Gear: Srixon Z-Star, Z-Star XV golf balls
Price: $39.99 per dozen
Specs: Three-piece (Z-Star) and four-piece (Z-Star XV) urethane balls with a spin-enhancing outer coating
Available: Feb. 1
The Goal
The updated versions of Srixon’s most-premium balls have been given a softer cover to help players generate more greenside spin, plus a new core for more ball speed off the tee.
The Scoop
For 2019, Srixon has made significant updates to the balls used by pros like Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley and Graeme McDowell, the three-piece Z-Star and four-piece Z-Star XV.
Available in Pure White and Tour Yellow, both balls have been given a new core that is designed to be softer in the center to help generate more ball speed and distance off the tee. However, the cores get progressively firmer near their edges. Srixon calls it a Fast Layer core design, and the company claims that it creates a softer feel at impact, yet enhanced distance like a harder ball.
Srixon’s 2019 Z-Star and Z-Star XV have an updated Spin Skin coating. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
To help golfers generate more greenside spin, Srixon made the urethane cover with an updated version of Spin Skin, the outer coating that Z-Star balls have been given for the past several seasons. It is more resilient and capable of withstanding more shearing forces, so the new Spin Skin coating allows the ball to be grabbed more easily by the grooves of your wedges and short irons.
Each ball has also been given a 338-dimple pattern that Srixon claims makes the balls more aerodynamic and stable in windy conditions.
Srixon 2019 Z-Star (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The three-piece Z-Star’s overall compression, 90, is slightly higher than the previous ball’s compression, but it is still ideal for players with a driver swing speed over 90 mph.
Srixon 2019 Z-Star XV (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The four-piece Z-Star XV has a compression of 100 and has been designed for the fastest-swinging players and golfers who want a firmer-feeling ball.
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