2019 Srixon Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV Golf Balls

[HarryPotter]

I wont speak to another testing, but suffice it to say, impact locations matter. Where speed and spin come into play the most with golf balls, is how they react when not hit dead center. Its why THPer feedback is so important on golf balls so other golfers can learn and see how this is working. When hit dead center, with set perimeters, the same few balls will always max out. Where fitting comes into play, especially with the most violent impacts (full swings) is how much spin is altered and how much speed is lost due to compression.

Oh totally agreed, and I only mentioned it because there is a lot on interesting info there.

I’d really love to get a ball fitting at some point, but there rarely seem to be any in my neck of the woods. That being said, after much trial and error, I think the ZStar is probably the best for me. It finds fairways more than other balls for me, and it shines in all other regards. Love it off the putter as well.


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[JDax]

Great stuff here, wow. It’s such an impressive ball.

I’ve tried balls from pretty much every manufacturer, and for whatever reason, I’m always straightest and most consistent with ZStar. It may not always be the absolute longest, but I always come back to it. I’m pretty much to the point where I’m done trying other balls, because these are just so good.

Mygolfspy had a comprehensive ball overview post yesterday, and similar findings.

Thanks for the post!


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In that other ball review that you mention, there was an anomaly in the testing of the Yellow Z-Star Ball, I note that I haven’t seen any difference in the White v. the Yellow in how it performed.


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[BuckNasty]

As part of my coverage of the Distance Powered by Srixon Event, I was given a swag bag that included a dozen Z-Stars and a dozen Z-Star XVs. I traded the XVs for Z-Stars, because that is my preferred ball to play in the Z-Star line. I prefer the slightly lower compression of the Z-Star vs. the XV. I agreed to review the Z-Star as part of that trade.
HuddieJ reviewed the XV, this is a review for the 2019 Z-Star.

About me:
Handicap- GHIN 11.1
Swing Speed- 98-102 MPH (Driver Average)
Normal Ball Flight- Mid-High
Normal Miss- Left (I'm right handed), Sometimes left of Joseph Stalin

Balls that I've Gamed in the Past- Like many, I used to play balls that I could get a good deal on when they went on sale. I have gamed too many balls to list here, but over the last couple of years, I primarily have gamed the Chrome Soft or the Z-Star.

Testing Period: I have been playing the new Z-Star since its launch in the fall. I have mixed the new Z-Star in with the Chrome Soft. My home course is an American Links style course, where one of the primary defenses of the course in the wind conditions off of the Cumberland River. I would say this testing period has been over the course of 10 to 12 rounds.

WITB- Bag played for all rounds as the Signature states.

Distance- The distances that I have seen off the driver has been really solid. I have found the Z-Star to be slightly longer than the other balls that I have played and mixed in during the same round. Iron distances have been true to expectations, As others have stated, this ball is low spinning off of the tee, which probably adds to overall distance seen off of the tee. I have been happy with the distance seen from this ball. I have gamed both the white Z-Star and the yellow Z-Star during this testing period; I haven’t seen a difference in distance in the 2 colors.

Ball Flight/Wind Performance: Per my previous statement, my home course sits on the banks of the Cumberland River, and is Links style, play ability in strong wind conditions is a must when choosing what ball to play. This ball doesn't balloon in the least. I have found the ball's trajectory nice and piercing. In fact, If you normally deal with tough wind conditions, this is a ball that you can still game in confidence. I don’t have the skill to attempt to alter ball flight that much, if I can hit nice mid/high trajectory shots, I’m happy. From my experience with prior generations of the Z-Star, the ability to cut through the wind is something that I have grown to expect from the Srixon line of balls, this ball reacts no different into the wind than the prior gens of this ball. That is good thing, because play ability in adverse wind conditions is something I look for in a ball.

Approach Shots: If we have learned anything on THP over the last few years, it is the importance of ball fitting, and how to choose a ball to fit your game. Starting at the green and working back is most important when picking a ball. This ball performs very well in this regard; the ball spins enough that when it hits the green it is very close to its ball mark. I agree with others that have stated that this ball spins when you need it to with the scoring irons.

Chipping: According to the Grint App, I’m only hitting 35% GIR this year, so I have had a lot of opportunity to test the chipping performance of this ball. In comparison to the prior gen Z-Star, the new Z-Star spins more. I think that addition of SERM to the Spin Skin is the reason that I’m experiencing more spin green side. The new Spin Skin has made the cover of the Z-Star thinner than the prior generation, there was a tradeoff for this increase in green side spin (more on that later). At first, the ball was checking quicker than I expected, you have to get yourself into the habit not expect as much roll out and adjust accordingly.

Putting: This ball feels really good off the putter; it’s not clicky or super soft either.

Color/Durability: I agree with all of the sentiments from others about the brightness of both the Srixon Yellow and Srixon White color. It has been stated here and numerous other places that Srixon has the best color in their balls, and I agree.
How durable a ball plays, is relative and hard to quantify, however, I want to make a comment about the durability of the new Z-Star. If you have played the prior generations of the Z-Star, one of the things that were noticeable was just how durable that ball was in play. Tree or rock interactions, you often couldn’t tell the ball impacted anything. Cart path interactions didn’t ruin the ball either. The new Z-Star isn’t that durable, I’m not saying that it isn’t a durable ball (it is), what I’m saying is that the Z-Star used to be the undisputed leader in durability and the new Z-Star isn’t at that same level. The addition of SERM to the Spin Skin with the thinner cover has negativity impacted the durability of the Z-Star. Basically, durability was traded for extra spin. This ball still holds up very well to regular round wear.

Conclusion:
This is a great all around ball in the premium ball category, and should find its way into many THP’ers bags. The price point is lower than other balls that it out performs in this category, from a price to performance ratio this ball is certainly a value. One of the really cool things that I learned at the Srixon event is that Srixon Tour Staffers play the exact same ball that is sold at retail, they do not make special tour versions of their ball. That shows how much Srixon believes in their ball, and from what I’ve seen this belief isn’t unjustified. I will continue to play this ball alongside the Chrome Soft this season.
Questions are welcomed…

I agree with your comments on the durability. The first couple balls I played chopped up very quickly and I got a bit nervous. But since those first few balls the durability has held up during most of the round now. While not is durable as previous generations, it still holds it own out on the course and have no issue making it through a round with them (as long as they don’t end up in the water or woods )


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[Jrt13]

Great review JDax! I’m looking for a permanent gamer and I ‘ll have to give this one a shot. I’ve played 2018 version in the past with good results.

 

[chefkritter]

Z-Star is an outstanding ball. I hadn't ever gamed one until this year, bounced around last year from Bridgestone, Titleist, Taylor Made, Chrome Soft, you name it, I played it last year. After 6 rounds with the Z - Star this year I love it and dont see myself changing anytime soon. The color and combination of distance and spin is a great fit for my game and will be bulking up on these for sure.

 

[Qwkz51]

Good stuff @Jdax, I too am a big fan of this ball and the XV, but I have not played the new generation.

 

[Big SoIL]

In that other ball review that you mention, there was an anomaly in the testing of the Yellow Z-Star Ball, I note that I haven’t seen any difference in the White v. the Yellow in how it performed.


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To me there were some holes in that testing and some anomalies like the yellow vs white results. If you’re one that has a tour level swing that produces 10 yard draws consistently with center face contact that maximizes your swing speed, at any speed from 85-115mph, then you should choose your ball according to those results. I would estimate somewhere north of 90% of golfers wouldn’t produce those exact results.

Nice work on the reviews @JDax and @huddiej !!! I feel very similarly about this ball myself and I’ll take those types of reviews and testimonials from THP’ers I know and respect any day! The stories from real golfers that do have misses and have to live with those results are much more valuable to me and many others. I should have something a little more in depth coming soon, hopefully the weather clears up soon and I can get some decent course conditions...

 

[JDax]

To me there were some holes in that testing and some anomalies like the yellow vs white results. If you’re one that has a tour level swing that produces 10 yard draws consistently with center face contact that maximizes your swing speed, at any speed from 85-115mph, then you should choose your ball according to those results. I would estimate somewhere north of 90% of golfers wouldn’t produce those exact results.

Nice work on the reviews @JDax and @huddiej !!! I feel very similarly about this ball myself and I’ll take those types of reviews and testimonials from THP’ers I know and respect any day! The stories from real golfers that do have misses and have to live with those results are much more valuable to me and many others. I should have something a little more in depth coming soon, hopefully the weather clears up soon and I can get some decent course conditions...

Holes? When you take a ball like the QST, and hammer it with a 115 MPH swing speed, of course it’s dispersion is going to be all over the place... But then you slight the Ball because it’s dispersion was all over the place? Solid logic...


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[CobraX51]

Thanks a lot for the feedback fellas and you got this THPer to ponder this ball. I've only played the QST, and back when I was a novice the Soft Feel.

But this is definitely worth a dozen to see how it performs, especially side by side to the QST.

 

[CobraX51]

If y'all have any questions, please ask.

Thanks for the review.

Question. For someone who swings driver 92-96mph would the XV be a bit too much for me? I crave a 4 piece ball but need help with a low-spinning drive & minimize the slice off the tee.

Probably opt for the Z-Star?

 

[Big SoIL]

Holes? When you take a ball like the QST, and hammer it with a 115 MPH swing speed, of course it’s dispersion is going to be all over the place... But then you slight the Ball because it’s dispersion was all over the place? Solid logic...


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Exactly! It’s definitely not the end all be all comprehensive ball test it was touted as, it was what it was and the Z Star’s did well. Real world testing tells me they’re better than the scores they were given though.

 

[formula8]

Holes? When you take a ball like the QST, and hammer it with a 115 MPH swing speed, of course it’s dispersion is going to be all over the place... But then you slight the Ball because it’s dispersion was all over the place? Solid logic...


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To be fair, it was one of the farthest offline with an 85 mph swing also. I'm not finding a correlation between compression and dispersion at various speeds.

 

[Kenomikes]

Since it works so well for JDax, when he writes reviews, I’m going to borrow his format to write my Srixon reviews.
About me:
Handicap- GHIN 1.2
Swing Speed- 108-110 MPH (Driver Average)
Normal Ball Flight- Mid-High

Balls that I've Gamed in the Past- For years, I would only play the ProV1x, but due to an eye condition, the last several years I have played balls offered in yellow so I can see them. The Chrome Soft X or Z-Star XV was my balls of choice that were offered in yellow.
Testing Period: I started to game the Z-Star XV exclusively as soon as I was selected for the Distance Powered by Srixon Event, and have been gaming the yellow version of the Z-Star XV in rounds played since getting back from the event.

WITB- Post Event Bag played for all rounds as the Signature states.

Distance- The distances that I have seen off the driver (all clubs really, but especially the Driver) have been really good. This ball is lower spinning off the tee, but it has excellent spin when you need it with short irons and around the green (more on that later). When looking at what premium ball to play, sometimes you have to sacrifice distance off of the tee, to get the short game spin that you want; the Z-Star XV doesn’t make you make that decision. This is my favorite attribute about this ball.

Ball Flight/Wind Performance: I have found that this ball is great when trying to hit shots that require different ball flights, you can flight it down or hit moon shots and still get this ball to do what you are asking it to do. In prior generations of this ball, I have always admired how well the Z-Star line performed into the wind. This generation is no different, as this ball will cut through the wind no problem without ballooning. If you play a course that normally plays in adverse wind conditions, I would highly recommend looking at this ball as a possible gamer.

Approach Shots: When seeing the distance with this ball off of the tee, the concern was that the ball would run out on approach shots. In my testing this hasn’t happened, this ball will hit and stop and you can also get this ball to back up. I think that the next gen spin skin is legit and the addition of SERM helps this ball spin when you want it to, and not spin when you don’t need it to (off the driver). The ball generates enough spin to create multiple different kinds of shots from 100 yards in, and that makes this ball extremely fun to play.

Chipping: Another bright spot for this ball, green side spin is strength of this ball. Something that we saw in Vegas was many times the participants would be surprised with how much the ball work check on chips. We would just say that it had too much SERM on that one. It takes some adjustment, but you can get aggressive chipping with this ball, it will check.

Putting: This ball feels softer off the putter, but I wouldn't describe it as "mushy" or “clicky” at all. I like putting with this ball.

Color/Durability: I want to make a comment about the color of both the White and Yellow Z-Star XV. In my opinion, Srixon has the best Yellow colored ball on the market, the Yellow color truly pops. Also, the White color of the Srixon White is vibrant and is noticeably brighter than others on the market. I believe that the yellow color of the Srixon ball is slightly better than Callaway’s yellow, and a lot better than Titliest’s yellow. Also, as to be expected from a Srixon ball the durability is great. The ball holds up to the grind of the round and doesn’t show wear easily.

Conclusion: This ball is a winner; it does everything that you want a ball to do extremely well. The price point is lower than other balls in the premium ball category. I would recommend this ball to anyone looking for lower spin off of the driver, but enough spin in the scoring clubs to make it count. This might not be as popular as other balls in the same category, but make no mistake this ball holds its own in comparison to those balls, and is a better ball than most in this category.

If y'all have any questions, please ask.

Good thoughts HuddieJ, especially on the yellow color, as I'm a big fan of yellow now for visibility too. Now I have to go check out the 3 balls you mentioned in a store to see for myself.

 

[Big SoIL]

Thanks for the review.

Question. For someone who swings driver 92-96mph would the XV be a bit too much for me? I crave a 4 piece ball but need help with a low-spinning drive & minimize the slice off the tee.

Probably opt for the Z-Star?

I think you could go either way. It just depends on what ball flight you’re looking for. I wouldn’t consider either ball “spinny” off the tee myself.

 

[jdtox]

Really good info on these balls so far guys. I've been playing both the Z-star and XV this year to determine which I like better. So far I feel like i can play either but lean slightly toward the firmer feel of the XV

 

[CobraX51]

I think you could go either way. It just depends on what ball flight you’re looking for. I wouldn’t consider either ball “spinny” off the tee myself.

Cool. I've switched to the QST because I love the high launch and made for "slower swingers"

 

[BigDill]

Thanks for the review.

Question. For someone who swings driver 92-96mph would the XV be a bit too much for me? I crave a 4 piece ball but need help with a low-spinning drive & minimize the slice off the tee.

Probably opt for the Z-Star?

I do not think the issue would be "too much" as I think you could realistically play both balls, but I fall into the same category as you and I prefer the Z-Star over the XV, mostly because I found it to be more controllable and consistent off of the tee for me.

 

[JDax]

To be fair, it was one of the farthest offline with an 85 mph swing also. I'm not finding a correlation between compression and dispersion at various speeds.

It was closer to average at 85 (it cut) and at 115 it drew... I think my point is more about holes in the perimeters. Like no 100 mph test, most of us are probably between 85 and 115. Compression is a bigger deal on mishits in my opinion.

But back to the awesome Z-Star ...


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[Big SoIL]

Cool. I've switched to the QST because I love the high launch and made for "slower swingers"

The Z Star will have higher launch if that’s what you’re after with a touch less spin, so that may be the ball for you. It can really go either way with your game and it might boil down to how they pair with your gear. Definitely give them a shot though.

 

[mikedean441]

The Z Star will have higher launch if that’s what you’re after with a touch less spin, so that may be the ball for you. It can really go either way with your game and it might boil down to how they pair with your gear. Definitely give them a shot though.

I thought the Z stars spun more than QST (but QST launched higher) or am I misremembering

 

[Big SoIL]

I thought the Z stars spun more than QST (but QST launched higher) or am I misremembering

They do and will, but between the Z Star/Z Star XV the Z Star will launch higher and spin less.

 

[mikedean441]

They do and will, but between the Z Star/Z Star XV the Z Star will launch higher and spin less.

10-4.

I saw your note and read it as Zstar Spin is less than QST which had me scratching my head.

Good to know im not totally crazy.

 

[Snickerdog]

I never cared for the prior gen Z-Star but after reading some of this I may have to try it again. Srixon does have a great yellow ball.

 

[mikedean441]

I never cared for the prior gen Z-Star but after reading some of this I may have to try it again. Srixon does have a great yellow ball.

yeah its been awhile since I have, and thankfully I got a few dozen via the trial pack deal so when I feel confident Im not going to lose a sleeve per hole I'll get them out.

 

[formula8]

It was closer to average at 85 (it cut) and at 115 it drew... I think my point is more about holes in the perimeters. Like no 100 mph test, most of us are probably between 85 and 115. Compression is a bigger deal on mishits in my opinion.

But back to the awesome Z-Star ...


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My comments were based on the std deviation table. This shows that the QST had some shots that were way off line at both speeds. It was also stated that all of their data shows balls performing in a linear fashion regarding speed. Selecting both fast and slow speeds will give you a good picture of how they perform at 100 mph.

About the Z Star. I did post in here about a week ago how much I love the new ball. That's the only reason I'm in this thread. It just so happened that the test data was mentioned which is also something that is fun to dissect. Lots of ways to interpret that and it doesn't change my opinion on how great the new Z star is.