From the outside looking in, it certainly appears the first half of 2016 has been a step in the right direction for the Srixon/Cleveland brands. The new Z 355 irons and woods, launched last fall, have been well received, and Srixon just released its new Soft Feel 2-piece golf ball last week. Additionally, the brand is starting to carve out shelf space in some of the nation's larger retailers.
2015 was not a very good year for the Cleveland and Srixon Golf brands in North America. Inventory issues, order fulfillment challenges and lack of retail availability kneecapped Srixon before the 2015 Z line could gain any real traction. And when your parent company’s annual report singles out your performance as “disappointing,” it’s not the time to be making any major purchases.
New North American CEO Matt Yasumata has been a busy guy since taking over in February, overhauling the entire sales and marketing departments and mapping out a strategy to hit a very modest goal of boosting sales by $5.5 million for 2016.
So far, the new 355 line and Soft Feel balls are the only new products on hand to fuel that growth. Reinforcements are on the way in September with new wedges and putters from Cleveland and a full overhaul of the Srixon iron and wood lineup.
$5.5 Million is starting to look eminently reachable.
New and...same?
One thing you can definitely say about Srixon’s 2017 product line – the changes are clearly not cosmetic.
The new lineup features two drivers (the Z 565 and 765), a fairway and hybrid offering (Z F65 and Z H65), and three sets of irons (Z 565, 765 and 965). All good looking stuff, as you’d expect from Srixon. But one thing jumps out at you.
The new stuff looks almost exactly like the old stuff, especially the irons.
Apparently that’s not an accident.
“Yeah, the irons do look an awful lot like our 2015 lineup,” says Srixon Golf Club Product Manager Eli Miller. “We really didn’t want to tinker with the look very much. People really liked the look of the 545, 745 and 945 irons.”
While there are differences in the new line, Srixon isn’t making claims of huge distance gains, incredible new technology or any of the other usual marketing tripe. Instead, Srixon claims the upgrades to the 2017 line, while subtle, will be noticeable and meaningful to the serious golfer.
Could this be a kinder, gentler type of marketing hype?
565/765 Drivers
Replacements for Srixon’s 545 and 745 drivers, the new Z 565 and 765 are designed to increase ball speed no matter where you hit it on the face. If that sounds familiar, it should – it’s what everyone else is doing to make their new drivers go farther than their old ones.
Srixon’s way of making the face hotter than previous models is combining three technologies into what it’s calling the “Ripple Effect.”
The 565 has a 460cc head and is more of a Game Improvement category driver, while the 765 is smaller at 445cc, and is designed for the more accomplished player. Both drivers are adjustable, and come in 9.5 and 10.5 models. Each will list for $449.99. The Miyazaki Kaula Mizu shaft is stock.
3 New Iron Sets
As we said earlier, Srixon’s new Z 565, 765 and 965 irons look remarkably like Srixon’s old 545, 745 and 945 irons. So where's the beef?
“Even though the look is similar, we’re not just releasing product to release product,” says Miller. “We want a consistent look and feel, but we also want to offer tangible improvements that matter to the golfer.”
You’ll have to look at the new sticks pretty closely and compare them directly to the old series, but what you’ll see is a line-wide modification to the Tour V.T. Sole. There’s been a noticeable rounding at the heel and toe area and modifications to the V.T. Sole, designed to encourage friendlier turf interaction.
If you look at the sole of the older 545 or 745, you’ll see the sole of the iron looks a bit sharper, like it has more bite to it. The new soles appear smoother, with less leading edge bounce - up to 18% less in the long irons, and slightly more trailing edge bounce.
“We want to offer tangible improvements that matter to the golfer," says Miller. "We’re kind of obsessive about turf interaction, and the smoother V.T. Sole will especially appeal to golfers who play lots of different types of courses with different types of turf.”
Specifics
Srixon calls the new Z 565 a highly playable 1020 carbon steel forged cavity back iron. If you’re looking for comps, think the Callaway Apex CF 16’s or the Titleist AP 2’s. The Z 565 is available from a 3-iron all the way through a 56 degree sand wedge.
The Z 565's also feature a high strength face insert made from a material called SUP10. Srixon says SUP10 is about 10% stronger than 17-4 stainless steel while maintaining similar strength properties, which the claim will promote higher ball speed and more distance. Also new are grooves that are 5% larger than the 2015 line (the new, bigger grooves are in all of the new irons), and double laser face milling. Srixon says both will promote more consistent spin control, especially in wet conditions.
Nippon/s NS Pro 980 GH DST shaft is stock.
Muscle Up
The new Z 765 replaces the 745 in the 1020 forged muscle cavity category (Callys’ Apex 16 Pro and Titleist’s 716 CB are fairly similar comps), and they feature either the Nippon NS Pro Modus3 120 or the True Temper Dynamic Golf as stock shafts. The 765, along with the 565, will be available for lefties as well.
And if you’re looking for Sex on a Stick, the Z 965 is a compact muscle back blade. They’re gorgeous, but bring your A game.
The new 965's offer slightly more offset than the 945's, along with less leading edge bounce in the long irons and more trailing edge bounce throughout the set. The Dynamic Gold is stock.
Both models feature the larger grooves and laser milling on the face. All three irons sets will list at $1,099.99 in steel for an 8-piece set. The Z 565 will also be available in graphite for $1,199.99.
The entire 2017 line – 2 drivers and 3 iron sets, plus the Z F65 fairway, Z H65 hybrid and Z U65 utility iron – will be released September 16th.
Faithful Partners
One of the biggest challenges facing Srixon is availability – golfers won’t buy what they can’t try. On a recent trip to Rhode Island, I noticed Srixon clubs (the 2015 series) in the local Golfer’s Warehouse, which was a first.
Part of that effort is what may very well be the largest no-upcharge shaft offering in the industry. The entire KBS catalog will be available at no upcharge, as will the entire True Temper and Project X catalogs and the Nippon Modus 3 and 950.
Also of note is the fact that the 2017 lineup will release all three iron models at once. Previously, Srixon released its 545 and 745 irons together, but didn’t release its 945 blades until several months later. Miller says Srixon is encouraging its fitters to put together whatever type of customized progressive set they think will best fit their customers’ needs. So if you want the Z 565 long irons, the Z 765 mid-irons and the Sex-on-a-Stick Z 965 blades as short irons, Srixon wants to be able to deliver.
Speaking of Delivery…
Back in 2015, Srixon created a nice little buzz for itself with its new Z clubs. That buzz petered out pretty quickly due to some serious fulfillment issues. Srixon simply couldn’t get product to retailers and fitters, and golfers anxious to try Srixon were left to try – and buy – something else.
“We’re absolutely committed to making sure that doesn’t happen again,” says Miller. “We’ve worked hard over the last year and a half to be a better partner. We realize we’re lucky to be getting a second chance.
It’s still hard to find Srixon clubs in many markets, but the brand is in every PGA Super Store, as well as the Worldwide Golf properties. Miller says improved fulfillment and shipping, along with Srixon’s aggressive no-upcharge shaft program and left-handed offerings were keys in landing the Worldwide Golf account.
As for custom orders, Miller adds that Srixon is turning those around in less than a week.
“Our quoted turnaround time for a standard custom-built set is 3 to 5 days, but we almost always beat that.”
So, what are your thoughts on Srixon's 2017 offerings?
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