Review: Srixon Z-Star and Z-Star X Golf Balls
All-Star Golf Ball
When a major company has touring pros that are using a different company's golf ball it is a little embarrassing to that company that can’t put its own golf ball into play by its pros. Cleveland’s pros have been playing other companies golf balls until 2009. But with the Srixon/Cleveland merger and the introduction of the Z-Star ball, all that changed. Virtually every pro traded in their other brands for the Z-Star. Their claim was that they had finally found a better ball, and felt comfortable switching. After playing a number of rounds and even some launch monitor testing I would have to agree, that the new Z-star is the All-Star of golf balls. (So far)
Srixon designed two models much like most other ball manufactures. A higher launch/ higher spin ball and a lower launch/lower spin ball. The Z-Star and Z-Star X. They both have just a hint of Srixon heritage in the sound department, but almost entirely new in every other way.
I played the Z-Star for a few rounds with excellent scoring results. From tee to green it wasn’t the longest ball I have ever played. It seemed just a few yards short of my longest drives, but at the same time that added height and low driver spin helped me find fairway after fairway. On long irons it elevated nicely so that even a 4 iron offered a good high trajectory. It also had decent spin so that those long shots into the green didn’t roll off the back. On short irons the spin was high, for those great hop and stop shots that are needed to get tight to the pin. On wedge shots, just aim at the cup and commit to the shot. The spin was predictable and high. What many golfers need for creativity around the green even from the rough. Off the putter it was soft and true. It was not mushy, but a good solid click off the face made distance control a breeze. Into the wind or with a cross wind, the higher spin was not perfect, but the dimple pattern did keep most shots on-line and distance was only slightly lost. At my moderate swing speed, the Z-star fits exactly what I need, especially around the green.
I also had some time with the Z-Star X. This is the ball that many pros have put into play and is a perfect fit for the higher swing speeds. My day on the launch monitor I wasn’t up to speed yet, so during the driver testing I was getting a little higher spins numbers than I would have liked, but out on the course, I was able to raise my swing speed, and correspondingly the spin seemed to drop. The Z-Star X is most defiantly a lower launching ball with a very piercing trajectory and lots of run out off the driver. Off the irons it also stayed down just a little bit in comparison to the Z-Star. The spin into the green was surprisingly only a little less than the Z-Star. For comparisons sake, I would aim the Z-Star at the pin and never worry about it running off the back, with the Z-Star-X I would aim, just a couple yards short of the pin and then I would be sure that it wouldn’t run off the back. Short irons came in and released just a few yards and wedges pretty much stopped. The Z-Stars I could back up a little from time to time, but the Z-Star X I could not, it just held.
I was also very impressed by the durability of both balls. I have pretty new wedges with sharp grooves that didn’t harm the Z-Stars and even the accidental cart path did not destroy the cover as it would on so many balls. I got about 18holes out a ball and felt that is was playable for 18 more, just a little scuffed and dirty.
I think that the new Srixon Z-star golf balls deserve their opportunity to make your bag. They are as good as any other premium balls on the market. At just a few dollars cheaper than the others, you will not be disappointed.
For more information: www.srixon.com
When a major company has touring pros that are using a different company's golf ball it is a little embarrassing to that company that can’t put its own golf ball into play by its pros. Cleveland’s pros have been playing other companies golf balls until 2009. But with the Srixon/Cleveland merger and the introduction of the Z-Star ball, all that changed. Virtually every pro traded in their other brands for the Z-Star. Their claim was that they had finally found a better ball, and felt comfortable switching. After playing a number of rounds and even some launch monitor testing I would have to agree, that the new Z-star is the All-Star of golf balls. (So far)
Srixon designed two models much like most other ball manufactures. A higher launch/ higher spin ball and a lower launch/lower spin ball. The Z-Star and Z-Star X. They both have just a hint of Srixon heritage in the sound department, but almost entirely new in every other way.
I played the Z-Star for a few rounds with excellent scoring results. From tee to green it wasn’t the longest ball I have ever played. It seemed just a few yards short of my longest drives, but at the same time that added height and low driver spin helped me find fairway after fairway. On long irons it elevated nicely so that even a 4 iron offered a good high trajectory. It also had decent spin so that those long shots into the green didn’t roll off the back. On short irons the spin was high, for those great hop and stop shots that are needed to get tight to the pin. On wedge shots, just aim at the cup and commit to the shot. The spin was predictable and high. What many golfers need for creativity around the green even from the rough. Off the putter it was soft and true. It was not mushy, but a good solid click off the face made distance control a breeze. Into the wind or with a cross wind, the higher spin was not perfect, but the dimple pattern did keep most shots on-line and distance was only slightly lost. At my moderate swing speed, the Z-star fits exactly what I need, especially around the green.
I also had some time with the Z-Star X. This is the ball that many pros have put into play and is a perfect fit for the higher swing speeds. My day on the launch monitor I wasn’t up to speed yet, so during the driver testing I was getting a little higher spins numbers than I would have liked, but out on the course, I was able to raise my swing speed, and correspondingly the spin seemed to drop. The Z-Star X is most defiantly a lower launching ball with a very piercing trajectory and lots of run out off the driver. Off the irons it also stayed down just a little bit in comparison to the Z-Star. The spin into the green was surprisingly only a little less than the Z-Star. For comparisons sake, I would aim the Z-Star at the pin and never worry about it running off the back, with the Z-Star-X I would aim, just a couple yards short of the pin and then I would be sure that it wouldn’t run off the back. Short irons came in and released just a few yards and wedges pretty much stopped. The Z-Stars I could back up a little from time to time, but the Z-Star X I could not, it just held.
I was also very impressed by the durability of both balls. I have pretty new wedges with sharp grooves that didn’t harm the Z-Stars and even the accidental cart path did not destroy the cover as it would on so many balls. I got about 18holes out a ball and felt that is was playable for 18 more, just a little scuffed and dirty.
I think that the new Srixon Z-star golf balls deserve their opportunity to make your bag. They are as good as any other premium balls on the market. At just a few dollars cheaper than the others, you will not be disappointed.
For more information: www.srixon.com
