In The Mail: Cleveland ZipCore XL Irons

In The Mail: Cleeland ZipCore XL Irons

Arriving in the mail for review recently were three Cleveland ZipCore XL Irons: A nine, seven and five.

ZipCore describes Cleveland Golf’s method of replacing steel in the hosel with a lighter material, allowing the company to redistribute weight where it can improve distance and forgiveness. The design has been used in wedges for several years — and I REALLY like those wedges. This is the first time it has been used in irons.

The irons also have what Cleveland calls “MainFrame technology” on the 4four to seven irons, helping with face flex and keeping the mass low. In the shorter irons, ZipCore is said to produce more consistent launch, spin, and distance.

There’s also some wizardry going on with the grooves, as each club has grooves specific to its loft and “HydraZip face blasts.” In 4i-7i lofts, HydraZip uses a rougher face blast, with wider, flatter grooves, to help reduce unwanted spin. On the other hand, 8i-SW lofts receive a slightly smoother blast, with thinner, deeper grooves to boost spin on approach.

I took them out for a “Sunday Bag” round last week. I’ll give them a fuller test in coming weeks and have a review as soon as possible.