Golf Equipment Review: Srixon Z-Star XV Golf Ball
Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, August 26th, 2013
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Reviews
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Reviews
Srixon has two new versions of the Z-Star out on the market for 2013. The first is the Z-Star, which I reviewed last week. The 2nd is the Z-Star XV, a model built for players with higher swing speeds. I’d tried a previous model Z-Star XV but it was too hard for my slower swing speed. I gave the 2013 model a shot, pun intended, and could certainly tell a difference. I could play the ball given optimal conditions. Let’s take a look at the 2013 Z-Star XV.
Srixon Z-Star XV
Z-Star XV Overview
The Z-Star XV is a “tour” level golf ball. This means the performance is best for professional golfers or amateur golfers who demand high spin in the short game and short irons.
Construction
The Srixon Z-Star XV is a four layer ball: two cores, a mid layer and the cover. The XV is high compression ball designed for players with a higher than average swing speeds.
Inside the center of the ball, the dual core produces the power of the ball via Srixon’s “Neo Energetic Gradient Growth” technology. Yeah, that’s what I was going to say. The technology varies the core density, producing high ball velocity and high launch angle. In other words, distance.
The mid-layer of the ball serves to reduce excess spin off the driver. If the spin is too high, the ball will lose distance as well as accuracy. More simply, straight and long.
The 344 dimple outer cover is a soft and very thin cover which helps produce great amounts of spin in shorter clubs. Srixon’s “spin skin” technology helps increase friction between club and ball by 20%, thus helping the player impart more spin in the short game. In other words, control.
Colors
The XV comes in two colors: pure white and tour yellow. I tested the pure white model.
On The Course
My first experience with the XV model from a couple of years ago was that the ball was too hard for my game and swing speed. I didn’t’ find that I was benefitting from the higher compression and thus not getting the distance.
With the new XV I sense some differences in feel and playability for me. In optimal conditions I’m able to play the ball with great results in driver distance. One particular case came on the difficult 468 yard par-4 2nd hole at my home course. Typically my drives end up just inside the 200 yard marker, or roughly 275 yards from the tee. On a nice warm summer day when I was swinging well, I found myself considerably closer to the green at 165 yards. That’s a 30 yard gain. Note however, that those conditions are optimal. By optimal I mean that the temperature was warm, my back was loose and I was swinging very well. I did find that as I got tired (thus my swing speed decreased), the temps dropped or my back tightened up, I didn’t benefit from the ball’s high compression. That makes sense because my top swing speed is probably right around 105. In those optimal conditions when I was fully benefitting I was swinging 105+ and in the not-so optimal conditions I was sub 105 and probably even sub 100.
Having just reviewed the Z-Star, I have a good reference point to compare the XV with. I did find for me that I got a touch more spin with the Z-Star versus the XV. And that makes sense, since the XV does rank a bit lower on spin than the regular flavor. That being said, the regular Z-Star has a great amount of spin on short game shots. The XV has plenty.
On the durability end of things, both balls in the Z-Star series are extremely durable. The only visible damage I’ve seen on either model in the 100+ holes I’ve played with them was from a cart path.
Conclusion
The Srixon Z-Star XV is a great golf ball no doubt. If your swing speed is up high enough, I strongly recommend it. You’ll see massive distance and yet have brilliant short game control. If your swing speed isn’t above 105, go with the regular Z-Star.
Related
Golf Accessory Review: Under Armour Drive – Hunter Mahan’s Sunglasses
Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, August 23rd, 2013
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
I’ve been sporting some new shades by Under Armour lately. Correct, they don’t just make underwear. While these sunglasses can’t make me as good a golfer as Hunter Mahan, I can at least benefit from the style and performance of the Under Armour Hunter Mahan “Drive” sunglasses.
Under Armour Mahan Drive Sunglasses
UA Drive Sunglasses Features
The frames of the UA Drive sunglasses are ultra-light and very tough. They’re made from a hybrid of titanium and the plastic “Grimalid.”
The “ArmourSight” lenses deliver up to 20% enhanced vision and are very tough. They’re roughly 10X as strong as regular sunglass lenses. That may come in handy when some some 37 handicapper shanks one straight at your face. The lenses feature great contrast and “object illumination,” which helps when playing sports like baseball, or…. GOLF!
Under Armour Drive Sunglasses – click to zoom
The nose piece is adjustable and features soft, comfortable pads. That’s a great thing for me since I have a Greek nose which has been broken twice.
If you like to accessorize, like all stylish golfers seem to do these days, the logos on the sides of the shades are removable with multiple colors available.
Most importantly, the glasses provide 100% protection against UVC, UVA and UVB rays.
Colors
The UA Drive sunglasses are currently available in two colors: White and Satin Black. Obviously my model pictured in this review is the Satin Black version.
On The Course – At The Barbeque
The clarity and contrast of the UA Drives is fantastic. The details one can make out on the course are very beneficial. Reading greens is great. Subtle undulations and breaks one may not be able to see with the naked eye are much easier to see.
The coverage of the lenses is such that I don’t really see the edges. No visual distractions. sometimes I forget I’m wearing them because of the wide coverage and the comfort.
The fit of the glasses, especially after tweaking the nose pieces, is great. No slippage or any movement during my spastic golf swing.
Last but not least, the style of these shades is manly and unique looking.
Conclusion
Under Armour has built up a solid and very reputable brand in the sports apparel world. Their products are well known for being high performance, durable and especially stylish. The $134.99 (retail) UA Drive sunglasses continue on and further build that reputation.
Well played.
Related Links
Hooked On Golf Blog Under Armour sunglasses photos
Pathetic Club Championship Highlights Horribly Run Men’s League Season
Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, August 22nd, 2013
Categories: Boneheads • Golf Life • Hackers • Life • Miscellaneous
Categories: Boneheads • Golf Life • Hackers • Life • Miscellaneous
I’ve been at my home course River Oaks since it began; since the pro shop was a trailer. I’ve played the course 1000’s of times and been in on the very beginnings of league play there. Back in 2004, I was so unhappy with how things were being run in the men’s association (see my article on how I shot the lowest score in the club championship but didn’t win it) that I decided the only way to make it better was to do it myself. I then became club president, a position I held for seven years. In that time I took a men’s club which was a bit of a joke, and turned it into a thriving league with weekly participation well over 120 competitors. In my time as pres, I introduced some cool tournaments and formats, like the very popular Hell Day. I’m proud of what I contributed to the league and how I helped it grow.
My time as president ran its course, no pun intended. Due my new family and career happenings, I had to let go of the reins and give someone else a chance to take the club to the next phase in its existence. Sadly the league has gone to hell in two short years. That hard work I put into it has been wiped away.
The situation was most evident this past Saturday. I was running errands with my lovely wife and baby Seve when I received a call at about 4pm. It was golf buddy and really good guy Dan. He was calling to inform me that the club championship “final round” was that day. I had NO idea this was the case. “Final round,” I thought to myself? “Were there other rounds?” I asked. He then informed me that the previous two 9-hole Tuesday rounds constituted the first 18-hole round. There was no notice or information about this. No signup sheets. No entry fees. Nothing. When playing those two previous rounds, no players were informed that those rounds were to be counted toward their club championship. Players were not asked to trade scorecards. Players were playing from different tee sets. I could go on.
Even if I could cancel the rest of my appointments for the day and scramble down to the golf course Saturday, there still would not have been enough daylight to complete 18 holes. My opportunity to compete for my club championship in 2013 was ruined.
I did have time to stop by the pro shop to ask them WTF was going on. They told me that they knew nothing about the event and that they “felt like idiots” not knowing what to tell players when asked about it.
When all was said and done, SIX players competed for the championship. Six. Two of those are pals who dropped what they were doing Saturday and hurried to the course to squeeze in the 18 holes when they found out. That’s why Dan called me, to see if I wanted to join them.
Words can’t express how disappointed I am with this whole pathetic situation. I’m very angry that my opportunity to try and win a club championship was wasted. I’m steaming mad. The good news is that I heard a new member has told the pro shop he intends to run for club president in 2014. His quote was “who is running this thing and what the hell are they thinking?” Couldn’t have said it better myself. I may have considered becoming president again to turn the ship around before it completely sank, but I can’t make that commitment at this time in my life. I hope the new pres (if elected) can turn it around. If the old president is re-elected, 2013 will be my last season as a member of that association.
Golf Equipment Review: 2013 Srixon Z-Star Golf Ball
Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, August 20th, 2013
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Reviews
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Reviews
Has it really been 3.5 years since I last reviewed the Srixon Z-Star? Looking at my previous posts that seems to be the case. I last reviewed the Srixon Z-Star golf ball on January 8, 2010.
2013 Srixon Z-Star Golf Balls
The 2013 Z-Star has some improvements over previous models as well as retaining some of the excellent qualities of previous models. Lets take a look at the 2013 Srixon Z-Star.
Overview
The Z-Star is a “tour” level golf ball. “Tour” typically means a higher spin golf ball with a soft urethane cover, the kind preferred by PGA Tour players such as Keegan Bradley.
Construction
The Z-Star is a 3-layer ball: outer cover, mid-layer and inner core.
The soft outer cover employs the new Srixon “Spin Skin” technology. This technology gives the ball 20% more grip on the clubface on short game shots and thus a great amount of control. The cover has 344 dimples.
The mid-layer helps to control spin on longer shots. More spin on short shots is preferred but not on longer shots. There’s quite a balance between the two. Excess spin on longer shots kills distance and reduces accuracy.
The core or inner-most layer is where the ball gets its power from. The large core employs Srixon’s “energetic gradient growth” technology. In other words, the density of the core varies from center out. That variation, when tuned properly, results in more distance off the driver.
On The Course
Enough about all the technical mumbo-jumbo. All golf companies have their high technology engineering speak. It makes great marketing. But what’s the performance of the ball on the course? Here are my findings.
The distance achieved with the Z-Star is excellent. The fact that the ball flies so well with very little sidespin, even in windy conditions, makes it go quite far. The minimal sidespin makes the ball very accurate off the driver.
Mid-distance shots like mid-irons are great with the Z-Star. I’ve stuck many greens with what my friends and I call “tour sauce.” Tour sauce happens when you back up shots as they hit the green, or zip-check short game shots. The control and spin this ball has with irons is as good as any ball I’ve played.
Short game shots are a joy with the Z-Star. I’m able to get that two-bounce and stop kind of spin from pitches and chips. Full wedges and short irons can result in some very large amounts of backspin. So much that depending on green conditions, I may need to aim 10 feet past the pin and suck it back. It is quite fun to suck shots back, when you are in fact past the pin. It isn’t cool when you underclub and suck one back off the front of the green into a bunker though. 🙂
In windy conditions the ball performs brilliantly. I tested the Z-Star side-by-side with another golf ball in windy conditions this past weekend. On each drive my playing partners and I could easily see that the Z-Star flew straighter and was affected by the wind less than the other ball. I’d could hit both balls without telling my buddies which was which, and they were able to tell me which one was the Z-Star based on its flight. In those conditions the Z-Star was also an average of 5-10 yards longer.
Durability
The Spin Skin technology is quite remarkable. Most high spin and soft cover balls are not very durable. After 18 holes, 36 holes and more, I can’t see a scratch on the Z-Star even though I play with square grooved wedges. In fact, starting up my last round I dug in the bag for a new Z-Star and grabbed two. One ball was new and the other had been played for 27 holes. I could not tell them apart.
Conclusion
The 2013 Z-Star is a fantastic golf ball. The ball features great feel and distance on long shots and unmatched control in the short game. The durability is better than just about any tour level ball I’ve ever tested.
Related Links
Tour of the Cleveland/Srixon headquarters in California
Fantasy Golf – Wyndham Championship Results
Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, August 19th, 2013
Categories: Fantasy Golf • Miscellaneous • Site News
Categories: Fantasy Golf • Miscellaneous • Site News
Wyndham Championship Winner: The Star
2013 Fantasy Golf is brought to you by Hooked On Golf Blog and The Golf Space.
SPONSORS/PRIZES
- Nike Golf – Nike Covert Driver
- FootJoy – Shoes/Apparel
- Bridgestone Golf – Bridgestone Golf Balls
- Tornado Tee – Very cool golf tees (weekly)
Weekly prizes now ready. Coupon codes for the Tornado Tee website granting winners a free set of Tornado Tees will be awarded to the winners. Contact me for details.
It is never too late to join HOG Space fantasy golf FREE. Follow the easy instructions below:
1. Go to www.buzzfantasyleagues.com
2. Create an account if you don’t have one
3. Click on “Join an Existing League”
4. Enter League ID 233, and Season ID 335
5. Create your team, enter league password “HOG”
- Nike Covert Driver Grand Prize
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If you wish to sponsor 2013 Fantasy Golf, let me know. Sponsorship would mean providing prizes in exchange for weekly air time, banners and links to your web site via the fantasy golf updates.
Discussion
HOG Space fantasy golf is a dual effort between Hooked On Golf Blog and The Golf Space. Official fantasy golf forum discussion thread is in The Golf Space Forum here.
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