It’s an unfortunate fact of life that, whenever an OEM launches its latest line of metalwoods, fairways and hybrids always play second fiddle.
To put it into terms many of you will understand and more than a few of you won’t, fairways and hybrids are the Shemp of this passion play.
That doesn’t mean they’re not worth your time or attention. Shemp had his moments, after all.
Such is the case of Srixon’s new ZXi RKT fairways and hybrids. While the three new drivers are getting all the headlines, the supporting cast deserves a little love, too.
Srixon ZXi RKT fairways and hybrids
As it is with most OEMs, the Srixon ZXi RKT fairway and hybrid story follows the companion driver story almost bullet point by bullet point. It’s throwing a veritable kitchen sink’s worth of face technology at the new sticks. Both feature the same RKT face design and i-Flex face thickness architecture along with Rebound Frame and Variable Roll Design.
i-Flex is Srixon’s take on AI-designed variable face thickness. That’s coupled with Rebound Frame, a series of flexible zones backed by rigid zones in the face and head assembly. The idea is to add even more flex to the face and head assembly.
And we can only presume that RKT has to stand for “Rocket.”
As in, Rocket Face. Rocketballz, as you know, was already taken.
Mini drivers need not apply (at least for now)
I’m not sure if this is a stop-the-presses moment but note there’s no mini driver in the new Srixon lineup.
Is Srixon bucking the industry trend or (more likely) is the company simply biding its time? Either way, it’s noticeable.
Instead, Srixon is sticking with a strong 3-wood. The ZXi RKT 3+ fairway is a hosel-adjustable 13.5-degree 3-wood that can be cranked all the way down to 12 degrees. From a loft standpoint, that’s certainly in mini driver territory. Its shallow face and overall compact profile will make it less forgiving off the tee than your standard mini driver but it should be infinitely more playable off the turf.
Additionally, the 3+ (along with the standard 3-wood) features a carbon fiber crown to help lower the center of gravity. Add a sole weight closer to the face than the back and you have a player’s metalwood designed for ball speed.
In the big picture, however, the new ZXi RKT fairways represent a continuation of the fairway story Srixon has been telling for over a decade: they’re the same thing as our drivers, only different.
That’s not to suggest a lack of creativity or even a lack of performance. We’ve tried the new 5-wood and in another stop-the-presses moment, it’s giving my two-year-old Wilson Dynapower Carbon 5-wood a bad case of the heebie-jeebies. However, when you look at what Callaway is doing with fairways, hybrids and “utility woods” and compare it to what smaller OEMs like Srixon are doing, you definitely know who’s leading the market and who’s following.
Again, that’s not to diminish performance. That will come out in the wash next year when we get into Most Wanted testing. It’s just a statement of where Srixon is in the metalwoods hierarchy.
Srixon fairways have traditionally performed well in our testing. The previous model, simply called ZXi, finished in a virtual tie for second overall in 2025, the year it launched.
The hybrid verse, same as the first
We can probably cut and paste those last few paragraphs here to describe the ZXi RKT hybrids. The 19-degree 3-hybrid (cranked to 20.5) has found its way into my bag as we dive into fall. As a lifelong hybrid hater (I tend to hook them into the next county), early returns show the ZXi RKT hybrid plenty long and, while not right-biased, it doesn’t want to go west on a northbound flight.
Also, give Srixon credit for making the ZXi RKT hybrid what a hybrid is supposed to be: a true iron replacement and not just a skinny fairway wood. It’s not as forgiving as a 7-wood might be. It does, however, fly high, land soft and do the things you want a hybrid to do.
Its tech story is more of the same. The RKT face technology with i-Flex variable face thickness, Rebound Frame and Variable Roll Design. It also features a single swappable sole weight to dial in swing weight as well as Srixon’s adjustable hosel system.
Srixon ZXi RKT fairways and hybrids: Specs, price and availability
The new Srixon ZXi RKT fairways come in 3-, 5- and 7-wood lofts (15, 16 and 21 degrees) as well as the 13.5-degree 3+ wood. The 3+ and standard 3 feature carbon fiber crowns. Those lofts are available for righties. Lefties get the standard 3 and the 5. Women’s models are available in the 5- and 7- wood lofts, right-handed only.
The Mitsubishi Kai’li Dark Waves Blue 60 is stock in X- and S-flexes. The Dark Waves Red 50 is stock in R-flex. The lightweight Mitsubishi Bassara PL 40 is stock in the women’s model.
The Srixon ZXi RKT hybrids come in 2 through 6 (17, 19, 22, 25, 28) for righties. For lefties, it’s the 3- and 4-hybrids. The women’s models include 4-, 5-, and 6-hybrids for right-handers only.
The Mitsubishi MMT HY is the stock men’s shaft while the Bassara PL 40 is stock for women.
Stock grips for the hybrids and fairways are the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 for men. For women, it’s the 44-gram Golf Pride Fine Line.
The fairways will retail for $378.99 each while the hybrids go for $329.99 each.
The entire line of Srixon ZXi RKT metalwoods hit the stores and the internet Oct. 16.
For more information, hit up the Srixon website.
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