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

Quite interested in these, been using soft feel for the past couple of years so will be interesting to see how these differ. Has anybody used both? Is it worth swapping?

The soft feel is an ionomer covered ball. Both the Z-Star and XV are urethane balls. Big difference in compression between them, and how much spin you will get around the greens.
The soft feel is a great ball and cost is cheap.
 
The soft feel is an ionomer covered ball. Both the Z-Star and XV are urethane balls. Big difference in compression between them, and how much spin you will get around the greens.
The soft feel is a great ball and cost is cheap.

Thanks Snickerdog! Think I'll stick with them for the time being then
 
I've been doing some indoor putting with both models and it's pretty easy to tell the difference between the ball with how they sound off the putter face. At first I thought it was just the putter I was using, so I decided to change that up too. Wanted to make sure what I was feeling, I was feeling because of ball, not putter, so I rolled with two different inserts and two different milled options. Personally, I like the feel of the normal Z-Star in this area, it's quieter, has a deeper tone to it, which makes it feel nice and soft. The XV has more of a click to it, which makes it come across as not so soft. This is going back a ways, but that sound reminds me of my old Nike One Tour D golf ball.

Anyway, hoping my thumb is healed enough so that I can go get some numbers with these and compare them to see what kind of a difference there would be for my game.

Ddec, do you have any older XVs to compare? The prior version was clicky for me as well putting, but that’s something I overlooked easily. If that clickiness has been magnified then I can see it being more of an issue to some.


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Ddec, do you have any older XVs to compare? The prior version was clicky for me as well putting, but that’s something I overlooked easily. If that clickiness has been magnified then I can see it being more of an issue to some.


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I'll have to check. I'm pretty sure I have plenty of the old zstar, but not sure on the XV. I've always preferred the regular version myself.
 
2019 Srixon Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV Golf Balls

I'll have to check. I'm pretty sure I have plenty of the old zstar, but not sure on the XV. I've always preferred the regular version myself.

Yeah I hear you. Have always gravitated towards the regular myself. Just did a little bit of on course testing with last year’s xv and was seeing obnoxious distance off the tee with it. You being higher launching with driver may see similar. Made it easier to cope with the harder feeling into and around the greens.


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Played with the new z star a bit on the course yesterday. I liked the softer feel, felt explosive off the tee and good with irons and short game. Flight was a little lower off the tee and definitely was seeing some more spin with irons.

Will be trying the new XVs this weekend. I liked the fact the new z stars felt a little firmer from the tee and am hoping the softer XV gets an improvement in short game feel.
 
I always liked how their balls stayed white compared to other premium balls.
 
Yeah I hear you. Have always gravitated towards the regular myself. Just did a little bit of on course testing with last year’s xv and was seeing obnoxious distance off the tee with it. You being higher launching with driver may see similar. Made it easier to cope with the harder feeling into and around the greens.


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I checked in my little office area where I have a bunch of boxes of balls, I found 4 dozen of the previous Z Star, but none of the XV. There could be a random one in my golf bag, but I wouldn't hold out hope on that one. It's just a ball I never really got in to previously.
 
Thanks Snickerdog! Think I'll stick with them for the time being then

You could try the AD333 Tour as well Dickie - kind of the halfway house between the SoftFeel & ZStar, and price sits somewhat between the two.

You'll also find the 2017 version of the AD333 Tour at SoftFeel prices if you shop around a bit (~£20), and its definitely worth trying.
 
You could try the AD333 Tour as well Dickie - kind of the halfway house between the SoftFeel & ZStar, and price sits somewhat between the two.

You'll also find the 2017 version of the AD333 Tour at SoftFeel prices if you shop around a bit (~£20), and its definitely worth trying.

Cheers Thommo, think I have a few of those lying around so will dig them out and give it a go. Although will prob wait until it gets above minus!
 
Just make sure they are the "Tour" (black box) though, mate. :good:

The standard AD333 (non-Tour, blue box) are very similar to the SoftFeels - Both are good balls, but nigh on identical. You need to go up to the Tour to feel/see a noticeable difference.
 
Spent a bit of time with these last night. Working with Driver, 7 irons, wedges, and then some random clubs throughout the bag. Have some data on each, but also was looking to see if I can see any negative effects on durability. I ended up using 1 ball from each pack, and fired between 90-100 shots at each ball, and yes my body is freaking sore after that haha. Going to dive through some of the numbers a bit later. But for me the biggest difference between the two was the feel. Not sure I really saw anything crazy difference performance wise. Edge on feel for me goes to the ZStar.
 
Spent a bit of time with these last night. Working with Driver, 7 irons, wedges, and then some random clubs throughout the bag. Have some data on each, but also was looking to see if I can see any negative effects on durability. I ended up using 1 ball from each pack, and fired between 90-100 shots at each ball, and yes my body is freaking sore after that haha. Going to dive through some of the numbers a bit later. But for me the biggest difference between the two was the feel. Not sure I really saw anything crazy difference performance wise. Edge on feel for me goes to the ZStar.

The Dean Durability test, both a test for the ball, and you apparently lol
 
The Dean Durability test, both a test for the ball, and you apparently lol

I'm still standing. Although the guy working their bought me a gatorade after because he thought I was going to pass out
 
I'm still standing. Although the guy working their bought me a gatorade after because he thought I was going to pass out

Now that is funny. #Dedicated
 
i-Rpst92Q-XL.jpg


this one is all buttoned up and submitted. There were some subtle surprises, but I think most of those come down to me and my imperfections(not that there are a ton of those). The XV proved to be more than a viable option for me, and I did not think that would be the case based on past history with it. If I had to make a choice right now, I'd lean normal Z-Star because of the feel.
 
Got my first round in trying out the Z Star/XV both against my gamer Bridgestone Tour B XS. So far I’m impressed, but the course conditions were really very wet, so there were quite a few things I couldn’t really pick up on. I can say that the distances I was seeing were quite promising though. I also really enjoyed them around the greens too, I think there’s quite a bit to this SeRM cover beside it being a funny name. I was quite pleased also that unlike I experienced in the past, the cover held up quite nicely, nice bonus there!
 
Great review. Some interesting numbers with all those different swings.


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Great review @ddec and I love the graphic you made for the data!!! Definitely makes sense in a ball review otherwise we would have a hundred different screen caps.

Good info in there as well, has me excited to have moved my HS team over to Srixon this season.
 
Great review @ddec and I love the graphic you made for the data!!! Definitely makes sense in a ball review otherwise we would have a hundred different screen caps.

Good info in there as well, has me excited to have moved my HS team over to Srixon this season.

Thank you sir.

I'd like to do a bit more of a comparison between all 4 balls they've pumped out recently. Would make it much easier to do a direct comparison on the same day, same conditions, same clubs, same crappy swing.
 
Great writeup, I look forward to trying to new cover out.
 
Interesting to see how the ball with the higher spin swapped back and forth depending on which club you were using

The normal Z-Star was higher spinning with the driver and full SW, but the XV was higher spinning with the 7i and pitch - admittedly they were very close and could be reasoned with the differences in swing and contact, but to me it looks like the choice of ball would come down to personal preference on sound and feel as the results appeared to be very similar
 
Interesting to see how the ball with the higher spin swapped back and forth depending on which club you were using

The normal Z-Star was higher spinning with the driver and full SW, but the XV was higher spinning with the 7i and pitch - admittedly they were very close and could be reasoned with the differences in swing and contact, but to me it looks like the choice of ball would come down to personal preference on sound and feel as the results appeared to be very similar

Randomly and fwiw, this is the case with the ProV1 and ProV1x I just finished reviewing too. Usually one is lower spin off the tee and king clubs, but higher spinning into greens with scoring clubs, all about that internal design!
 
Great review Dean, love seeing actual data to support your experiences with the ball(s). Sounds like 2 solid options and Im definitely intrigued (especially as a Q star tour fan)
 
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