very similar to all these Irons.. I dont need a 7 iron to rocket to 195 yards +.. but my previous 7 Iron was at 35 or 36 degrees.. lol 

 

I like the Idea of this Srixon ZX5.. I just dont understand why they did the "forged" off the back and hosel instead of fact and hosel? Seems like the "feel" that I want is off the face not the back side. 

 

I like the thought process of "Analytical approach.." but they need to feel in my hand.. Honestly I dont want a club to mask my bad shots.. then I dont know if Im hitting them good or not.. Forgiveness isn't making a shot feel good even when it was hit poorly. So we will see.. 

 

[ob1soccer]

zx5 are very forgiving on off center hits and no matter where I hit them they still feel the same. Thats a good thing for me. 

[ECgolf]

1 hour ago, BigMac_Finn said:

I like the Idea of this Srixon ZX5.. I just dont understand why they did the "forged" off the back and hosel instead of fact and hosel? Seems like the "feel" that I want is off the face not the back side. 

 

I like the thought process of "Analytical approach.." but they need to feel in my hand.. Honestly I dont want a club to mask my bad shots.. then I dont know if Im hitting them good or not.. Forgiveness isn't making a shot feel good even when it was hit poorly. So we will see.. 

 

I didn’t know zx5 mkii face wasn’t forged. Also didn’t appreciate that they mask mishit feel so much. My zx4 mkiis feel terrible with bad toe strikes and after a couple months of play I can easily tell when I’ve missed the center even on strikes that are close and fly pretty well. Determining precisely where you hit it is probably harder than on players clubs, but they definitely let me know when I hit them like crap, even if they end up traveling almost the same distance as a good strike. Love that about them. The other day I hit a horrible clangy toe strike that launched low but with plenty of speed and rolled out pin high. Felt ugly but effective. 

[pjc]

To clear things up a bit here, the ZX5 is forged, the body is 1020 carbon steel, and the face is a forged SUP 10 (Japanese) steel alloy, the 5 series has always been this way!  The ZX4 is the only model that isn't fully forged, just the face, but the body is 431 SS which is pretty soft.

[BigMac_Finn]

2 hours ago, pjc said:

To clear things up a bit here, the ZX5 is forged, the body is 1020 carbon steel, and the face is a forged SUP 10 (Japanese) steel alloy, the 5 series has always been this way!  The ZX4 is the only model that isn't fully forged, just the face, but the body is 431 SS which is pretty soft.

interesting article: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/srixon-engineers-took-a-materi

 

not saying its wrong or right.. just interesting going to a material for a "soft feel" for the face of a Golf club.. then CNC it after? 

 

.. a forged SUP10 face further increases speed and distance while a forged 1020 Carbon Steel body absorbs vibrations through impact.. So they do this to get the club to hit longer.. 

[pjc]

Anything from Golf Digest I would take with a huge grain of salt.  They publish things without knowing correct details.  How they get away with it, I don't have the answers for that.

[pjc]

20 minutes ago, BigMac_Finn said:

interesting article: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/srixon-engineers-took-a-materi

 

not saying its wrong or right.. just interesting going to a material for a "soft feel" for the face of a Golf club.. then CNC it after? 

 

.. a forged SUP10 face further increases speed and distance while a forged 1020 Carbon Steel body absorbs vibrations through impact.. So they do this to get the club to hit longer.. 

The SUP 10 face is there to retain ball speeds better off center, not just more pop/flex off the face.  Basically, it's a forgiveness thing that differentiates it from the 7 models, along with wider soles, larger cavity, etc.  Sup 10 is a spring steel, I don't know where GD gets that it is harder than 17-4, could be, but I've never heard that before.

https://www.otaisteel.com/products/spring-steel-sup10/

[ob1soccer]

2 hours ago, pjc said:

To clear things up a bit here, the ZX5 is forged, the body is 1020 carbon steel, and the face is a forged SUP 10 (Japanese) steel alloy, the 5 series has always been this way!  The ZX4 is the only model that isn't fully forged, just the face, but the body is 431 SS which is pretty soft.

This is great info and the reason they feel so soft, thanks for posting

[MidFlight]

First post! Although, just recently joined — I’ve been a longtime visitor of Golf WRX: learning,  reading reviews (several purchases based on threads on this forum). Although, just recently joined — I have appreciated this forum for years..

 

Played both, Srixon zx5 and zx5 mkii. Was not planning to upgrade, my adult son wanted to get back into golf and I wanted to move from Modus 120 to 105r. Ordered the mkii and gifted the originals to him. That being said, apart from “mainframe” on the badge, I like the look better. It appears to my eyes, a thinner overall package and the v sole feels a tad different. I do not hear/feel much difference in sound. I do enjoy the mkii more but believe it is solely based on modus 105 a better fit for me. Get fit.

 

Long post for first post — I’ll end with this: Before the purchase of original ZX5 I was still gaming Titleist 704CBs. Loved them but knew it was time to reshaft to something more friendly. Kicked all over the forum and learned about Nippon and subsequently Srixon from WRXers. Gave both a shot. My long irons and I thank you, all!

 

[nmahmud]

As a general intro to put my comments into perspective; I am 60 and play off a 6 handicap and generally play 2 to 3 rounds a week. 
 

As a point of reference; I hit my 8 iron 150 yards. 

 

I have played the Srixon ZX5 irons with UST Mamiya Recoil 760 ES SW F3 Shafts for some time and absolutely love them. Having played a lifetime of golf and having tried just about everything available out there; I can safely state these are the best irons I have ever had the privilege of gaming. 
 

Recently; I decided to buy the Srixon ZX5 Mark II’s expecting them to be a substantial upgrade to my old ZX5’s. The experience so far has been disappointing.

 

In all fairness I must point out that I decided to make a few adjustments to my set of ZX5 Mk II’s as compared to my ZX5’s.
 

I’m tall and hit the ball very high and with advancing age felt I was losing a bit of distance. Therefore, I decided to look for a shaft very similar to my previous set’s Recoils but with a lower trajectory whilst keeping an eye on torque. I also decided to order 1 degree stronger lofts to offset the distance loss. 
 

I settled on the UST Mamiya Recoil Dart F3 shafts which offered a similar weight profile and feel. 
 

The set was ordered with much enthusiasm and anticipation to my regular custom specs; ½ inch longer, 2 degrees upright and the 1 degree stronger lofts was the only change to the specs other than the shafts of course.

 

Unfortunately the enthusiasm has been severely stunted and the anticipation rewarded with extreme disappointment.
 

I have found the Mk II’s to be lifeless. The ZX5’s were alive. Compared to the ZX5’s the ZX5 Mk II’s have;

 

A distinct lack of feel. Where the ZX5’s feel buttery, the Mark II’s are clicky.

 

A shocking loss of distance on full shots on every iron.
 

Difficult to control distance and unreliable distance on anything less than a full shot. The ball sometimes explodes off the face whilst mostly clicking off on an unreliable trajectory. 

Unreliable shot profile and patterns. 
 

I initially felt that the changed set up and the shafts needed getting used to. Perhaps I was not loading the shafts with my standard smooth swing rhythm ? However, after many range sessions,  confirming swing speed and club head speed, several rounds, several opinions from fellow golfers who tried my irons; I feel my comments above are validated.