Srixon Z-Star XV Golf Ball Review
With Major winner Hideki Matsuyama using the Srixon Z-Star XV golf ball to win The Masters in 2021, along with other high-profile players like Cameron Champ and 2019 Open Championship winner Shane Lowry putting the model into play, the Z-Star XV has been thrust into the limelight more of late.
The brand has continued the XV evolution with the 7th generation golf ball, chief among which is the new construction. The four-piece design now features a reformulated FastLayer inner core to aid ball speed and distance, and it also has a slightly thicker 0.6mm cover for enhanced spin and control around the greens. But how tangible are these improvements? We put the ball to the test to find out.
With the driver, despite playing in windy conditions, the XV seemed to penetrate the wind nicely with minimal disruption and distance was no issue. The ball felt compact and powerful at impact, and in terms of flight it didn’t balloon as a result of excessive spin.
This could be attributed to the 338 Speed Dimple Pattern, which improves aerodynamics and flight performance. In the new XV, the dimples have been made a touch deeper than previous models. Srixon claims this helps in the wind because it creates a slightly lower ball-flight. Our testing seemed to verify this.
Around the greens it was clear the ball produced a lot of spin as most premium golf balls do. Properly struck pitch shots, chips, and bunker shots produced significant purchase, which helps with confidence and properly committing to the shot. Clearly the Spin Skin Technology, which helps the ball dig into grooves, is doing its job here. Additionally, despite this technology, over several rounds the balls seemed durable and cut resistant, too. We didn't notice much scuffing at all, which is always pleasing.
For us, the only significant drawback would be that slower swing speed players might not reap the maximum benefits of the Z-Star XV, and these players may be best suited to a different model, such as the Srixon UltiSoft or Srixon Q-Star.
However, if you are looking for one of the best golf balls on the market that suits your swing speed and skill level, the XV could well be the model to go for.
In comparison to other premium golf balls such as the Titleist Pro V1, the XV produces similar performance but a dozen balls comes at a slightly lower price point. This makes the XV a very appealing option indeed.
