Gear: Srixon ZX Utility iron
Price: $219.99 each with UST Mamiya Recoil 95 graphite shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip
Specs: Hollow-bodied, forged 1020 carbon-steel body with SUP10 stainless steel face and a tungsten weight. Available as a 2-iron (18 degrees), 3-iron (20 degrees) and 4-iron (23 degrees).
Available: Jan. 15, 2021
Many golf club makers love to show off their latest technologies, making things such as moveable weights, exotic materials and unique design elements visible on the back of the club or in the sole. Srixon opted to take the opposite approach as it developed its newest driving iron, the ZX Utility iron. This club has a clean appearance yet it is loaded with features that can help good ballstrikers hit the ball farther and straighter off the tee.
In the address position, golfers will see that the ZX Utility iron has a relatively narrow topline, a moderate amount of offset and a short blade length.
What golfers can’t see is that the inside-facing portion of the SUP10 stainless steel face is covered by grooves, channels and cavities. Srixon calls the design MainFrame, and it was developed after engineers set up specific performance parameters in their computers and used artificial intelligence to simulate how thousands of different face designs worked. The result of that work is a hitting area that flexes efficiently on well-struck shots and also protects ball speed more effectively on mishits.
To further boost ball speed and distance, the ZX Utility iron is hollow, so the entire hitting area can flex more easily at the moment of impact.
To lower the center of gravity and encourage a higher launch, Srixon added high-density tungsten to the seam where the back and sole of the club meet. While it should help golfers hit higher shots, the ZX Utility iron’s ball flight should still be lower than a hybrid club’s, making it a good option for players who want to keep tee shots below the wind on firm courses.
