MEMBER REVIEWS: Srixon Z Star and Z Star XV Golf Balls! See What Members Are Saying!

[GolfWRX_Official]

 

Srixon has new Z Star and Z Star XV golf balls out and they are getting a lot of talk on the professional tours as well as here in the forum. We have 10 members putting the new golf balls through the paces and ready to report back to you with how they perform. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have to the testers. The testers are...

 

@hammergolf

@bsb70x7

@kcowgolf

@cwilk

@jtudhsnae

@buckI

@Jut

@D0ch0l1d4y

@belh22

@tj7644

 

We also want to give a big THANK YOU to Srixon for putting on this testing event!

[D0ch0l1d4y]

Hey all, I'll be adding to this post as I get to more testing and pictures/etc. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to get an answer to you.

 

First off, a big thanks to GolfWRX and Srixon for doing things like this for our community!

 

A little background on me, then testing plan, then some results.

 

Background:

I'm 41 years old and play, generally, on public courses in the Kansas City Metro area. I have 3 daughters (7, 5, and 3) so my already scant playing time has decreased over the last several years and don't get out nearly as much as I'd like to (but who does..jobs amiright)

 

I currently float between a 2 and 2.5 handicap playing on average once a month, with a practice session or two thrown in there as much as I can. I'd say my strength-to-weakness slope is Mid/Short irons, putting, wedge play, Driver/Fwy, long irons, scrambling, bunker play. As one would expect, there's a pretty distinct pattern between the above and where I do spend time when I get to practice. My normal ball for tournaments and money games is either a Chrome Soft truvis or ProV1. I'm testing the Z-star so it'll go up against these two.

 

Testing plan:

Putting and chipping greenside first, as that's the most readily available to squeeze in between meetings and the girls' activities. Putting will consist mostly of straight putts, hit with a variety of entry speeds at as many distances as I can find that are relatively straight.

 

Shots <95yd (max LW for me), then wedges and short irons. There are a few places around town that I can hit medium length partial wedges so I plan to seek those out asap.

 

Medium irons, long game. This will have to be on course, so hoping to find a calm morning at work and take 3 hours to walk 9 holes on an empty course.

 

Driver/tee game. In all honesty, this has to be last because if I do any Driver testing before I get the rest in, I can't guarantee I'll have any balls left.

 

Results:

 

Putting - Only took the putter, 2 Zstars, and 2 Chrome softs as I figured the putting green would be full. The putting green I started testing on was not in the best shape, still had punch holes from the end of season aeration - it's a public course.  Started with my normal pre-tournament putting routine - Several long to medium lag putts to get general speed, then picking a hole and hitting 4 putts from a 3ft circle all the way around, then 4', then 5', 6', 8', 10'. Follow that with entry speed drill from 3', 6', 10' on a straight-ish putt. Then to 20-30' putts to a 3' circle.

 

From a roll perspective, as one would expect there's not a lot of difference. I put a pretty consistent end-over-end roll on the ball and both balls did what they should. The difference - BIG difference - was the feel. My putter is a Bettinardi BB1 Copper Classic - an Anser style putter with a copper insert and Bettinardi's honeycomb milling. Has a nice soft feel, but is responsive so I know exactly where on the face I miss one. One of the main reasons I use the Chromesoft is the deeper tone I get off putts that are struck generally where I want to. The Zstar was a much higher, clickier tone. Not in a bad way, just different than what I'm used to. But that led to giving the Chromesoft almost a heavy/weighted feel compared to the Zstar. It was likely just confirmation bias, but it did seem that the Zstar rolled out a bit farther than the Chromesoft on what felt like a consistent stroke. Maybe the girls and I will build something to test it by mechanical means.

 

Chipping - this was from the collar to pins 10'-30' away using a 54* and a 59* wedge. I didn't get as much time as I'd have liked to here, but there was a distinct trajectory differential between the two. In almost every case, every shot type (low spinner - soft high one) the Zstar came out lower, with more spin. I'm excited to both go back to this area and find a practice area that has better testing ground than the course I was using at the time.

 

That's all for now, will report back when there's more.

 

UPDATE:

 

Got out to play 9 holes this morning. Didn't really play golf as much as took the opportunity to get direct comparisons for different shots around the course. Hit the ZStar directly against the Chrome Soft. It was a mild wind today (~15mph), so a good test for wind stability.

 

Tee Balls - Including 3 drivers and two 3-woods. Hit 2 each off each tee with each club (so 10 shots with each ball type). Distances and perceived spin rates looked to be pretty much identical. There was a definite advantage to the Zstar for stability. Two of the tee balls were straight cross winds and there was easily 20-30% less push by the wind. Not real sure how that happens, but it was significant based on observation.

 

Iron play - Essentially identical distances overall, but got a touch more carry and more spin on the Zstar. Add in the added stability and I really liked how it performed.

 

Wedges/partial shots - these were 30-60 yard shots, directly trying to spin/hop stop. I got similar control off both balls, but the same observation of lower trajectory with the Zstar was again observed. Less obvious than with slower speed chips and pitches, but it was there.

 

I have a tournament coming up Friday and plan to swap these in and see how it goes. It's 18 holes of stroke play and top 32 move on to match play. Last year I got into a playoff for one of the last match play spots and lost out (7 for 2 playoff). I'll report back with results, but I'm excited to put these in play where it counts.

 

just a quick update: played the KC Match play tournament today. Didn’t play well and most qualifying for match play by 2, but the ball was awesome. Same characteristics as what I’m used to seeing with better wind handling. 
 

It’s gonna be the new gamer. And I don’t know if the durability is only an issue with the XV, but this ball played 15 holes.

 

 

Edited May 15, 2021 by D0ch0l1d4y
formatting, updates

[tj7644]

I just received my balls to test.   Here are some pics of the balls and packaging.   I'll definitely post more once testing is started.   I was selected to test the Srixon Z Star XV.    So thanks to GolfWRX and Srixon for the chance to put these to the test.

I'm a 6-8 handicap player, 56 yrs old and play 1-2 times per week.

 

[bsb70x7]

Hey GolfWRX.  I was selected for the Srixon ZStar testing.  Got my dozen yellow ZStarXV balls this week.  Took them out to the course today.  

 

First, I am in Wichita, Kansas.   I carry a 2 handicap.  I have been playing the Titleist ProV1 for the last 6 years.  What is most important to me with a golf ball is how it does in the wind and workability.  Spin is a must around to greens.  I have not switched brands balls for the last 8 years -- so I am a loyal Titleist guy.  I did try the new ProV1X earlier this year, but opted against it because it was too spinny for windy Kansas for me.

 

I played the ZStarXV today with my normal group.  I did not do any actual side by side testing (which I will do next Thursday).  Here are my first impressions of the ZStarXV:

 

1.  Right out of the gate, I could not tell any distance difference between the ZStarXV and my standard Pro V1.  My irons shots were going the distances anticipated.  I was in my normal positions off the tee.  I controlled my distances well in the wind today.   I tried to hit a couple of par 5's in 2 today and noticed no difference in carry with my 3 wood.  Kudos to the ball on this aspect. 

 

2.  It was a windy day in Wichita today (16-20 mph).  I felt that the ZStarXV performed well in the wind -- it did carry better on down wind shots than I am used to.  For into the wind shots, I felt the ball performed very similar to the ProV1.  Also, I could "flight" the ball well.   

 

3.  Around the green, I was expecting less spin from the ZStarXV as compared to the Pro V1.  I was pleasantly surprised at the spin I could generate on short shots.  I could get the ball to behave well and stop when I needed it to and run when I needed it to -- this was better than expected.  So, the transition to the ZStarXV was actually pretty simple in this regard.   

 

4.  Feel is subjective.  I have a hard time personally telling the difference in feel between premium balls.  The feel was not too hard or too soft.  I would rank it similar to the new ProV1X (a little softer than the ProV1).  I did not notice any difference the feel for putting (although I putt with Bobby Grace putters with really soft inserts so no ball really feels hard). Again, no complaints.  I would note that the Spin Skin on the Srixon feels a little different to the touch than the Pro V1 (like it is a tinge more tackier).  Thought this was unusual, so I wanted to report it.

 

5.  I played pretty well today and completed the round with the same ZStarXV.  In fact, the Yellow was especially easy to find on one wayward shot that hit the lip of the fairway bunker and careened into the gunch (translated gorse for those outside the Midwest).  [Dang, I was hoping to forget that double bogey too].  Following the round, I inspected the ball.  I could tell it had been played compared a new one, but no groove marks were apparent and only one slight imperfection (rough spot) was detectable (probably from the darn bunker lip) .  All in all, no complaints on initial durability test.  I am really interested in this part of the test as I played the Srixon ZStar for a couple of seasons 8 years ago and durability was iffy back then from a paint standpoint.

 

Overall, I would give the ball an "A" today for the test.  Thought the ball performed well overall.  Am anxious to go to the side by side test when I play alone on Thursday evening.  Will do some chipping an putting tests then too, so stay tuned.  Thanks for the opportunity GolfWRX and SRIXON.

 

 

[Jut]

My box literally just arrived from Fed Ex about 30 mins ago.  Thanks to Srixon and Golfwrx for the opportunity! Just a few pics to wet the whistle.  Also, as a long time former Z Star user, this ball feels softer off the putter than I remember.  Up against the Chrome Soft Truvis, the Z Star feels softer, yet more responsive.  Feel is obviously subjective, but I’m loving it off the face of my Betti. 
 

 

[belh22]

Hey everyone!  Before I start just a quick shoutout to GolfWrx and Srixon for this great opportunity to test their golf balls.  I selected the Srixon Z Star XV White golf balls to test.  I am typically at TP5X player and have been since they came out.  I am 40 years old and am playing a bit less but carry a 2.7 index and practice once a week and play once a week.  I am on the higher spin spectrum with my clubs and typically hit a fade for those who can relate directly.  Feel free to ask any questions.  

 

 

APPEARANCE:  As with any company shelf appeal is huge and the silver box stands out.  The golf balls themselves are the typical brighter white than most tour balls.  This is an acquired taste I guess or what you would be used to.  Easily discernable from a distance of which ball is the Srixon.

 

FEEL:  Although it is softer than the usual XV, it is still on the firmer side.  Not hard by any means, just firmer than what I typically play.  The sound at impact is different than most tour balls and I definitely enjoy it.  You know when you compress it and definitely know when you do not.  

 

DISTANCE:  I worked this in the other day side by side with a TP5X from this year.  Driving is a strength of mine and when I say they were literally side by side, they were.  Distance was identical on well struck shots.  I don't think I have ever referred to a ball as "forgiving" but on mishits I believe the ball traveled further than usual if that makes any sense.  

 

IRONS:  Again as mentioned the feel is a great feel when compressed.  Ball flew typical distance for me and had similar launch and descent angle as the TP5X.  Reaction on the greens as well.  

 

WEDGES:  This is where I was impressed.  TP5X is the only ball that I don't consistently spin back on full wedges.  It is typically my go to characteristic for a ball which is why the Taylormade has been in the bag for so long.  The XV is almost the same as the Taylormade.  It did spin a touch more, but minimal.  Very impressed.  

 

CHIPPING:  Also very impressive.  Greenside spin is great, almost more than I would like.  But very good for a firmer golf ball. 

 

PUTTING:  Simply put, good feel for a firmer ball.  And definitely softer than previous XV lines.  

 

DURABILITY:  Here is my issue as with many others.  The images below are from a use during a 9 hole trial.  One bunker shot was hit with this and was a normal well played bunker shot.  No trees were hit or cart paths.  Just normal 9 hole round.  Disappointing.  

 

 

OVERALL:  Great performing ball as usual from Srixon and the fact that it is closer to the TP5X than usual entices me.  However the struggle with durability would be an issue for me.  

 

Feel free to ask any questions and again thanks GolfWrx and Srixon!

[tj7644]

OK....I had a chance to take the Srixon XV out for a spin.   

Initial thoughts are this:   

DISTANCE: I have found the XV to be better with my swing than the other balls I tried with it side by side.   I tried it with TP5x, Chrome Soft X, Bridgestone B X, and Bridgestone B RX.  Again, the distance of the XV was better than any of those for me (5-7 yards).   My driver swing speed is 105, using the Callaway Max LS driver.   Iron distances were also better (3-5yards), but not as great of margin as the driver, and I still seemed to have the drop and stop capabilities that I want without spinning the ball back too much.   

FEEL: Now the feel of the ball was interesting to me.   I found it softer than the Chrome Soft X, the Bridgestone B X, and especially the TP5x which seemed the clickiest, hardest to me.   The only ball of those mentioned that felt softer to me was the Bridgestone B RX.   I love a firmer ball so this ball fit the bill perfectly for me.  Wasn't too hard, but not such a soft ball that feels springy or spongy off the putter face specifically.   

DURABILITY:   This is where I saw no difference to me as the other balls.   Was there wear and tear?  Yes? You can see it on the first pic.   A little bite marks after 9 holes. The second pic is some discoloration after another 9 holes with that one, but no scuffing.  Again for me, nothing more than I see from other balls/brands.

OVERALL:  I will use this ball, and game it.   I love the performance and feel for me.   

[hammergolf]

I have been traveling so I will post my review this weekend. I'm interested to see if the seam durability issue is the same with the Z Star. Crazy that they have not fixed that in the XV.

[cwilk]

My dozen arrived last week, and I opted for the XV in white.  I didn't get out much because of weather and then Mother's Day weekend.  I finally got some use this week and wanted to give some feedback regarding what I've seen so far.  My teenage son is a competitive junior golfer and better than me, so he's going to help test as well.  I'm late 30's, swing a 6i right at 100 mph and driver 115+ (I've hit 124 on GCQuad).  Carry with my MB 7i is around 180 and driver is 290.  I mostly play 9 holes in the evenings with my son (every day possible) and play to 10, but some days I'll finish a 9 at 38 and others end in the mid-40's.  Mostly because I'm never satisfied with my swing and make changes all the time. I don't always play the same ball, but I'm comfortable with most of the firmer, urethane options from the big OEM's.  I play Srixon Z-Star XV often because I can get a dozen new prior generation balls for $25 in my area.  They typically have better sales as well. My son is much more consistent and is around a 2 index on our home courses.  We last checked his iron swing speed on a Mizuno shaft optimizer last fall and he was at 86 mph.  He carries his 7 iron around 150 yards.  Driver is around 105 for him with a 250-260 yard carry.  We've been more consistent with my son when it comes to golf ball selection.  We did some testing and ended up putting him in the 2019 Pro V1x and he's stuck with it since.  

 

We played 9 on Monday and ended up getting paired with a single which kept us from doing any serious testing.  We both put a ball in play here and there and saw similar performance to what we are used to.  It has been exceptionally windy this week with gusts in the mid-20 mph range and we both felt like the ball performed similarly to what we are accustomed to seeing.  We hit the range on Tue with the intent to do some short game testing, but a cool front with heavy rain rolled in cutting our trip short.  So when we got home we spent some time putting on our home mat, alternating putts between a Pro V1x and the XV.  I've read complaints about the seam in Z-Stars/XVs so we both looked over the ball and a seam didn't seem obvious on a new ball to our untrained eyes.  It seems like it's more obvious when the ball has been used and taken some strikes along the seam.  Both the V1x and XV sounded identical off our milled putters.  Both essentially felt the same in firmness and they both seemed to roll at the same speed for the same distance each putt.  We use a SKLZ Accelerator mat with markings for stroke lengths, so the stroke lengths were the same (at least as close as we could make them).  

 

We played 9 again yesterday, this time each bringing a sleeve to use.  I was hoping that one of us would get a ball through all 9 holes, but neither of us did.  I am concerned about durability as my ball had a decent scuff after my first tee shot on the first hole.  I may have bounced once on a cart path, I didn't see, but otherwise didn't hit any objects with the ball other than my hybrid club face.  I then lost that ball going OB or in a construction area on the next hole.  There is some pipeline going in on the course all along the right side of the hole.  I reloaded and promptly lost a second XV in the same area.  The 3rd/last of my sleeve lasted me from there until hole 7 where I lost it in some high grass.  Performance in between seemed typical for me compared to similar balls.  This last one didn't seem too roughed up before I lost it.  My son had a similar experience in performance in that he played to his typical yardages with each club as he would if hitting his V1x, and saw no obvious performance differences.  His first ball made it to hole 6 where he lost it in the water to a forced carry on a par 3.  He came up short, but there was significant wind so we both felt like it was club selection and not a ball performance issue.  His second lasted through the remainder of the 9 for him.   Neither ball he played seemed roughed up like my first did, but all of his stayed away from cart paths or other obstacles.  He did end up in 2 bunkers with the first ball and neither seemed to cause any unusual wear/tear on his XV.  

 

We will hit the range again today.  The weather is dry and sunny so we are just going to take our wedges and work on short game.  We will take a sleeve each and do some pitching chipping with the XV's versus V1x's to look for any apparent performance differences.  I'll be sure to take some pictures and/or video to share here.  

[jtudhsnae]

Thanks for choosing me to test these balls.

I'm 56 and play to about a 12.

I play at the public golf courses in the Kansas City area.

I swing about low 90s with the driver and hit the 7 iron about 160.

 

I have played Srixon z-stars in the past and chose those in yellow for the testing.

 

I have noticed very much in the terms of distance with the irons or the woods. Everything goes about the same distances.

What I have noticed the most, is the soft feel with the new Z-Stars. A person I know at the course I play a lot, said the same thing.

 

They do spin really well off the short wedges , if you hit them good.

 

I did get a chance to compare the new Z-Star, with last years PROV1, and last years Chrome soft on the greens.

I was leaving the ZStar 2 feet short on putts, where I was holing the PROV1 with the same stroke.

ZStar felt softer then both of those balls.

It took me 3 rounds of playing with the balls, to start hitting it hard enough to get to the hole consistently.

On fast greens, if you need a soft feeling ball, this would be good for you.

 

If any questions, just ask. I will reply when I can.

[buckI]

First off, thanks to GolfWRX and Srixon for the opportunity!    Current handicap is 6.5 and I play at a club in southwest Ohio so I have a very good feel for where my current gamer (Pro V1) goes for distance and the shots I hit with it.     Our greens are failry small and quick with a lot of undualtion.  My driver SS is around 100-102 and 7 iron is about 155.   Not the typcial Wrx 300+ distances!!  I selected the Z Star in white.   Have done some testing around the practice green and two 9 hole rounds so far.

 

Appearance and Packaging:  I know the package doesn't matter but will stay the black and gold box and sleeve package looked really cool.   One thing I noticed and others have commented is the Srixon is a brighter white than other balls and it does stand out.   Not a bad thing but definitely I noticed this a few times in our deeper rought where the ball would shine more and a little easier to find.    

 

Putter:  The Z Star definitely had a more muted sound and feel than the Pro V1.   Tried a few long putts first and left the Z Star way short so took a little time to get used to that but once I did it was fine.   I actually thought I could be more aggressive with the putter.  The Pro V1 is soft but still to me has a slight click sound.    I do like the side stamp on the Z Star to use as an alignment aid.  

 

Chips/Pitches:  This is one area I really liked the Z Star.   Given the more muted sound/feel, I got up and down a couple times from deep rough to close pins.   I think the spin was similar to the Pro V1.   Chips did not feel hot off the club which I liked.   I also think I might have gained a couple yards with Z Star on the wedges.  

 

Driver:  Really good distance.   I know XV is know as the longer ball but Z Star was no slouch.     Distance might be slightly farther (a couple yards) compared to Pro V or the same so good there.  I had tried Srixon a few years ago and the balls seemed to be shorter than other premium balls so have not tried them again until now.   The older balls to me felt and sounded dead.   Much improved and hold their own against all others now.   The flight was mid to high which I like and expected with a really solid sound off the driver.

 

Irons: I tend to hit the ball higher with the irons and these reflected that.   Distance was good (not yards longer or shorter) and consistent.   I did notice that some shots into a stronger wind may have ballooned a little so need to test more.   Do not think the Z Star spins quite as much on irons as the Pro V1 but definitely not by much.  Our greens are firm so you need height and spin which the Z Star had plenty.

 

Durability:  I will admit I was skeptical on two items.  I had read that the seam tended to wear quckly and also I saw on a couple other sites that there were some quality concerns with the balls from the Indonesia plant which mine are.   So far the only durability item was a poor bunker shot by me that left a scuff (pic attached).  Other than that the ball looks good and I've only played one so far.

 

I have two rounds scheduled this weekend so will do more testing but so far very pleased.   Actually has me thinking this could become a regular in the bag which I never would have previously thought.

 

 

[cwilk]

I was able to hit the range last night with my son and we went to the practice green afterward to hit the Z-Star XV's I'm testing against some 2019 Pro V1x's.  However, we didn't spend a ton of time because my son didn't have a new sleeve in his bag.  He always plays new in tournaments and we buy either the "Practice" marked balls or used 5A grade balls from LostGolfBalls for our practice.  We quickly realized the spin was inconsistent with the used Pro V1x balls so it wouldn't be a fair comparison.  

 

Here's my son's group of 3 shots each.  These were low chips from 20 yards or so from the pin, and maybe 3 yards off the green in short fringe grass similar to fairway cut length.  All of the longer 3 (closer to the hole) are the used Pro V1x balls.  The shorter 3 are the new XV's.  A few takeaways are how important it is to play a new ball for rounds that count.  Even with player inconsistencies, the newer balls dispersion was considerably smaller.  I'm sure it's completely due to the spin achieved with a fresh cover.  We'll test again next week against a sleeve of new Pro V1x balls to confirm.

 

 

Below is my group.  The first 3 shots were with the used Pro V1x's and the first of the 3 was just not judging the distance correct at all.  The second was in the group of 3 balls to the right, and the 3rd is the one next to the hole.  I didn't attempt to change anything between the second two shots, which leads me to believe it's the spin inconsistencies from 2 used balls with varying levels of use.  The second group of 3 XV's resulted in 2 within 6 inches of each other in the group to the right.  I intentionally hit that last one firmer and found the cup.  I think if I would have hit the 3rd XV similar to the first two that it would be near them.  

 

 

We will play 9 again this evening, but I'll be saving the sleeve from this short game test for the next round so that they are still fresh to go against a sleeve of new Pro V1x's.  I have one other new sleeve at the house, but will save it for tomorrow to hit on a GC2 monitor.  My son has a tournament Sunday that we are travelling for, so we'll only have his 7i and driver.  We'll both hit shots with his 7i/D with a new sleeve of Pro V1x and a new sleeve of XV's for launch/spin comparisons.

[kcowgolf]

Shout out to GLFWRX for another great opportunity and thanks to Srixon for participating.  I received my Z Star XV balls this week.

 

About me:  4 HCP,  Winter in AZ and summer in Colorado.  Play 4-5 times a week and generally play either the previous Z Star XV model or a Pro V1X.  Feel and Spin around the greens along with distance are typically the key measures for me when evaluating a golf ball. 

 

My plans for testing were to play the 3 balls side by side on the course as well as some intense testing at the chipping and putting area here in AZ at my home course. 

 

  Around the green, I was pleasantly surprised that the new ball performed very much like the prior generations but might have a bit better feel and a touch more spin!  I was really able to control the spin and that is a big deal to me.  Off the putter this ball feels great.   

 

 

 

Next day

 

Took the 3 balls (New, Prior & Pro V X) out for a course run.  Distance was as expected and feel was great.  This is a really good ball and performs and feels just as I expected it would. The ball on the right is the new version, ball on the left is the prior generation and the middle one is a Pro V1X.  Clear distance leader! LOL.  I was hitting the driver pretty good not sure I could put them all that close again in a hundred tries.  

 

 

 

 

I will continue to update as I get out more with some side by sides.  Please feel free to ask any questions or comment.  Liking this ball and grateful for the testing opportunity.

 

[tj7644]

I have to say, I'm more and more impressed with this ball.   Played in a county "Open" tournament over the weekend using this ball.  I was able to play one ball the entire 18 holes, and I'm attaching the pictures for the wear on the ball.   I played in the senior flight and shot a 73.   My best round of the year.   This ball is a keeper for me.  I love the spin around the greens.   It's not too excessive on full wedge shots and the driver distance is great!   This is my now my ball.

[cwilk]

I took my son to hit on a GC2 this past weekend and learned that he's spinning everything a ton.  He does release a little sooner than me (6 on the Mizuno shaft optimizer vs me at a 3), but not enough to cause a huge increase in spin.  I think it was mostly because he was leaving the face open slightly, but also because he's probably due to be fit again from growing so fast.  This was done indoors on mats - which should lower spin some.  Clubs used were a 2019 PXG 0211 7i (31*) with True Temper Elevate Tour Stiff shaft (117 grams) and a Titleist TS2 10.5 head at D1 (9.75*) with a PX HZRDUS Smoke Black 60 6.5 (61 grams uncut).  We used a new sleeve of 2019 Pro V1x to compare to a new sleeve of the 2021 XV's.  

 

His averages - 7i with the V1x - 107.7 ball speed, 18.8* launch angle, 7547 rpm spin, 145 carry/149 total, 28 yard peak height, 11.1 yards offline

His averages - 7i with the XV  - 109.6 ball speed, 18.4* launch angle, 7019 rpm spin, 149 carry/154 total, 28 yard peak height, 1.5 yards offline

 

 

 

His averages - Driver with V1x - 140.1 ball speed, 13.6* launch angle, 3181 rpm spin, 217 carry/236 total, 27 yard peak height, 18.1 yards offline 

His averages - Driver with XV  -  144.1 ball speed, 10.1* launch angle, 4064 rpm spin, 221 carry/238 total, 29 yard peak height, 14.4 yards offline

 

 

 

So we need to get him in a different driver head for sure.  I don't think the shaft is bad because he generally times it well and hits about the tour average for fairways with it in tournaments (60-70%).  

 

I have difficulty with his clubs because he has longer fingers than me and uses midsize grips, while I use standard.  I also don't get along with his driver shaft so I didn't spend time trying to time/hit it.  I did get numbers with his 7i though.

 

My averages - 7i with V1x - 117.7 ball speed, 22.1* launch, 7228 spin, 160 carry/168 total, 39 yard peak height, 5.9 yards offline

My averages - 7i with XV  - 123.7 ball speed, 22.6* launch, 6889 spin, 169 carry/172 total, 44 yard peak height (WTF), 0.4 yards offline

 

 

 

Those 0211's with Elevate are a moon ball combo for me.  The last time I hit my 965 MB's/X100's at stock lofts on a GC2 my averages are closer to 125 ball speed, 18* launch, 178 carry/total, 35 yard peak height.  

 

Overall, I think the XV spins a few hundred RPM's lower than V1x across the board for both of us.  I know my son had more spin with it off the driver, but I think it was just the swings he happened to put on the driver that day.  He also started chasing fixes after seeing the numbers.  The XV showed slightly higher ball speeds, but I'm sure that had more to do with the spin differences than anything else.  This test is going to cost me a lot of money (LOL), because we will be replacing my sons driver immediately and looking for irons in the near future.  When he finishes his supply of V1x's we will switch over to the XV's for him as well.  At least I'll save some money there in the future compared to sticking with Titleist.  I have a feeling that their Left Dash V1x would be more comparable to the XV's.  

 

Any thoughts, comments, questions, please let me know.  

[bsb70x7]

CWilk, appreciate your updates.  Enjoy those times with your son!  Note, the XV is closer to the ProV1 than the ProV1x since Titleist switched them up 4 years ago.  The ProV1x definitely is the higher spinning ball of the 2.   I would be really interested in the numbers/data between the XV and ProV1 if you can test.  I do not have this capability.

 

Other Testers:  Really enjoying the different perspectives on the Srixons.  Thanks for participating.

 

My update is as follows:  Played 4 rounds now with the XV and had chipping and putting comparisons directly to the ProV1.  I continue to be impressed with the XV.  Below is a summary:

• The XV has better greenside check than the ProV1.  I could hit some nice spinners around the green.  There was a noticeable difference in stopping power.  A plus for the XV.
• The XV does not wear (durability) as good as the ProV1.  I finished all 4 rounds with one ball each round (which made me really happy).  In the 4 rounds, 2 balls had minimal wear.  The other 2 balls showed similar signs to those identified in some earlier pictures.  I find that the ProV1 is much better on this measure.
• I do not experience any distance difference between the XV and ProV1, except that the XV does carry more down wind (which I kind of like).  I am not experiencing the ball being knocked down by the wind as much.  This is probably due to a little more spin.   I have not experienced any difference in putting distance compared to the ProV1 as mentioned in an earlier post.  
• I did not report on workability in my earlier post.  I was able to both flight the ball as desired in the Kansas wind and move it both ways when desired (and sometimes when not desired).  Really hit some pretty knock down draws on command with better than expected stopping power.  The XV is really good in the wind.  Count this a tie with the ProV1.
• On a side note, my wife pointed out that the XV Yellow is a little brighter than the ProV1 Yellow.  I said it was really close.   She told me "I do not know colors" very well.  I told her . . .  never mind. 😉 

Like others, I can see myself gaming this ball.  I will be checking back with additional observations in the future.  

[hammergolf]

First off, thank you to Srixon and to Golfwrx for being selected to test these golf balls. Ok, finally was home long enough to try the new Z Star ball. I played this ball exclusively from about two years starting in 2016. The new ball performs pretty similar as the one I used to play. 
 

Putting

 

Nice softer feel off the putter.
 

Short game

 

Really good feel and spin. It seems like it spins a little more than the older models. Performs really good around the greens

 

Wedges

 

Nice lower trajectory with plenty of spin. Nice durability, and good control. Nothing unexpected or any surprises. The ball just does what it is supposed to do.

 

Irons

 

A little lower trajectory than what I like, but very solid. Does really well in crosswinds. Good stopping power. Spin seems a little less than previous models. 
 

Hybrid and fwy woods

 

Good mid trajectory, and good distance. I would say mid spin, and once again very stable in the wind. In fact I had to adjust my aim in crosswinds. It really does seem to just keep its line. Not sure if the dimple pattern is different, but really performs week here. 
 

Driver

 

Solid here. Good distance and nothing unexpected, but mid launch. May spin a little more than what I’m used to, but pretty close. Once again, very stable flight especially the crosswinds.

 

Conclusion

 

Really solid, good golf ball. Does not have the seam peeling issues that the XV has. Very durable cover, nice softer feel. It just does everything it’s supposed to do. 
 

I’ll include pics on my update after I’ve had more time to test and compare versus other balls.

 

 

[cwilk]

19 hours ago, bsb70x7 said:

CWilk, appreciate your updates.  Enjoy those times with your son!  Note, the XV is closer to the ProV1 than the ProV1x since Titleist switched them up 4 years ago.  The ProV1x definitely is the higher spinning ball of the 2.   I would be really interested in the numbers/data between the XV and ProV1 if you can test.  I do not have this capability.

I don’t know if we will get around to that or not, but I’ll keep it in mind if we get a chance. My son got 4 dozen of the Pro V1x in mid-2020 from the buy 3 get 1 deal and then didn’t play tournaments until winter because of covid restrictions and altered rules, so he still has 2 dozen left... 

 

He was swinging slower then and didn’t see much difference between the Pro V1 and the V1x. Now it looks like it’s time to reevaluate equipment and the ball for him. In the meantime, he’s going to play practice rounds with Srixon Z-Star XV’s to see if the performance differences result in any scoring differences. 

[buckI]

Another 9 in the books with the Z Tar.  Sorry no pictures but was a league so couldn’t take the time.

 

Driver:  solid distance and sound, not sure if quite as long as the Pro V1 but would just be a couple yards

 

Irons: I am seeing a good mid to high flight and distance about the same as my gamer.   I do think slightly less spin on irons which can be an issue as our greens are firm and fast

 

Short game:  really really like the Z Star around the greens   Good spin on the chips and pitches which is a little surprising as the irons have less spin.   This can be good though for distance of irons and solid short game performance.   To me the ball feels like it is more muted so it feels like it stays on the face longer.

 

Putting:  after getting used to the more muted sound and feel I am really liking it.   Feels like you can hit putts a little more aggressive.

 

So far I would be happy to game the Z Star.   I do want to try balls from the other sleeves to make sure durability is the same.

[Landy]

Hello - Has anyone put the ZXV's up against the Tour BX and/or RX?

Thank you and stay safe!

[tj7644]

Another post and update...   Again, I've found the ball to be great off the tee.  Distance and spin are great.   Approach shots with full and partial wedges have hop and stop spin.   They don't spin back for me, which is a plus.   I can't control my spin as well as I'd like and softer, spin balls tend to suck back too much for my liking.   The Srixon Z Star XV does not.   It simply hits and maybe comes back 1 ft to 18 inches for me.   I love that.   The biggest drawback is what everyone seems to mention, the durability of the cover.   I just played and within 5 holes this is what the cover looked like.  I am using a Callaway MD4 wedge and it seems to chew up the cover more than I'd like.  I really like everything else about this ball, but the durability of the cover seems to be lacking.

[tj7644]

On 5/25/2021 at 2:17 PM, Landy said:

Hello - Has anyone put the ZXV's up against the Tour BX and/or RX?

Thank you and stay safe!

Yes.   I played it side by side with the Tour B RX.   I found the distance of the Srixon to be slightly better.  Distance on irons shots were similar.  The spin on approach shots for me was better with better control with the XV.  However, I preferred the feel and the durability of the RX cover.   It seemed softer on putts and chips around the green.   So to me, if distance was critical, and you wanted hop and stop spin on full short irons, I'd take the XV.   If you prefer the softer feel on and around the green, and a more durable cover, take the RX.   Just my opinion...

Edited May 26, 2021 by tj7644

[Landy]

6 minutes ago, tj7644 said:

Yes.   I played it side by side with the Tour B RX.   I found the distance of the Srixon to be slightly better.  Distance on irons shots were similar.  The spin on approach shots for me was better with better control with the XV.  However, I preferred the feel and the durability of the RX cover.   It seemed softer on putts and chips around the green.   So to me, if distance was critical, and you wanted hop and stop spin on full short irons, I'd take the XV.   If you prefer the softer feel on and around the green, and a more durable cover, take the RX.   Just my opinion...

Excellent feedback. Looking for distance and one hop.  Dont worried about the durability.

Thank you and stay safe

[buckI]

Played yesterday and continue to be impressed.    Will post some pics of the ball after the round later today.

 

Distance and spin on par with other premium balls.    Great feel and sound off all clubs especially around the green.    As noted earlier I am noticing a more muted sound off the putter so feels like I need to be more aggressive.

 

I could game the Z Star on a regular basis at this point.

[buckI]

Played the Z Star again today and performance was really good but started to show the seam durability issue others have stated.   Will be posting pics for it but the ball was played less than 18 holes.  

[bsb70x7]

Still impressed with the Srixon XV.   8 rounds into my testing.  I am considering gaming the ball going forward.  The durability is a limited concern, but all around performance has been great.   Not all balls have suffered cosmetic damage, only 3 of the 9 balls I have played have had any real issue.  I had to replace one ball in play due to a crease.  I really like it around the greens -- this was the biggest surprise.

 

Thanks again GolfWRX and Srixon for the nod for testing.  I has been fun and eye opening.  

 

     

[buckI]

Played another round and still impressed with the ball in all aspects except durability.   Here are a couple pictures of the ball and you can see the wear and tear especially on the seam.    The balls were played less than 18 holes and I typically do not damage a ball much being a lower spin player unless in a trap.

[cwilk]

I realized I still had a few of these test balls in the bottom of my bag.  I grabbed one out for a few holes that was new and it looked really rough after just a few holes.  I haven't seen an obvious performance issue from the cover wear, but it's still a concern.  I have no issue playing them, but wouldn't pay full price for these.  I'd go for the BOGO type offers Srixon does from time to time, or go with prior year models that I can usually find for $25/dozen.  

[buckI]

Completely agree with this.    I do like the whiteness of the ball and performance is really good but definitely not as durable as I continue to play the test balls.    I would be very curious to see if durability is the same for balls made in the Japan plant or is it related to the thin cover.