The next generation of Srixon irons for pros and accomplished golfers made its PGA Tour debut this week in the practice area at Silverado Resort in Napa, California.
With pros preparing for the first event since the season-ending Tour Championship two weeks ago, Srixon brought the yet-to-be-released ZXi5 and ZXi7 irons and expects some players to transition into them in the weeks ahead. Srixon, which is under the Dunlop Sports umbrella along with Cleveland Golf and Xxio, did not release any official details about the clubs or indicate a date when they will be made available to the public.
Based on the naming convention, we can assume that the ZXi5 will replace the game-improvement ZX5 Mk II that was released in 2023 and the ZXi7 will take the place of the better players ZX7 Mk II which was also released nearly two years ago.
[afflinkbutton text=”Shop all Srixon irons” link=”https://go.skimresources.com?id=77560X1658191&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fus.dunlopsports.com%2Fsrixon%2Fclubs%2Firons”]
Gear: PXG Xtreme Tour, Xtreme Tour X golf balls Price:$49.99 per dozen Specs: Three-piece, urethane-covered golf balls. Both balls are available in white, Xtreme Tour also in yellow.
Who it’s for: Golfers who want a soft feel, low spin off the tee and high spin around the green (Xtreme Tour); Faster-swinging players who want a firmer feel, maximum ball speed and higher spin with irons.
What you should know: Both the Xtreme Tour and the Xtreme Tour X are designed to deliver maximum spin around the green, but PXG’s newest golf balls were also made to be more durable and provide a better feel.
The deep dive: Parsons Xtreme Golf released its first golf ball, the Xtreme, in February 2023. At a price of $39.99 per dozen, they were made for golfers who wanted loads of greenside spin with solid distance off the tee. Two years and thousands of test shots later, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based equipment maker has two new balls that it is touting as more durable, softer-feeling and still long off the tee.
The new Xtreme Tour and Xtreme Tour X balls are both three-piece balls that have a large rubber, firm mantle layer and a soft urethane cover. However, the cover of the Xtreme Tour and Xtreme Tour X balls is thinner than the cover on the original Xtreme because, counterintuitively, it boosts durability. Balls that have a soft, thick cover can have the cover material compress against the grooves of wedges very easily, which can be great for spin but lead to ripping and sheering.
PXG Extreme Tour X golf ball. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
According to PXG, the original Xtreme ball had a compression of 110, making it a very hard ball. By PXG’s measurement, the new Xtreme Tour is at 97, and the Xtreme Tour X is at 107, so both balls can still be thought of as firm, which is good for speed, but they are softer than PXG’s first ball.
Interestingly, the yellow version of the Xtreme Tour has a compression of 101, which puts it between the firmness levels of the white Xtreme Tour and Xtreme Tour X. The difference in compression is due to the additive that gives the yellow version its color.
To test the Xtreme Tour and Xtreme Tour X balls, PXG tested them using a robot at three different speeds using a driver and a 7-iron, then full-swing wedges shots and partial-swing wedge shots. In those tests, the Xtreme Tour and Xtreme Tour X both created slightly more ball speed off the tee with lower spin rates. They also produced a slightly higher launch angle but a lower peak height.
PXG Extreme Tour golf ball. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The same relationship held with 7-iron shots as well, while on 60-yard pitch shots with a 56-degree wedge, the Xtreme Tour and Xtreme Tour X both produced nearly the same spin as the original Xtreme ball.
Compared to each other, the Xtreme Tour should feel softer than the Xtreme Tour X, fly slightly lower and spin marginally less. In PXG’s tests, the Xtreme Tour X created 0.5 mph more ball speed off the tee and about 2.5 yards more total distance, with nearly identical launch angles. The Xtreme Tour X also generated about 200 rpm more spin on wedge shots than the standard Xtreme Tour.
Without knowing anything about Quantum, simply looking at the shoe reveals one of its most significant features.
FootJoy established itself as a leading golf shoe brand by making classic-looking footwear for decades that both tour players and recreational golfers loved. There’s an excellent chance that if your dad played golf, he wore FootJoy shoes. Still, the footwear, apparel, and accessories arm of Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist, has also been making sporty, athletic-style golf shoes for several years, and the newest model, Quantum, is another example.
The spikeless Quantum ($169, sizes 7-15) is a blend of two shoes that FootJoy currently has in its line, the Pro/SLX and the Flex, but even without knowing anything about Quantum, simply looking at the shoe reveals one of its most significant features—cushioning.
Under the heel is a massive cushioning unit that’s soft enough to be pushed in by your thumb. FootJoy calls the foam used to make that midsole SofFOAM and claims it’s the softest foam the brand has ever used, so Quantum should provide a high level of cushioning and comfort as you walk the course.
Directional fins on the lateral and medial sides help the Quantum create more stability. (FootJoy)
Golfers will undoubtedly notice the sneaker-style look of the Quantum, which is similar to the Flex, but the outsole on the bottom of the shoe resembles a modified version of the outsole on the Pro/SLX. On the inner side of the forefoot on each shoe are traction elements that FootJoy calls “directional fins” that tilt inward, providing extra lateral support during your swing. On the outer portion are directional fins that tilt outward, again, to help lock your feet in position. The pattern is not as aggressive as the outsole on the Pro/SLX, but the tradeoff is that while the Quantum should provide good lateral support, it’s designed to be especially comfortable when you walk.
Quantum has also been made with a breathable mesh upper, a soft Ortholite footbed that will mold to your foot over time and a one-year waterproof warranty.
” … we have been disappointed in our stock performance for some time.”
Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. announced Wednesday that its board of directors intends to pursue the separation of its two primary businesses, Topgolf and Callaway, making them two independent companies.
In March 2021, Callaway Golf Co. acquired the remainder of Topgolf Entertainment Group that it didn’t already own, valuing the driving range chain at approximately $2 billion. The joint company was renamed Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., but starting in March of this year, rumors began to swirl that a breakup could be coming.
In August, Topgolf Callaway reported that its second-quarter revenue was $494 million, while its first six months’ revenue exceeded $917 million. While those numbers represented increases, they came almost exclusively from the creation of new venues because the same-venue sales were down 8 percent. At the time, Topgolf Callaway reported that traffic to existing Topgolf locations slowed.
After that announcement, Topgolf Callaway CEO Chip Brewer said, “We remain convinced Topgolf is a high-quality business with significant future opportunity. At the same time, we have been disappointed in our stock performance for some time, as well as more recent same-venue sales performance.”
The Topgolf venue in Farragut, Tenn. (Brianna Paciorka/Knoxville News-Sentinel)
Topgolf Callaway Brands, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MODG, has seen its value steadily decrease since reaching a high of $36.92 per share in May 2021. On Aug. 30 it finished at a low of $9.94. On Wednesday it closed at $10.76 per share before the announcement was made.
In a release, John Lundgren, chairman of the board of directors of Topgolf Callaway Brands, said, “Today’s announcement is the result of a thorough strategic review conducted by the board of directors and the management team. The creation of two independent companies, each with a distinct focus and proven business model, is intended to drive continued momentum in both businesses and deliver value to all our shareholders.”
Callaway will consist of the golf equipment part of the business, along with Toptracer and lifestyle brands TravisMathew, OGIO and Jack Wolfskin.
Callaway’s Apex Ti Fusion and Apex Ai200 irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Topgolf will concentrate solely on its entertainment business, which includes more than 100 driving range-entertainment centers worldwide. Topgolf plans to reduce its new venue development for 2025 to a number in the mid-single digits, the release stated.
Brewer said on Wednesday, “We believe that separating Topgolf will best position both companies for success. Topgolf and Callaway have different operating models and capital needs, and this split allows each to maximize their potential.”
The company announced that it expects to spin off of the Topgolf business to Topgolf Callaway Brands’ shareholders in a transaction that is intended to be tax-free to both the company and its shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. While the company expects that a spin-off of Topgolf into a stand-alone public company is the most likely separation path, the company will continue to evaluate other options for separation to maximize shareholder value.
The separation of the brands is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.
IRONS: Srixon ZU85 (3), with Nippon Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X shaft, (4), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft, TaylorMade P-7TW (5-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts.
WEDGES:Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50, 56, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.
Akshay Bhatia is considering some interesting equipment changes as he plays in his first Tour Championship this week at East Lake Golf Club. These include adding a mini driver to his bag and using a new golf ball.
According to an article written by Andrew Tursky for GolfWRX and PGATour.com, Bhatia, who will start the opening round at 2 under, eight shots behind Scottie Scheffler, plans to add a Callaway Ai Smoke Paradym Ti340 Mini Driver to his bag.
“I curve it a lot. I try to achieve as lot of curve with the driver, so any time I have restricted start lines, I can draw a driver,” Bhatia said. “But if I have this mini driver, I can turn it a lot easier, then it’s a nice option.”
Bhatia said that he can hit his 19-degree Callaway Apex UW about 260 yards off the tee, but his 3-wood can be erratic.
“(A) 3-wood for me can either be really good, or I can hit it off the heel one day, or I can get a hot pull. It’s just very inconsistent for me,” he said. “So, the mini driver gives me more options. It’s faster, but it spins a little more, so the consistency of the ball flight is tighter, and that’s what I need.”
The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini driver (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The Callaway Ai Smoke Paradym Ti340 Mini Driver Bhatia may put into play has 13.5 degrees of loft, similar to a strong-lofted 3-wood. However, while most 3-woods for elite golfers have a volume in the neighborhood of 180-200 cubic centimeters, Bhatia’s mini driver has 340 cubic centimeters. That makes it about 70 percent larger than many 3-woods but 26 percent smaller than a typical 460-cubic-centimeter driver.
The Ai Smoke Paradym Ti340 Mini also comes standard at 43.75 inches in length, which is about 1.5 to 2 inches shorter than most modern drivers. For many elite golfers, the combination of a shorter shaft and smaller head can make it easier to hit a draw instead of a fade, which appears to be the appeal of the mini driver for Bhatia.
While it is not uncommon for pros to make course-specific changes to the clubs in their bag, one piece of gear Bhatia plans to change is rarely tinkered with: the ball.
The 2024 Callaway Chrome Tour. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
“I’m going to the softer golf ball,” said Bhatia, who typically plays a Callaway Chrome Tour X but plans to use a Chrome Tour at East Lake. “The greens are really firm this week. Softer for me, like, you want to win major championships, you need to hit it higher and softer. The golf ball I play is a lower-spinning ball, which is good, say, 16 weeks out of the year, but then you’ve got four majors, and then, obviously, some Signature Events play pretty firm. I’ve wanted to make this switch for a long time. I feel like there’s no better reason to do it than this week. I mean, it’s kind of a free-for-all, trying to get used to the golf ball and prep for the majors and some of the bigger events.”
Callaway released the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X in January. Both are four-piece balls that feature a large rubber core and a duel-mantle system encased in a soft urethane cover.
Gear: TaylorMade TP5 Stripe, TP5x Stripe golf balls Price: $57.99 per dozen Specs: Five-piece, urethane-covered golf balls with a 360-degree, 22-millimeter stripe pattern Available:NOW
Who it’s for: Golfers who want tour-level distance off the tee and spin around the green, along with a visual aid that helps with aim and putting performance.
What you should know: TaylorMade is bringing the 360 ClearPath Alignment Stripe, previously available only on Tour Response balls, to its most premium balls.
The deep dive: Golfers have been drawing a line on their ball and using it to aim putts for decades, and several manufacturers have printed thin lines on balls too. In early 2022, however, TaylorMade took things to another level with the introduction of the Tour Response Stripe. The ball features TaylorMade’s 360 ClearPath Alignment Stripe. At 22 millimeters in width, the bright yellow (TaylorMade calls it lime) stripe made it easy to aim down your intended target line. After you hit your putt, if the line rolled smoothly, you knew you had made a good stroke. If the line wobbled, it was a clear indication that you either pulled, blocked, or mis-hit your putt.
The TaylorMade TP5 Stripe golf ball makes it easier to align and aim when you putt. (TaylorMade)
Now, TaylorMade is bringing a version of the 360 ClearPath Alignment Stripe to the balls that tour players like Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda, Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa play—the TP5 and TP5x.
While the Tour Response Stripe is now available with a blue, red, orange, and light blue stripe, the new TP5 Stripe and TP5x Stripe are more subtle and are being offered with black-dot borders and a black line in the center that goes all the way around the ball. So instead of a bright-colored stripe, golfers who use this ball will see a white stripe in the center of a white ball. While fans of bright golf balls may be disappointed, this subtle introduction of the technology in TaylorMade’s tour balls will likely make it something traditional golfers are more willing to try.
The TaylorMade TP5x Stripe golf ball. (TaylorMade)
From a performance standpoint, the TP5 Stripe and TP5x Stripe are identical to their non-striped counterparts.
The TP5 Stripe and TP5x Stripe are both five-layer balls that feature a three-layer core infused with an additive the company calls SpeedWrap. Developed by Dow Chemical, SpeedWrap changes the way the balls sound, allowing TaylorMade to elevate the compression for more speed without making the balls sound and feel too hard.
The TP5 should still feel softer than the TP5x because it has a lower overall compression. The TP5x should provide players with more speed with woods and long irons because it is firmer, and it will generate a higher launch angle too. The TP5, however, is designed to create slightly more spin than the TP5x with wedges.
Gear: PXG Allan putter Price: $449.99 Specs: 303 stainless steel chassis with injected polymer and milled 6061 aluminum crown.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want to reduce face rotation on putts and increase stability and consistency.
What You Should Know: The PXG Allan putter is designed with an S-shaped hosel that creates a toe-up balance, helping the putter’s face stay square to the arc of your stroke. This design aids golfers in making solid contact more easily.
The Deep Dive: According to the Rules of Golf, when you sole your putter and rest it flat on the ground, the shaft can’t go straight up. If it did, golfers could make a pure pendulum stroke, which golf’s governing bodies believe would reduce the challenge of putting. To ensure a challenge, the putter must have a lie angle of no less than 80 degrees, which is why every golfer’s putting stroke has some level of arc. One of the biggest challenges in putting is returning the putter face to the exact position you establish at address and preventing it from swinging into the ball with an open or closed face, which would start the ball rolling offline.
PXG’s new Allan putter, named after the brother of PXG founder Bob Parsons, is designed to eliminate this challenge by helping golfers keep the putter face square to the natural arc of their stroke while boosting stability and improving distance control.
The hosel points directly at the center of gravity, creating toe-up or “Zero Torque” balance. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The Allan putter achieves this with a unique hosel design. Unlike many hosels that attach to the heel area and create some level of toe hang, or center-shafted putters that produce a face-balanced condition, the Allan putter has an S-shaped hosel that points the tip of the putter shaft directly over the center of gravity (CG) behind the center of the hitting area. The hosel then bends and attaches to the putter head in the heel area, creating a toe-up condition that PXG refers to as Zero Torque.
When you make a stroke with the Allan putter, the balance helps keep the face square to the arc of your stroke, reducing the chances of the face fanning open on the backswing and closing on the downswing and follow-through. According to PXG, this should allow golfers to return the putter to the ball with a square face more often and start putts rolling on their intended line more easily.
There are two other notable features of the Allan’s hosel and shaft configuration. First, when you address the ball, the backward-pointing shaft and hosel give you an unobstructed view of the ball. Second, with the shaft set so far behind the putter’s topline, the Allan putter creates a natural forward press. Typically, when a golfer intentionally presses their hands forward before making a stroke, it de-lofts the face and points it downward. To counteract this, PXG designed the Allan with five degrees of loft, which offsets the two-degree forward press and makes the putter play like a club with a more typical three degrees of loft.
The aluminum top features a single black alignment line. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The black frame of the Allan putter is made of 303 stainless steel, and the face is designed to be very thin. Behind the face, there’s a hollow chamber filled with a lightweight polymer called S COR, which PXG says absorbs excessive vibrations to enhance sound and feel.
The silver-toned top piece of the Allan is milled from 6061 aluminum, which is exceptionally light. Each Allan putter comes with a single black alignment line.
On the underside of the Allan, adjustable weights have been added to the toe and heel areas, allowing fitters to adjust the putter’s swing weight based on its length or the player’s preferences. Finally, the pocket designed into the aluminum piece enables golfers to press the Allan on top of a ball and pick it up without bending over.
Below are several close-up images of the PXG Allan putter.
Mizuno’s updated Fli-Hi hybrids have a low profile and draw bias to help recreational golfers enhance their consistency and hit straighter shots than they can with long irons.
Gear: Mizuno JPX 925 Fli-Hi hybrids Price: $150 each with UST Mamiya Recoil Dart ESX shaft and Lamkin UT+ grip Specs: 17-4 stainless steel face with 431 stainless steel body and internal tungsten weight. Available in 19-, 22-, 25-, and 28-degree versions. Available: Sept. 5 (pre-order), Sept. 19 (in stores)
Who It’s For: Golfers who want more height, distance, and consistency than they get from long irons.
What You Should Know: Mizuno’s updated Fli-Hi hybrids have a low profile and draw bias to help recreational golfers enhance their consistency and hit straighter shots than they can with long irons.
The Deep Dive: While pros make it look easy, most recreational golfers struggle to hit a high draw with long irons.Hybrids, thanks to their lower center of gravity and larger size, make solid contact and consistency easierto achieve for many players. With the release of its new JPX 925 Fli-Hi hybrids, Mizuno aims to bring that elusive shot, the high draw, to players who routinely shoot in the 80s and 90s.
The JPX 925 Fli-Hi hybrids are available in lofts designed to replace a golfer’s 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-iron. They feature a wider profile in the stronger-lofted clubs, with the width decreasing as lofts increase. For example, the 19-degree, 3-iron replacement is a fairway wood-style hybrid and wider than the 28-degree version that could replace a 6-iron.
In the address position, the Mizuno JPX 925 Fli-Hi hybrids have no visual distractions. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
All JPX 925 Fli-Hi hybrids have a matte-black crown that is free of visual distractions, along with a low-profile design that is meant to inspire confidence.
These hybrids feature a 17-4 stainless steel face attached to a 431 stainless steel body. Internal mass placed in the back on the heel side is meant to help the faces close more easily during the downswing. That should result in squaring the face more consistently, so shots should fly straighter or be inclined to have a draw shape.
The accordion-style Wave Sole behind the leading edge is designed to compress at the moment of impact and lower the sweet spot, so thin-struck shots should retain more ball speed.
By rounding the leading edge and creating more bounce behind it, Mizuno has tried to help improve performance on fat shots. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Mizuno’s designers rounded the leading edge and added extra bounce, making the JPX 925 Fli-Hi hybrids more adept at working through the turf, especially when golfers have a steep angle of attack or when conditions are soft.
While there isn’t an adjustable hosel on the JPX 925 Fli-Hi, the 17-4 stainless steel hosel is bendable, allowing custom fitters to adjust the lofts and help golfers fill distance gaps.
Finally, the price of the Mizuno JPX 925 Fli-Hi hybrids is $150, which is the same price as each of the new JPX 925 Hot Metal, Hot Metal Pro and Hot Metal HL irons. So, working with a custom fitter, golfers can mix and match the clubs to create their ideally blended sets without increasing the price.
Below are several close-up images of the new Mizuno JPX 925 hybrids.
