- Updated: May 18, 2023
Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver Review
The Straightest Driver of 2023
Ryan Heiman
Founder and head author at Independent Golf Reviews
I used the Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver for 6 rounds of golf. It is an update to the ST-Z driver from 2022. That was one of the straightest drivers I’d hit, and the ST-Z 230 driver is even straighter. Yet it maintains low spin and easy launch. Testing was on-course, at the range, and indoors in the iGR Office by Carls Place DIY Sim which collected data on my FlightScope Xi Tour Launch Monitor.
Here is my overall experience and thoughts on the Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver for 2023.
Mizuno is so famous for their irons that their woods have gotten overlooked. While this might seem like a broken record over the years here at iGolfReviews but data says it remains to be the case. Tour players often have a different brand driver when they play Mizuno irons. Golf stores sell all kinds of Mizuno irons, but not nearly as many woods. This is unfortunate because Mizuno makes excellent woods. The Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver is the straightest driver for 2023 and should be at the top of the demo list for golfers looking to upgrade.
The Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver gets its biggest technology boost from the CORETECH Chamber. It is a slot system behind the face to create faster ball speed while retaining low spin and forgiveness. The TPU, Carbon and Stainless Steel slot/insert creates flex, feel and forgiveness all in one swoop. More trampoline effect, means more pop. More muted sounds and vibration reduction means better feel and more speed for off-center hits means more forgiveness. Add a little weight and now it reduces spin. One little blue slot does so much to improve this driver for straight and low spin drives.
The Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver continues the Mizuno tradition of using an ample amount of carbon paired with titanium. Everyone talks about how good Mizuno irons feel, but their driver feels just as good. That muted crack at impact is so solid and powerful feeling. The combination of weighting, titanium and carbon all create this pure feeling at impact. #NothingFeelsLikeAMizuno.
The Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver has a variable thickness face to keep ball speeds high on miss hits. They use a different titanium than other brands: Forged SAT 2041 Beta Ti Face. This is a more complex and more resilient blend which allows them to manipulate the thickness more for even greater forgiveness and pop. When this face is paired with the CORETECH Chamber it creates fast ball speeds with lots of forgiveness.
The Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver has a weight set low and back on the sole of the driver which creates power along the Z-axis. This is key to straight drives. The weight along this line creates force in the direction the ball is going. While it won’t necessarily fix a slice or a hook, it works its magic to simply hit the ball straight. I’m amazed at how the line I aimed on and started the ball on was the same line that the ball ended on. I played some 90+ holes with this club and outside of a few terrible swings, this club hit the ball straight every time. If you can put a halfway decent swing on it, you will see straight drives that have low spin and slightly lower launch than the previous version.
The Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver comes stock with a number of stock shaft options, one being the Mitsubishi Chemical Kai’Li Blue 60 Stiff Shaft. This is a mid/low launch shaft with good spin control and amazing feel. It compliments all the features of the head with exceptional feel. This means smooth swings, mid launch and low spin for long drives with good carry and very straight.
Mizuno ST-Z 230 9.5* Driver Stats
Data from Flightscope Xi Tour Launch Monitor
➜ Spin: 2072 rpms
➜ Launch Angle: 13.5*
➜ Dispersion: 5.7 yds
➜ Club Head Speed: 103.2 mph
➜ Ball Speed: 153.8 mph
➜ Total Distance: 289.1 yds
➜ Carry Distance: 268.7 yds
Summary
Mizuno upped their game for 2023. The Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver is straighter, lower spinning and a little lower launching for even straighter and longer drives thanks to the CORETECH Chamber. Compared to the other drivers in 2023, this one is the straightest. Don’t sleep on Mizuno because #NothingFeelsLikeAMizuno applies to their driver and has performance to match. If you could use a little more “straight” off the tee, this is as good as it gets. If you need some draw bias to cure a slice the ST-X 230 is your choice. But for straight, long, low spin drives, the Mizuno ST-Z 230 is the straightest driver of 2023.
For more information: Mizuno Website
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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
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