Srixon Z-Forged Irons Review – Are They Forgiving? What Handicap Are They For?

Srixon Z-Forged Irons Review – Are They Forgiving? What Handicap Are They For?

“Srixon irons have become highly-coveted among skilled players because of their traditional Japanese forging and superior performance.”

Srixon irons also tend to incorporate innovative sole grinds and features that aren’t so common among Japanese manufacturers. Today we will be taking a look at the Srixon Z-Forged irons and assessing what handicap range they are best for.

Srixon Z-Forged Irons Overview

“The Srixon Z-Forged irons are forged from a single billet of 1029 soft carbon steel.”

Right away, I could tell that these irons were soft – a bit too soft in fact. The impact of the ball felt a bit “clinky” against the face and the feedback was actually a bit muted because of the soft feel. But maybe that had to do more with the fact that I was using low compression balls for this particular test.

In any case, the Srixon Z-Forged irons have a feel that is very in-line with Japanese forged irons. What I really liked about them though was the V-sole. The V-shaped sole thins out near the heel which saves a lot of weight. Even as the sole widens out as it stretches towards the toe, it’s not chunky by any means. Off the turf, I was leaving very modest divots and felt that I couldn’t chunk even if I wanted to.

Off the tee, I was getting the expected distance. The 7-iron was producing an average of 161.4 carry yards which is about what I get from my gamer irons. So there isn’t much to write home about in terms of distance. The workability is another story. The control I had over these irons was simply phenomenal.

I was able to hit the gentlest cuts and sweeping fades with these irons at will. Draws were a breeze as well. The natural launch (when you hit the ball face-center) is middling. But I even found that it was relatively easy to get the short irons a bit higher in the air for softer landings on the green.

Of course, when I needed a straight shot down the gut of the fairway, the Srixon Z-Forged irons obliged. Basically, I was able to hit any type of shot shape off of any semi-decent lie.

The Srixon Z-Forged are traditional muscle back blades. The muscle back looks pretty cool because it’s not a straight line reaching from heel to toe. Instead, it’s a curved line that adds some pizazz. The offset is minimal and the Srixon Z-Forged irons come with a stock steel Nippon NS Pro Modus Tour 120 shaft.

Are the Srixon Z-Forged Irons Forgiving?

“You have to mind your P’s and Q’s with these irons.”

While the Srixon Z-Forged irons aren’t the least forgiving irons on the market, you still have to be careful. There is minimal offset even in the long irons and the blade length isn’t very long. The shaping overall is very traditional and in-line with average bladed muscle backs.

The top line is thin and sharp which looks great if you’re used to bladed irons. Thinning the ball or hitting it too heavy wasn’t a problem so long as I was careful with my swing. Heel-side mis-hits were producing even more spin than face-center strikes though (remember that as bladed muscle back irons, they are naturally going to produce a lot of spin).

Toe-side mis-hits weren’t punished as harshly. When you hit face-center, you get really good ball speed so in that sense, they are forgiving. But when you miss face-center the ball speed drops off quite a bit. Overall I would say that if you’re looking for a forgiving set of irons, the Srixon Z-Forged irons may not be the best option.

Should You Buy the Srixon Z-Forged or the Srixon ZX4 MK II Irons?

“If you are looking for more playability, the ZX4 MKII irons may be more up your ally.”

The Srixon ZX4 MK II irons have a cast design but a forged face insert. And while they don’t feel as soft as the Srixon Z-Forged irons, the difference is minimal. The MK II irons are also multi-piece irons with hollow body designs. This makes them really good in terms of distance.

Overall the MK II irons were easier to pluck off the turf and easier to square up with off the tee than the Srixon Z-Forged irons. They also launch higher. The profile of the MK II irons is also a bit larger than the Srixon Z-Forged irons so higher handicappers will likely have a better time finding face-center with them.