The driver trend this year has seen the re-emergence of smaller more compact heads. The sub 425cc head has grown in popularity on the Japanese tour and manufacturers have obliged with heads as small as the Tourstage Limited 365cc head and of course Yonex’s Ryo Ishikawa 380cc model. Srixon which has the second largest number of touring pros behind Tourstage here in Japan has listed to their pros in releasing the New Z-TX Tour P-420, a limited 420cc compact driver.

P-420 is a looker…

The first thing I noticed when I pulled the headcover off the driver was how good looking it is. It’ finish is more subtle in colors than the standard Z-TX (probably thanks to the lack of yellow color 0r any colors for that matter) and the head’s lines and shape shouts out all business. Smaller heads of the past lacked the technology and materials of today’s drivers meaning, manufacturers can now go back to creating even better compact head drivers packed with design, technology and top notch materials.  The Srixon New Z-TX Tour P-420 looks to be a result of all these points.

Quick Tune System…

The head shape is pear like thanks to a high back design. The sole of the driver is muscular looking thanks to its lines and finish. The P-420 does feature Srixon’s Quick Tune system which allows for the weighting of the head as well as trajectory to be changed. Two standard 7 gram weights are placed in the toe and heel for a neutral setting. The P-420 also comes with a nifty wrench which also houses the two extra weights. an 11g and a 3g weight that can be swapped in and out with the 7 grammers for a variety of trajectories.  With the weight placed more towards the face and with the heads high back design, the P-420 is made for feel, control and stability.

Pleasing look at address…

The weight placements and design of the head also allow for a shorter and shallower CG positioning which will promote a stronger more penetrating trajectory preferred by better players who want to combat the wind and produce drives with more direction and run.  At address, the head size is very pleasing and features a square to slightly open face angle. There also appears to be less bulge in the face of the P-420 compared to larger sized Srixon drivers which again will allow the better player to work the ball more and still benefit from good distance performance.

Awesome Super TIX Forged face…

The face profile of the Z-TX Tour P-420 is clean and has a very nice look to it. A slight bulge in the crown not only gives the head sharper looking lines but also helps increase the face area for a larger sweet spot and higher ball speeds. Srixon faces have always had a very nice shape and the P-420 is no exception. The Srixon face has a sticky feel to it meaning that when the ball impacts the face it seems to hang on the face for a split second longer than most other drivers then shoot the ball forward with maximum energy transfer. The P-420 features Srixon and XXIO’s proprietary Super TIX^®51AF forged in Japan Titanium mix which provides a soft but crisp feel at impact.  I have to say I really like this feel unlike some drivers these days that are so muted and have no feel or feedback.

Stanadard are Miyazaki Shafts…

My 9.5* tester came with the new Tour AD DJ-6 shaft which is actually a special order (along with Diamana and Fujikura Motore shafts). The standard offerings with the 8.5 9.5 and 10.5* loft New Z-TX Tour P-420 are Miyazaki shafts including the Kusala, Blue, Silver and new Indigo models. The Z-TX Tour P-420 features a flatter lie of 57.5* which better players will like since it helps reduce shots left. Clubs are made standard to 45.25″ which is  a very manageable length and a good balance between distance and control (you can also special order different lengths).  With the standard 2 x 7g weights in the head and standard Miyazaki shafts, the swing weight is at D3 and can easily be increased to D5 by swapping in the 11g for one of the 7g weights.

Definitely for the better player…

I spent a day at the range yesterday testing a few new drivers I have on hand here and the Z-TX Tour P-420 was one of my favorites when it came to looks and feel. For me its a bit too heavy at 318g and a bit too stiff producing fades with most drives (I would love to stick a slightly lighter and softer shaft in this head to try). The trajectory is penetrating with a lot of run and when I had a few faster swingers around me try the driver they hit very strong drives with a lot of run out. They all told me the loved the way the driver set up and felt. One of my neighbors who came with me to the range uses a very similar offering from Tourstage, the 703 Limited in 9.5* and Tour AD DI-6 Stiff (though the 703 Limited is a bigger head) and he preferred the look or the smaller head of the P-420 and he thought it was just as forgiving as his larger 703. When hitting the driver side by side with the Tourstage, the Srixon had a more muted thwok at impact and with the 2 x 7g weights naturally fades. With a heavier weight configuration in the sole, the P-420 produces a nice draw. The players who tried the Z-TX P-420 all liked the heavier feel and noted they could really feel the head through the swing.  The New Z-TX Tour P-420 is highly recommended for any faster swinger and better player wanting a more compact head driver, especially one with great feel and some technology to boot. Its not really for the average golfer as its design and shaft options really due suit the stronger player.  Srixon has produced only a limited run of the P-420 for all of Japan so once sold out, there will be no more. Look for the new driver in the shop later this week!

[nggallery id=280]