New Mizuno drivers are hitting stores soon and we got a chance to put them to the test in the THP Tech Studio. The latest iteration represents the culmination of the company’s 3-year, rapid-fire driver development project.
Before jumping into the video and testing, we want to mention one of the more fascinating aspects of the drivers, the new SAT2041 Beta Ti face. What does that mean? SAT2041 stands for Super / Alloy / Titanium / 20% Vanadium / 4% Aluminium / 1% tin and it offers 17% more tensile strength and 8% more flexibility than traditional 6-4Ti. In other words, stronger and faster than previous offerings.
“Most of our ST200 tour feedback was on the sensory side, a desire for a sound our players generally described as solid or dense,” said Chris Voshall from Mizuno. “We spent the next year working on improving feedback, hand in hand with releasing the additional ball speed we knew was left in our SAT2041 Beta Ti face.”
Unlike many videos which feature us testing the equipment, we figured we would do something a bit different today. We brought Chris Voshall into the Tech Studio and had him put both heads to the test and discuss not only the differences between the new ST-X and ST-Z drivers, but also the changes made from the last release…all while he hits balls in our hitting bay so you can see the ball flight and hear the impact sound. Watch the Mizuno ST-X and ST-Z Driver Review below.
Mizuno ST-X and ST-Z Driver Review
Shaft options are aplenty for those looking for choices. The ST-Z standard shafts are Project X EvenFlow Riptide or HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX as well as a Fujikura Motore X. Switching to the ST-X the options are the same EvenFlow RipTide from Project X or Motore X as well as a light weight Mizuno option called MFusion. All of which will be available in the fitting matrix software called the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer 3D you can find at retailers.
The Details
In Stores: February 2021
Cost: $400
Shafts: See above
I mean, that’s definitely the THP way!
I’d give that shaft more of a shot, one day on the course doesn’t ever tell the whole story
The X has been a lock and load driver for my game.
I want to hear your thoughts on this. I really like the ST-Z but am thinking of switching to the ST-X for the draw bias.
So, obviously, I got a new shaft to try.
I mentioned in a previous post that I’m (also) going to a new shaft the my ST-X. Not due to direction, but would like a bit higher launch. Although, and of course, my last round with the ST_X was so, so good. I have a feeling that my shaft experiment is going to backfire.
I know it’s arrived but I’m down in NC right now. Will definitely let you know how it goes.
I mean, I’ve only been yelling it for months Mike!
Haha, I know you have. You forget where I live we literally just got one in the rack and I grabbed it before anyone else even had a chance to look at it and I’m glad I did! It is definitely a monster and love how flat it seems when addressing the ball.
So I finally had a chance to go to the range and hit these two heads side by side. I used my Ventus 6S shaft. I wanted to try the HZRDUS RDX but I forgot to bring it.
Long story short, both are great but I think ST-X is a better fit for me. My miss tends to be a block/fade if my wrists get a little lazy and i don’t turn my wrists over. When I remember to turn them over, which happens more than not, i hit a little baby fade or straight shot with the ST-Z and a little baby draw with the ST-X.
So for good shots, both are perfect…I might even prefer the baby fade/straight shot since it’s a little more predictable and may get me in play more often.
But because I rarely over turn the wrists and am more likely to block right with an open club face I think I prefer the ST-X since it limits it to a fade or a straight block out right. The ST-Z can get way right and super spinny for me with my miss.
Don’t get me wrong, you can definitely slice it pretty bad with the ST-X if you’re over the top, but since my swing path is usually in to out a little the ST-X worked for me.
But both are very forgiving and feel and sound great.
@DannyLe totally got the driver right for me as well. been really hitting that club good. the other clubs need to start behaving themselves a bit more
Will be interested to hear your thoughts.
I use both the ST-X and Mavrik. The X is my long driver and the Mavrik is my shorter driver degree up to 12.5°.
Both are fantastic drivers. Sound wise, I like the sound off the ST-X.
Recently I’ve been gaming the G425 LST (for about 4 months now), and haven’t really been over-the-moon with it so far. It’s been pretty consistent, but not super fast (ball speed wise), and I’m often feeling like I’m leaving yards on the table without being much more accurate. I actually one of the few who like how it sounds, but it also sits really closed to my eye, so you have to loft down to open it back up. This creates some issues with launch that contribute to some accuracy concerns.
So I went over to the golf store yesterday to try a few new options. I tried the ST-Z, Radspeed, Epic Max LS, B21, and Sim2 (in order of favorites). Came down to the Radspeed and the ST-Z ultimately. The Radspeed had some silly long drives with it’s low spin (heavy weight up front) and high ball speeds, but was nowhere near as consistent or accurate as the ST-Z. And the Mizuno was no slouch in the ball speed/spin department either.
Only issue was that they only had a few in stock, and none with the correct shaft, so had to order the correct spec (Motore F1 6X shaft) and will take a few weeks to get here. Good news is they let me hang on to the one I was hitting in the store as a loaner until the new one arrives. Looking forward to getting this out on the course and comparing against the G425 LST.
I 100% agree now if the rest of my golf game could come around LOL
In any case, I’ll need to order a different shaft as the F3 is a bit too loose for me (really fast transition). Does anybody have any major preferences/feedback between the Atmos Black (6X), Diamana D+ Ltd (7X), or Hzrdus Black RDX (60 6.5)?
Good for you!! Awesome driver!
What what?! As in they are sold out of the new drivers?! That might explain why there were like 3 total new drivers in the shop compared to 100+ for all the major OEMS.
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Mizuno and blue just are made for each other!
Bad news: I also got the wrong weight with the driver head, they gave me a 4 gram weight instead of the 11 gram. No idea why. Swingweight is currently at D0 so would have been about perfect with the normal weight. I spoke with my shop that is ordering the correct shaft (also got the wrong shaft), and said Mizuno won’t send a different weight and would have to order a whole new head.
Good news: As they were basically ordering a whole new driver, they are ordering a ST220G head instead to go with the correct shaft, so I will be able to test it out against the STZ when it arrives.
Really looking forward to messing with the moveable weights and see if there’s basically an STZ built into the ST220G when weights are all the way in the back position. I wonder if there is any major difference in forgiveness in that setup
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I almost pulled it off. I hit ST-Z 3w level with the green but a few yards right… I pushed it just a little and took a line over some pretty big trees. It would have been better if I had played a bigger cut, but to put in perspective, I have played this hole probably 50 times in the past and the closest I have ever been before today was about 50 yards out.
SO. MUCH. FUN. Sitting level @ 600+
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And carried ST-Z 3w over those pines on my way in. ?
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I prefer a draw on all my clubs. I need more time with the ST-Z to get that. It seems like if I try to hit a baby draw it gives me a baby fade. Not a bad thing, but definitely something to keep in mind. I did hit a snap hook today trying to hit a draw. It stayed in play by a yard. When I commit to the fade it can overcook it at times. Keep in mind I don’t practice hitting fades with the driver. Zero double crosses off the tee today.
Distance. I played in a 15-25 mph wind with very little roll out due to the soggy conditions. With the excuses out of the way and considering the conditions, I’m impressed. My distances today were on par with my distances including a good roll using my Ping G400. Total roll on a crushed shot was about 10 yards, if that and I still hit it my average good drive distance. That’s saying something.
It’s a good looking driver. It’s also probably the first driver I sole before gripping. If I don’t it looks too closed to me. It can be a little loud when I center one up, but nothing overly obnoxious. I can’t wait to play in normal conditions to see how it really performs. Because if the results are this good on a tough golf day, what’s it gonna look like on a calm, dry day?
have you tried the ST-X too? i was wondering if you might get more of a draw from it without having to try so much
I did try the ST-X. It had a nice little draw when I tried to smooth one out into the fairway. When I tried to get after it the ST-X had a two way miss. My big miss is a snap hook so I sometimes overcompensate in the opposite direction. The ST-Z on the other hand was either down the middle or off right. I don’t tend to swing conservatively very often so the ST-Z was a better fit for me.
Both clubs were workable and I was able to shape them both in the simulator. There was a slight edge to the ST-Z when I tried to hit fades. It was probably swing related, but the difference wasn’t enough to be a deal breaker. I can hit draws with the Z but I have to focus on being smooth. With the X I just think “smooth” and I get a draw. It’s really just slight differences for me. I thought I’d be more of an ST-X fan but the results had the final say.
I’m a little inconsistent with my distance off the tee. It could be face to path, path, or AoA. I’m also testing balls so I’m kind of all over the place. So how inconsistent are we talking? I’d say a range of 30 something yards. It’s not terrible, but I also haven’t really sent one out there. Is it the club? Is it me? Is it the weather cooling down? Maybe all three. I will still game the club even if I don’t poke at least a few way out there every round because I won’t have to worry about a drive going way beyond what I expect. That has been something that’s been in my head with my previous driver. It was nice knowing that I’m going to be in a certain range and there won’t be any surprises long.
Overall I’m happy with the change. This is a good change for me and I’m excited about the potential that I have yet to unlock. If I reduce my spin, this could be a really good driver for me. I can see spin upwards of 3k, so reducing that should unlock a few yards and maybe give me some extra consistency in distance. I’m excited to see what happens as I continue to improve my swing.
Old Reliable! That’s how I’ve come to view the ST-X. And, its a screamer. Gratuitous dirt bike clip
I don’t know anyone that would complain with those stats
It’s just a super good driver. Wish it was lower lofted, but it’s still my favorite sound and feel of any driver this year.
I’d love to try more Mizuno. All I can get are irons locally. JPX only at that.
Not saying this is for everyone, but my LGS didn’t carry them and I ended up blind ordering both. It worked out extremely well for me, except I made an iffy choice on the 3w shaft fit. Very happy I ended up with these.
I don’t think I want all of the adjustability of the G but I’d like to venture out and try some stuff I haven’t tried. What driver in the market would you related the STZ closest to?