Would you be surprised to learn that Srixon, or at least the people who own Srixon, have been making golf balls for nearly a century?
I didn’t know that either.
I’ll spare you the story (perhaps another time), as our goal today is to help you figure out which of Srixon’s three Z-STAR Tour urethane covered level golf balls are right for you. Before we dive in, though, let’s lay a few cards on the table.
First, we will focus on the Z-STAR family in this part. Yes, Srixon has it The Q-STAR franchisewhich includes urethane and ionomer coated balls as well SOFT FEELING line which is known for its soft feel.
With apologies to the rest of the line, we’re going to focus only on Srixon’s premium golf balls.
Second, Srixon (like Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade and Bridgestone) is very good at sharing performance in its Z-STAR line. There is quite a difference between Srixon three Z-STAR for issues, like MyGolfSpy 2025 Ball Test clearly stated.
Third, we’re not going to get into a “brand vs. brand” discussion. Every major golf ball brand has two, three, or even four tournament-level golf balls to choose from, and they all fall into the same performance buckets. Some stand out, some are consistently good. Today, however, we’re focusing on Srixon.
Also, we are not talking about price or relative value. Strict performance.
Finally, we will do our best to share performance differences within the line. Our goal is to help you zero in on a specific model for your gaming, hardware and performance needs. If we suggest a ball but your personal preference is for the firmer or softer version, well, that’s up to you.
After all, it’s your money.
Srixon Z-STAR lineup: Comfortable reliable
Srixon introduced it Z-STAR golf balls in 2009. Since Day One, Z-STARs have been reliable in design, performance and overall quality. The current models, introduced last year, follow Srixon’s philosophy Kaizen (continuous, incremental improvement). Big performance breakthroughs are not Srixon’s goal. Instead, the company focuses on hundreds, if not thousands, of small improvements. Over time, these small improvements add up to big long-term benefits.
The main pillars of the line are Mr. Star AND Z-STAR XV. The Z-STAR is a three-piece design with a soft urethane cover supported by a hard ionomer mantle. The core is on the softer side and Srixon rates the Z-STAR’s overall compression at 88. It’s the softest ball in the Z-STAR family. As such, it is also the lowest spin from the driver.
of Z-STAR XV is Srixon’s strongest ball with a reported compression of 102. It uses the same soft urethane cover and hard coat as the standard Mr. Star. Its FastLayer DG 2.0 core is different, however, as it’s soft in the middle but gets firmer than the Z-STAR’s towards the outside. As a result, it feels stronger, delivers more ball speed off the driver and spins more irons.
The relative newcomer to the line-up is Srixon The Z-STAR Diamond. In our 2025 ball test, the Z-STAR Diamond was the jewel in Srixon’s lineup. He sits between Mr. Star AND Z-STAR XV in terms of stability and spin, but its overall performance may be the most consistent of the three.
Which one is for you?
WHEREAS Srixon Z-STAR Golf Balls didn’t excel in any area of ​​our Ball Test 2025, they didn’t fail in any either. They were among the most balanced performing teams in the test. As mentioned, Srixon has done a good job of giving each of its three Z-STARs their own identity.
MyGolfSpy 2025 Ball Test we collected data from swing speeds that we classified as High (116 mph driver, 90 mph irons), Medium (102 mph driver, 80 mph irons), and Low (86 mph driver, 65 mph irons). Test results, if you really dig, can lead you down a ton of rabbit holes, and you can always find the “why” behind results that, on the surface, can be head-scratching. Let’s break down the results by moving speed and give you some clues as to which Srixon Z-STAR model may work best for you.
Fast swing speed
As you might expect, the Srixon is stronger Z-STAR models were the best performers for you freaks of nature who can swing it like a Tour pro. Both of them XV (102 compression) and Diamond (100 compression) finished in the top 10 for overall driver distance. The stronger XV was only a scoche longer.
of XV was in the top 10 for driver ball speed, just 6/10ths of an mph behind the fastest ball tested, Maxfli Tour X. Both of them XV AND DIAMOND were among the highest-spinning balls in the driver test while the Diamond was also the highest-spinning ball in the high-speed iron test. standard Mr. Starsince it is a lower compression ball, it did not appear in the speed, distance or ball spin categories.
If you use a low-spin driver, both Z-STAR XV AND The Z-STAR Diamond would be good choices. This extra spin will help you keep the ball in the air a little longer to improve hold. In addition, if you also play low spin irons such as The more skilled ball hitter who can control the trajectory will also appreciate the higher spin.
The choice here depends on your needs, but for balanced performance, The Z-STAR Diamond definitely worth watching.
If a softer feel is more important to you and you produce more than enough speed, distance and spin on your own, standard Z-STAR it might make sense.
Average swing speed
If you spin your driver at about 100 mph, both XV AND DIAMOND are your friends The XV finished second in overall driver distance while the Diamond finished fourth despite being one of the highest spinning balls in the test.
How can this be, you may ask? It is about the trajectory as DIAMOND has a lower peak height and a shallower descent angle than XV. This is a good roll recipe.
Both models finished high in the top six for iron ball speed with DIAMOND finishing a close second for the iron spin. While neither places in the top 10 for iron distance, neither qualifies as distance challenged.
The choice here is similar to that for high speed players. If you need to spin off your driver and especially your irons, The Z-STAR Diamond it’s the easy choice. If you’re looking for a little extra juice from the driver but can do without the extra spin, it is Z-STAR XV.
Is a softer feel more important? If so, see the standard Mr. Star.
Slow swing speed
This is where things get interesting.
standard Srixon Z-STAR makes its presence felt here, finishing second in iron ball speed (with two tons Z-STAR DIVISION finished tied for third). However, slower swingers often benefit from more spin. All three Srixon balls performed well in rolling with DIAMOND finishing second overall in the iron swing and fourth overall in the driver swing.
Driver distance with low swing speed tends to become poor. Usually, softer, lower-spinning balls tend to do well here, despite the ball speed disadvantage. The driver carries both Z-STAR XV AND The Z-STAR Diamond were identical. However, the higher-spinning Diamond was nearly 1.5 yards longer in total distance.
At first glance, this should not count, but, again, history is trajectory. of DIAMOND had the lowest tip height of all Srixon balls tested at low swing speeds, as well as the shallowest descent angle. As the carrying distance was the same as that XVthat lower trajectory and shallower descent angle gave the Diamond much more spin.
As with other swing speed categories, the choice here depends on what is important to you. If you want a soft feel, the standard Mr. Star the choice remains. If you want distance and spin, you are once again looking at Z-STAR Diamond.
Short game
Regardless of swing speed, the short game is all about spin. from three Z-STARThe diamond will give you more spin. standard Mr. Star AND Z-STAR XV are right behind her. The differences are not huge, with only 68 rpm separating it DIAMOND and XV.
You won’t find much difference in terms of launch angle, tip height, descent angle or carry between the three balls.
With wedge and green performance as close as they are, the selection criteria in the sections above remain the same.
Which Srixon Z-STAR golf ball is right for you?
As always, it depends on what you’re looking for. I’ve played all three Srixon Z-STAR Golf Balls and my best results have come with The Z-STAR Diamondfollowed by XV. I’m not a high swing speed player at all, but the Diamond fits my iron game very well as I use high release, low spin player’s distance irons. The Diamond’s relatively low launch and high spin work very nicely with that style of iron. With a mid-90s swing speed, the Diamond’s higher compression is also a benefit.
Understanding your trends and how your equipment affects those trends is essential. Once you have done this, you can then choose the best type of ball performance for your needs. And once you’ve done that, you can focus on price, brand, availability and other factors and preferences.
