Srixon Z Star XV 2021

[ewaldbeukes]

Hi all,

 

Was wondering what you have experienced from gaming the new XV? I have recently played the Pro V1x but switched to the new Srixon when it came out (more affordable too) but noticed the greenside spin is incredible. Whats been your experience with the ball? Pros / Cons etc

[FairwayzNGreenz]

How is the feel of the ball? is it really a firm feel? thanks 

[tsecor]

On 2/23/2021 at 3:20 AM, ewaldbeukes said:

Hi all,

 

Was wondering what you have experienced from gaming the new XV? I have recently played the Pro V1x but switched to the new Srixon when it came out (more affordable too) but noticed the greenside spin is incredible. Whats been your experience with the ball? Pros / Cons etc

you "noticed the greenside spin is incredible"....how? Testing shows this ball spins almost exactly like the prov1.....and many other balls from 50 yards and in....

 

i just played the new Prov1 and i have to say its the best all around ball ive played....long off the driver, very controllable around the greens and it feels great.  The new prov1x performs almost identicle to the prov1 with feel being the exception.   in comparison to the XV, i gave my srixons away because i hated it off the driver. It flew ok but was shorter than the TP5 and Prov1.   

[Double Dodger]

3 hours ago, tsecor said:

you "noticed the greenside spin is incredible"....how? Testing shows this ball spins almost exactly like the prov1.....and many other balls from 50 yards and in....

 

i just played the new Prov1 and i have to say its the best all around ball ive played....long off the driver, very controllable around the greens and it feels great.  The new prov1x performs almost identicle to the prov1 with feel being the exception.   in comparison to the XV, i gave my srixons away because i hated it off the driver. It flew ok but was shorter than the TP5 and Prov1.   

My mileage varied. Srixon is better. On tour seems like every week there are at least 2,3 sometimes more Srixon players end up in the top 10. Pretty good for a ball that gets 10% of the play. I have a friend who has always played ProV balls. Last here he says he’s going to try Srixon. Blamed every bad shot he hit on the balls. It was my win because I got 2 dozen brand new balls and he went back to hitting his same ole bad shots. 
As a side note, have you seen the Justin Thomas commercial where he say Vokey wedges are the best ever made. Goes on to say they are all he’s ever used. Well, how does he know what he’s talking about? 

[ewaldbeukes]

16 hours ago, tsecor said:

you "noticed the greenside spin is incredible"....how? Testing shows this ball spins almost exactly like the prov1.....and many other balls from 50 yards and in....

 

i just played the new Prov1 and i have to say its the best all around ball ive played....long off the driver, very controllable around the greens and it feels great.  The new prov1x performs almost identicle to the prov1 with feel being the exception.   in comparison to the XV, i gave my srixons away because i hated it off the driver. It flew ok but was shorter than the TP5 and Prov1.   

I think I have posted more extensive feedback on the bigger Srixon 2021 thread..

 

So to be succinct. From my comments above its east to discern these are my personal experiences. I am not a robot, I am only a low handicap golfer. I have played Titleist for the better part of 25 years. I am sure that on pure testing I would see similar spin, peak height numbers etc. As per comment, for me when chipping vs my old gamer (Titleist) I preferred the reaction of my wedges. Got what I felt was a better flight into the green on wedges and spin. From your own comment you mention the V1 and XV have tested at similar half wedge spin rates (better than last year) so that really explains it well...

 

Issues remain the seam that pops up. But considering I can pick them up in SA for about 60% of the price if new Pro V1s I deal with it.

[jah7838]

I tried it recently, and really liked how it performed.  I usually play the TP5, and the Z Star XV performed very similar to the TP5.  It was just a little firmer, but not in a bad way.  If I didn't have a den caddy full of TP5 balls, I would definitely load up on the XV.  

 

[tsecor]

3 hours ago, ewaldbeukes said:

I think I have posted more extensive feedback on the bigger Srixon 2021 thread..

 

So to be succinct. From my comments above its east to discern these are my personal experiences. I am not a robot, I am only a low handicap golfer. I have played Titleist for the better part of 25 years. I am sure that on pure testing I would see similar spin, peak height numbers etc. As per comment, for me when chipping vs my old gamer (Titleist) I preferred the reaction of my wedges. Got what I felt was a better flight into the green on wedges and spin. From your own comment you mention the V1 and XV have tested at similar half wedge spin rates (better than last year) so that really explains it well...

 

Issues remain the seam that pops up. But considering I can pick them up in SA for about 60% of the price if new Pro V1s I deal with it.

Its hard for me as a 12 hdcp to notice certain characteristics of a ball under certain lengths, but feel is something that is always in my head.  If i were a 4, id probably be in tune with other, more detailed aspects of the ball but, for me, the new prov1 is performing well off the driver and definitely 150 yards and in.  

[Double Dodger]

On 5/18/2021 at 8:44 AM, tsecor said:

Its hard for me as a 12 hdcp to notice certain characteristics of a ball under certain lengths, but feel is something that is always in my head.  If i were a 4, id probably be in tune with other, more detailed aspects of the ball but, for me, the new prov1 is performing well off the driver and definitely 150 yards and in.  

A ball matters. However some low handicap players (I hover around scratch myself) get stuck on brands. Maybe they have used a ball for 25 years. Anything different gets held to a much higher standard. Any mild differences are negatives. The seam issue for example. I have seen this pop up occasionally on the Srixon balls I have used. Usually after playing a single ball for two rounds. I also know Titleist balls suffer from a deplorable durability issue.  At least the older models of ProV. Can’t speak to the newer models on this but for me, I don’t like replacing scuffed up balls every few holes at $4.50 a ball. 
The type of ball one plays is one of those “personal” things to each his own but I will say this; I know players that can take your money with any ball you give them out of your shag bag. 

[tsecor]

On 5/22/2021 at 10:26 AM, Double Dodger said:

A ball matters.

 

. I also know Titleist balls suffer from a deplorable durability issue.  

Thats just completely untrue for me.....I have played Prov1 for the last 6 seasons and TP5 (for 2 seasons) and have not had ANY issue with the Prov.   the TP5 supposedly had these issues as well but i never experienced this at al. I havent lost a ball in 3 rounds and my current prov1 looks like new....even hit one off a tree. of course if you shoot one off a cart path, i would expect some damage but any issue is so few and far between. 

 

 

[Double Dodger]

5 hours ago, tsecor said:

Thats just completely untrue for me.....I have played Prov1 for the last 6 seasons and TP5 (for 2 seasons) and have not had ANY issue with the Prov.   the TP5 supposedly had these issues as well but i never experienced this at al. I havent lost a ball in 3 rounds and my current prov1 looks like new....even hit one off a tree. of course if you shoot one off a cart path, i would expect some damage but any issue is so few and far between. 

 

 

Titleist themselves addressed this issue a few years back. Maybe they have improved. I know a few of the yellow ones I have tried lately were much better. 
I have told this story here before but the junior players I have personal relationships with are given all the balls they can use. They get them young and keep them loyal. Who wants to upset the guys giving you free stuff? One player who now plays on the KF tour and will get his PGA card for next year had fittings at their fitting center for his entire bag. Every club and the fitting was free. This was when he was an amateur. He now has Titleist on his bag. 

[tsecor]

57 minutes ago, Double Dodger said:

Titleist themselves addressed this issue a few years back. Maybe they have improved. I know a few of the yellow ones I have tried lately were much better. 
I have told this story here before but the junior players I have personal relationships with are given all the balls they can use. They get them young and keep them loyal. Who wants to upset the guys giving you free stuff? One player who now plays on the KF tour and will get his PGA card for next year had fittings at their fitting center for his entire bag. Every club and the fitting was free. This was when he was an amateur. He now has Titleist on his bag. 

justin thomas is one guy who pomotes Vokey as the best wedges on the planet...yet admits he has never played anything else.....lol

 

i like srixon balls but they were a bit shorter for me.....and for some reason i didnt like the graphics....it bothered me at address.....

 

a few years ago i used the chromesoft instead of the titleist and had the best year of my "career"....those balls had QC issues so i moved away from them....you just cant go wrong with prov IMO

[ewaldbeukes]

On 5/24/2021 at 9:14 PM, tsecor said:

justin thomas is one guy who pomotes Vokey as the best wedges on the planet...yet admits he has never played anything else.....lol

 

i like srixon balls but they were a bit shorter for me.....and for some reason i didnt like the graphics....it bothered me at address.....

 

a few years ago i used the chromesoft instead of the titleist and had the best year of my "career"....those balls had QC issues so i moved away from them....you just cant go wrong with prov IMO

I love MGS and am an avid follower of the ball reviews... what I am not convinced of yet is what the impact of the imperfections are... we know Titleist leads the way in consistency... but a slightly out of round core... does it increase dispersion by 10%, 50%, does it decrease distance... what does it do... not sure I have been able to find good info on that yet and MGS to my knowledge is yet to cover it. In the interim I think my ballstriking at the minute is more inconsistent than any ball I play... might actually help!

[tsecor]

On 6/1/2021 at 6:43 AM, ewaldbeukes said:

I love MGS and am an avid follower of the ball reviews... what I am not convinced of yet is what the impact of the imperfections are... we know Titleist leads the way in consistency... but a slightly out of round core... does it increase dispersion by 10%, 50%, does it decrease distance... what does it do... not sure I have been able to find good info on that yet and MGS to my knowledge is yet to cover it. In the interim I think my ballstriking at the minute is more inconsistent than any ball I play... might actually help!

lol

that is funny because I feel the same way....maybe a crappy core keeps my ball in the fairway......I am sure MGS will do that test in the future and id love to see it. 

 

i am not a sucker for marketing but for some reason that ball test made me switch...i guess its a low hanging fruit why i hit my ball off line...."its an off center core"!!!  hee hee.....without an QC issues, i have no excuse.....holds me to a higher standard 🙂

[beaney]

I’ve enjoyed the new XV. Seems very good in the wind and distance/spin seem comparable with other balls. 
 

durability is so so, but again I wouldn’t say that it’s any worse than what I’ve seen from the V1x that I otherwise play. 
 

I’ll happily use them going forward and while I wasn’t hugely keen on the graphics, they’re growing on me!

[EastTNGolfer]

I bought a sleeve of each since purchasing my ZX5s to try them out. XV was good, but I am really impressed with the spin I get with chips and partial wedges that the Z-star has...noticeably more than the XV.

[Hstead]

I have played several of the high performance balls, including the Snell, ProV1, Z Star, TP5, Chromesoft, and Bridgestone over the years and for extended periods.

 

Most of the time, if you blind-folded me I could not tell you which ball is which.  Better yet, if you removed the brand markings I could not tell you the difference accurately between them.  

 

I am a low handicap player, most of the balls are so similar.  With that said, I am playing the Z Star currently because I bought a bunch during the buy two get one sale.  I think I bought 15 dozen.  I do think the Z Star is slightly shorter off the tee.  I think it is straighter and shorter, by a small margin.

[blev2]

All I know is that a wedge shot with the XV and it literally rips the cover apart. Not a little scuff but way worse. Performance wise there isn’t much difference in any premium ball. 

[DrizZzY22]

Very good golf ball off of the tee and irons for me. Good greenside spin as well. I am however having reliability issues. I have had multiple balls scuffed after one hole of play. ( normal shots of course, not hitting trees or paths.  

[ewaldbeukes]

7 hours ago, DrizZzY22 said:

Very good golf ball off of the tee and irons for me. Good greenside spin as well. I am however having reliability issues. I have had multiple balls scuffed after one hole of play. ( normal shots of course, not hitting trees or paths.  

Sounds strange - on the 2021 model? White or Yellow? What kind of shots like a hard wedge? Only durability issue I get is the seam... and I have been in the trees often the last while (sadly)...

 

FYI wind performace is stupid good... hit a flighted 9 iron through a cross breeze on sat blowing hard off the right. Wind didnt touch it... crazy good

[ewaldbeukes]

15 hours ago, blev2 said:

All I know is that a wedge shot with the XV and it literally rips the cover apart. Not a little scuff but way worse. Performance wise there isn’t much difference in any premium ball. 

Agreed, differences are subtle and one needs to test to find optimal fit for ones own games nuances! 

[brutusflash]

Was a XV  fanatic for about 7 years, switched to tour B X last year, the reactiv cover is no joke.  But our pro cut open a XV 2 years ago and the core was way off center, didn’t change my opinion then and I never had a ball behave wonky.  The Bridgestone is just better at present.

Flash

[EastTNGolfer]

3 hours ago, brutusflash said:

Was a XV  fanatic for about 7 years, switched to tour B X last year, the reactiv cover is no joke.  But our pro cut open a XV 2 years ago and the core was way off center, didn’t change my opinion then and I never had a ball behave wonky.  The Bridgestone is just better at present.

Flash

I remember seeing somewhere the Z Stars are only made in Japan, but some XV production is done Indonesia I think which may possibly lead to quality control issues.

[MtlJeff]

I find all of the "X" balls feel hard, hollow and flimsy. I don't know how else to describe it. I don't like using them...Chrome Soft X and ProV1 X same deal

 

I use the regular ZStar as my go-to ball

[NRJyzr]

1 hour ago, MtlJeff said:

I find all of the "X" balls feel hard, hollow and flimsy. I don't know how else to describe it. I don't like using them...Chrome Soft X and ProV1 X same deal

 

I use the regular ZStar as my go-to ball

 

Feel similarly about them.  Ten years ago, I just accepted it, but eventually got to the point I couldn't use them any longer. 

 

The brand new boxes (not NOS but relatively recently manufactured at the time) of wound balls I found may have influenced me, LOL.

 

Like the ZStar quite a bit, and have used the TP5, but I've gone full Newton's Third Law with my current choice, the Duo Professional.  🙂

 

[MtlJeff]

25 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

Feel similarly about them.  Ten years ago, I just accepted it, but eventually got to the point I couldn't use them any longer. 

 

The brand new boxes (not NOS but relatively recently manufactured at the time) of wound balls I found may have influenced me, LOL.

 

Like the ZStar quite a bit, and have used the TP5, but I've gone full Newton's Third Law with my current choice, the Duo Professional.  🙂

 

 

I've actually grown quite fond of the Vice Pro balls! I think my next venture might be down that path....Though i just bought 6 boxes of Zstars....So that could be a while