Srixon Z 785 Driver Review
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What we say...
Srixon Z785 Review: Srixon say their latest driver face preserves ball speed, controls spin and maximises carry distance when shots are hit off centre.
Tiger Woods says golf isn’t about how good your good shots are; it’s more about how good your bad shots are, as mishits are the ones that cost you dearly. It’s an idea Srixon engineers have taken very much to heart when designing the new Z 785 driver.
Anyone interested in golf equipment will know driver faces are regulated very tightly in how much they can flex and bounce back at impact. But just because the centre of the face reached the rules limit years ago doesn’t mean the rest of the face is even close to the limit.
So Srixon enlarged the size of that maximum flex zone in the centre of the face in order to preserve ball speed, control spin and maximise carry distance when shots are hit off centre.
It’s an interesting concept, and one that Srixon have had to significantly invest in to see impressive gains – they say in the region of 2mph extra ball speed over the like of Ping’s G400, Callaway’s Rogue and TaylorMade’s M4. This is how they’ve done it.
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Srixon Z 785 Review: TG Verdict
Pretty much every number our test pro generated with the Z785 was spot on his test average, meaning the Z785 is very solid. It sits really nicely at address, with a traditional shape, and our pro said shots felt very hot off the face.
He also liked the crisp impact sound. Srixon, like Mizuno and Cobra, have struggled to feed at the top table of drivers in recent years, but for 2019 they’re closer to the very best in terms of performance than ever before. Part of that comes down to the branded Project X shaft in the Z785, where historically Srixon preferred to use its own brand.
Below, find out what you need to know.
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There’s a new material
The Z 785 has a new expensive and exotic (titanium Ti51AF) alloy face which Srixon say is the strongest driver face on the market. Along with a cup face construction (so there’s no welds on the face) it means a larger hot zone to maintain ball speeds on off-centre hits. Srixon say it’s the most expensive driver they’ve ever produced.
And a carbon crown
The Japanese are obsessed with producing the very best products possible, even though consumers might not see the benefits of the extra investment. This new carbon crown comes from Mitsubishi, and Srixon say it’s stronger than you’ll find in a Callaway driver and it gives a softer, hotter feel and more muted sound. It also frees up weight to relocate to improve forgiveness.
Why we use a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor
Branded shaft
Srixon own Miyazaki, the shaft manufacturer who’ve produced shafts for the previous generations of woods. Even though Srixon know the quality of shafts was better, they were a tough sell to consumers as nobody used them on tour. So Z 785 comes with a Project X HZRDUS Red 65, which is consistently one of the most played shaft families by pros.
How does the Srixon Z785 compare to other leading drivers?
Tour profile
Srixon have redefined their focus to be totally tour authentic, which naturally means their products will find a home in the hands of serious golfers. The Z 785 is a tour-preferred shape (so no stretched body), which promotes a low spin, penetrating shot trajectory.
We’ve hit it!
Like many club golfers we know Srixon make some seriously high-spec products, but their drivers have never quite bowled us over. The new Z 785 raises the bar significantly. We loved the look, sound and feedback and only missed one fairway while using it for a recent round. We’ll put it up against the M4, G400 and Rogue next month on a launch monitor to see if the ball speed claims really do stand up. If they do, Srixon leaps into the arena of the handful of drivers you really should consider for 2019.
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Srixon say:
The new Z Series woods present a revolution in woods performance, delivering the most powerful offerings from Srixon. The full line of Z Series woods feature advanced materials to help amplify your long game.
“The new Z Series woods are pretty easy to explain: they’re long,” said Marketing Director, Brian Schielke. “Longer than our past woods, and longer than the competition. Our stronger, faster titanium, combined with cup face construction is totally unique, totally different from everything out there and it really shows up, both on a launch monitor and on the course.”
The Z Series drivers will boost your speed and distance off the tee with the Ti51AF Cup Face. This makes it the thinnest, lightest, strongest and hottest driver face Srixon has ever produced.
“This driver’s faster. This driver’s longer. This driver’s better,” said Keegan Bradley. “It’s really coming off hot and straight. It’s very forgiving and the sweet spot is really big.”
Featuring a lightweight carbon crown, Z Series woods shift the weight to the perimeter, offering more forgiveness and less offline dispersion.
The Z 785 driver promotes a low-spin, penetrating trajectory in a tour preferred look and profile.
The same powerful technologies that deliver more speed, distance and forgiveness are present in the Z F85 fairway woods and Z H85 hybrids.
Key innovations inside Z Series woods:
- Ti51AF Cup Face – Stronger, lighter and faster. The new Ti51AF Cup Face produces exceptional ball speed for greater distance.
- Lightweight Carbon Crown – The lightweight carbon crown moves mass to the perimeter for more forgiving and accurate drives.
- Quick Tune System – Effortlessly adjust loft and swing weight with the Quick Tune System.
- Premium Shafts – The Project X HZRDUS shaft is a top-performing tour shaft and is the stock offering in the Z 785 driver.
“A big key for me is accuracy,” said Graeme McDowell. “I love the bulge and roll look to this head, and I really feel like I can hit a lot of fairways with it. It’s just a beautiful looking driver that’s got a nice high launch and looks like the ball wants to topple over and get maximum distance.”
The Z Series woods launch in the UK on September 14th, 2018 and have an SRP of £349 for the Z 785 driver, £199 for the Z F85 fairway woods and £179 for the Z H85 hybrids.
- RRP: £349
- Lofts: 9.5° / 10.5°
- Stock shaft: Project X HZRDUS Red 65
- Adjustable hosel: Yes
- Loft change: 12 settings (+/- 1°)
- Available from: 14th September 2018
