50 Words or Less
The Srixon ZXi5 irons are incredibly impressive. An arguably unrivaled blend of great looks, sound, and feel with strong game improvement performance.
Introduction
I usually try to come up with some kind of modestly clever introduction, but I’m just going to jump in here: the Srixon ZXi5 irons are well on their way to being my favorite game improvement iron of 2025. I’m impressed with every aspect of this club, so let’s get to it.
Looks
The Srixon ZXi5 irons make an impression from the minute you unbox them. There are interesting angles everywhere on this club, from the sole to the cavity, but the look has been cleaned up from the overly busy ZX5 Mk II [review HERE]. Srixon allows that geometry to speak for itself, pushing all the branding into the toe. Limiting the paint fill to black and white furthers the classy, timeless look. Also, the finish is outstanding – it straddles the line between a dull matte and a thin chrome that shows every scuff and scratch.
The address look of the Srixon ZXi5 irons is a huge part of their appeal for me. Srixon calls these players distance irons, but I think they could be simply called players irons. They’re on the thick side of that category, certainly, but I think the argument can be made. If you don’t want to go that far, then the ZXi5 irons are the best looking game improvement irons I can think of. The top lines and blade lengths are moderate, and there’s only a modest amount of offset (roughly 0.5 mm more than the ZXi7 irons).
Above, you can see the Srixon ZXi5 next to the ZXi4 (left). If you want to see all the ZXi irons and their specs, Srixon has an outstanding chart HERE, but there are two things on the chart that don’t match what my eyes see. Srixon’s chart says that the top lines of the ZXi4, ZXi5, and ZXi7 are all the same, and that the offset specs are almost identical. I’ve looked at the ZXi4 and ZXi5 side by side, and I am 100% convinced the top line of the ZXi5 is thinner and that it has less offset.
There are probably ways for Srixon and me to both to be right, related to the measurement techniques and the impact of the club’s shape. Regardless, I think there is a noticeable difference between the two models, but the transition is smooth enough that you could combo the two sets easily.
Sound & Feel
The look of the Srixon ZXi5 irons got me intrigued, but the sound and feel really put me over the edge. My first shot felt great – soft and crisp. Then I looked down and realized it wasn’t close to the center. “Wow,” I thought, “if the toe feels that good, I can’t wait to feel the sweet spot.” When I did hit the center, the feel was even better: it’s softer and deeper – a better connection from your hands to the ball.
Striking a premium ball creates a crisp “thud.” That sounds a little contradictory, but the sound never gets click-y or snappy. Good shots have a rich quality to the tone that does dissipates slightly when you hit the toe or heel.
Performance
Having fallen in love with the looks, sound, and feel, I started looking at the launch monitor data thinking to myself, “Don’t you screw this up!” Thankfully, the Srixon ZXi5 irons have the performance to back up their amazing subjective qualities.
Srixon promotes the ZXi5 as players distance irons (I don’t love that designation; I’ll continue to think of them as game improvement), so let’s start with the ball speed. Throughout the set, the ZXi5 produced strong ball speed that was remarkably consistent. Looking purely at the ball speed numbers, you’d think I was a much more skilled ball striker than I am. Consistency is going to be the big theme of this section, and it’s why I think so highly of these irons.
Turning to launch and spin, the Srixon ZXi5 irons are mid to mid-high. This is another reason why I dislike the “players distance” designation for them – I associate that category with irons that launch and spin low because they’re focused purely on winning the launch monitor battle. Turning back to that theme of consistency, I was really impressed with how robust the launch and spin were from pure strikes to poor ones. Thin shots flew a little lower, but they weren’t worm burners. The predictability of the ball flight was excellent.
Despite being forgiving and consistent, the Srixon ZXi5 irons have a lot of appeal to the better player. Not only do they look, sound, and feel great, they’re workable, too. This is thanks in no small part to the Tour V.T. Sole which makes the club feel almost like a blade in the turf.
Finally, Srixon continues to push the idea of combo sets with the ZXi line. The ZXi5 irons are at the heart of these sets because you can combo up or down. Better players may use the ZXi7 in the scoring irons and ZXi5 in the long irons. Players who want more help can use the ZXi5 in the scoring irons and ZXi4 in the long irons.
If I’m being totally honest, I think the Srixon ZXi5 irons are so good they almost negate the need for a combo set. I felt like the ZXi5 gave me all the forgiveness I needed in the long irons with plenty of control and touch in the short irons. But, of course, that’s just my opinion, and you should work with your fitter to build your ideal set.
Conclusion
Whether you classify them as players distance or game improvement, the Srixon ZXi5 irons have set the bar very high for the rest of the class of 2025. You will be hard pressed to find another iron this consistent that looks and feel this good.
Visit Srixon HERE
Srixon ZXi5 Irons Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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22 Comments
Hi Matt!
As someone with a shallow attack angle I worry that the VT sole creates too much bounce and shots can be thin. Some reviewers have even mentioned to be mindful of that when trying Srixon. Did you find that to be a concern, or could it be a concern for sweepers? Love your reviews, and thank you!
Brian,
No, I didn’t experience that, and I have a shallow angle of attack. Frankly, I’m rather surprised by that concern – the V.T. Sole makes the sole play thinner, not wider. I’d be much more concerned (and have had issues with) a “normal” game improvement sole.
Best,
Matt
Hi, how do these compare to the mk ii’s for feels and performance? Is it worth to upgrade from the zx5 mk ii’s to the zxi5? Really love me zx5!
Sander,
We have a full review of the Mk II here: https://pluggedingolf.com/srixon-zx5-mk-ii-irons-review/
-Matt
I watched a True Spec review of a robotic testing and the new model flew 3 yards longer primarily due to a lower ball flight, otherwise the numbers were almost identical. I’d save my money and stay with the MarkII.
Matt you’re really helping in build me set for 2025. Another awesome review.
Thanks!
Great review Matt, how did the low/miss hits feel? Was there much vibration?
Wayne,
I equate “vibration” with stinging or shock. I would not say there’s much or any vibration on thin strikes.
-Matt
I’ve been gaming a 5/7 combo set of the MkII for the past year and a half and just went with a full set of the Zxi5. When I’m striping them on the range, nothing beats the feel of the 7 series, but on off days on the course I miss the extra forgiveness of the 5’s.
Only two rounds so far, but I really am not missing the 7’s in the scoring irons. Hitting the Zxi5 higher (with the same shaft) and with seemingly just as much spin. They do look fatter in the bag (sad face emoji) but from the playing position they seem perfectly compact and pleasing.
To concur with Matt’s comment about the soles: I have read the same comments/criticisms and, likewise, they never made much sense to me. The whole point of the V-sole is to make the sole play thinner. The ZXi5 PW in particular looks real chonky in the bag for its category, but I have had no issues with crisp contact into and out of the turf with it.
To another commenter’s question, the Zxi5 feel noticeably softer/better to me than the Zx5 MkII did. I’d go so far as to say the Zxi5 scoring irons feel very similar to the Mk II 7-series. Performance wise, I only had the ZX5 MkII in 4-6 iron, and the Zxi5 4-6 irons seem to be hitting the same on-course distances.
It would be great to compare these with the Ping G440 irons. Both, along with the JPX Hot Metals, are pushing the GI irons into a better looking zone while still providing the help most of us want in this type of iron. Nice review and nice club too.
Jim,
We have a review of the G440 irons in the works. Early reports are that the performance is outstanding.
Looks are subjective, but I’d argue that the JPX Hot Metal irons aren’t making GI better looking.
-Matt
Great review Matt. Do you know where Srixon is forging their irons presently? They used to be forged by Endo but I heard last year from a fitter they now have their own forging house. Thanks…
Bob,
I don’t know.
Best,
Matt
If you see the zxi5 as a game improvement iron, does that mean you see the zxi7 as more of a players distance iron as opposed to a pure players iron?
Conor,
I think of the ZXi7 as a players iron.
-Matt
Tried several irons and recently got fitted for the ZXi5s. Looks, sound and feel were terrific for this sweeper but the performance exceeded all of those. Everything I was hoping for…now only if this snow would melt
Thanks for another great review Matt.
I’ve got one round and a little range time on my set built to my specs. Went ZXi4 on the 5 iron and then ZXi5 6-GW. I agree with your assessment Matt. At first glance I was a bit taken back by the size as the soles are a bit more game improvement than they looked on the Website. However, I quickly came to my senses as a mid capper and said this is exactly what I need! It’s early in the honeymoon but I don’t see an annulment in my future!
Love the look of these irons. Could a 25 handicap index enjoy playing them? Are they too demanding?
Steve,
I’m not in the business of telling people they can’t play certain clubs based on their handicap, but I would definitely recommend that a 25 handicap test these before buying. If you are used to bigger clubs where the lower CG does more of the work for you, these could be a tough transition.
Bet,
Matt
Hi Matt – Love the reviews? Do you have one coming for the Zxi4? I found it interesting that you mentioned you wouldn’t recommend last year’s ZX4 MKii for a high handicap. Curious if they’ve made improvements in the ZXi4 that make the new iteration better geared towards a higher handicap.
Tyson,
Yes, I have a ZXi4 review that will be up in the next month or two.
Best,
Matt