With the Pro V1 garnering a lot of attention for its 25th anniversary, the success of that ball continues to shine a light on other similar premium balls that offer the best of both worlds—impressive distance off the tee and spin around the greens. That’s exactly what Srixon’s latest version of the Z-STAR provides, with a new urethane cover with Spin Skin+ coating to increase spin on short shots around the green.
“Finding the right balance is always a challenge, but we’re fortunate to have a solid foundation that lets us focus on key refinements with each new generation rather than making major changes,” says Srixon Product Manager Jake Donohue. “It all starts with our core, which we see as the engine of the ball. Our dual gradient core works like having multiple cores within the ball, maximizing both distance and control. In this generation, we made some key changes to the core design. For both the Z-STAR and Z-STAR DIAMOND, we softened the center of the core to reduce spin off the tee, helping to generate more distance. For the Z-STAR XV, we increased the hardness between the core’s center and outer layers to enhance spin with irons.”
Key Technologies
Spin Skin+ Coating
A thin layer of urethane, the coating increases friction of the cover for more spin around the green, as well as increasing the ball’s durability. “Our primary focus with the cover was to increase greenside spin, driven by feedback from our tour players,” said Donohue. “To accomplish this, we redesigned the cover using a new raw material, which allowed us to boost greenside spin across all three models. On top of that, the soft urethane cover with Spin Skin technology gives the ball crucial stopping power around the greens. It’s the combination of these features that allows the Z-STAR Series to perform so well on the course.”
New core
The Z-STAR uses a FastLayer DG Core 2.0, which is created through three distinct formulas, starting soft at the center and gradually firming from the inside out. This design ensures optimum spin and distance upon impact. This development also enables optimal core evolution for each model, providing even more distinction between the ball options—the Z-Star, the XV, and the Diamond.
Divide aesthetics
Srixon’s Divide colour, which essentially splits to ball, offers unmatched visibility, the company says, without impacting any playing characteristics. Changes in colours have been a big lure for many golfers, Donohue says. “A big trend in the golf ball industry is better players gravitating toward alignment line models,” Donohue says. “We first introduced DIVIDE in our Q-STAR Series, unsure if it would appeal to Z-STAR players or be too polarizing, However, research and feedback have shown strong interest from better players. Current users love how easy it is to line up their putts and how it provides clear spin feedback on short game shots.”
Which one is for me?
Z-STAR
Offering minimal driver spin and soft feel and enhanced greenside spin, this is the Srixon Z-STAR that will appeal to the broadest range of players.
Z-STAR XV
With more firmness added to the core, this version offers greater distance and improved iron spin.
Z-STAR ◆ DIAMOND
With its slightly firmer core and reduced compression, the DIAMOND minimizes driver spin, and offers exceptional distance off the tee while maintaining greenside spin.