Srixon ZX7 Vs Mizuno Pro 245 Irons

The Mizuno Pro 245 and Srixon ZX7 irons are both forged but which are better overall?

Read on to find out.

Srixon ZX7 Irons Overview

“The ZX7s feature progressive groove shaping, tungsten weighting and V-shaped soles.”

They look like blades even though they technically aren’t. The soles and top lines are thin and give only a hint of offset.

So these are very much players irons. They launch a bit higher than the Mizuno Pro 245s.

The turf interaction is also very smooth. The Srixon ZX7s cost $900.

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons Overview

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons

“The Pro 245s are forged from chromoly and 1025E carbon steel, feature a soft copper underlay and tungsten weighting.”

They are more compact than the ZX7’s though so they are a bit less forgiving.

But the free-floating face made possible by the hollow-body design and suspended tungsten weighting made for faster ball speeds.

As a result, the Mizuno Pro 245s played an average of 6.2 yards longer than the ZX7s in the 7-irons. The 245s cost $1400.

“I liked the distance and softer feel of the Mizuno Pro 245s. Plus, they were just as workable (if not more) as the ZX7s so they’re my choice for the superior forged players irons.”

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 245 Irons – First Impressions

“My first impression of the Mizuno Pro 245 irons was that they looked shockingly similar to the Mizuno Pro 225’s.”

In fact, I set both of them down beside each other and could barely tell the difference.

The scoring lines and hitting in the Mizuno Pro 245 irons are a little lighter in color than the 225’s; but other than that, the 245’s are as compact as the 225’s.

The good news about all that is that the Mizuno Pro 245 irons truly do look like blades even though they technically aren’t blades.

So you get that clean, blade-like look at address with the bonus of a true distance boost.

Irons 2-7 in this set have a suspended tungsten weight which allows for a lower CG without inhibiting face flex.

As a result I was getting great ball speed – 117.4 MPH with the 7-iron on average.

But in the scoring irons, you have a 1025E semi-hollow body with a 17-4 stainless steel back piece to help control the flight a bit more and get the CG a bit higher.

This provides a more solid feel, better feedback and better overall control over spin and launch.

The Mizuno Pro 245 irons also produced near-immediate distance for me. Within the first three swings I was averaging a carry distance of 170.5 yards with the 7-iron.

But what surprised me even more than the distance were the spin rates.

As a player’s distance iron, I was expecting some low spin numbers. But my average spin rate with the Mizuno Pro 245 7-iron was 5200 RPMs.

And keep in mind that these are relatively strong-lofted irons – the 7-iron checks in at 30°.

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

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons Selling Points

Long irons are forged from chromoly
Scoring irons are forged from 1025E carbon steel
Hollow body design
Suspended tungsten weighting in the long irons
Increased bounce angle for better turf interaction
17-4 stainless steel back piece in the scoring irons
431 stainless steel back piece in the long irons
Blade-like appearance

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.

Distance: 90/100

Accuracy: 95/100

Forgiveness: 89/100

Feel & Control: 95/100

Overall Score: 92.25/100

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Who Are the Mizuno Pro 245 Irons for?

“The Mizuno Pro 245 irons are for the player that really wants the look of blades with the performance of distance irons.”

I can imagine that 13-about 22 handicappers will really like these irons. Of course, as Mizuno irons, the short irons are very workable.

You can feel every nuance of your contact and get a keen sense of overall control.

But it’s the mid and long irons that really impressed me. They will be great for mid and high-ish handicappers who need help staying on the green.

They also don’t look like your typical player’s distance irons.

They aren’t as compact as blades; but everything else is blade-like. The top line is thin, the soles are compact and the offset is nearly non-existent.

The Mizuno Pro 245’s would be great for the player who isn’t quite ready to graduate to blades; but still wants blade-like feel, looks and performance.

The Mizuno Pro Family of Irons

The Mizuno Pro 225 irons have a nearly identical profile to the Mizuno Pro 245’s.

They also share the same grain-flow forging and hollow body design. But the Pro 225’s spin a bit lower than the Mizuno Pro 245’s and have a more penetrating flight.