MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of the golf balls on the market to help you find the best ball for your money. Today, we’re taking a look at the Srixon Z-Star. An overview of the equipment we use can be found here. To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.
I hadn’t expected to be circling back around to Srixon so quickly after the Q-Star Tour review but given those findings, many of you were intensely curious about what we’d find with Srixon’s true Tour offerings.
In an informal poll posted on Twitter last week, Z-Star was the overwhelming choice for the next review. No recount necessary. So here we are.
Will the Z-Star positively differentiate itself from the Q-Star Tour? Is there a redemption story to be had with the Srixon Z-Star?
Let’s find out.
About the Srixon Z-Star
The Srixon Z-Star is a three-piece urethane “Tour” (i.e., PGA TOUR) offering. It is played on the PGA TOUR with some regularity.
Data collected during MyGolfSpy’s 2019 Ball Test suggests the Srixon Z-Star is a mid-launch, mid-spin ball. While the retail price is $39.99 at the time of this writing, the Z-Star is currently available on a “buy two, get one free” special.
All of the balls in our Z-Star sample were manufactured at Srixon’s factory in Japan. This is notable because the Q-Star Tours we tested were made at the company’s plant in Indonesia. Whether there’s a quality difference between factories is something we’ll be looking at as we continue to test Srixon balls.
Srixon Z-Star – Compression
On our gauge, the average compression of the Srixon Z-Star is 88. Across the market as a whole, that qualifies as firm, though it’s fair to describe Z-Star as soft by Tour standards. You can think of it as splitting the difference between the Bridgestone Tour B XS (likely the softest ball played on Tour) and the Titleist Pro V1.
Srixon Z-Star – Weight and Diameter
- None of the balls in the sample failed to meet our standard for roundness.
- None of the balls tested exceeded the USGA weight limit of 1.620 ounces.
That’s certainly an improvement.
We found no notable issues with weight, size or roundness, though I’d be remiss not to mention that Srixon Z-Star runs both a tad big and a tad light for the Tour category. There’s potentially a small speed penalty in that.
Srixon Z-Star – Inspection
Centeredness and Concentricity
As with the Q-Star Tour, rating the guts of the Srixon Z-Star poses a little bit of a challenge. The mantle is often indistinguishable from Srixon’s super-thin covers. That makes problems with cover thickness more difficult to spot and also makes centeredness and concentricity issues a bit easier to identify.
It also makes some people think we don’t know what we’re talking about when we say it’s a three-piece ball.
During the visual inspection, we flagged six percent of our sample as bad. As with Q-Star Tour, the issue was predominantly the thickness of the mantle layer. Zero percent is ideal but, frankly, six percent isn’t bad at all.
Minor defects (again, small layer concentricity issues) unlikely to cause performance issues were noted in just a bit more than a quarter of the sample.
Core color consistency was generally excellent. We again found visible bits of regrind, which is typically not cause for concern.
Cover
The covers of the Srixon Z-Star balls in our sample were generally clean and free from defect.
General Observations
As noted previously, Srixon makes the thinnest cover in golf and while some of its competitors will say there is a point of diminishing returns, lack of greenside spin should not be a concern.
Z-Star Consistency
In this section, we detail the consistency of the Srixon Z-Star. It’s a measure of how similar the balls in our sample were to one another, relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.
Weight Consistency
- Consistency (of weight) across the Srixon Z-Star is average.
- Weight variation between the heaviest and lightest ball in the sample was minimal.
Diameter Consistency
- Diameter consistency relative to the other balls in our database is average (approaching high-average).
- Not only was every ball in the sample round, the average diameter from one ball to the next is reasonably consistent with nothing standing out as unusually large or unusually small relative to the sample as a whole.
Compression Consistency
Given the issues we found with Q-Star Tour, average consistency is plenty good enough here.
With an average delta of 2.32 compression points, the In-ball Compression Range (ICBR) trends a bit towards the high side. As a reminder, the ICBR represents the delta between the three points we measure for compression (two on the seam and one on the pole) on each ball.
As it was with the Q-Star Tour, the average compression across all the balls in our Z-Star sample is a bit better than average. When everything comes together, it’s a ball that falls in the average range for compression consistency.
True Price
True Price is how we quantify the quality of a golf ball. It's a projection of what you'd have to spend to ensure you get 12 good balls.
The True Price will always be equal to or greater than the retail price. The greater the difference between the retail price and the True Price, the more you should be concerned about the quality of the ball.
Srixon Z-Star – Summary Report
To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.
The Good
The Srixon Z-Star is a significant step-up in quality and consistency from the Q-Star Tour and is generally what we would describe as a good ball.
The Bad
With a couple of bad balls in the mix, the Z-Star isn’t perfect and the IBCR remains a bit of a concern.
True Price
The True Price of Srixon Z-Star is $42.39. That represents a six-percent increase over MSRP. Under normal circumstances, that’s a solid result but with Srixon currently running a “buy two, get one free” special, there’s outstanding bang for the buck to be had right now.
Ball Lab Top Performers
Want to know which balls have performed best in Ball Lab testing so far?
Check out:
ML McDowell
2 months agoWonder why your samples are Japan, when Amazon just sent me z star and z star IV made in Indonesia.
ML McDowell
2 months agoJust received, from Amazon, my Z star tour yellow MADE IN INDONESIA. worst balls I’ve ever seen. You can actually see the seams jagged line on some,. cover defects on others. They are going back. I have a dozen Z star IV coming later. I hope they are not made in Indonesia, but if they are, their going back as well.
Kelin
3 months agoBeen playing Z-stars for about a year now and I have been very impressed. Excellent spin around the greens, plenty of distance off the tee compared to other brands and consistent throughout. Play at a 0-1 handicap and can get everything I want out of this ball. For the price , there really isn’t a better bang for your buck, not that everyone is looking for that. I look for the best ball that will give me optimal performance and this ball does that, all while being 15-20 bucks cheaper than competitors. No brainer if you ask me.
Michael
5 months agoAll of the Srixons (more than 10 dozen for me and my son) I’ve purchased at Golf Galaxy/Dick’s Sporting Goods over the last couple of years have been made in Indonesia. Which makes me wonder if some of the “Big Box” and/or retail channels are getting balls made in Indonesia, while the green grass shops are getting balls made in Japan. I can see a retailer justifying this as a business decision…buying millions of golf balls at even larger discounts so they can sell them at higher margins.
That being said, I’ve seen zero quality issues with their balls. From my own experience (former college player / played in numerous national and regional amateur events), I think the Z-Star is the straightest flying “Tour” quality ball on the market. I sometimes hit shots that I think are going to draw or fade too much, and they seem to straighten out. My own personal on-course testing has them about 2-3 yards shorter than the Pro V1-X with the driver. Best value on the market when you do their Buy 2 Get 1, with no sacrifices in performance.
Miguel
5 months agoI just got the Z-STAR XV Three for Two deal. I was at a PGA Tour Superstore and checked all boxes on their shelves for the JAPAN manufacturing. None to be found. I still bought three dozen and hopefully they will play well. Any word on how the Japanese manufacturing boxes get distributed? Is ordering from Srixon directly a better way to do it?
SaladDodger
5 months agoI have played the Z Star in the UK and for the sale price above it looks to be a bargain, almost wherever it is made. So long as you balance them A ball that has a similar feel is the Decathlon Inesis Tour 900 (new ones are £22 per dozen).
Tony, will you test the latest version of the Inesis Tour 900, as it would be of interest to me and other users of the ball in the UK and France?
Juanma
3 months agoSpanish users too! I tested some inesis tour 900 and liked the feeling a lot.
HP
5 months agoWhile the ball labs are a good test of quality that are an indicator of performance they are nowhere near as useful as the performance ball tests that MGS did last year. The Shot Area results told me pretty much all I needed to know about ball consistency.
Drew
5 months agoWhere did you guys purchase your Z-Stars from for the test? I bought some Z-Stars last year with a promotion and they are made in Indonesia. Would just like to have the best chances of ordering a dozen from a place that gets theirs from the plant in Japan. Appreciate all your guys’ research!
bob
5 months agoI have two boxes of Z Stars I bought last year and it says they are manufactured in Haiti. Can you do a ball test if I send you a sleeve to test how the Haitian Srixons will perform?
Walter
5 months agoTony, With all the tests you do for each ball, why don’t you include a balance test by using something like the “Check Go” Pro, or the salt water test. I’ve used these tests and it sure weeds out the poorly balanced balls in a hurry. Actually I prefer the salt water test better.
Brandon
5 months agoHow would this compare to the Z-Star XV?
Bill Giering
5 months agoHss anyone ever compared used golf balls to new balls?
How about if a ball is cold or hot,?
Thanks, Bill
ST
5 months agoWould love to have you fit golf balls to players and publish the data. Sure you can find out the characteristics of a ball based on robot but having 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, and 15 plus HCP testing balls with driver, irons, wedges, chips, and putts, would be spectacular.
Jeremiah
5 months agoSo im confused, These were manufactured in Japan, I have 8 dozen of the 5 series z stars and 2 dozen of the new 6 series z stars, also have some Q Star tours, they are ALL made in Indonesia, except a sleeve of Kelly Green Q Star Tours that say made in Japan. I have gotten these at various places, golf course, golf headquarters, tgw, and Amazon, so is there any way to test Japan q star tours and Indonesia Z stars because im stressing out, is it the plant or what, I think highly of your test, and look forward to the podcast, thank you from Kansas.
Joe
5 months agoI have the same question as above, my four dozen z stars are from Indonesia.
Lindsay E
5 months agoWhy in the world do you have TEN DOZEN golf balls? Also, you probably have 50 dozen used ones? Maybe you need lessons so that 2 or 3 dozen get you through the golf season?
Jeremiah
5 months agoWell sir to answer your question as to why I have 10 dozen balls, when I can get them on sale for around $20-$22, a dozen I will at that price, never paid more than that for z stars, and I put 4 dozen in a den caddy bag that I take to practice my chipping and putting with, practice with the ball you play with right! I kept the boxes, that’s how I know where they were made, thank you and have a good day
Lou
5 months agoThanks for your reviews. Most of these balls you’ve tested are being replaced by new models next year. I know Titleist has new Pro V’s., TaylorMade new TP5’s, Srixon new Star V’s. How about testing a TaylorMade Tour Response? Seems like a good ball. I’ve played it and like it. Fits my game and budget. It was new this year so won’t be replaced next year. Thanks.
Michael Lambert
5 months agoTony, you may be the “loneliest man in golf” at golf merchandise shows after bringing actual testing to the golf ball industry! (“Psst.. He’s the guy who killed the OblongGolfBallCo!!”) Quality variances between plant locations are a fact of life for manufacturers. In the auto business, some plant closings were as much about persistent quality problems as anything else.
TheDokes
5 months agoI played the Z-star throughout the summer. Found it sufficiently long off the tee, but almost one club shorter from 155 yds in – too much spin I guess. The ball stopped on a dime on the green and has an adequate feel in putting. Unlike the Q-Star I found no quirkiness in ball flight – it stayed on the path I delivered (good or bad.) I’m a seventy old year, 230 off the tee, & an 11 handicapper. All in all, not a bad ball, but I’ll likely change to Snell for the upcoming season.
Michael
5 months agoIf too much spin, which resulted in lack of distance, inside 155 yards was your concern, I suspect you’ll find that the Snell MTB-X will perform even worse for you. It spins quite a bit more than the Z-Star. In my opinion, the Z-Star is on the lower end of the spin spectrum for golf balls actually used by professional golfers, but only by a small percentage.
Randy R
5 months agoI was happy and surprised to see the review of the Z-Star. Honestly, with all the different brands of golf balls out there I didn’t think you’d get back to this brand. However, I was disappointed when I read that the version you tested were from Japan. I bought 4 dozen last Father’s Day and they were all made in Indonesia. I still wonder if there is a quality control issue with Srixon in Indonesia.
Walter
5 months agoHey Tony, thanks again for the the great review. I too am interested in seeing if the two factories produce different results. As well I’m also interested in the XV test.
Are you going to do a spreadsheet to summarize all these ball tests at the end?
Dave
5 months agoYes…I too would like to see a summary spread sheet..would be very helpful
Steven M.
5 months agoAlthough I really appreciate your testing and reviews, I believe you should note the “Tour” ball played by the professionals IS NOT the same off the shelf “Tour” ball in your retail centers. The QA from the manufacture guarantees a prefect ball to the professional player. These balls even go through an MRI scan!
Steven
5 months agoI know this is about the Z-star but I would like to update my experience with Srixon and the Q-star pro. They replaced my 4 dozen and I’ve tested 2dozen for balance and I may have 3 balls that are fine. They all are from Indonesia. I think I’ll start looking for a different ball/ manufacturer for next year.I didn’t like the z-star
Tim
5 months agoThanks for getting to this one so quickly, I currently play the Z Star XV ball, I’ve been getting the 2019 model off Amazon for $24.99/dozen so it’s a bargain for a tour quality ball.
I did recently pick up a box of the Gen 6 model and I noticed some cracking on the cover after 5 or 6 holes of play.
Garen Eggleston
5 months agoJust pulled the trigger on the buy 2 get 1
James W
5 months agoI’ve played Z Stars for about five years. Usually they have a two for one promotion in May or June. This year I paid $21 dozen after the discount. This is the best ball for the best price deal you will find. .
Shawn
5 months agoSo Im a bit confused.. I can only assume that the yellow specs are how they are saying 3 pcs ball. I am so used to seeing more layers. Am I right about this?
Tap In
5 months agoIf you look at the bottom portion of the cut ball picture you can see the layers more clearly. The cover is super thin and then the mantle layer is also white so it is hard to see where one ends and the other begins. So those two plus the core makes 3-pieces.
Paulo
5 months agoAlways amazed by the standard of golf the golfwrx readers achieve to the point they can tell which country a ball is made in by the way it performs.. here are some pretty hard facts to swallow. In 99.9% of cases your inconsistency in your game outweighs any defects and almost certainly the country the ball is made makes no difference to you.
Michael Lambert
5 months agoAbsolutely – however, knowing my swing varies doesn’t mean variances in the ball are irrelevant. I am trying to reduce that variance, and knowing my ball will be consistent means I know the variances belong to me, not the ball. Incidentally, I play “everyday (aka Kirkland)” balls most rounds, but when I am really focused on my game (wagering) default to ProVIs, knowing they are the most consistent balls available.
Paulo
5 months agoYou telling yourself that is only harming your game.
HP
5 months agoSwitched to Z Star with the new 2019 version and works great for me. Have both made in Japan and Indonesia and don’t notice a difference. Have a couple dozen left and with winter coming think I will wait to see if new version for 2021 before buying more. Hopefully if new in 2021 it will be BOGO or 3 for 2
Marco
5 months agoTest the AVX
Paulo
5 months agoHi Marco , we will do it soon
Dave Bryce
5 months agoVery good ball, one of the best value balls for good golfers (70s/ 80s)!!
Bob
5 months agoHey! Tony,
Having heard about range balls being used in play . Several country clubs chastising members on non range use.
Would it be possible to do a test on range balls ? . To determine the best one.
Andy
5 months agoI had really hoped for the Z-Star balls tested are made in Indonesia., it would also be great have you guys discuss the Q-Star desaster at your weekly NPG.
Otherwise, thank you Tony for your great work!
Andy
5 months agoI had really hoped for the Z-Star balls tested are made in Indonesia., it would also be great have you guys discuss the Q-Star desaster at your weekly NPG.
Otherwise, thank you Tony for your great work!
Large chris
5 months agoI used to play Z Star a lot five years and more ago, really liked it.
Picked up some 2019 balls on close out and… pretty disappointed, not what I remember. Seemed firmer, with less spin and feel green side.
I wouldn’t say I was particularly fussy at all, I can swap in Bridgestone for Titleist easily, and Wilson FG when available,
Z star doesn’t seem to be what it was sadly,
CampagnoloBob
5 months agoThis Ball Lab review confirms a suspicion I had from the Q Star Tour Ball Lab results- only buy Srixon balls manufactured in Japan. I plan to take advantage of the Srixon Z-Star promotion and while I hate to go out to a retailer (most are over an hour drive away), I will in order to verify the country of manufacture. It is also apparent that Srixon will be launching a new tour quality version of their balls in the near future (given the promotional price of the current Z-Star Gen-6 version).
SImms
5 months agoIt is very clear WHERE the balls are made does make a difference for the hard core low handicap player. Just reading how some of the smaller ball brands move from one manufacture to another shows even they find quality issues with some manufacture’s. as some have noted many of us have bought Z-Star models with different home addresses…It has to cost less to make a ball in Indonesia, China, Korea then one made in Japan. and odds are the ball made in Japan gets premium quality control.
Stevegp
5 months agoTony, thank you again for your efforts in bringing us these golf ball quality-of-manufacture reports. I play both the Z-Star and the XV model balls, so I appreciate reading your findings.
Over the last few years, I have stocked up on Srixon close-out and two-for-one sales. I still have a few dozen from previous years. I just quickly looked at where they were manufactured, since this seems to be of interest. The Z-Stars I have from 2019 were manufactured in Japan. The versions I have from 2015 and 2017 were both made in Indonesia. Whether this will prove to be important remains to be seen.
Jeff
5 months agoWell done, MGS, and smart to include this quickly after the Q-Star Tour findings. Question for Tony or anyone else — how can you tell if the Z Stars you’re buying are from Japan or Indonesia?
Andy
5 months agoIt is written on the 3 ball sleeve.
Alex
5 months agoAt first I was indifferent on the ball testing, but I think the Q star tour test regained my interest. As I work for a manufacturing company, however, I too am curious on the differences on factories as I have learned not all factories are alike. I like to buy golf balls in bulk. To me the risk is still here on getting 6 dozen from a different factory, with different quality… keep up the good work!
Max R
5 months agoExcellent review as usual.
Scott
5 months agoI think you might have missed the mark here. To be sure of the source of the quality issue, the test should have been done with balls of Indonesian manufacture, in order to either confirm or eliminate that variable. Now those if us with Indonesian made Z Star/XV stock are left to wonder….
Kyle Sakaguchi
5 months agoI was curious, I play the Z-Star, and I’ve noticed the current ones I play (4th Generation Spin Skin) are made in Indonesia, while my older ones (3rd Generation Spin Skin) are made in Japan.
The ones you tested, were they 3rd or 4th?
Or are they manufacturing in different countries for different regions?
ryebread
5 months agoTony: I think there’s no better performance for the $ ball (IMHO) than a Z Star XV. Are you planning on looking at that ball?
One thing of interest is that I have personally see a LOT of cover breaks with newer XVs. At first I thought it was a fluke, but I’ve now seen it with easily a dozen of my balls. If I don’t pump them OB off the tee (hey I’m not all that great), I’m splitting them. It’s not thinned shots, or something hitting a tree. The cover snaps on a flushed iron that typically follows a good drive.
It’s not just me, but also has been experienced by other friends who are playing them. I think Srixon may have that cover a little too thin. It’d be interesting to see if the cover thickness on the XV were materially different than the “regular” Z.
Luc Lacoursiere
5 months agoI had the same problem all summer with my Srixon Z-Star XV. One shot and ripped cover!
I still have 3 dozens to go through next summer…
Vincent
5 months agoYeah, I can confirm as well. I played some XV for a while and found that the cover is super fragile. I played some Bridgestone Tour B, to compare, and they last far longer.
Darren Tan
5 months agoThanks for the review. I’m worried about my few dozens of Z Star though because they are from Indonesia. Bought 6 boxes in total due to the Buy 2 get 1 free promos recently.
Dave
5 months agoThe sighs of relief are deafening (mine included) after reading this article. Those Srixon ZStar ball deals are too good to pass up on.