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 keep scouring the internet to find more feedback on it and it’s frustrating there’s nothing much out yet. Obviously it’s early but I’m impatient . I’m pretty pumped for my 3 wood to come but unfortunately have no idea when that will be.
i’m going to hit it this week. i’m not interested in a 3w. but a 5w turned down to 4w sounds very juicy.
Pretty damn impressive.
I might need to add a driver too now….
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after watching and reading reviews of the mizuno stz fairway, it really seemed to be the club for me. fast but with launch, spin and stability.
i haven’t been thrilled with that spot in my bag. i did enjoy the mavrik max, but its draw bias was too much for me. i put the mavrik standard 4w in the bag and i’m just not getting enough launch and spin, and see a lot of punishing misses directionally. that tells me not enough spin.
i have some pgatss gift cards burning a hole in my pocket, and today was the day!
i hit the stz 5w against ping g425 max 5w. both were stock stiff. it was a harder decision than i expected. while i never saw any hooks with the 425 max, its solid shots did want to draw a bit much, whereas the stz wanted to gently fade every time. that is a good thing for me! i also saw consistently higher ball speeds with the stz. 425 max capped out at 142 ball speed, but stz topped out at 145 ball speed. for a 5w, i think that’s excellent!
so i took the plunge. i’m so excited!
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Which shaft?
A client sent me a gift card. This fwy is intriguing.
stock motore x f3 7 stiff. feels awesome. feels like it has some stiffness to it, not loose at all. i liked it better than the stock in the g425 max.
I’m super impressed with the stock motore x f3 shaft as well. I was seeing a ball flight that I’m not used to seeing with a fairway wood – stable and explosive with a baby draw. It’s making me think I might have to try it in a driver as well.
Great Choice. I might be more of an F3 6 regular from reading about it. I don’t think I’ve ever liked a Ping Wood Shaft. lol. I also can’t get accustomed to the non rounded sole.
Need to get to PGATSS to try it out but why? I buy fairways and hybrids sight unseen for some reason. I look at what @Jman, you and others like, and then buy the junior loft and shaft version
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Of course the Mizuno Experience just announced will be incredibly special as well.
Guess another trip to the shop is in order to test both out again.
i (think) i’m set on driver, but i’d like to take some swipes with the z. it had a different look at address for me. almost like the bulge in the heel was very visible at address?
HOT DOG!!!!!!!
Great stuff from the two drivers – the top line looks fantastic in photos -thanks to @Hammer22 … Listened to the guys at TXG interview Vosh as well – awesome content.
Mizuno video where they dive into great detail on both the drivers and woods. A great listen if you have the time for all of the video to watch and understand their approach to the wood line or start after the 1 hr. mark to get some real detailed specs on the driver and woods. Chris has interesting takes on where the drivers fit into the lineup and not pigeon holing one vs the other which was interesting to hear.
i am not a fairway wood guy. i don’t hit them well. i wish i could, but i don’t. it’s a puzzle i’m always trying to solve, but ultimately it comes down to my delivery issues.
it’s very early and i haven’t been on the course yet, but so far there is something about this st-z 5w with stock motore x f3 7s that feels like it was made for me. hitting off mats this morning, the first few were low on the face but very straight. then i started making a better turn with a little more wrist set at the top, and BOOM. flushed contact, high and straight to baby fade. no draws. no hooks. just perfection and so stable. and the feel is incredible.
i don’t think this is the fairway wood for the guy looking to hit low spin bullets; it seems to be for the guy who wants stability without bringing the left side of the course into play.
nice.
i’m positively giddy about this thing. looks. feel. performance. everything i could every want in a fairway, right here. i hope more people try this thing, particularly those who are looking for stable spin without left bias.
Love hearing this man. Mizuno putting out some great gear this year!
dangg…… that looks soooo good
so much mizuno awesomeness coming…. like woah
bro… you’re going to make me go spend some money soon haha. Ive been sooooo intrigued in these. Hearing that they give some spin and launch is what I need in a FW and if it helps the left miss… then very nice.
ohhhhh mizuno i want thee
Music to my ears. the left bias has killed me a few times. If you think you are giddy! I am imagining hitting these in Vegas for the first time haha!
Man, you are killing me! Or more precisely, my LGS is killing me. Stopped by last night and found out they are not stocking any of the new Mizuno woods, in addition to my findings over the weekend they are not stocking new putters either. The comment was, that the woods were a hard sell next to all the other OEM’s so they stepped back.
I was all excited to hit both the Driver and Fairway. That is now going to be a challenge.
I need to call and see what my ETA is. We amazingly have golf like weather so I’m getting the itch and want to start taking some swings.
what was your exact build?
I bought the HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX, and if it’s not right I have plenty of shafts laying around I can put in it.
Driver with smoke black RDX and 5w with Motore F3, on 1/28, it’ll be well worth the wait. I’m not stressing it, just ready to put them to work!
How is that Motore F3 shaft for trajectory and spin? I’ve never hit one but I almost ordered it(and still could order) in my ST-Z 3 wood that I’ll dial down to 13* and primarily use off the tee a handful of times each round. I ordered the smoke Black RDX for the 3w.
I’ve not been able to use one yet, but the feedback on them in fairways got me to jump. I’ll definitely put up thoughts.
I need to know NOW!! You are making me doubt my RDX order that just went in today, lol.
Hahaha! I’ve failed you!
not sure i swing like you, certainly i don’t swing as fast or aggressively as @Jman but i have loved the motore f3 in 7s in the 5w so far. just feels about perfect for me. had a ventus red 7s in my mav 4w and it never felt "right." i never knew where the head was. but with the stz and motore f3, i feel very aware throughout the swing. well-struck shots have a perfectly stable flight, i haven’t seen any draw bias whatsoever, but there is great spin to stay in the air and carry very very well.
I’m going to run up to the PGA Superstore today and hopefully they will have that Motore f3 shaft that I can hit. Right now I can still change my order. My club doesn’t have a demo yet and neither does the local Golf Galaxy. I hate getting a new club with a shaft I don’t like but I constantly do it because I’m so damn impatient, lol.
Update: I got over the the PGASS and was able to compare the Diamana D+ White against the Motore F3 and the Diamana was the better shaft today for my swing. I had more consistent contact and about 10 yards more distance on solid hits with it as the Motore was a bit too spinny for my swing. Strangely they didn’t have the HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX available but I’m leaving my order alone and taking a chance it will fit me well.
good update. makes sense. i need the spin, so that’s probably why the motore worked so well for me.
It’s awesome that today we have so many choices in quality shafts, many at no upcharge. I remember the first 15 years I played and steel was pretty much the only choice(mostly True Temper) and many of the OEM stock graphite offerings were not great quality and certainly not a good fit for my swing.
Yes, it’s great that we can purchase a Fwy for $300 with a $275 Aftermarket Shaft.
The debate will always rage on about "made for" or real, lol.
My club like most has a merchandise/equipment buying program so they discount clothing/sunglasses/shoes about 37% and clubs anywhere from 15%-25%. I don’t know how much my STZ 3W is yet but somewhere around $250+tax. It makes it even easier to buy new and shiny.
These are real according to everyone. (insert joke here) Yes, I can buy it at $249.
Fortunately, they only had them in Even Flow Blue, which looks great with that head. I was going for Motore just because …
You had me at over 230 carrying the green.
Ordering in morning. Now where is that gift cash card?
If I can get 215 carry, there goes the 3 wd from the bag, and I can join @JB in the 2 driver setup.
I’m getting more and more concerned that I should have ordered 5 wood instead of 3. I guess we’ll see though.