Tag: ball

  • Srixon Q-Star Golf Balls

    Srixon Q-Star Tour Yellow Golf BallEver since the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball hit the market in late 2000 and killed the wound golf ball forever, I’ve struggled to find the best ball for my game. However, since the excellent Srixon Z-Star and Z-Star XV came out I’ve been a happy camper. The Z-Star is designed for the low handicap player, or one that desires a large amount or spin and control. It also costs about $45 a dozen. So what if you aren’t a single digit handicap or want to spend $45? Let me introduce you to the Srixon Q-Star golf ball.

    The Q-Star golf ball was designed for low spin off the tee to help a mid to high handicap golfer keep it in the fairway, while still providing a soft feel and enough spin to hold the green. Srixon uses their S.T.A.R. performance process to tune the spin (S), trajectory (T), acceleration (A) and responsiveness (R) of each golf ball. Other than that, it’s just a cool marketing catchphrase. The Q-Star is a 2 piece golf ball with a core measuring 1.568″, and a cover measuring only 0.057″ thick. This very large core provides energy for distance off the tee, and the super thin cover enhances spin and feel.

    Srixon Q-Star Technology
    Click photo to enlarge

    Since the wound golf ball went away companies largely stopped using compression ratings, mostly because it just confused people.  But what they didn’t tell you is that in making wound balls there could be huge discrepancies in the actual compression rating from ball to ball, due to the imperfect nature of a golf ball constructed with rubber winding and a liquid core. Even if your old  Titleist Tour Balata was marked with a compression rating of 90, the actual compression rating could have been between 80 and 100. But I digress. And since I brought it up, the Srixon Q-Star has a compression rating of 75. That’s very, very low and it translates to a very soft feel and great distance for golfers who’s swing speeds are under 100 mph.

    In my early testing I found the Q-Star to be slightly softer feeling than the Z-Star, and even the distance off the tee and green-side spin were very comparable. I must however disclose that I was playing a course that day with soft greens after overnight rain. Once I got out to a course with firm, fast greens I started to see a difference. Approach shots with the Q-Star spun and held the greens well, but you won’t be sucking this ball back 20 feet with a wedge. Chips and pitches tried to bite, but instead checked up a bit and released to the hole. The Q-Star’s performance around the greens is predictable and consistent, and the lack of too much spin will probably help most golfers. Off the putter, the Q-Star feels very soft. It’s a joy to roll this ball on the greens, as it feels as good as any premium golf ball on the market. The bottom line is that the Q-Star is soft, has great feel off the putter and it spins enough for everyone to have some measure of green-side control. Just don’t expect to hit those low, spinning chip shots that the guys on TV make look so easy.

    Now, before you get all excited and decide to replace the $45 Z-Star you play with the $25 Q-Star in your arsenal, it's important to note that the Srixon Q-Star golf ball differs from the premium Z-Star line in several ways. Like I mentioned above, the Q-Star is a 2 piece ball designed for mid to high handicap golfers, where the Z-Star is a 3 piece construction designed as a "tour" ball for better players. The Z-Stars also have thinner covers. The Z-Star XV's cover is the thinnest in golf at 0.012" thick. That's about three tenths of a millimeter! This makes them more responsive for more spin around the greens. The Z-Star and Z-Star XV carry higher compression, because they are designed for golfers who's swing speeds are over 90 mph. [caption id="attachment_3500" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Click photo to enlarge"][/caption] Srixon also led the re-introduction of yellow golf balls to the market, and several other companies have also jumped on the old-school colored ball bandwagon. The Srixon Q-Star Tour Yellow is very bright, and for those times where you may hit the ball a bit offline, it's very easy to see in the woods. If you are the only one playing a yellow ball in your weekend foursome, there will be no argument as to who's ball is who's. But the biggest advantage of the yellow ball is that your playing partners aren't going to like it when you use a yellow ball to take some of their green! If you are a slow swinger (under 90 mph) or have a handicap over 10, you probably won't get the most out of the Z-Star line. After all, this is why Srixon created the Q-Star! In creating a golf ball for the majority of golfers out there, Srixon has taken the best features of their premium Z-Star golf ball and eliminated the excessive spin and high compression that hamper the performance for those golfers. For the every-man golfer, weekend warrior or developing player, this ball is a winner, and priced at $25  a dozen it's a steal.

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  • The Floppy Indoor Practice Balls

    The Floppy Indoor Practice Golf Ball
    Click photo to enlarge...

    There aren’t many practice aids these days that are designed to be used indoors, and even fewer yet that encourage you to make full swings indoors! To all the wives, girlfriends or significant others of golfers out there, I apologize in advance for this review. For all those golf nuts who are stuck in a snowy climate  and can’t afford a fancy golf simulator in their basement, I think I’ve found the ideal practice aid to help you get through the winter and keep things fun all year round.

    It’s called The Floppy, and it’s a really simple idea that is perfectly executed. The floppy is an indoor practice ball designed to help people practice their short game without having to worry about breaking windows and making a huge mess. The Floppy is the same size as a regulation golf ball, has a woven fabric cover that goes over a proprietary liner and is filled with some sort of granular material to add weight and feel. The cover feels soft and pliable to the touch, but is durable enough to hit full wedge shots. Because it is soft it will bounce harmlessly off walls, windows and furniture.

    [caption id="attachment_2074" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Click photo to enlarge..."]The Floppy Indoor Practice Golf Ball[/caption] I received a 4 pack of balls to try out and immediately found myself whacking it all around the house. While watching the weekend golf coverage, I used my Cleveland CG15 lob wedge (shameless plug, I know) to aim at various objects while messing around during the commercials (And when Johnny Miller was talking). While this ball isn't as heavy or hard as a real golf ball, I think you get enough feedback from it to get legitimate practice value from using it. Although the makers claim it spins like a real ball, I wasn't able to hit the low spinning chip shots that check hard. I can't expect to spin this ball much either, considering this ball is made of cloth and plastic. All you need to get some practice in with the Floppy is an open, carpeted area and a target. I used the Floppy to practice hitting pitch shots into a basket about 20 feet across the room, and just for fun, I set up a soda can on the top of the door jam and tried hitting it off its perch. I could see this ball being used outdoors too, but it was primarily designed for indoor use. [caption id="attachment_2075" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Click photo to enlarge..."]The Floppy Indoor Practice Golf Ball[/caption] The Floppy is available online at www.thefloppy.com. For $19.95, you get a 4 pack which should last you a long time - that is, unless your kids find them! Back when I lived up North, I used to paint those solid white plastic balls orange and play in the snow, and more than once I destroyed the ceiling drywall in my basement when making golf swings. If I had the Floppy back then I probably would have caused less damage to my dad's house. If you want to drive your Wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/sister/brother/housemates crazy and get some short game practice at the same time, pick up The Floppy! By the way, try not to take too deep a divot out of your living room carpet...

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  • Ball Review – Srixon Z-Star X

    srixon z-star xSrixon has been selling golf balls in the US market for a number of years now. Srixon is a spinoff from Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. SRI is a Japanese company also selling equipment in Japan under the market leading Dunlop/XXIO name. They started manufacturing tires in 1913, and then golf balls in 1930. In 1997, SRI founded Srixon USA and started marketing golf equipment.  In 2004 SRI Sports was formed to be the parent company of Srixon, and they acquired equipment companies Cleveland Golf and Never Compromise in 2007. Srixon’s golf ball offerings have been gaining ground in the past years with the ZUR line. Jim Furyk switched a few years ago, and several other pros have now joined and play the new Srixon Z-Star and Z-Star X. Some of the names include Tim Clark, Robert Allenby, Boo Weekly, Steve Flesch, John Rollins, Fuzzy Zoeller and Karrie Webb. This year, Vijay Singh switched to the new Z-Star X, leaving Titleist after many years, and he proclaims this fact in a new commercial we are seeing during weekend golf broadcasts.

    Let’s test one of Srixon’s latest offerings, the Z-Star X. Geared towards better players, this golf ball features a super-thin (0.5mm thick) urethane cover that allows for a larger core for more distance and spin potential. The Z-Star is the softer of the two models, producing a slightly higher ball flight and more spin on iron shots. The Z-Star X has a firmer feel and lower ball flight for more distance off the tee and is designed for swing speeds over 105 MPH.

    Having played the previous versions of these balls, the Z-URS and the Z-URC, I can see there is a big difference. The first difference is the lack of a discernible seam in the cover of the ball. The URS and URC had a pronounced seam marking the two halves of the cover, leaving a small strip around the equator lacking dimples. What effect that seam had on performance is unknown to me, but the new balls are seamless, and that can’t be a bad thing! The new Z-Stars also have 6 fewer dimples than the previous model at 324. By comparison, the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x have 392 and 332 respectively.

    I have to preface this by repeating that I have played Srixon golf balls for over a year, and in that time I found myself switching back and forth between the Z-URC and Z-URS. I thought the Z-URC was too firm around the greens, and the Z-URS felt too mushy and spun too much off the driver. Then, just as I was preparing to run back to the Titleist Pro V1, Srixon introduced the Z-Star and Z-Star X. Since I was previously leaning towards the Z-URC, I picked up a sleeve of the new Z-Star X and put them through their paces. So how does the new Srixon Z-Star X perform? In a word – Brilliantly!

    free cleveland launcher fairway wood with driver purchase

    The first thing I noticed with the new Z-Star X is the fact that they have made it softer than the old Z-URC. This is a welcome change for me, as I prefer a soft feel for chipping and putting. It still feels on the firm side, coming off the putter face with a little click, but it is far from the feel of a harder ball like a Pinnacle or even the new Callaway Tour i. The cover feels very soft to the touch and I worry about what modern grooves will do to this ball. More on that later.

    I moved from the putter to the wedge and started chipping, and I noticed that this ball really grabs. I crisply hit chip shot skids and checks, then rolls out gently. Flop shots from a tight lie spin furiously, coming to an immediate stop. Balls chipped out of the rough behave predictably.

    Moving to the tee box, I was wondering how the thin cover would behave with the driver. Most players demand spin around the greens but want more distance off the tee. In the past with wound golf balls this was a trade off, spin or distance. You couldn’t have both. Nowadays with the advent of 3 piece and even 4 piece balls, it is possible to get high spin around the green and low spin from the driver. The Srixon Z-Star X is a great example of what the new golf ball technology can provide. This ball rockets off the driver with a mid to high trajectory and low spin. It is hard to say if I picked up any yardage compared to the old model. I would need a launch monitor to measure impact conditions and determine if it spins less than other golf balls. What I can confirm is that this new ball performs very well in the wind, especially crosswinds. I hit numerous balls into winds from all directions and the flight is very steady. I hit some cuts and draws into cross winds and the ball stays on line.

    Iron shots come off the club with a mid trajectory, and plenty of spin. A solid iron shot will stop quickly on anything but the most severe greens. I am not known as a high-spin player, but this ball can be drawn back with wedges and stops dead with other clubs. I didn’t see too much ballooning into the wind, not as much as the Titleist at least. I have always despised the Titleist Pro V1’s wind performance, so the Z-Star X’s wind performance is a big bonus. As far as durability is concerned, I was pleasantly surprised. I played 18 holes with the same ball with only minor scuffing and wear on the cover. I could easily go another 18 with it, provided I didn’t lose it or hit a cart path!

    I am very glad that Srixon released this new golf ball to replace the old Z-UR line. I am making the switch and now play the Z-Star X. It durable, holds it’s line in the wind, I love the way it spins and it feels softer than the previous generation. Overall it’s a great ball for aggressive swingers or players that like a high-spin ball with a slightly firmer feel. The price point is also good, at $39.95/dozen it is unchanged from last year and about $5 less than the Pro V1x, the Srixon’s main competition.

    Those who play the Pro V1 and prefer a softer ball will love the Z-Star, which I’ll try to cover in a future post. I will stop short of saying that I hit this ball further, because a recent driver upgrade has helped me also. But for good measure, between the new driver and this new golf ball, I’ve regained 15-20 yards that I lost last year off the tee.