For those who prioritize distance above all, Srixon has unveiled the longest golf ball it has ever made.
I’m not a big exclamation point guy but I feel like it’s worth saying again.
ULTISPEED is the longest golf ball Srixon has ever made!
Replacing the popular Q-STAR, the new Q-STAR ULTISPEED isn’t just another incremental update. It represents a realignment of Srixon’s “non-Tour” golf ball lineup and a reimagination of what a distance golf ball can be.
From non-conforming to legal (and playable)
The UltiSpeed story begins with a Japanese model called the Xmax. The first-generation Xmax was anything but conventional. It was a 115-compression entirely non-conforming distance machine that offered absolutely no feel (or spin) around the green.
Long? Oh, hell yes.
Playable? Not so much.
I’m not a soft golf ball guy but none of this (other than the massive distance) sounds enjoyable.
Still, Srixon thought there was something to the idea. Several generations later, the company thinks it has figured out how to maintain most of the distance that defined that first Xmax while creating something it believes golfers will actual enjoy hitting.
All it took was to completely change everything from cover to core.
A decade in development
The evolution of ULTISPEED required significantly rethinking materials across all three layers of the ball’s construction.
And I suppose that brings us to a major distinction between Q-STAR and Q-STAR ULTISPEED. The new model has three layers (including an ionomer cover) while Q-STAR was more of a textbook two-piece ionomer offering.
ULTISPEED’s layers leverage what Srixon says are proprietary new materials that took 10 years of research to develop. “We were thinking outside the box testing things that you wouldn’t think would be in a golf ball,” says Srixon’s Jake Donahue.
As with nearly every proprietary thing in golf, Srixon isn’t saying exactly what the new materials are but they’re unique to the ULTISPEED ball, although these things often have a way of filtering into other models.
What makes the ULTISPEED particularly interesting is how its core differs from other balls with graduated core technology. Where most three-piece “Tour” balls seek to create a significant gradient from the softest inner part of the core the firmest outer portion, ULTISPEED takes a different approach.
“It’s soft in the center of the core and then it gradually gets firm towards the outside of the core. That’s in all our golf balls,” says Donahue. “With this new material, it allowed us to change that hardness distribution. It’s not as drastic so it doesn’t have that soft-to-firm transition that the others do. It’s a little bit closer together. That allowed us to preserve energy loss which was really key for us in maximizing ball speed.”
Said another way: While most graduated core designs work to tune spin through the bag, with ULTISPEED, Srixon used similar technology to create softer (that’s a relative term here) feel without sacrificing speed.
A new fitting matrix
The Q-STAR ULTISPEED introduction is part of a strategic realignment of Srixon’s “non-Tour” ball lineup.
As a smaller company, Srixon can’t reasonably offer the same number of SKUs as its larger competitors so it’s important to diversify its “non-Tour” golf ball lineup. With the introduction of Q-STAR ULTISPEED, here’s where everything lands.
- Soft Feel is for the guy who wants … well, that one’s kind of on the nose, isn’t it?
- Q-STAR Tour is for the golfer who wants a bit more spin but isn’t necessarily looking for Tour-level performance and the pricing that comes with it.
- ULTISPEED exists in a more clearly designed space for the golfer looking for maximum distance off the tee.
At 85 compression Q-STAR ULTISPEED is dramatically softer than its 115-compression ancestor but it’s still significantly firmer than the 72-compression Q-STAR it replaces.
ULTISPEED replaces Q-STAR but it’s hardly a one-for-one swap.
Performance Expectations
When it comes to distance, Donahue doesn’t mince words about ULTISPEED. “We can safely say it’s definitely our longest golf ball we’ve ever made.”
And that includes the whole Z-Star lineup.
In testing against competitive distance balls and even premium “Tour” offerings, ULTISPEED has impressed.
“We took all those sort of distance-focused type of golf balls to do some testing. It is crazy. We’re seeing higher ball speed, we’re seeing lower spin for the most part off the tee and we’re seeing a couple yards of distance.”
Perhaps more surprising were comparisons with premium tour balls. Srixon found that ULTISPEED can match Left Dash mph for mph, but because of the lower spin rate, it’s a couple of yards longer.
While distance off the tee probably isn’t the best reason to choose a golf ball (unless you’re the bomber in your scramble group), ULTISPEED was designed to deliver extremely low side spin, keeping shots straighter, which is no small benefit for golfers looking for all the help they can get keeping a ball in, or at least close to, the fairway.
“The theme of this golf ball is long and straight,” says Donahue. “There is just really minimal side spin so you’re not seeing those big left-to-right or right-to-left trajectories with this golf ball.”
Who should play Q-STAR ULTISPEED?
Interestingly, ULTISPEED or, I suppose, UMax, was originally conceived for high swing speed players seeking obscene distance. Over time, ULTISPEED’s market position has evolved.
“I think where we really saw the majority of the demographics flock to this ball was those moderate to average swing speed players and some older players who maybe lost some swing speed over the years,” explains Donahue.
The company now positions ULTISPEED for mid- to high-handicappers who prioritize distance and straight ball flight over greenside spin and workability.
“This golf ball is going to be marketed more towards the mid- to high-handicapper, maybe your everyday golfer who just wants to go out there and have fun, not take it too seriously,” says Donahue. “Or they do want to really improve but they don’t want to spend the money that they would on a Tour ball.”
That said, if you’re a faster swinger looking for even more, at 85 compression, ULTISPEED should hold up better than anything in its class.
Feel and construction
If you’re looking for soft feel from your golf ball, ULTISPEED isn’t going to deliver anything close to what you’re looking for. It’s unapologetically firm (plenty firmer than Q-STAR), though Srixon thinks the feel is soft relative to its compression number and, as far as the competitive set (most notably, Titleist Velocity), it’s no firmer than anything else out there.
More than anything, ULTISPEED stands out for its price point. It features three-layer construction, including Srixon’s 338 Speed Dimple pattern and what the company calls a FastLayer Core.
At $29.99, it presents a unique value proposition as a three-piece distance ball.
“For that $29.99 price point, we really think this is a steal of a golf ball for everything you’re getting,” Donahue says. “There’s not another ball that’s a three-piece $29.99 offering.”
Meaningful distance
Beyond pure numbers, Donahue emphasizes that ULTISPEED isn’t just about “extreme distance” or outdistancing playing partners. It’s about what that distance means for a golfer’s overall game.
“When I think of this golf ball, I think of it as meaningful distance. The idea isn’t to just crush drives and outdrive your playing partners. Certainly, you can do that with this golf ball but the idea is really for this to really just improve your game, make it more enjoyable for the everyday golfer.”
The bottom line
With the Q-Star Ultispeed Srixon is betting that golfers seeking honest distance gains will find its combination of straight flight, exceptional distance, and reasonable price compelling.
From its origins as an unplayable Japanese market curiosity to its current form as a refined distance weapon, the Q-Star Ultispeed’s development journey reflects Srixon’s commitment to pushing boundaries while keeping playability in mind.
Perhaps the marketing tagline for Q-Star Ultispeed sums it up best: “Play a round and find out.”
The Srixon Q-Star Ultispeed is available now in both white and yellow.
Wade
10 months ago
Compared the new Srixon QStar Ultispeed to Oncore ELIXR
I played a Round of golf today and was able to play 2 balls for 18 holes, so conditions were identical.
I Compared the new Srixon QStar Ultispeed to Oncore ELIXR, as these are competing for the same golfer compression wise.
These were my findings:
1. Durability, the Oncore won hands down, the condition of the Ultispeed wasn’t good. the Oncore looked perfect.
I assume this has something to do with Urethane vs ionomer?
2. Distance was the same, I didn’t seem to notice an advantage by either ball.
3. Ball flight was higher on the Srixon Ultispeed, so in the wind the Oncore worked better, but I did like the higher launch of the Srixon.
4. Oncore was better around the greens with the wedges, it did have more spin.
5. Price is the same, however you can get volume pricing with the Oncore, and they run B2G1 deals usually.
I think I will be sticking with the Elixr, it was a better ball in my initial testing.