Long irons are hard to love, and Srixon built the ZXiU for golfers ready to give them up. It looks like a blade from above, hits like something hollow and forgiving, and topped its class for distance off the deck.
What's new
This 2026 ZXiU pairs a forged SUP10 steel face with a hollow S20C carbon steel body, both forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan. Inside sits Srixon's MainFrame iQ architecture, and a tungsten weight in the sole pulls mass low. It is also the first ZXiU to wear the Tour V.T. Sole.
You can buy it in three lofts: 18 degrees as a 2-iron, 20 as a 3-iron and 23 as a 4-iron. Dynamic Gold Mid 100 steel comes standard under a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip, with MMT Utility graphite as an upcharge. Each club costs slightly more than the 2025 version.
How it plays
In launch testing it added 1.9 yards of carry and posted the best distance result in its class from a fairway lie. Every shot got airborne, which matters more than raw yardage for anyone who has watched a 3-iron skid along the ground.
Accuracy held up too, with 27 of 30 shots finishing on line. Feel scores a 9, and workability (8.8) matches forgiveness, so a player who likes to hold a shot against the wind or turn it over has room to do it. The hollow build forgives without making the head look bloated.
Where it lacks
Three lofts is a short menu for a utility set. Anyone hoping to fill a gap above 23 degrees, or split the four degrees between the 3-iron and 4-iron, will not find it here.
The look divides people as well. Someone moving out of a hybrid may stand over that thin topline and struggle to believe it will launch, even though the test data says it does. Anyone who wants graphite pays extra for the MMT Utility shaft.
“It looks like a players' long iron and launches like it has no interest in being difficult.”- The Club Stand gear team
Reasons to buy
- Posted the best off-the-deck distance result of its class in launch testing
- Got airborne on every strike in that test, a 100 percent launch success rate
- A forged SUP10 face over a hollow S20C body, with tungsten low in the sole
Reasons to think twice
- Only three lofts at launch, which leaves gapping options thin
- Some players will need time to trust such a compact, blade-like look at address
- Moving to the MMT Utility graphite shaft adds to the price
Specs
| Face | Forged SUP10 steel, i-FORGED |
|---|---|
| Body | Forged S20C carbon steel hollow body |
| Structure | MainFrame iQ internal architecture |
| Weights | Tungsten sole weight |
| Lofts | 18 degrees (2i), 20 degrees (3i), 23 degrees (4i) |
| Sole | Tour V.T. Sole, first on a ZXiU |
| Forging | Endo Manufacturing, Japan |
| Shaft | True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 100 standard, MMT Utility graphite option |
| Grip | Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 |
| Best for | Players replacing long irons who want a blade-like look |
More irons we've scored
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- PING i240 2026 - 9.0/10. A soft, workable players cavity back from PING that finished third of 15 in its 2026 class.
- Ballistic Forged CB Irons 2025 - 9.0/10. A small Canadian maker builds this forged players cavity back to order, far below OEM players prices.
- Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D 2026 - 8.9/10. A hollow ironwood set that won its super game-improvement test on accuracy, at value-tier money.
- Takomo Iron 101 MKII 2026 - 8.9/10. A hollow game improvement iron that won its 2026 class test without asking for big money.
- Tour Edge Exotics CB 2025 - 8.9/10. A forged cavity back from Tour Edge that beat 14 rivals to win the 2026 players iron test.