SRIXON has been rather quiet in the driver and iron world of late. Wouldn't you say, son?
The words of my father only two months ago, plucking an AD333 Tour from a fresh new sleeve I'd kindly given him for his birthday.
I winked. Because I'd seen a press release informing me of an upcoming embargo lift.
Fresh off testing the new Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 wedge and Srixon Z 545 driver at The Grove last week, it was onto the new Srixon Z Series iron family consisting of all-ability level Z 545 irons and better player Z 745 and Z 945 irons, the latter of which I can only describe as sexy-sleek-knife-like-bring-your-A-game-or-else irons.
More of the 945 to come soon, but for now, I want to concentrate on the 745 - an iron I believe will fit the broader range of player given it sits somewhere between the Tour-level 945 and game-improvement 545. If you're a decent ball striker playing off the high singles or low doubles, this one is for you.
These beautifully forged irons feature a muscle cavity design featuring a confidence-inspiring, thin topline and compact shape for a pleasing, traditional look that presents superb workability. It just gives you a little more playability than the 545s.
It also pleasingly, in similar fashion to the 545, provides you with much-needed forgiveness and gives you a little more 'look' behind the ball to help you strike the ball cleanly. It's not a blade like the 945 and it's not a maximum cavity back like the 545, it's somewhere in between, and for me, very much appeals.
Having tested all three irons, the 745 was by far the purest to hit. 545 felt and looked a little too bulky for me, while the 945 was too difficult to strike cleanly on a consistent basis.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have 945 on my arm and impress the boys, but it's well out my league and never going to bring me the X Factor. A bit like me attempting to date Cheryl Cole.
I love the turf interaction you get with the 745, aided by a newly developed Tour V.T Sole. Not only did it help me strike the ball cleanly from both bare and grassy lies but it also allowed me to consistently strike the ball down my intended target line. Srixon says 'by increasing leading bounce and decreasing trailing bounce, a 'V' is created in the sole profile to help tighten shot dispersion'. No accident then.
First Look: Srixon Z Series range
In fact, Srixon informed me during the presentation before my testing session that their leading Tour professionals have been raving about the crisp, consistent feel through impact the new sole provides.
There's also a tiny bit of offset, which although might not appeal to everyone, does a job when it comes to ball striking.
The 3-6 irons feature a strategically positioned tungsten weight in the toe to precisely tune sweet spot position for longer, more forgiving flight in the more difficult-to-hit mid and long irons. With the 6-iron, I was achieving consistently solid carry distances of around the 170-yard mark which was very pleasing. A little longer than my current setup, too.
The new range of Srixon irons also come packed with Double Laser Milling which increases surface roughness for additional spin and trajectory control in all conditions. This places two different laser milling patterns on the club face - one parallel to the grooves and another that's slightly angled.
In terms of the spin with the shorter irons, these are some of the most impressive on the market. Balls stop within a few feet of landing and slam on the breaks - testament to the high level of ball striking I was receiving throughout my testing session.
Verdict
I find it very difficult to find flaws in these irons. They've got a bit of everything with fresh new looks in the Srixon iron category, pure feel and very solid forgiveness, workability and distance.
The turf interaction achieved from the new V.T sole offers the slightly better player something very exciting and as an 8-handicapper, I'd be more than happy to stick these in the bag for 2015.
Not exactly cheap at 600 smackers but given the climate of price tags of premium irons for the new season, it's a steal.
Click this link for our review of the Srixon Z 545 irons
Click here for Srixon Z 745 iron owner reviews
