Srixon/Cleveland #FitLikeAPro Member Recaps

[The Dansome]

 

Highlights of the impressive @SrixonGolf #zseries irons from our @MyGolfSpy sweepstakes trip to Huntington Beach #powertotheplayer pic.twitter.com/WDY92sZ7cE

— Dan Mann MGS (@GolfSpyMBP) November 28, 2016

[GolfSpy Dave]

MGS: Operation Srixon/Cleveland

 

Day 1

After kid drop off, a sketchy, foggy drive and a short flight, I arrived in beautiful Southern California. Weather looked to be spectacular for the visit, though the unseasonably warm 90 °F temperature could possibly be perceived as too warm for our already-in-winter-mode Canadian.

 

After a quick hotel stop and lunch, we made our way to Mesa Verde Country Club for the day's fitting session.

 

The Setting

Let's just say that we had ideal outdoor fitting conditions. It was warm, not windy, and located on an isolated section of the grass driving range. Lots of room, and lots of options made available by the Cleveland/Srixon crew.

 

 

We had all of the new lines to choose from, including a rack of left-handed stuff, though none of us go that way. I took it as a sign that they really wanted to be sure that we had all of the options we could need.

 

After providing us with hats and gloves, the fitters (yes, plural) told us to hit a few to warm up, and they would be ready when we were.

 

Side Note – Hats

Unfortunately my huge head prevented my donning of one of the Srixon hats. Not unexpected, as my dome is unusually large, and no one has hats that fit. However, my fitter had a hat suggestion. Supposedly, Srixon staffer Kevin Stadler has a large head too, and there are some big hats on the Srixon Tour van. Next time I get to an event with the tour van, I'm going to work some negotiations to get one of those!

 

Club Fitting – Preconceptions

I always try and approach club fittings with an open mind, but that's rarely possible. If I'm going to a specific company, I research their lines extensively, and demo everything that is available to me before the trip/fitting.

 

I hit a bunch of stuff prior to the trip, and had zeroed in on the 765 driver and irons as the way to go. Totally unsure though, as the stock shafts did not seem a good match for my swing. I believe that this almost-48-year-old body has moved past DG S300s, those coming stock in the 765s. After reading the blog article about the Aerotech shafts, I was definitely curious about the numbers with that shaft installed.

 

Oh, and I hate fittings. My swing always falls apart under the pressure. That's one reason why I demo before. I want to have a “I know I can hit this” feeling before I swing in front of the expert.

 

Club Fitting – Results

 

My (awesome) fitter Kevin and I started with the Cleveland Wedge Analyzer app. The app uses the SwingByte sensor to record swing elements and make suggestions about wedge characteristics.

 

Time after time, I came in at a not unexpected high-bounce reading. I've used this fitting tool before, and the results were similar.

 

 

This time though, we moved from loft to loft, and hit full, half, and chip shots to see what the shots looked like with two or three dots of bounce. I really seemed to be on the boundary between the two, but was more consistent with the high bounce, so I went that way. Really seemed best with my steep swing.

 

Favorite thing was seeing that my hands were in front of the ball at impact, aka not flipping as I am prone to do.

 

 

Next Kevin asked me about my iron play now. My play has been high and short. Ball pops up and just goes nowhere. Like 130 yard 6i nowhere. My thought was that the weight of the S300s and KBS Tours that I've been playing are too much.

 

We started with the 765 head and went to a KBS C-Taper as a way to bring down the ball flight. That's kind of the whole C-Taper game, and it worked. The balls were definitely flighted lower, but they were still on the short side.

 

 

We swapped out a bunch of shafts, and also heads, interchanging the 565s here and there. After a bit, it was obvious to me that the 565s were longer for me. Both produced similar accuracy, but length was better in the 565 set.

 

I did try the Aerotech i95/565 combo, and it was disappointingly not for me. Just couldn't feel the head/club that well with the light shaft. Oh well.

 

While working through the shafts, one of the other fitters suggested a DG XP115. I scoffed as I did not like the feel of that shaft in the Mizuno irons I tried it in last year. After humoring him, I hit some great shots. That weight seemed much better. Then they installed an Aerotech Steel Fiber 110, and my mind was blown. So long and accurate, and the feel was ridiculously smooth and powerful.

 

 

Lie board strikes confirmed that I'm still a 2° up guy.

 

Done. That's the combo right there. 4-AW, Srixon 565, Aerotech Steel Fiber 110 stiff.

 

Kevin also decided to take that shaft into the wedges as well. High bounce 54° and 58° for those two sweet black finished Cleveland wedges.

 

When we went to driver, I was interested in trying the Tensi shaft in the 765 head. Had never hit that shaft, and it seemed like a good way to drop spin and lower flight.

 

Not a good match for me.

 

So we went back to the Miyazaki options, and there are a lot of options to be had. The four number flex system creates many choices for the fitter and player. In the hands of an expert, this is amazing, but I do worry that the local shop guy may not understand the nuances between a 5544 and a 5545 setting.

 

 

After watching me swing, they actually put me into a shaft that spun a bit more, and it worked. Even with my terrible club head speed, I was gaining distance. Smash factors were nearly all 1.5 each time, so I knew I was swinging it well, just maybe not that fast. More on that later…

 

To give me the best chance to actually hit a fairway wood, we went with the same shaft there too.

 

Result: Srixon 765, 10.5°, Miyazaki 5544 Stiff.

 

The last part to dial was the hybrid, and I was not optimistic. All of my swings with the hybrid wend wide left, some almost making a full circle. I was getting frustrated, even though I know that I never hit hybrids well. Then the day got a whole bunch better.

 

My fitter suggested I hit the U65 utility iron. Even with the same shaft as the hybrid, the swings were much better. Then Kevin said I could shaft it with the Steel fiber and bend it 2° up like my irons, and I lost my mind a little in a wave of euphoria.

 

The part of my bag I was least looking forward to had become the most anticipated club. I actually ordered the 4U also to compare the shot specs to the 565 4i. More to come there too.

 

Rounding out the build, I had all of the clubs gripped with the Golf Pride New Decade MCC Plus4. Really have grown to love the larger, softer right hand on those.

 

As I said above, I hate fittings, but this one was a joy. Great attention to detail by the fitters, and although they are likely amazing players, I never felt judged for my 12 HCP erratic-ness. This fitting is now the baseline against which all others will be judged.

 

 

Post fitting, we had a lovely Mexican dinner with the Srixon marketing and design crew. It was great to talk a little shop over Sculpin and Mole.

 

Exhausted, we went to the hotel, turning in early for the early day two start.

 

Day 2: Srixon HQ Visit and Golf!

 

After a Starbucks calories and caffeinating session, we went to the Srixon HQ to check out the operations. Initial wanderings were what you might expect from a company, i.e. cubicles and lots of neutral tone paint.

 

As we wandered though, it became more apparent that things were a little different here. First of all, the customer service is done in house. If you call them for help, your call goes to SoCal, and not overseas.

 

 

The other thing that was really unexpected for me was that assembly was done thee as well. All of the assembly for both Cleveland and Srixon is done in California. Parts may be made elsewhere, but the clubs are built here. Custom builds too.

 

Even all of the balls are packaged into sleeves and boxes at the facility. Everything then ships from HQ to you.

 

 

I was just thinking that we were touring a corporate office, and there was a factory there. It was so cool to see the stuff being built.

 

 

The tour van was even there for some remodeling. Dan tried to break in to get me a Stadler hat, but was sadly unsuccessful.

 

Lunch and Golf

 

As it turns out, the club builder for Srixon called in sick Wednesday night, so they had to scramble to get our gear built. Fortunately, that gave us time for a nice lunch at Oak Creek GC, but unfortunately golf got cut short due to approaching departure times. I blame the TSA.

 

 

Even with the limited golf, it was obvious that the fitted gear was going to be amazing. The 3U with the Steel Fiber 110 was good out of the box, and should only improve for me as I put it through the hours of range honing.

 

Back to the discussion of driver swing speed. When we were playing that afternoon, Noelle took a video of me on the tee. I knew I didn't hit the ball far, but after watching the video, I knew why. For some reason, I'm shrugging my shoulders at impact, thus disconnecting the arms from the power of the body. No clue I was doing this. In the weeks since the visit, correcting this has been my whole mission. So far, it has been a huge success. Drives are going way deeper, like 60 yards deeper. Much as I hated to see me swinging ugly, it may have been the best thing to happen on the trip in terms of playing better golf.

 

Overall, it was a pretty amazing adventure. Eli and Noelle did a great job taking care of us and they packed a ton of awesome into our short visit.

 

I was really impressed with the Srixon gear, and I can't wait to get it dirty and dinged this winter.

 

Huge thanks again, and more to come about playing the Srixon sticks.

 

End of a shot of Noelle at the end of the range day. Better swing in heels than I will ever have without. Pure awesome.

[KCLeo12]

First off I want to that thank MyGolfSpy and Srixon/Cleveland Golf for this amazing opportunity.

 

 

Day 1

 

The day didn't start as planned for me and I was running about 20 minutes late on my drive up. But I arrived at the hotel and was greeted by Eli from Srixon and then met Dan, Dave, and Steve as they were all waiting on me to get the show started. We left the hotel and went to a cool local sandwich spot and got to know each other. We talked about what the days ahead of us were going to be like and just about golf in general.

 

After lunch we headed to beautiful Mesa Verde Country Club for our fitting. We walked on to the range and they had everything set up and ready to go. We each had a fitter and a spot to hit. Eli and Noelle introduced us to our fitters and gave us each a glove and hat except for Dave because they don't have watermelon sized hats haha. I started my warm up with the RTX-3 wedges then moved to the Z965 irons.

 

After I got loose I was handed the wedge analyzer and we started with the wedges and getting fit for the right sole for me. I have been fitted several times before and had a good idea what the results would be but I stayed 100% unbiased and open to whatever the results were. The analyzer gave me the exact results I expected and was actually a very cool tool. This was where they began to explain the benefits of the VT sole.

 

Results- RTX-3 50* V-MG Modus 130X, 54*V-FG Modus 130X, 60* V-FG Modus 130S

 

 

Next it was time for the irons I instantly grabbed the Z965 as I currently play a blade. At this point we found out they weren't 100% ready for me and my swing speed. I started with the only X flex iron shaft they had which was the X-100. After a few shots I tried the Project X 6.0 which was a more familiar feel for me. Then the Modus 130S and we were getting solid numbers with the Stiff shaft surprisingly. Well obviously we made the decision to go with the Modus.

 

Now it was time to decide on a set make up because I prefer a combo set that usually breaks from the blade around the 6 iron. But with the slightly larger head and amazing amount of forgiveness in the 965 we decided the 5 iron would be the last blade and after that we were going 765.

 

Results- Z765 3 & 4, Z965 5-P all with Modus 130X Standard length 2* flat.

 

 

Now for the top of the bag and fun part for Kevin and I. This was the club that blew me away most the U65. I have tried some other utility irons in the past and they weren't very appealing and I found them often more difficult to hit then long irons(probably a mental thing). As most of you have read I have test a hybrid recently and it's been fantastic for me. Then I started hitting the U65 and it looks great feels even better and performs fantastic. This club was unreal as all the other guys have said this U65 was the surprise of the trip.

 

Results- 18* U65 2* Flat Modus 130X

 

The fairway wood was tough because there wasn't any X flex shafts for me so this was a quick process. We knew I wanted the 13.5* head and Kevin and Eli decided on a shaft for me after talking about what I currently play and what has worked for me in the past. Well the first shaft was not a good fit and we went back to the drawing board. A few days later I had a package at my door with the current shaft I play and the results were great.

 

Results-F65 13.5* HZRDUS Black 75G 6.5 playing 42.75”

 

And the moment you all have been waiting for(or maybe just me) the Driver!! Again this was tough because of the lack of X flex options they had on hand. But that's wasn't a huge concern to we I was more interested in getting the correct head. I started with the Z765 9.5 with a Miyazaki Kiri 6X 7755 and it turned out to be a little soft for me in the tip section. Next we tried the Tensei Blue 6S to test if I liked the feel of the shaft. It was good but I wasn't going to stop at good. He next shaft was the Aldila Rogue 110 60S and the numbers and flight were really good considering it was a Stiff flex.

 

Then just for the sake of making sure I didn't benefit from a little more forgiveness as I was struggling to find the center because of the stiff shafts we tried the Z565 9.5*. The heads look nearly identical from the top and I really couldn't tell the difference on appearance. The added forgiveness came with an added 300rpm spin so we knew the Z765 was the one for me. I had a Aldila Rogue 125MSI I/O 60X shaft in my car that I had been saving for a driver that I really fell in love with so I gave it to Eli and said build this please along with the Rogue 110 60X.

 

Results- Z765 9.5*set to -1* loft and 1.5* open with Rogue 125MSi I/O 60X at 45”

 

 

After everyone was all finished and tired out I wanted to try and see if I could hit 180mph Ball speed and Kevin and Eli said let's do it. They broke out a dozen new Srixon Z-Star XV and I went to work. My first 3 balls were 178.8, 179.5, 179.4 and I was getting frustrated because the smash factor was down from not finding the middle. So I decided to go back to my long drive days and just go flat out as hard as I could. I caught it low of the face but then I heard a grown 128mph club head speed 179mph balls speed. So I took one more normal swing and finally caught a good one a little high on the face but 180.5mph goal achieved dropped the driver and walked away.

 

 

After the fitting we went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner and headed to dinner where were met by more members from Srixon's R&D department who talked to us more in depth about the design process and how the testing process happens. After dinner we headed back to the hotel and got some rest for the next day.

 

Day 2

 

Started to day off will a run to Walmart because somehow I managed to forget to pack socks in my rush to get the day started. Then we met up in the lobby and headed to Starbucks for some coffee and breakfast. After that we were on our way to the much anticipated tour of Srixon/Cleveland Headquarters.

 

 

I felt like a kid in a candy store at this point. I had been waiting for this for a long time; I have never been inside the HQ for a major OEM before. I have been to Aldila several times but this was different. After signing a waiver it was of for a tour around the office to meet some people and talk about marketing and things of that nature. The thing that I really liked and was surprised by was all customer service is done right there on site no offsite farmed out call centers. This is a perfect example of customer service done right.

 

 

Next we headed to the back were all the clubs are built. First we stopped to see the QA area were they check every club for any sort of deficiency. Then it was next to see the stock and custom building areas. It was amazing to see the care and effort that went into building of each club and also how happy all the employees seemed to be.

 

 

After this we got to see the tour truck but only the outside as they were renovating it for the upcoming season. We were told the guys were really happy about the new built in Yeti cooler haha.

 

 

After that we got to see where are the balls are put into sleeves by hand and then boxed in dozens. It was unbelievable to me to see that kind of care and effort to make sure every ball is perfect before it gets shipped to the consumer. Including getting to see some custom balls headed to the University of Oregon, which pains me being a Beavers fan.

 

 

 After this we got to see the onsite indoor fitting studio. They had displays for Srixon and XXIO shafts and irons galore a putting green to test putters and a state of the art simulator.

 

 

Due to some delays with our clubs because of the builder who was supposed to build our clubs called in sick we got to relax and talk some more in one of the meeting rooms. This is the room where they take product photos also. At this point I got to know the man that is Dan Mann haha. He took this time to have Dave take beautifully posed photos in front of the white studio back drop. I am not going to lie some of those pics turned out fantastic and I am a little jealous.

 

 

Next we headed to the course for lunch and some golf. Because of the delay we only got to play a few holes before the guys had to leave to catch their flights. But on the course it was clearly apparent that these clubs just flat out perform. First hole was a fairly tight Par 4 about 360 yards and I bust a drive right down the middle over 300 yards and have a little flip wedge in that hit a stopped so fast I was in shock. On the next hole I hit another fairway and wedge that backed up about 5 ft. The par 3 was next it was 172 yards slightly down hill and I hit 8 iron to 8 ft. Another par 4 for the fourth hole I missed my drive a little right carried a bunker at 300 yards and rolled back down into the fairway about 317 yards. Hit a 50* wedge past the hole and spun it to about 15ft. Number 5 was a tough long par 4 into the wind I hit a drive down the left that faded back into the middle then hit a 9 iron onto the green about a club short and 2 putted for par. I was convinced that these clubs just flat out perform. Watching Dave, Dan and Steve just hit really solid shots one after another I was really impressed. Dan rolled in the only birdie in the group in the 5 holes we played.

 

It was an absolutely great time and I got to meet 3 great members of this community. Eli and Noelle were fantastic to us and you could tell they really cared about what we thought and were a little upset everything didn't go as planned. But this was the first time they had done something like this so there were some hiccups that had to be worked out.

 

On Course results so far

I have played 27 holes with my new clubs now and they are incredible. The first full 18 holes came just 2 days after the trip. I played a course I knew fairly well and enjoy playing. I actually cost myself strokes by being over confident with my clubs. Twice off the tee I tried to hit a draw which I never do and twice I wit it into a hazard and made double bogey. But to make up for that I made 6 birdies and 1 bogey that was a 3 putt. The wedges around the greens were great and spun more than my previous wedges. The Z-Star XV is a great ball its long off the tee and spins so much around the greens that I just feel like I have the confidence to be aggressive when going at the pin or trying to get up and down.

 

 

I played another 9 holes where the trend of spitting fairways continued. I hit every fairway and missed 1 green making 4 birdies and no bogies. Needless to say these clubs are great and I am a true believer in the Srixon/Cleveland equipment.

 

 

If you haven't tried this new 65 line of clubs get up and go to the closest dealer and hit them, you can thank me later

[SCC4380]

Dave did a great job with his recap of our trip to Srixon / Cleveland. I will just add a few notes. First of all, everything he wrote is true, but it was even better than what said.

DAY ONE RECAP

When we arrived for the fitting I was really impressed by how good looking the Srixon / Cleveland equipment is. If you have only seen pictures of the equipment or a small selection of it in your local golf shop, you are not seeing the whole picture. It is an impressive array of clubs. Also, everyone from Srixon / Cleveland that we worked with was super nice and very helpful.

 

Here is Dan getting right to work.

 

 

Irons:

 

For my fitting I started with the irons. I had been playing the Cleveland CG16 irons for a few years and had no complaints. They are solid game improvement iron and sold really well for Cleveland. I bought them when I came back to golf after a dozen years of not playing and they served me well. When I saw the Z 65 series of irons I was blown away by their aesthetic qualities—the shapes, the lines, the weight, the finish, I guess basically everything. They are beautiful. They make my CG16 irons look a bit clunky. I think it shows just how much Srixon / Cleveland have improved their products to see them side by side.

 

I decided to try the Z 565 irons because they are the most game-improvement like of the new Z 65 series, even though they don't look the least bit like a game-improvement iron. Also, as someone who tends to hit relatively low iron shots, I wanted to try them to see if I could get a little higher launch angle. (My go to shot is a medium-height draw.) After consulting with my fitter and trying a lot of shafts, I ended up in the Aerotech SteelFiber i95 stiff shafts. I had never hit them before, but I got the best ball flight with them. It is hard to describe how they feel. I guess I would say that they are solid, perfectly weighted and not the least bit harsh on a poor hit.

 

One of the reasons that I was excited to go on this trip was to test the Tour V.T. Sole. According to the marketing and to the reviews I have seen, the Tour V.T. Sole promotes less resistance through the turf, better turf interaction, and less digging, for those who are prone to that. I hurt my right hand and wrist a year ago doing some demolition and remodeling on our home. It has been the kind of nagging injury that never quite goes away. It has been aggravated more than once when I took a divot, making my relationship with divots a bit complex—I like a nice divot, but the occasional pain makes me hesitant and a bit inconsistent with my ball striking. To make a long story short, the Tour V.T. Sole works as advertised. I hit a lot of shots that day on the range with a variety of shafts. Some were fat, some were thin, some were even just right, but all of them felt great through the turf. I never had excessive digging and I never felt even the slightest twinge in my right hand and wrist.

 

 

Wedges:

 

I have been playing Cleveland CG16 wedges for the last couple of years and have been very happy with them. I have the 50⁰, 54⁰, and 58⁰ two dot (mid-bounce) wedges. I was excited to try the new RTX-3 wedges for a few reasons. First was the three V sole grinds. What is good for the irons is also good for the wedges, at least in this case. I was fitted into the three dot V-FG sole. I have forward shaft lean at impact and less digging makes me happy.

 

I was also excited to try the RTX-3 wedges because of the Feel Balancing Technology. I think that the way Cleveland shortened and lightened the hosel in order to move the center of gravity to where I hit the ball on the club face was a stroke of genius. I will never complain about something like that.

 

I also wanted to try the new groove shape and Rotex milling pattern to see what improvement they offered over my previous generation Cleveland wedges.

 

During the fitting, the wedges felt great. I decided to go with the 50⁰ RTX-3 CB and the 54⁰ and 58⁰ RTX-3 with the SteelFiber i110 shafts. I picked the 50⁰ cavity back as a transitional club between my Z 565 pitching wedge which has a cavity and the 54⁰ and 58⁰ wedges which don't. I mostly take full swings with my 50⁰ wedge and my fitter said that it is not an uncommon strategy. I picked the Tour Satin finish to have them match my irons. I know that the Tour Raw has been very popular with the RTX-3 wedges, but as a compulsive in-round club cleaner, I would probably be trying to figure out ways to stop them from rusting. I think that the Tour Satin was the right choice for me.

 

At this point I had to take a break from hitting balls. It was hard work and I wasn't the only one who needed periodic breaks.

 

 

Fairway, Hybrid, Utility:

 

I am going to post at a later date on these clubs and share some launch monitor data. Thanks to Uinta Golf for helping me out on this. They have been awesome to work with since I came back to golf and have been helpful with access to their launch monitor since I got the Srixon / Cleveland gear.

 

Driver:

 

I didn't know what to expect with the driver. I have been playing a Ping G15 10.5⁰ driver with a stiff shaft for a few years. It has been a good club for me, but I didn't feel like the G15 was really optimized for my swing. I felt like I was hitting the ball too high and with too much spin. At the Srixon / Cleveland fitting, I left the driver fitting until the last part of the day. At that point my hands were sore, my back was tight, and I was tired. On top of that, with the sun setting directly ahead, I never saw the ball. After every shot I would look up and be blinded by the sun and ask where it went. I trusted my fitter and was set up with a Z 565 9.5⁰ driver with a Miyazaki Kaula Mizore 6 S shaft (international flex code 4665). I took his word for it and hoped that the ball flight had been optimized, but I could barely hit the ball 250 yards on my best hits at that point.

 

Putter:

 

I have been using a TaylorMade Ghost Spider putter and I wanted to stay with a mallet. I also wanted to try the 2135 alignment aid. I chose the TFI 2135 Elevado. After a quick tip from the fitter on my setup, I was able to roll some really nice putts with this putter.

 

Ball:

 

With my swing speed and ball flight, the Z Star was recommended to me.

 

At the end of the session everyone was tired, but they were all smiles as well.

 

 

DAY TWO RECAP

 

We had a great time getting a tour of the Srixon / Cleveland headquarters. I was having so much fun that I forgot to take pictures except for this table in the conference room, which my wife would never go for, and this picture of Dave wondering if there were more putters somewhere that he could check out.

 

 

 

Even though I was still tired and sore from the fitting, we had a great time on the course. Regardless of my swing abandoning me, I got the sense that these clubs were going to be really good for me. Here is a photo of Eli with KC, Dan, and Dave during the round.

 

 

ON-COURSE CLUB TESTING

 

After I got home I was able to get out on the course three times to test the clubs before the snow hit. Each time I was able to go out as a single with other groups far ahead or behind me. In situations like this, one of my favorite things to do is to play two balls. For every shot longer than a wedge, I try to play a fade with one of the balls and a draw with the other ball. I am not claiming to be good at this, I am just saying that I enjoy it and that it provided a nice way to test the Srixon / Cleveland gear.

 

Here is a photo from testing day 1.

 

 

Irons:

 

Looks—outstanding. Feel—great feeling. Sound—awesome sound. Turf interaction—exactly what I had hoped for. Ability to shape shots—super easy and very responsive. Distance—seamless transition from my previous clubs with a little more height.

 

At one point I started to worry that I didn't have the right shafts. The new irons went a little higher than my old irons, but I wondered if a different shaft would give me even more height. I tried a few other shafts on a launch monitor. With each I hit a dozen shots and kept the five best. Then I tried the SteelFiber i95 shafts. The Uinta Golf manager was watching me hit and looking at the data. After about the 6^th or 7^th shot he said to me, “Every one of these has better numbers than your five best with the other shafts.” Just to be sure, I hit a half-dozen more shots. Same results. Not only did I get the best numbers with the SteelFiber shaft, I really preferred its feel. I also tried another OEM's head on the same shafts and preferred the feel of the Z 565 irons. I am sold on the quality of the Z 565 heads and the shafts that I was fit into. 

 

Here is a 145 yard par 3 that called for a high fade.

 

 

Here is how that worked out.

 

 

Wedges and Z star:

 

Looks—outstanding. Feel—great feeling. Sound—awesome sound. Turf interaction—exactly what I had hoped for. Distance—seamless transition from my previous clubs. Stopping power—ridiculous. As a mid-handicapper, I try to stop the ball quickly on the green for a lot of my shots. I don't try to back up the ball. With the RTX-3 wedges and a Z Star ball, I saw shot after shot stop in its tracks. It was like playing with a Velcro ball and target game. The ball landed and just sat there shot after shot. I laughed out loud. I have never been able to do that before. Versatility—top notch. I tried a variety of shots from different distances and lies and these wedges flat out perform.

 

Here are a couple of full wedge shots. I will take shots like these any day.

 

 

Here is a photo from testing day 2.

 

 

Driver:

 

Looks—outstanding. Feel—great feeling. Sound—great sound. Ability to shape shots—easy if you want to. Trajectory—lower and more penetrating. Distance—longer than my previous driver. On a calm, 45⁰ day with soft fairways I hit the three longest drives of my life. You can discount the yardage somewhat because I was playing at 4500' above sea level, but it was no fluke that I had my three longest drives with this driver. Not only was I longer with my longest shots, I was consistently longer. I didn't have the semi-occasional high spinning, high trajectory shot that comes up 30 yards short of where I thought it should be based on my swing and contact. I wasn't sure whether the driver would perform for me because I had been so tired when I was fitted for it. That question has been answered.

 

 

 

 

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

 

I have become a big fan of Srixon / Cleveland. Their products are top notch in every way. I am very impressed with everything that I have tested so far. Sadly, some of the equipment didn't arrive until after the snow had fallen and the golf season was over. I will post again in a couple of weeks with launch monitor data for the fairway wood, hybrid, and utility iron. I will also give some feedback on the putter at that time.

 

It was an incredible trip. Thanks to Srixon / Cleveland and MyGolfSpy for making it happen.

Let me know if you have any questions for me.

[The Dansome]

DAVE HATH POSTED!

 

Git your Srix-on now:

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/17602-srixoncleveland-fitlikeapro-member-recaps/?p=235404

[ole gray]

WOW what a great read and I felt like I was with ya through your process!   I have heard so much about Cleveland/Srixon's classy operation and this confirms my thoughts.  

[deejaid]

Sounds like a wonderful experience! Did you take your current clubs with you to warm up and get an idea of a starting point?

 

 

 

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

Good job Dave!

[cnosil]

Great read.   Envious that you had the opportunity to get a quality fitting like that.   I would really love to find a fitter that could confirm what I have or help me make the necessary optimizations.

[mwsb1998]

Envied all you who got this amazing gift. Sounds like an amazing experience.

 

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[Golfspy_CG2]

What a great write up that was Dave. A very entertaining read.

 

With all the shaft and head I or options available it's so cool that he found what works for you and that it is likely a combo you would have never tried on your own.

 

 

 

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[808nation]

Awesome read Dave, did you feel like a tour player for a day at least? Definitely an early Christmas gift for sure.

 

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[Justin H]

Great read Dave! Can't wait to see the rest of the reviews!

 

I know that based off these reviews alone Srixon has earned a new customer. I'm already eyeing the fairways and utility clubs.

 

 

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[GolfSpy Dave]

Fire off questions if you have them. Happy to expand on anything

[hckymeyer]

Fire off questions if you have them. Happy to expand on anything

What about the putter???

 

 

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[808nation]

Close up pictures of them beautiful clubs would be highly appreciated

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

What about the putter???

 

 

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lol I was thinking the same thing then I realized it's Dave and no way he was able to choose just one putter.

[null]

Really really jealous reading these. Amazing time you guys had

[MattF]

Great review Dave!

[PlaidJacket]

Nice review Dave.

Can you give us some close-up shots of your new equipment?

I too play AeroTech in my irons and were a game changer.

[Rtracymog]

Sounds like a great opportunity! I'm glad it was such an enjoyable experience!

 

 

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[GolfSpy Dave]

Photos of the clubs are coming. Gotta play a bit before the whole review of them can be written.

 

As for putter, I went with a HB1. Didn't spend much time testing them, already done that. Basically went "I want that, and make it 2° flat".

 

I believe that the Cleveland HB1 is the best deal in golf right now, behind the Kirkland balls perhaps. $99 for this putter is amazing.

 

I did try the Rosemark Thorn grip out when we played during the trip. Inconclusive on the grip. Like the shape, but the feel and material seemed a bit off for me. More to come there perhaps.

[The Dansome]

It's going to be so tough to follow Dave's....

 

Here's a few product shots to hold you over lol

 

Getting ready for their new home. "EVERYONE should try these irons" - @mygolfspy @srixongolf Z-Series review link in profile >>

A photo posted by Dan Mann|Golf Photojournalist (@golfspymbp) on Nov 14, 2016 at 10:53am PST

A peak inside the custom department @clevelandgolf RTX-3 wedges have sole grinds for every situation and grooves with serious stopping power.

A photo posted by Dan Mann|Golf Photojournalist (@golfspymbp) on Nov 11, 2016 at 8:05am PST

The @srixongolf Z565 forged cavity back is an impressive balance of forgiveness and playability. They call it a performance iron (like a game improvement CB) but it's compact design and buttery feel will impress low handicaps as well.

A photo posted by Dan Mann|Golf Photojournalist (@golfspymbp) on Nov 10, 2016 at 5:36am PST

[josmi15]

Great job Dave!!!

 

 

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[GolfSpy Dave]

Gear teaser shot

 

 

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[The Dansome]

A little teaser while I try and get this wrapped

 

Still working on our @clevelandgolf @srixongolf trip recaps. In the meantime here's my quick hit highlights of the impressive Z-Series irons as reviewed by @mygolfspy Nov 14th - link in profile > Also @golfspydave has posted his fitting day recap in our forums. #srixon #zseries #journeytobetter

A video posted by Dan Mann|Golf Photojournalist (@golfspymbp) on Nov 28, 2016 at 9:06am PST

[Orange Hog]

A little teaser while I try and get this wrapped

 

 

 

 

 

I 100% agree with your comment that the 765s offer a lot of game improvement.  Frankly, I think some might shy away from them because they think "I can't hit a CB iron".  Pro tip...hit these irons first.

 

I've been a Srixon/Cleveland guy for a while now, coming from the 45 series irons and upgrading into the 65 series just recently.  Not only do these clubs feel and perform incredibly good, the VT Sole is the best thing ever.  Like you I've hit some fat shots where I immediately looked down and mumbled "that's gonna be short" only to look up and see the ball land right on target.  Adding that feature into the RTX-3 wedges this release was brilliant, too.  I'll wear the grooves off these clubs before I even consider anything else.

 

Super jealous of the experience you guys went through at Srixon HQ.  Look forward to more pics and recaps!

[Golfspy_CG2]

I honestly don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to hold out on hitting these, at first I was dead set on the 565's but I keep hearing everyone say what Orange Hog and others have said about the forgiveness off the 765.   OH, you've only played one round with me and that was two years ago pre knee surgery.   So You probably can't recall much off my game, hell I can't even remember how I played that day...LOL  

 

But I have played and hit the CF16's very well, so I don't know how the 765 would compare to those.  There's a very good chance our Head Pro is going to be  a Srixon staffer in 2017--he was a Nike, so he has to make a change--if so I'm sure I'll have a good chance to try these out when the rep comes out to set everything up. 

[Orange Hog]

I honestly don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to hold out on hitting these, at first I was dead set on the 565's but I keep hearing everyone say what Orange Hog and others have said about the forgiveness off the 765.   OH, you've only played one round with me and that was two years ago pre knee surgery.   So You probably can't recall much off my game, hell I can't even remember how I played that day...LOL  

 

But I have played and hit the CF16's very well, so I don't know how the 765 would compare to those.  There's a very good chance our Head Pro is going to be  a Srixon staffer in 2017--he was a Nike, so he has to make a change--if so I'm sure I'll have a good chance to try these out when the rep comes out to set everything up. 

 

Compared to the CF16, which I tested and played earlier this year, the Srixons offer much better feel and consistency IMO.  I struggled with getting some "hot spots" in the CF16's.  Every so often I'd catch one and it'd fly 10 yards further than normal...just out of nowhere.  I wanted to love them because they look good and I was a fan of the prior Apex irons but just couldn't deal with the occasional rocket ball.

 

The 565s will offer ultimate forgiveness with outstanding feel.  I play the 565 in my 4-iron because it gives me a bit more confidence and forgiveness in that longer iron spot.  The first time I picked up and hit the 745 irons I was blown away with how easy they were to hit and how much forgiveness they offered in a CB package.  Mis-hit the ball and you'll lose a bit of distance - that's expected with any CB iron - but it's much much less with the Srixons than any others I've tried.  I even put the 965s in my bag in the 8, 9 and PW spots.  Every single person I've let hit them were floored with how easy they are to hit for a bladed iron.  I'm in love with the feel from the 965s.  I always pictured blades being irons that you had to hit a super tiny sweet spot or you'd be punished.  That simply isn't the case with the 965s at all.  Yes, you need to be a better ball striker but hitting slightly off-center is ridiculously punished.

 

Heck, I didn't even go on this trip and I'm a die hard Srixon guy.  If there are folks out there who haven't hit these clubs from Srixon you really need to do yourself a favor and try them.  I've already converted a couple of co-workers to them and I know I'll be on the Srixon train for a long time to come.

[Golfspy_CG2]

Compared to the CF16, which I tested and played earlier this year, the Srixons offer much better feel and consistency IMO.  I struggled with getting some "hot spots" in the CF16's.  Every so often I'd catch one and it'd fly 10 yards further than normal...just out of nowhere.  I wanted to love them because they look good and I was a fan of the prior Apex irons but just couldn't deal with the occasional rocket ball.

 

The 565s will offer ultimate forgiveness with outstanding feel.  I play the 565 in my 4-iron because it gives me a bit more confidence and forgiveness in that longer iron spot.  The first time I picked up and hit the 745 irons I was blown away with how easy they were to hit and how much forgiveness they offered in a CB package.  Mis-hit the ball and you'll lose a bit of distance - that's expected with any CB iron - but it's much much less with the Srixons than any others I've tried.  I even put the 965s in my bag in the 8, 9 and PW spots.  Every single person I've let hit them were floored with how easy they are to hit for a bladed iron.  I'm in love with the feel from the 965s.  I always pictured blades being irons that you had to hit a super tiny sweet spot or you'd be punished.  That simply isn't the case with the 965s at all.  Yes, you need to be a better ball striker but hitting slightly off-center is ridiculously punished.

 

Heck, I didn't even go on this trip and I'm a die hard Srixon guy.  If there are folks out there who haven't hit these clubs from Srixon you really need to do yourself a favor and try them.  I've already converted a couple of co-workers to them and I know I'll be on the Srixon train for a long time to come.

Good stuff!!  Thanks for that.   Good idea on the 4 iron, if I were to go that route, I would definitely go maybe 4 and 5 int he 565 and then 6-P in the 765.   Can't wait until the rep is by again with these.  I missed him a few weeks back.