Product: Srixon Z U85 utility irons

Pitch: A versatile utility with Tour optics but enough tech built in to enhance any player’s bag. Per Srixon: “Compact, hollow-body long irons are longer and more forgiving than traditional designs yet still provide total control from the tee or fairway”

Our take on the Srixon Z U85 utility iron

Director of Original Content Johnny Wunder: I have been dabbling in the utility game for about three years now, and it has been a serious process of trial and error with all OEMs. Something was always missing for me — whether it be feel, flight, or performance. This utility definitely checked off all the boxes for me.

My first reaction was to the sound of the golf club: it has amazing acoustics all over the face and delivers that solid hammer sound I like. In the past, with utilities, the hollow construction always bothered me regardless of where the ball was going. The real test on this was off the tee where I would hit it a little higher on the face. Tthe sound was dense, solid, and I had no argument.

The second noticeable feature here is ease of use. Truth be told, this club is Tour-inspired and has all the better player lines you would see in a players utility. However, this is as easy a club to hit as I’ve come across in this category. Perhaps it’s the slight offset that inspires confidence or the aerodynamics of how it swings, but I noticed that with any shot I tried to hit the Z U85 seemed to “sweet spot” itself nicely and hitting in the middle of the face was simple.

I also need to comment on the turf interaction, let’s face it Srixon has REALLY figured out the sole of its golf clubs across the board. Building this into a utility is a challenge. For me, I like to have a utility that I can dig in with and the leading edge and sole allows for great interaction, whether I pinch down on one and take a divot, or If I’m trying to sweep one and get it in the air.

The Z U85 is a “must consider” for ANYONE looking to fill gaps at the top of the bag. The 23 degree 4-iron replacement, which for me is a 215-220 club, consistently hit my numbers and was a perfect compliment as the longest iron in my setup. I would recommend playing with the shafts a bit if you are a higher speed player. The lighter (sub 90-gram) utility shafts didn’t work for me AT ALL. but once I swapped in a Grapite Dynamics Tour AD 105, it literally felt like cheating, which for me is a big compliment that I don’t throw around very often.