Srixon ZX MKII Utility

The Srixon ZX MKII Utility iron was developed to match the ZX5 MKII and ZX7 MKII irons and fits seamlessly with these Srixon irons. It is available as 2, 3 and 4 irons with 18°, 20° and 23° lofts. In both right-handed and left-handed versions. Since the Srixon Utility is made of soft steel, it can be easily adjusted in terms of loft and lie without leaving any marks. You can therefore perfectly match it to your iron set and adjust the gaps between irons and woods accordingly.

The Srixon ZX Utility is a "hollow construction" iron. This type of construction makes it possible to build exactly the desired characteristics into the iron head. Such a driving iron should not only allow high ball speeds, but also provide a high MOI and launch at the same time. Srixon succeeds in this despite the relatively compact design. The club head is relatively small and the face is not particularly long (for a driving iron). On the other hand, the head is relatively deep and the sole is wide, enabling a center of gravity far behind the ball.

Visually, the Srixon ZX Utility hardly differs from the ZX5, ZX7 and especially ZX4 irons. Therefore, it is ideal to be combined with just these. The shaft selection is also identical to the Srixon irons, so you can match it wonderfully with just those.

The technology in the Srixon Utility is similar to the Srixon ZX4. The so-called "Main Frame" is crucial here. This is a clubface that has been optimized on the basis of countless artificial tests. Artificial intelligence is used to determine how the clubface maximizes ball speed for a typical amateur strike pattern, but at the same time keeps it relatively constant.

The Srixon ZX Utility is great as a driving iron off the tee, but can also be used to address greens thanks to its high launch. It is particularly suitable for players who have difficulty with hybrids and want more of an iron feel.

Srixon ZX Utility Lofts and Specs

ZX Utility Review and Test

Actually, the demand for so-called "driving irons" is at a record high. And yet there are only a few manufacturers who actually have such clubs in their product range. While hybrids are now available in a wide variety of versions, you won't find driving irons from many manufacturers. Fortunately, Srixon is different and offers a very classic driving iron with the ZX Utility. Classic means that it fulfils the actual purpose of this type of club. The characteristics are quickly explained: such an iron should be easier to play and more forgiving of mistakes than a standard iron. That means higher ball speeds, more launch, higher MOI and a larger clubface.

The look of the ZX Utility

One thing has to be said right away: the Srixon ZX Utility is relatively compact and a bit more compact than most other driving irons on the market. It is also very classic and "tidy" - you can see practically nothing of the actual technology. The look reminds us a little of the Honma TR21 X, which would be categorised as a game improvement iron. Especially compared to the Honma TW747 Driving Iron, the ZX Utility is very compact. The sole is thinner and the clubface shorter. It doesn't give the impression that you can't miss the ball at all and the ZX Utility ranks more with the Srixon ZX 5 and ZX 7 irons. In other words, it is perfectly suited as a replacement for the long irons of these series and is also visually matched exactly to them.

The performance of the Srixon Driving Iron

To be honest, the appearance is secondary. What counts in the end is the performance. And here the ZX Utility surprises us somewhat in two respects: the launch is a little bit flatter than expected and the spin a little lower than on competitor utilities. Neither has to be a disadvantage, you just have to know how to classify this result.

We would have expected a slightly higher launch because the Srixon ZX5 performs extremely well in this respect. The ZX5 is certainly one of the best irons for 2021 in terms of launch. The ZX Utility does its job, of course, but it's not like the launch is much higher than a comparable ZX5 iron.

A flatter launch also means more control. And besides, it is a value that can easily be changed with the shaft. In this respect, a fitting is advisable here, or rather the tendency is to select a shaft that allows a higher launch. The big advantage of the ZX Utility is of course that it is made of soft steel and can be bent accordingly. We can therefore change the loft at any time if necessary.

The spin values can also be manipulated somewhat and this value does not necessarily surprise us. Because the Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 irons are not "spin monsters" either. They are rather on the low side in terms of spin. Low spin means above all potential in terms of length, which is why the ZX Utility is also perfect as an iron off the tee.

Feel

The feel with the ZX Utility is basically comparable to the ZX5. It feels soft, the feedback is not necessarily direct and you feel as little as possible of all the technology that is in the iron. Which is a very good thing in our opinion. Sweetspot hits don't feel quite as soft as the Honma TW747 or the Miura ICL. In our opinion, the ZX Utility finds an ideal compromise between soft feel and feedback.

Our recommendation for the ZX Utility

We can make it short: the Srixon ZX Utility convinces and surprises at the same time. It is definitely one of the best driving irons on the market for 2021 and there is no reason to hide from the big western manufacturers. On the contrary, in our opinion Srixon has the advantage of a very good selection of shafts, especially in the area of medium graphite shafts.

The iron is perfect as a direct replacement for long irons and anyone who has problems with these irons should consider this one. The ZX Utility is indeed the ideal iron off the tee thanks to controllable launch and low spin. This only has the limitation that hitting greens is of course a bit more difficult than with a hybrid, for example. But that's the usual compromise you have to make, which we discuss in our article "Driving Iron vs. Hybrid".

About Srixon Golf

There is hardly a manufacturer in the golf industry with a longer history. As early as the 1930s, Srixon was a leader in the development of golf balls. In the 1960s Srixon was taken over by Sumitomo Rubber Industries and with the appropriate partnerships it was possible to develop their golf balls further. For example, Srixon had a large share in the famous Balata balls and today holds over 800 patents. No wonder that Srixon still produces some of the best golf balls today.

Srixon is committed to the highest standards of precision and is not afraid to try anything to get an advantage, no matter how small. Although Srixon started to develop golf clubs much later, it soon became apparent that Srixon also had a very good command of this craft. So it was also possible to launch the XXIO Hot Driver - Srixon's sister brand - one of the longest drivers on the market. Already in 2006 more than 200 tour professionals were signed and convinced by Srixon equipment. Among these players were Jim Furyk and Henrik Stenson. Today, the figureheads of Srixon are mainly Graeme McDowell, Shan Lowry and Keegan Bradley.

With the new ZX Series it is clear that Srixon has mastered the latest technology not only in balls but also in clubs. The new driver, for example, is considered a particularly "hot potato" by experienced club fitters. Srixon no longer needs to hide from anyone even in the "high-tech" driver market.

When it comes to irons, Srixon has always been able to rely on Japanese forging technology. The Srixon ZX7 are forged from one piece. The ZX5 and ZX Utility, on the other hand, incorporate a little more technology. But this is exactly what is required for the performance of these clubs.