Srixon ZX7 Vs. Mizuno Pro 225 Irons Comparison Overview

Srixon may not be the first name you think of when you think of a premium player’s performance forged iron. However, the Srixon ZX7 irons certainly made an impression on us when we have tested them in the past.

Today though, we are going to share our experience with you when we gave the ZX7 irons their toughest test yet; going up against the Mizuno Pro 225 irons. Which iron came out on top? Find out in the following comparison overview

Srixon ZX7 Irons Overview

The Srixon ZX7 irons sport a single-piece forging construction but with a cavity built into the head.

The cavity allows for more mass to be re-positioned behind the sweet spot. We noticed that this feature allowed for a very affirming, satisfying feel when you pured the ball. The ZX7’s body is made from 1020 carbon steel so overall, they have a soft feel.

The ZX7’s are also perimeter weighted which gave them a nice balance an increased their overall forgiveness. Still, these irons have a thin top line, short blade and narrow sole so don’t worry about them being unworkable.

Around the pin, the deep grooves in the face of the scoring irons allowed for acute spin control. In fact, the only area in which we were disappointed was consistency. The ZX7’s lack consistent responsiveness depending on the area of the face you make contact with.

Mizuno Pro 225 Irons Overview

On the other hand, the Mizuno Pro 225 irons are incredibly consistent thanks to a grain flow forged chromoly face and neck.

Distances were predictable to within 5 yards, launch was consistent and spin rates were kept in check in the long irons. While the Mizuno Pro 225 irons also have a hollow head design, they were just more consistent for some reason.

It felt like the Srixon ZX7 irons just had too many moving parts. Maybe it’s the additional tungsten weighting but the ZX7’s seemed to impart more variables into the impact equation. The Mizuno Pro 225’s felt solid, soft and performed well around the pin.

That being said, the ZX7’s played slightly longer than the Mizuno Pro 225 irons.

It would be hard to ignore all the benefits of the Mizuno Pro 225’s in favor of the slight distance gain you get from the Srixon ZX7’s. So, at least for our money, the Mizuno Pro 225’s are the better buy.

Mizuno Pro 225 Irons – First Impressions

With all the hype about these irons, let’s chat about the technology Mizuno have pumped into them.

Like the rest of the Pro range, the Mizuno Pro 225 irons are Grain Flow forged, the face and neck are forged, what is unique about Mizuno is all of their clubs are made in the factory in Hiroshima – Japan, since 1968.

Since 2018 Mizuno have introduced a microlayer of copper underneath Nickel Chrome, this gives you the purest, softest feel we have all come to know and love from Mizuno.

This iron actually has a combination of two forging techniques, the 2-8 iron uses the Grain Flow Forged 4135 Chromoly Face & Neck technique, it also has a COR Forged Hollow Body 28.5g Tungsten weight this gives the iron its unique look as well as producing a higher launch, more consistent flight and incredible ball speed.

The 9-PW has a 1025E pure select mild carbon steel structure, this enhances precision and a more penetrating flight, this helps with the scoring irons, allowing you to attack even the tightest of flags.

Now after all this we were extremely excited to get these onto the range, and let’s be honest there it was love at first sight.

When we put the club down behind the ball we expected a tiny looking head, but we were wrong. Not overly big, but perfect. It was the right amount of thickness to give you confidence.

When we started hitting balls we could instantly see some increase in ball speed, as well as forgiveness. These were for sure not a blade.

We were surprised how workable these are, usually when a club is as forgiving as this, you lose workability, but we were able to hit fades and draws, as well as high and low on demand.

Another issue with the hollow body construction club is you get what they call a ‘hot shot’, this is when the ball flies 10/15 yards further when struck well, now this may sound great, but if you fly the ball into a bunker unexpectedly, then it is not at all. We did not get any of these so called ‘hot shots’, a few flew around 5 yards further, but that can be expected with any iron.

This Mizuno Pro 225 is high launching and forgiving while looking exactly like a blade at address and in your bag.

Srixon ZX7 Irons – First Impressions

I think with Srixon changing their lineup so drastically, let’s chat about the technology they have put into the ZX7 irons before we get into our first impressions.

The Srixon ZX7 irons are what they call a Tour Cavity, they have repositioned the weight in the head to maximize the sweet spot, most of the weight has been moved towards the perimeter, this increases forgiveness and makes the sweet spot bigger. It also gives the ZX7 a soft feel at impact with increased workability.

Srixon have changed the groove pattern in the ZX7 irons, the grooves in the 8 irons through to the PW are sharper, narrower, and deeper, this will give you much more spin and stopping power on approach shots into the green, allowing you to attack the flags more than ever.

V-Shaped soles are an absolute game changer in the ZX7 irons, the specifically designed sole helps the club glide smoothly through the turf, even when you strike the ball poorly. This is one of the key technologies making the irons more forgiving.

To make this iron the ultimate player’s iron, Srixon have added a Tungsten in the toe of ZX7 irons in the long and mid irons (3 iron to 7 iron), the Tungsten will increases MOI giving you more stability, while the forged 1020 Carbon Steel body decreases vibrations for an incredibly soft feel.

From previous years we were a bit skeptical about testing these irons, as soon as we opened the box that all changed. The ZX7 irons look freshed, the sharp lines and small head shape looked incredible.

Srixon have done an unbelievable job here. The irons were incredibly soft off the face, and the ball flight was amazing, almost looking like they penetrated through the air.

Forgiveness wise, we were very surprised. Miss struck shots still flew well, and the clubs slid through the turf with ease.

We were most impressed with the workability and consistency of these irons, exactly what a low handicap player would be looking for. Rarely did we get a ‘flyer’ and the way we were able to hit shot shapes with ease was phenomenal.

All in all we will give Srixon an A+ with regards to the ZX7 irons.

Mizuno Pro 225 Irons Selling Points

Multi forged construction, giving you precise performance in every iron
Microlayer of copper enhances feel and sound
Blade like look, but with game improvement performance
9-PW are more compact allowing you to be more precise
Looks and feels like your traditional Mizuno iron

Srixon ZX7 Irons Selling Points

Multi forged construction, increasing workability and forgiveness
V-Shaped sole helps with turf interaction
It has a blade look, with cavity back performance
Sharper, narrower, and deeper grooves in the 8 iron to PW
3 iron to 7 iron has Tungsten in the toe to help increase MOI

Who Are the Mizuno 225 Irons For?

They are aimed at your mid to low handicap player, however it is such a versatile iron, as it has premium looks, workability and forgiveness. We can see a beginner with some talent or a low handicap player looking for some distance play this iron too.

For those low handicap players that want a little more workability in their lower irons, and forgiveness in their longer irons, going with a combo set could really be a great option. We suggest getting fitted by your local pro or nearest Mizuno qualified fitter, to see what works best for you.

The Mizuno Pro Family of Irons

Mizuno has two other models in the Pro range, the 221 and 223. The 221 is your complete blade irons, while the 223 falls somewhere in between them.

The Mizuno Pro 223 is an unbelievable iron, it is a compact players’ iron, while still boasting some speed enhancing technologies. They have introduced a brand new technology system from 4-7 iron, it uses Mizuno’s tested Chromoly Forging and Flow Micro-Slot Grain Flow Forged with a soft copper underlay, the Pro 223 iron has an unbelievable feel and sound, and is very forgiving.

The Mizuno Pro 221 is designed on years and years of incredible Mizuno blade irons, through the years they have made the irons more playable by small improvements in shape and weight placement. It has a shorter blade profile and smaller top line. This year the Pro 221 has tighter scoring lies than the previous years, giving it more control. Like the other models in the range it is Grain Flow Forged, with a soft copper underlay, giving the Pro 221 your traditional Mizuno sound and feel.

Distance: 95/100

Accuracy: 92/100

Forgiveness: 95/100

Feel & Control: 89/100

Overall Score: 92.75/100

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Who Are the Srixon ZX7 Irons For?

The Srixon ZX7 irons are aimed at your low handicap golfers. These irons have incredible control and workability, however with that you lose some forgiveness, meaning mid to high handicap players should stay away from these irons.

A low handicap player looking for a clean simple look, with a small head shape and narrow top line, should consider giving the ZX7 a try.

Like we mentioned before, with Brooks Koepka joining their ranks, it means they mean business, and these irons sure do live up to the hype.

The Srixon ZX Family of Irons

The Srixon ZX range has an additional 3 models to their range, this gives the range massive scope to cater for all handicap levels, as well as the ability to build combo sets. We were really impressed by the wide range of the ZX family, not many manufacturers out there have such a versatile iron option that caters for all handicap levels, and look so good. Generally the game improvement models look thick and chunky, but the ZX range is far from that.

The ZX5 iron features the same DNA as the ZX7 irons however there are a few differences that give them a bit more forgiveness and distance. The ZX5 irons have a slightly longer blade, wider sole, and more offset, this will give the iron a bigger profile, which will appeal to the mid handicap player. Additionally low handicap players could use the 6 to 4 iron in their longer irons to help with forgiveness.

The ZX4 still offers a clean look at address, but is more of a game improvement iron, they are aimed at your high handicap player, the ZX4 iron has the the widest sole, longest blade, and most offset in ZX family, giving to the most forgiveness, perfect for the high handicap player or beginner.

ZX Utility isn’t really an iron set, but more of a driving iron. It is thinner and smaller than the previous generations. It falls perfectly into the ZX7 and ZX5 range for a replacement in the longer irons.