Gear: Srixon Z-Star, Z-Star XV, Z-Star Diamond golf balls
Price: $47.95 per dozen
Specs: Three-piece construction with a large core, casing layer and urethane cover. Colors: pure white or yellow for the Z-Star and Z-Star XV; pure white only for the Z-Star Diamond
Available: Feb. 15 for the Z-Star; April 14 for Z-Star Divide and Z-Star XV
Who They’re For: Golfers who want tour-level spin around the greens and distance with a choice of firmness off the tee.
The Skinny: For 2023, Srixon has updated its premium golf balls by giving them new cores and improving the spin- and friction-generating coating that is allied to the urethane covers. The Z-Star feels the softest, the Z-Star XV is the firmest and the Z-Star Diamond fits between them.
The Deep Dive: Srixon has released the eighth generation of its premium golf ball family, the Z-Star line, and instead of making radical changes, the Japanese company opted to make refinements to the three-ball stable.
Each of the three balls has a unique FastLayer DG Core that is soft in the center but grows progressively firmer toward the perimeter. Srixon said the standard Z-Star has the softest mid-layer and lowest overall compression, providing the softest feel at impact. In contrast, the Z-Star XV ball has a soft core that is drastically firmer around its outer area for more distance and long-iron spin. The Z-Star Diamond was made to fit between the standard Z-Star and the XV ball, and it has a firmer feel and higher compression than the Z-Star but will feel softer than the Z-Star XV.
All three Z-Star balls have a 338-dimple pattern on their cast urethane covers to increase stability in the wind and improve aerodynamics.
For 2023, Srixon has improved the Spin Skin coating applied to the cover, referring to it now as Spin Skin+. The coating increases the level of friction created when an iron or wedge hits the ball on greenside shots to boost the level of spin and enhance control on chips, pitches and bunker shots.
In mid-April, Srixon plans to bring a Divide version of the Z-Star and Z-Star XV ball to retailers. Split into a white half and a yellow half, the Divide editions make it easier to track the ball in the air and create a visual alignment aid on the greens. If players line up the seam between the two colors when they putt, a wobbly roll can also reveal when a golfer has cut across the ball on the stroke instead of hitting it squarely, which can help players hone their putting stroke.
As with the other Divide-edition Srixon balls, the Z-Star Divide and Z-Star XV Divide conform to the USGA and R&A’s Rules of Golf and are legal for play.
