ASK QUESTIONS: Live Q&A with Srixon Golf Balls!

[azkaevolution]

Will there be any demo events/fittings at any of the big box stores? i.e., Golf Galaxy, PGA SS, Edwin Watts? Looking at the event finder, there are no scheduled events where I live in NJ.

[Srixon / Cleveland Golf]

thanks for another Q&A! i've had great success with the zstar XV so far this year (especially in the wind!), but i like the price point of the QStar. i'm a bit of an outlier, as the XV spins just fine for me and my non-tour-esque swing speed. the regular zstar ended up being to mushy for me - had a hard time getting putts to the hole.

 

what is the QStar's "mushy" factor? if it's softer than the zstar, then it's unfortunately not going to work out.

 

Hey there, glad you're liking the Q&A!

 

You bring up some interesting points, particularly about "mushiness". Assuming the same cover design, a ball with lower compression will not feel as firm as a ball with higher compression. But that lower compression allows someone with a non-tour swing, like you, to better compress the ball on full shots and gain optimal high launch, low spin flight conditions. If you're liking the XV, it's probably because you love the firmer, responsive feel with great overall launch conditions. The Q-STAR TOUR could still be a great fit if you're swinging under 100 mph off the tee, so it's worth giving it a look!

 

Long time z-star user here with a slower swing speed that tops out at around 105. Understanding that the urethane cover will lead to similar performance between the z and q tour models around the greens, what are the primary differences that I might experience on full shots in terms of flight (dimple related?) and distance (compression related)? How would those same differences apply to someone with a swing speed of around 90?

 

From JB:

 

105mph is not that slow – give yourself some credit! The lower compression ball is going to end up launching higher and spinning less on full shots. The benefit would be longer distance on full shots for a lot of average swing speed golfers, even though lower compression balls tend to have slightly lower ball speed. One trade-off of that higher launch/lower spin on full shots is that it doesn’t hold greens as well on those 6-iron, 5-iron or longer shots. A Z-STAR player with your swing speed might prefer to stick with the Z-STAR for that reason. For a lot of average swing speed players who struggle with accuracy and distance, the Q-STAR TOUR is clearly the better option.

 

Thanks guys, great Q&A here. I average closer to 100 so it sounds like I could go either way, looking forward to testing this weekend. Side note, 765 irons are the best in golf, keep up the great work Srixon/Cleveland!

 

Thanks for your support, we really appreciate it!

[Srixon / Cleveland Golf]

Why did you guys decided to make a Q-Star a premium ball? Curious as to why you switched it from surlyn to a urethane cover when you had the Z-Stars that were more of the premium (urethane) ball?

 

From MR:

 

Please note that the Q-STAR still exists as a 2-piece ionomer cover ball. However, the new ball is the Q-STAR TOUR, which is a 3-piece ball with a urethane cover. What differentiates this new ball from the Z-STARs is that it’s a lower-compression offering for players with slower swing speeds who demand the feel and greenside performance of a tour ball but can’t necessarily fully compress the higher compression tour balls such as the Z-STAR golf balls. We identified a very large segment of golfers as being able to benefit from this lower-compression design to optimize their distance off the tee and with their irons.

[Srixon / Cleveland Golf]

When designing a ball like the Q Star (or Z Star for that matter), do you have a pretty good idea of how the ball will perform based on the design/materials before you even go into prototyping? How long are the lead times from original design idea to prototyping and testing to prove out?

 

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today!!! This is too cool.

 

- ZZ (Z Star matches my initials perfectly!)

 

 

From MR:

 

Yes, we have a decent idea but the extensive testing that our R&D team does enables us to fine tune the golf ball and its performance over the course of time as we move into prototyping. This process, from the birth of the idea to the actually implementation and launch of the golf ball, can take a few years or sometimes longer! We just want to deliver a great and effective product, however much time it takes.

[Srixon / Cleveland Golf]

Will there be any demo events/fittings at any of the big box stores? i.e., Golf Galaxy, PGA SS, Edwin Watts? Looking at the event finder, there are no scheduled events where I live in NJ.

 

Thanks for your interest, the events are being rapidly filled up so stay tuned! We do work closely with those national accounts you mentioned and some should still have a few Q-STAR TOUR Performance Packs still available!

[Srixon / Cleveland Golf]

Well it looks like that's all for now! Thanks again for all of your great questions support, we truly enjoy interacting with you! Stay tuned for more great stuff from Srixon/Cleveland Golf, and enjoy the #JourneyToBetter

[coreyl]

Thanks to the Srixon guys for taking the time. I've got a couple dozen coming to try out :)

[DeacLaw05]

Thanks to the Srixon guys for doing this. Very informative, and based on the info provided here, it looks like the Q-Star Tour will be a great for for my swing and style of play.

 

Now I'm just anxiously awaiting the Z565 irons I have on order to play the ball with!

[2012BFT]

Thanks, Team Srixon! It is so cool that you guys take the time to do this with us. I appreciate the information and look forward to future updates!

[gprubes]

Thanks for the time out of your day, just had a few minutes to check the replies.

[st8kdinr]

Awesome chance to get some questions answered. Thanks WRX and Srixon

[Hairpie]

Thanks for the Q and A...looks like another ball I need to try.

[Ace2000]

Great q&a. Very informative and classy!

[Vegaman]

Will the Q-STAR Tour be available in Tour Yellow? A lot of the people that will play this ball will have slower (than tour) swing speeds and would benefit from using a yellow ball.

Why would a yellow ball benefit slower swingspeed players? Odd

[LarryN]

I've been playing the Srixon Z star XV for a while. My swing speed is about 90. Would you recommend the Q Star tour instead? Why?