Mizuno ST-Z 220 Driver Review

Straight Bombs with Low Spin Zip

Ryan Heiman Profile Picture

Ryan Heiman
Founder and head author at Independent Golf Reviews

I played 5 rounds of golf with the Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver in my bag. It hits the ball straight drive after driver.  It launches the ball high but yet keeps the spin rather low.  Mizuno isn’t known for their drivers, but this one should certainly be on your radar if your drivers doesn’t always go straight. I was also able to hit it on my FlightScope Xi Tour Launch Monitor to collect shot data. I have over 11 years of experience testing and reviewing golf clubs.

Here is my overall experience and thoughts on this driver.

IMG_7469

Golfers always talk about Mizuno’s amazing forged irons.  While it is true, they make some of the best irons in the business, golfers shouldn’t sleep on their woods either.  I know you rarely hear of a tour players winning with a Mizuno driver, but the ST-Z 220 is a straight bomber with low spin zip.  I’ve been impressed how it brought back some confidence to my tee ball.  I’ve been going through a driver slump, (not club’s fault, but swing issues) and the Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver was the cure I needed.  I went from spraying the ball all over the course, to straight bombs that launched high and finished in the fairway.  While it didn’t cure every terrible swing, it certainly helped on a number of less than perfect swings and it most definitely offered some confidence while standing over the ball.

Mizuno has 3 driver models in the 220 line.  The ST-G, ST-X and ST-Z.  While the ST-G might be the most adjustable driver, and the ST-X the most forgiving driver shot correcting driver; the ST-Z screamed low spin straight bombs on paper.  This really is all I want and for the most part all most golfers need.  Shaping the ball might be cool on a hole or two, but just perfectly straight shots will keep me happy for the rest of my golf career.  The Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver is all about straight low spin drives.

The Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver is designed to hit the ball straight repeatedly.  The 20 gram weight pushed back on the sole along the Z-axis (where it gets the Z name) paired with larger carbon panels on the sole means the majority of the mass of this club is low and centered along the Z-axis.  What that basically means is that this clubs wants to hit the ball straight.   It is all about mass movement and CG manipulation to accomplish the Z-axis focus.

The Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver utilizes a new titanium face blend for more strength along with variable thickness for exceptional face forgiveness. The Forged SAT2041 Beta Ti face is designed to increase ball speeds on mishit shots by transferring the most energy to the ball no matter where you hit it on the face.   Mizuno does what Mizuno when the ball comes off the hot and forgiving face of this driver: exceptional feel.

The Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver also has WAVE technology which is a “slot” system on the one the sole of club right behind the face which offers additional energy transfer and forgiveness, especially on low hits. An adjustable hosel is pretty well standard in all drivers.  While many golfer don’t mess with the hosel much, they should certainly consider a slight change based on their swing needs.  Mizuno offers a 2 degree swing for moving this driver from 7.5 to 11:5 with a wrench adjustment.

I mentioned above that I had really good on-course results with the Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver.  Here are some more details; I’ve been struggling with my driver swing as of late with consistency.  The Mizuno was exactly what I needed to dial things back in.  It is a very straight hitting driver so there was no need to aim right or left and hope the ball will curve back, but point and shoot.  (yes, terrible swings still get terrible results) but most often golf is played in the inches between your ears.  The ST-Z 220  offered some confidence that the ball would got straight.  I was impressed by the towering drivers that held their line the entire flight.  This thing can certainly keep up with the best of drivers.  I felt like maybe I gave up a  couple yards of roll on soft fairways because of the height, but I’ll take that compared to being in the desert or worse yet out of play.

The Mizuno ST-Z 220 Driver comes stock with the Mitsubishi Tensei CK White Graphite 70g stiff shaft.  It is a slightly different version than many of the 2022 drivers, but certainly that same low spin, low launch design to pair with a high launch head.  It really maintains the balance between the head and the shaft.  I really like the smooth feel yet tight dispersion. 

Mizuno ST-Z 220 Driver Stats

Data from Flightscope Xi Tour Launch Monitor

 Spin: 2159 rpms

 Launch Angle: 14.7*

Dispersion: 5.9 yds

 Club Head Speed: 105.1 mph

 Ball Speed: 154.2 mph

 Total Distance: 292.8 yds

 Carry Distance: 271.5 yds

Summary

The Mizuno ST-Z 220 driver is going to fly under the radar of many golfers because they focus on the irons, but this club is worthy of consideration for anyone who wants high, straight, low spin bombs.  The feel off the face is pure Mizuno.  The Z-axis weight line really helps straight shots hit after hit.  Sure those cool shot tracer shots we see on TV with the ball curving perfectly where intended looks great for the pros, but give me a straight ball off the tee and I am one happy golfer.

For more information: Mizuno Website

Mizuno ST-Z 220 Driver – KEY POINTS
  • ℹ️  About: Mizuno is famous for their irons, but don't sleep on this very straight hitting driver.

  • ✅  Pros: Straight, High launch, Low Spin, Decent forgiveness, Amazing Feel.

  • ⛔  Cons: Mizuno not known for woods

  • ⛳  Verdict: Straight bombs with low spin make this a very appealing combo for golfers. Even though you don't see it on tour, it is worthy of a place in your bag.

OVERALL
RATING
DEMO
TODAY

🏌️‍♂️ Subscribe to
Independent Golf Reviews 👇

Get Golf Discounts & Giveaways from the top brands and stores in golf.

Sign up below to be automatically entered in this months giveaway.

.

No spam, ever. 🔒

About The Author

Ryan Heiman – Founder and Head Author of Independent Golf Reviews
Ryan has over 10 years of experience testing and writing golf reviews of nearly every brand out there.
HCP: 3
Read more…

Share

Subscribe to Independent Golf Reviews👇

Receive the best golf discounts available exclusively for our subscribers and be auto entered into our monthly golf giveaways!

.

No spam, ever. 🔒