Srixon: Japanese Powerhouse Slowly Emerging in U.S.

If you’ve played golf for any length of time – like in the past 70 years – and played a ball other than a Titleist or Top-Flite, you may very well have played a ball made by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Never heard of them? Well, neither had I until this winter when hanging around my clubmaker’s shop wishing it were spring, I spotted an unusual-looking iron – a demo forged 6 iron my clubmaker had picked up at the PGA Show.

It was the Srixon I-506 model and it prompted a lot of web surfing and, ultimately, big changes to my bag.

Srixon is the worldwide brand of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, a leading Japanese manufacturer of tires, sporting goods, and industrial products and owner of the Dunlop/Maxfli brand in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. They are also one of the largest producers of golf balls in the world as well as Japan’s leading golf club brand.

All that’s impressive, but what really got my attention is when I learned two things. First they hold more patents on golf ball design than anyone else in the world. And second, they are the pioneers and patent holders of the technology behind today’s modern COR drivers.

Srixon has been selling balls and equipment in the U.S. since 1997. You could have fooled me. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention; maybe they were just a well-kept secret. But whatever, that low profile is changing fast.

They’ve made a new commitment to the U.S. market and by now anyone watching golf on television has seen their new spots featuring Jim Furyk, Tim Petrovic, and Robert Allenby. Tim Clark, too, got plenty of screen time at this past weekend’s Masters. Their signing of Furyk, in particular, is an indicator they are getting serious about the U.S. market. Also on staff, Tom Lehman and Miguel Angel Jiménez for the ball.

Balls
The U.S. ball market is so crowded because there’s so much money in it. Even a small slice of the pie can be hugely profitable and for a brand like Srixon with such a long heritage and huge resources behind it, it was only a matter of time before they’d decide to make a real run at it.

Their current lineup includes four different models: Soft Feel, AD 333, Z-UR, and Z-URS. The Soft Feel and AD 333 are two-piece balls with lower comparison aimed at players currently using balls like the Noodle, NXT, and Callaway Blue. They are also priced in that category with a street price around $20 a dozen. The Z-UR and Z-URS are their premium three-piece balls priced at $40 a dozen and targeted, obviously, at current Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players. Both of these balls feature the thinnest outer cover now on balls. The Z-URS is actually a development of the Z-UR and was meant to give a softer feel off driver and iron shots.

I’ve played with both the AD 333 and Z-URS. The AD 333 is very soft, softer even than a Pro V1 off the putter face. But for me there was just too much spin. The Z-URS, however, seemed longer to me than the Pro V1 I played last year and spin off the driver and around the green seem perfect. It also appears a little more shear-resistant than the Pro V1.

The downside for me is that it is much more “clickey” off the putter – more like a Callaway HX Tour. Furyk and Karrie Webb, also on the Srixon staff, are playing Z-UR prototype balls and they both play soft-faced Odyssey putters. The prototype is no doubt a portent of a model to come and it will be interesting to see if Srixon addresses the putter feel factor.

If you want to try them, good luck finding them. I’m sure Srixon is working hard to grow their dealer network, but for now finding a dealer can be hit or miss. Online Edwin Watts carries all or part of the ball line.

Driver
While Srixon markets a line of fairway woods and hybrids, I haven’t had a chance to see any of them yet, although the hybrids look promising in pictures. They have introduced a new driver, however, and it is something special. I’ve hit the W-506 driver and it is long. In fact, I’m going on a launch monitor tomorrow to get one made up for me. Here’s the story:

At 450cc, the W-506 is big and forgiving. Given that Srixon led the way in COR design, it’s interesting to see how far they’ve now taken that technology. What they call “Impact Power Body Construction” means they’ve varied the wall thicknesses in the face, sole and back that results in the entire clubhead deforming at impact, not just the face. This means the ball stays in longer contact with face resulting in low spin and high launch angle. They also vary the placement of weight in the sole depending on the loft so that the higher lofts are easier to square up at impact.

The driver comes in four different lofts from 8.5° to 11.5°. There are also a variety of available shafts in addition to their proprietary SV3004 model, including Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue.

Coming from a TaylorMade R7, the bigger size was obvious. At the same time, the head is a very pleasing, traditional shape. It looks good. It also makes a unique sound at impact. Unlike the solid sound of the R7, it’s a bit hollow sounding. But sound doesn’t matter when it launches the ball as this driver does. Very impressive.

I would compare its feel to that of the Nike SasQuatch. Finding Srixon clubs may be even more of a challenge than finding the balls but a search through their website should produce a dealer or two in your area. Suggested retail is $299, but you can find lower prices on the web and most certainly on eBay. I’ll report on a launch monitor comparison with my R7 once that happens, most likely in our forum.

Irons
The I-506 irons are in my bag. Here’s why: in the playing position they are a classic blade with a slightly rounded toe, thin topline, and little offset. But the sole is fairly wide with a distinct “bump” in the back reminiscent of the TaylorMade RAC TP irons. This weight distribution makes it very easy to get the ball in the air. In fact, they launch higher than my X-16 pros. While not nearly as forgiving, they are easy to hit and I’ve gotten away with a couple shots off the toe.

They are also forged and there is nothing like the feel of a forged club hit in the sweet spot. It’s my personal opinion that a distinct sweet spot helps you find it more often. They are forged from 1025 carbon steel – a harder material than the 1020 carbon steel Mizuno uses. So don’t expect the same buttery feel that Mizuno irons give. However, they still feel sweet and may stand up to dings and bag chatter a bit better.

But in addition to their playability, what finally sold me was their value. I prefer a certain shaft – Nippon NS Pro – and not a lot of manufacturers offer it as an option. Titleist does, and so does Srixon but Srixon has no up charge for the option. In fact, they offer a variety of shafts at no extra charge including Precision Rifle Tour Flighted and Project X and Dynamic Gold, Sensicore, Sensicore Lite and Super Lite. What this means is that you can more closely order a club you know you’ll like without paying a premium for the privilege.

The Srixon I-506 irons are certainly not for everyone. A true cavity back with some offset would be a much better choice for most mid and higher handicappers. But these deserve a demo from those looking for a forgiving forged clubhead. Retail price is $700, although a little shopping around on the net or eBay could result in a lower number.

Srixon also markets a line of forged wedges with seven different loft and lie combinations. These look very interesting and I hope to be able to review them for you soon.

One final piece of personal trivia: my first hole in one as a lad back in 1964 was made with a Maxfli ball. It seems now that old, yellowing balata relic on the shelf was likely made by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Maybe that’s reason enough for me to play a Srixon today.