Golf equipment: Readers give feedback on Srixon Z-Star balls
By NCG
Feel
“It feels great with the driver and putter, but really excels when chipping – it might sound strange, but the ball is both light and solid at the same time. I have already switched from the Pro V1 and bought another dozen of these balls.” Glenn Yuill
“Lovely soft feel with good spin control.” Mark Caldwell
“Very responsive around the greens. The Z-Star landed nice and soft and did not spin too much on landing. Good consistency and flight from 100-120 yards.” Justin Quint
“I prefer the feel of current Z-Star, which is my second ball and often used in the winter. It’s not bad but feels too hard to me.” Ian Williams
“Good feel off this new ball, less of a ‘click’ off the putter and softer chips than with the old Z-Star ball. Very nice round the greens, however the ball doesn’t check in quite the same way as the V1.”
Kent Nicholson
“When holding the Srixon you’d think it would be harder/firmer, but around the greens I found it great; plenty of check spin and lots of feedback.” Dave Morris
“Lovely soft feel and sound. Lovely feel when chipping. Confident to hit crisply and get stop.” Willie Wilson
“Feels harder than last version, but didn’t feel like you were gaining anything from this firmness. When chipping/pitching, it’s firmer off the face with less spin. If anything, took an extra hop before stopping.” Clay Turvey
“I really liked the characteristics of Z-Star for the short game. Nice solid feel and consistent spin. I didn’t think the spin rate was as high as the Pro V1 but it felt more consistent to me. With wedges it would stop pretty quickly but with just the right amount of run out. The Pro V1 spins more for me but is difficult to get it to travel a consistent distance.” Ian O’Connor
Distance
“Exceptional – it increased my driving distance by 10 to 15 yards.” Geoff Miller
“Didn’t lose out at all when comparing to the Bridgestone I have been using or the Pro V1s used in the past. Good carry and control.” Justin Quint
“There was no loss of distance against the Pro V1x. It had a slightly higher launch, so in windier conditions I lost a little. I was able to shape the ball if required and was up there on distance with the other leading brands.” Gary Owen
“Very good. I gained a few extra yards on all well-struck shots.” Mark Caldwell
“The ball flies straight with no lack of distance.” William Dyker
“Distance was comparable with other top of range balls. It tends to fly higher on average, but holds its line well.” David Blunsden
“Distance was good, comfortably on a par with the Pro V1.” Dave Morris
“This ball is as long for me as anything else on the market – with the driver, you get a solid feel and a satisfying sound.” Clay Turvey
“Distance was good, about the same as current ball. It seems to fly slightly higher but great carry and no loss of distance.” Willie Wilson
“In terms of distance, slightly longer than the Pro V1x.” James McMurdo
“Driver distance is good. Slightly better than the Pro V1. Carry was about the same but the Z Star seemed to run fractionally further, giving a slight overall gain in distance. The strange thing was it seemed to fly a little higher than the Pro V1 too.” Ian O’Connor
“Very good off the putter with a true roll. The sound off the putter face is excellent and gives the impression of a soft ball.” – Kent Nicholson
Putting
“It may sound simple but it was easy to line up on the green for putting as well due to the markings printed on the ball.” Gary Owen
“Buttery soft using my Scotty Cameron putter.” Mark Caldwell
“I did not like it on the putter, it felt too soft and I was often short of the hole.” William Dyker
“Feels soft off putter face, design allows lining up of ball to target which I use on short putts.”
David Blunsden
“With the putter, it stays nicely on the face.” Ian Williams
“Very good off the putter with a true roll. The sound off the putter face is excellent and gives the impression of a soft ball.” Kent Nicholson
“I liked the feel off the putter. Consistency and distance control was better than the Pro V1. I holed more putts with it as a result. Great!” Ian O’Connor
Durability
“A slightly firmer feel than what I am used to, but it still had the right level of desired spin for control. A good thing to point out is that it didn’t cut up during the round. Very durable.” Gary Owen
“I played 36 holes with one and it still looks almost new. Best durabilty I’ve seen from a ball and stays nice and white.” Barry Keenan
“I was most impressed as the ball is very similar to the Titleist and seems to remain whiter for longer.” Ian Perkins
Converted to Z-Star?
“The ball was as good as the Pro V1 and it is difficult to tell the difference!” Gerald Smith
“If I had to find an alternative to the Pro V1x then the Z-Star would be it.” Gary Owen
“The Z-Star will be my ball of choice for the coming season without doubt. A fantastic new offering. A great-feeling ball with nice flight and super feel on all shots. I would recommend anyone to try this ball regardless of handicap.” Mark Caldwell
“I would use it again. A real nice ball and I could not really find fault with it. Very good control and trajectory with both irons and driver, which gave me good consistency with most shots. I haven’t got a bad word to say about this ball as it performed really well, especially in blustery conditions.” Justin Quint
“Yes, excellent performance and more durable, better value than the competition. I will now be teeing this up on all but the windiest days.” David Blunsden
“I have actually moved over to the Z-Star. It has actually been an eye-opener. I was someone who had always used Titleist since the balata days, so it has been a good learning curve. I must admit I was dubious of the ball when I took it out of the packet, as it seemed to feel firmer than a Pro V1, but after chipping with it – it came as quite a shock to find it spun well and felt good off the club. I guess it is a lot between the ears as to how you feel, but this was quite eye opening. An excellent ball.” Dave Morris
“A great ball. I have tried other balls to help my increasing years but have always gone back to the Pro V1 until now. I would be happy to stick with the Z-Star.” Willie Wilson
“Great feeling ball on all clubs. Would happily put it in play but there isn’t enough difference between current ball to justify switching.” Matt Palmer
“I really liked the Z Star and will definitely consider it as an alternative to the Pro V1. In the past I have never really considered any other ball but the Z Star is a real competitor. I felt it was better in the short game and in particular with putting. It opened my eyes to a viable alternative to my regular ball.” Ian O’Connor
“As expected this is a great ball. I have been using Z-Stars for the past year and I will definitely not be moving away. I will be using a brand new one tomorrow in the medal without a doubt!” Barry Keenan
“This new version of Z-Star is the best ball I have used. I had tried the previous Z-Star, but for me it did not perform as well as the Pro V1 in either feel, distance or durability, but this new one improves in every area.” Glenn Yuill
