First impressions: A no-nonsense feel on first inspection but after a while you get to appreciate that this is a classy piece of kit.
It’s compact head shape, lack of alignment aid and the custom-fit only nature means it leans towards the better player.
However, the face looks quite deep so it’s not too intimidating for the mid-handicapper. The contrast of the black crown and silver face really suited my eye.
What they say:
The Z 545 Driver is a mid-high launch fully adjustable driver with low spin suitable for all abilities.
The 460cc profile inspires confidence over the ball and aids forgiveness.
Ball speeds have been maximised through the advanced face construction of the Z 545, which features a Booster cup-face construction and variable face thickness technology to enlarge the sweet spot by 35% – increasing forgiveness and distance.
A 12-way hosel design tunes face angle and lie along with loft, while the adjustable weight port comes standard with a 7 and 3-gram weight. 11-gram weights are also available to precisely tune the centre of gravity to give you optimal launch and spin.
NCG Verdict: As the main driver in Srixon’s 2015 range both myself and Dan Murphy (4 handicap) tested this product.
I have to say I didn’t get on with it during my custom-fit session which I thing was down to me having an off day rather than the product not suiting me.
Dan got on with it like a house on fire immediately and was hugely impressed with the numbers he was getting. Better players and purists, like Dan, will love this driver and appreciate the custom-fit only availability.
If you really care about your kit and are into clean simple looks then this is as good as it gets.
On the testing day itself I was pleasantly surprised to find it one of the best performing drivers for me. Perhaps not the most forgiving but it will give you lots of pleasure when you flush it out of the middle. As long as anything with great distance and spin numbers.
