The Srixon Z-Star XV golf ball has and continues to be popular among its tour players because of the way it combines competitive driver distance with high levels of short game spin, a blend of attributes the world’s best players like Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama demand. Now into its ninth generation, Srixon claims to have refined these properties in the latest iteration to broaden its appeal even further.
If you’re seeking a full rundown of the tech enhancements found on and inside this ball, head over to my Srixon Z-Star ball review for all the details on the new biomass urethane cover, spin skin+ coating and the Fast Layer DG Core 2.0. The Z-Star XV specifically features added firmness partway through the core to boost ball speed for greater distance and improved iron spin. To validate these claims, I hit drives, mid-iron shots and 50-yard pitch shots indoors on a Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor at Peterborough Milton golf club before taking them to the course and putting them in play over multiple rounds.
The feel of this ball is one of the main points of difference within the Z-Star range. It’s one of the firmer feeling balls I’ve tried within the premium golf ball category, arguably tiptoeing on what you might expect from some of the best distance balls because of the noticeable ‘click’ sound at impact on even the shortest chip shots. But what this ball provides that distance balls don’t is that reaction on the greens where chip shots take two hops and then stand to attention. Rest assured, you can be very aggressive on your landing spots around the green with the Z-Star XV as the spin provided by the cover is consistently high.
But the other big point of difference this ball provided was from the tee, specifically the ball speed on offer. This was one of the fastest balls I’ve tested with the driver, and combined with mid-to-low spin meant it was equal to the new Z-Star Diamond ball in terms of carry distance output but on a slightly higher flight.
It also flew far and noticeably higher with a mid-iron in hand and also came down steeper, which meant the stopping power was excellent for a ball that has such a firm feel (remember that a soft or hard feel has little correlation to spin). Control into and around the greens with wedges also impressed - while some of its rivals may spin a little more on certain shots, there’s ample control here for golfers that want to see their ball react and stop sharply.
It’s a tough call as to whether I’d put this ball in play over the impressive Z-Star Diamond. As a Pro V1x ball user, I quite like the firm and clicky feel and higher long game flight as well as how stable and boring it was. It’s player dependent of course but the Z-Star Diamond edges it for me because of the added short game spin but it was a close call - I think many golfers will get more total yardage out of the XV, which is why I imagine many tour players gravitate towards it.
Performance wise for me, there was a lot of crossover, but feel comes down to personal preference and the Z-Star XV is in a different world in terms of the sensation off the clubface. Firm, fast and grippy - if you put it in play I’m confident it won’t disappoint.
