The Srixon Z-Star Golf Ball 2023 is the softer, higher spinning version of the latest Z-Star range. Aimed at players who have a driver swing speed of 90mph or more, the Z-Star has a mid-launch flight which is a little lower than the Z-Star XV and Z-Star Diamond.
(Image credit: MHopley)
With the best premium golf balls it is all about the cover and the urethane cover gives excellent control around the green. In the 2023 Z-Star it has been given a new Spin Skin+ coating that apparently digs deeper into the grooves of your irons and wedges for better control. This seemed to do very well, but the cover did not seem as durable as other premium balls on the market over the course of a couple of rounds.
The cover and the 338 dimple pattern aim to make the Z-Star as slippery through the air as possible and this is what keeps it straighter in the wind. Certainly in this respect it was very good as I have played with it in some high winds and the flight and control was there.
(Image credit: MHopley)
The core is made from a reformulated FastLayer DG Core that is softer in the middle and then gradually gets firmer as you approach the second layer of this three-piece ball. The Z-Star has a compression of 92 making it 10 points softer than the XV and Diamond and aims to combine the soft core you need for spin with the firm core you need for distance. The Z-Star feels softer than the other two, but I would characterize it as mid-firm and there is enough about it to give you enough sound feedback with your short game.
(Image credit: MHopley)
In testing the Srixon golf balls using Trackman at SGGT (opens in new tab) studios against the other models, the Z-Star was creating fractionally lower spin with the 7-iron and gaining a couple of yards as a result. With the driver the lower compression at a higher swing speed of 100mph resulted in a few yards less carry.
(Image credit: MHopley)
(Image credit: MHopley)
Therefore this is your trade off and it comes down to the feeling that you prefer on and around the green, as the Srixon Z-Star 2023 is ideal for mid to high swing speed players who prefer a softer feeling ball with more control around the greens .
It comes in Pure White, Tour Yellow or if you can’t make up your mind you can also get it in 50/50 of both colors with the Z-Star Divide Golf Ball which also works well as a training aid.