Equipment

Review: Srixon Z965, Z765 and Z565 irons

Published

10 years ago

Sep 19, 2016

Pros: Great distance, impressive looks and feel. The Z965, Z765 and Z565 irons can hang with any iron in their respective classes, and blend well in a mixed set. Unique Tour V.T. Soles improve turf interaction.

Cons: The differences between Srixon’s Z-65 and Z-45 iron models are subtle.

Who they’re for: Anyone can play Srixon’s Z965, Z765 and Z565 irons, buy they’ll perform best for low-to-mid handicappers.

The Review

When you think of popular irons and irons played on the PGA Tour, Srixon may actually be one of the last to come to mind. Surely you’d lead with Callaway, Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist, then think of more exotic irons like Mizuno or PXG. Just because they’re under the radar, however, doesn’t mean Srixon doesn’t make some of the best all-around irons in golf.

Srixon’s no-frills approach to iron-making is refreshing in today’s golf equipment climate. The company forges its irons from 1020 carbon steel, and offers three distinct models than can please anyone from traditionalists (Z965) to forged cavity-back enthusiasts (Z765) to distance- or forgiveness-seeking crowds (Z565). Each offers the premium, detail-oriented design serious golfers desire without breaking the $1100 barrier for an eight-piece, steel-shafted set.

0bd316911f70fbad83fddf96b2146de5

Their biggest flaw? Srixon’s Z965, Z765 and Z565 irons are very similar to the Z945, Z745 and Z545 irons they replace. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Z-45 series was well regarded in golf-equipment circles for its looks, feel and performance. The design of the Z-65 series falls into the bucket of “don’t mess with success,” but Srixon did make a few notable changes.

Srixon’s Tour V.T. Sole in a Z765 iron.

In terms of upgrades, each of this year’s Z-65 irons has Srixon’s new Tour V.T. Sole, which have a V shape to reduce turf interaction at impact, thereby improving energy transfer and consistency — especially on shots where golfers catch the grass before the ball. To further enhance the benefits of the Tour V.T. Soless, the company removed surface area around the heel and toe sections, and relief was added to backside of the sole as well.

It should be noted that because the Z965 (muscle backs), Z765 (cavity backs) and Z565 irons (game-improvement irons) each have different head shapes and sole widths, and the sole geometries are slightly different for each iron.

0db471459350485f3c9cb46d283174c9

Srixon also made the grooves in all of the irons 5 percent larger, increasing ball friction at impact to create more consistent launch and spin characteristics, especially in wet conditions. Let’s take a more in-depth look at each iron to find out which option may be right for you and your game.

Z565 Irons

393e78adc538f639814c8789b16b2358

While labeled game-improvement irons, the Z565s are decidedly smaller, and have thinner top lines and much less offset than what golfers might expect in the category. And they’re forged, too. It makes you wonder why they’re tagged as “game-improvement” at all… until you hit them on a launch monitor and uncover their freakish performance.

The Z565 irons have forged, 1020 carbon steel bodies, but also employ thin, SUP10 face inserts that allows their club faces to flex more at impact. You’ll also notice a hollow cavity that sits behind the club face that isn’t used in the design of the Z765 or Z965 irons. The construction improves forgiveness and ball speed, and raises launch angle.

fe0796354b93e891bd47fbbd6ac6049c

Surprisingly, you won’t notice much of a feel difference between the Z565 and the company’s smaller irons. Yes, the sound is slightly more hollow and higher-pitched, but it’s subtle. These are forged irons, and despite their thin club faces they deliver on forged feel — at least among game-improvement irons.

Again though, these irons aren’t just for double-digit handicappers. It’s quite common to find Z565 long and mid irons paired with either the company’s Z765 or Z965 irons in the bags of professional golfers and better golfers around the globe.

Let’s say you’re a 7-15 handicapper. There’s a good chance the Z565’s will satisfy your needs in terms of looks, sound and performance. As for any low handicappers or even Tour players out there, the Z565 irons can help you hit a few more par 5s in two, filling in distance or performance gaps at the lower end of your iron set.

Z765 or Z965? A tough call

148d7c421c799ad92e4fcab25665e00f

Low handicappers have a difficult decision to make between Srixon’s Z765 and Z965 irons. The Z965’s are musclebacks that are slightly more “workable,” as blade-lovers like to say. That’s another way of relaying that they’re smaller-sized irons that spin slightly more. Both irons, though, have similar profiles with little offset and thin top lines. Both also use Srixon’s Tour V.T. Soles, and utilize a new heat treatment to make the irons more durable.

A Srixon Z965 iron at address

For cavity-back players, the Z965 blades won’t be much smaller or more intimidating than the Z765 irons. For blade players, the Z765 won’t look clunky or have too much offset. Low, single-digit handicappers could really go either way, or create a brag-worthy mixed set. If you have the game, you can’t choose wrong. But of course, a proper fitting will help you make the best decision… and with that, we’re on to the numbers.

The Numbers

To test the performance of the Z965, Z765 and the Z565 irons, we took all three models to The Launch Pad at Carl’s Golfland in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where we tested Srixon’s new irons on Trackman with premium golf balls. We had two scratch players hit the 4, 7 and PW from each set, and the irons were built with stock lofts, lies, lengths, and Nippon’s Modus3 Tour 120X shafts.

All three 4 irons measured 38.5 inches in length and had 60.5-degree lie angles. The shafts were also the same, Nippon’s Modus3 Tour 120X, as were the grips.

All three 7 irons measured 37 inches in length and had 62-degree lie angles. The shafts were also the same, Nippon’s Modus3 Tour 120X, as were the grips.

All three 7 irons measured 35.5 inches in length and had 63.5-degree lie angles. The shafts were also the same, Nippon’s Modus3 Tour 120X, as were the grips.

It’s clear after testing that each of the irons offer distinct performance benefits, so you’ll certainly need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your game to make the best decision. Overall, we found that the flight produced by the Z965, Z765 and Z565 irons is “flatter,” or more boring than one could expect from other lines of irons on the market, making them less likely than others to balloon.

14395d0db260b5d7d612a4a387905110

In our test, the numbers show that Player 2, who has a slightly more shallow and slower swing speed, excelled more with the Z765 irons. Player 2, on the other hand, with a steeper and more aggressive move at the ball, found the blade irons to produce a tighter dispersion.

Both players relayed that the sole allowed them to be confident at impact, knowing that the club wouldn’t dig. The only concern is that “flippers,” or those with an early release, could have issues with the V-shaped sole due to its mass.

Notes from the numbers

The Z565 irons produced the most ball speed, highest launch angles, overall height and the least amount of spin almost across the board.
The Z965 irons generated the least amount of distance, ball speed and the most spin almost across the board.
Player 2 hit the Z765 4-iron and 7-iron longer than the same Z565 clubs by 1.6 yards and 4.5 yards, respectively.
Both players saw significant distance increases with the Z565 pitching wedge.

The Takeaway

Srixon’s new Z-65 iron series is everything you’d expect from the company after its successful and well-regarded release of its Z-45 series irons. The changes between old and new are minimal, however, so if you already have a set of Z-45 irons there’s little reason to upgrade.

That being said, if you’re in the market for new irons, know that Srixon’s Z965, Z765 and Z565 irons can hang with any iron in their respective categories. They deliver a blend of exceptional distance, impressive forgiveness and the tour-quality looks and sound better players demand. Regardless of what you pay, you’d be hard pressed to find a set of better premium, forged irons — especially if the Tour V.T. Soles are a match for your game.

See more photos, and what GolfWRX members are saying about the irons in our forums.

[wrx_retail_links productid=”106″]

[wrx_retail_links productid=”108″]

Related Topics:irons Srixon

Up Next

Cobra’s King OS Irons deliver “largest Sweet Zone ever”

Don't Miss

5 Show Stoppers from the 2016 PGA Fashion and Demo Experience in Vegas

GolfWRX Staff

We share your golf passion. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX, Facebook and Instagram.

27 Comments

Tyler

Apr 7, 2017 at 11:52 am

I wanted to mix a set of 565’s with 765’s but after hitting the short irons I just decided to go with a complete set of 565’s.

I love them. I don’t have as much time to play and practice but you would never know it. Feel is great. Launch and distance was just what i was looking for.

Great clubs. I like the fact that they fly below the radar of the Bigger Companies.

Reply Report comment
Drew

Jan 9, 2017 at 11:17 pm

I have hit the Z565 7 iron with the stock Nippon NS Pro 980 stiff steel shaft on the LM at my local Edwin Watts. I was shocked, at first, that the Z565’s are as crazy long as the review test result. When I went home, I looked up the lofts and it became clear why I was hitting a forged 7 iron as long as my Callaway X-Hot 7 iron. The lofts are very strong on the Callaway’s, and the Srixon’s have very similar strong lofts. I imagine the Nippon shaft is a better fit for my swing, which explains some of the carry distance. I am definitely going to get a set of Z565’s when I find a good used set on the market. The $1000.00 price tag is the only “down side” I can see for the Srixon iron set.

Reply Report comment
Tom Duckworth

Dec 1, 2016 at 9:36 pm

Absolutely beautiful clubs. I just wonder how much the Nippon shafts have to do with the flatter ball flight. That is kind of in the DNA of these shafts
Not saying anything against the shafts I like them I have Nippon Modus 3 105s in my FG Tour V2s.
The testers got some big numbers with them. I’m looking forward to trying them.
It’s hard to find them however.
We have a club fitter here in KC that sells Miura, Epon, Ben Hogans, PXG and other high end clubs. I think it says something about Srixon that they carry them as well.

Reply Report comment
Tom

Oct 17, 2016 at 4:44 pm

Nice to see the stats that beat MP series.

Reply Report comment
Mark

Sep 20, 2016 at 9:40 pm

Chuffing V sole again. And 156 with a wedge? Dream On…..cue Aerosmith!

Reply Report comment
Jack

Sep 20, 2016 at 3:51 am

I love how these scratch players hit it as far as Dustin Johnson.

Reply Report comment
- BoomCannon
  
  Sep 20, 2016 at 10:26 am
  
  He’s a short knocker on these forums.
  
  Reply Report comment
- carlsheen
  
  Sep 20, 2016 at 3:03 pm
  
  And?
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jim
  
  Sep 23, 2016 at 12:37 am
  
  You’d be surprised. We are on a regular basis. New Epon 703 – yeah, strong loft, but so well engineered w undercut channel cavity, low COG so produces perfect 8 iron launch & flight.
  
  3 hcp, 5’10, athletic college Hockey player & golfer on Trackman: 92mph, 36.75″ Epon 703 8 iron with 6.5 Proj X 18° launch 135 ball speed 5500 rpm (all avg) 6 hits – all over 200 carry. 208 longest…
  
  Reply Report comment
Tyler

Sep 19, 2016 at 5:02 pm

From my personal experience with these irons (745), I feel that the sound of these irons are sub par. Hitting multiple manufactures golf balls, they seemed to have a real hollow click. Now for me personally since sound and feel go hand and hand, the perception is that they were cheap despite the looks. I compared them side by side with Mizuno irons (MP54, H5) and there was a noticeable difference in feel sound and performance all going to Mizuno….and trust me I WANTED to like these iron, a lot !

Reply Report comment
- Tyler
  
  Sep 19, 2016 at 5:06 pm
  
  Correction (765)
  
  Reply Report comment
Dansrixon

Sep 19, 2016 at 4:56 pm

“When you think of popular irons and irons played on the PGA Tour, Srixon may actually be one of the last to come to mind. Surely you’d lead with Callaway, Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist, then think of more exotic irons like Mizuno or PXG. Just because they’re under the radar, however, doesn’t mean Srixon doesn’t make some of the best all-around irons in golf.”

If you don’t think about Srixon irons on the PGA Tour it is only because you are not paying attention. 6 wins this season, that is more than Mizuno and PXG combined. More than Ping as well. Srixon may be lacking in marketing but not in Tour validation. Interestingly, 4 of those wins had Srixon irons in the runner ups bag not to mention numerous other runner ups, like at the US open.

I get Srixon being under the radar for marketing reasons but they are right behind the big three on tour, with a much smaller budget. Mizuno has not been relevant on the PGA Tour in a decade. Srixon has always struggled with the marketing side of the game, but Tour validation is stronger than ever. And that is just talking about the irons…not even talking golf balls.

Reply Report comment
- Justin
  
  Sep 20, 2016 at 11:44 am
  
  Sadly, marketing is all that seems to matter these days. The only thing Srixon spends marketing money on is golf balls. I wish more people knew how good they were, but they probably never will
  
  Reply Report comment
  - carlsheen
    
    Sep 20, 2016 at 3:06 pm
    
    Agreed. Thanks for places like this that produce reviews for the game and not for the $$$. 10 years of letting the members say what is on their mind and supporting us is what it is all about.
    
    Reply Report comment
Dave C

Sep 19, 2016 at 3:52 pm

What does “will utilize a new heat treatment to make the irons more durable” mean for feel? Well this treatment solve the bag chatter observed in the 745 line?

Reply Report comment
Nath

Sep 19, 2016 at 3:44 pm

Here here, half az melenials

Reply Report comment
Ezra

Sep 19, 2016 at 1:15 pm

Hi there, lovely set! I can google the specs but it would be great to add them in the article IMO…

Reply Report comment
ooffa

Sep 19, 2016 at 12:17 pm

Very nice advertisement

Reply Report comment
foo

Sep 19, 2016 at 11:33 am

Every review is 5 out of 5 stars. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a rating at all.

Reply Report comment
Warwick

Sep 19, 2016 at 11:32 am

Great article. Which smart ar*e checks lofts, lie and length? You just see how it goes for goodness sake.

Reply Report comment
- Joshuaplaysgolf
  
  Sep 19, 2016 at 3:22 pm
  
  Because every company has tolerances for theses things. Titleist is +/-1* for loft. You should always have these things checked to make sure they are correct and fitted to your specifications. For the purpose of testing, it ensures it’s a consistent test with the labeled loft, lies, and lengths actually being the specifics the clubs are labeled as.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Scooter McGavin
    
    Sep 19, 2016 at 4:43 pm
    
    If Titleist’s tolerance is +/- 1* that’s news to me. Even when we had custom sets come in, they were frequently off by 2 or 3 degrees. We would rarely get a set that was good when it was received. Just to reinforce your point though about checking/adjusting them when you get them.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jim
      
      Sep 21, 2016 at 1:21 am
      
      I CAN TOTALLY VOUCH FOR SHOOTER ON THIS! we check every custom OEM order, and 4/5 times a couple clubs need adjustment. Even all our ‘off the rack’ sales get double checked & tweaked.
      
      “Industry Spec’s +/- 2°”
      Nike’s were friggin terrible! crooked hosel bores, head weights off 4-5 grams…Mizuno hosels so loose the shafts need to be dimpled…
      
      Truth is, most of our ‘beloved’ major OEM’s pretty much suck compared to smaller batch very tight tolerance Japanese offerings. Srixon really made a big step with the ‘500’ series in – ’08/09? 506,s… Great clubs, Drivers were hot too. Did have a ‘quirky’ feel. Solid, but like someone else described a ‘click’ – you might expect more from a ball than the head…There’s a lot of great product over there! Bridgestone, Honma, Maruman, ON/OFF (formerly Diawa) – of course Epon & Miura….
      
      “Nice ad” (??) some folks are truly lost. If it ain’t TM (the largest producer of CRAP) or Titleist, it must be bogus
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Tmoney
        
        Dec 19, 2016 at 12:28 pm
        
        I disagree. Mizuno has been right on when I’ve ordered them. I put them up there as one of the best. The only irons Ive sent back were Callaway’s for length adjustments that were off.
        
        Reply Report comment
TCJ

Sep 19, 2016 at 11:06 am

Any love for us lefties with the Z965?

Reply Report comment
Topic_Monitor

Sep 19, 2016 at 10:57 am

Please respect fellow members and article authors. Thank You

Reply Report comment
spelling b

Sep 19, 2016 at 9:16 am

MSmizzle agreed with you…now let’s work on your typing…

Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

Putters that never made it: Check out some of the best tour builds that didn’t make the cut

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Alistair Cameron

Arguably, the best perk of being a professional golfer on the PGA Tour is the ability to request or even just be handed pretty much any club you could think of. It happens more often than you think, usually with putters around the practice green from one event to the next. Come Wednesday, the Tour bags lining the edge of the putting surface become resting places for fallen flatsticks that never made the cut.

So let’s take a look at some of the best we’ve seen out on Tour this year that never made it to the competition. (You may notice none of Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Scotty Cameron putters made this list. There are too many.)

Let’s start with this custom Damascus Milled Odyssey Rossie made for Ryo Hisatsune. Featuring a single line and the short-slant hossel, we’ve seen plenty of Number 7 and jailbird heads featuring the Damascus Milled insert, but this is the first and only one we’ve spotted in a Rossie. Hisatsune primarily putts with an Odyssey Black Series iX #9, but we have seen him recently with a TaylorMade TP Collection SOTO, so there could be potential that the Damascus Milled Rossie could end up in the bag.

Everyone wants to be Cameron Young right now. We’ve had Justin Thomas and Tom Hoge both game the Scotty Cameron 9.5R prototype. Well, for the PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka nearly joined that list after requesting the same style of putter, with the full-length alignment line. But the Scotty Cameron reps took the request a step further and made one specially for Koepka with a Teryllium insert, similar to one in his previous Newport 2 gamers. The reason why this one didn’t go into play, though? Because it was too heavy.

Harry Hall was the third-best putter on Tour last year, so when Bettinardi made him a custom proto, you know it was going to be good. The custom BB28 blade features VDF face milling, a custom-welded single-bend shaft, and the owner’s initials – HH – on the sole of the putter. Hall, who usually games an Odyssey O-Works #7 W, has dabbled with a TaylorMade Spider Tour X already this year. Maybe there’s a chance this Bettinardi might make his bag.

Honestly, this one doesn’t need a description. It’s Kieth Mitchell’s custom Scotty Cameron Napa. One Scotty Cameron face stamp, two Scotty Dogs, two Scotty Cameron 7-Point Crowns and one Circle T. That is all. Oh, except for the Cashmere Cameron headcover.

Finally, and just for fun, how about we pour one out for this TaylorMade Spider Tour X made for Scottie Scheffler in its new torched finish. It’s unlikely we’ll see a putter change anytime soon from the best golfer in the world. In fact, he hit just two putts with it on the Harbour Town practice before going back to his trusty gamer.

Whats in the Bag

Patrick Reed WITB 2026 (May)

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 M.S.I. 70 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X

7-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Irons: Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 Tour Rack (52-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-08M), SM11 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 Tour Prototype

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

See more photos of Patrick Reed’s clubs here.

Equipment

Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been discussing their favorite major winning irons used by Tiger Woods. WRXer ‘golferdude54’ kicks off the thread saying:

“Mizuno MP 14/29. Titleist 681T. Nike Forged Blades. TaylorMade P7TW.

Among these irons that helped Tiger win 15 majors, which is your favorite in terms of looks?”

And our members have been naming their favorites and why in response.

Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

SwingBlade: “I prefer the early blades he played and the more recent TM TW’s especially because after Tiger had his major behavioral setbacks, part of Nikes support payback was making Tiger play a Nike putter and cease using his beloved uniquely customized Scotty putter.”
ProjectX: “This (Nike Forged Blades) and there’s not even a close second.”

Entire Thread: “Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss”