Srixon's Z-Star golf balls are now in their sixth generation, and the company has overhauled their tour-caliber ball's core to modernize it with advances in materials and production.
The big change is the introduction of what's dubbed the FastLayer core, which is a core which gets firmer (and higher in compression rating) expanding out farther from the center. At the core of the core, the compression is lower and softer, gradually getting firmer. The benefit to the golfer is the ball can still feel great at impact on full-speed shots because the golfer gets to the middle of the ball on those swings. However, the firmer outer element of the core and the rest of the ball builds back up speed. This is the current best thinking in how to make a ball for higher swing speeds.
The new Z-Star and Z-Star XV balls feature updated Spin Skin technology with Slide-Ring material (SeRM), which is a urethane coating that allows for more friction and spin as the coating's malleability can help the ball get deeper into iron and wedge grooves. Srixon says this material gives them a distinct advantage in stopping power with scoring shots.
In particular, the Z-Star XV, the four-piece ball of the two with a smaller inner core inside a firmer outer core, has a softer urethane cover than the prior generation. The Z-Star remains a three-piece ball with a firmer mantle layer for more speed and less spin off the tee.
The 338 Speed Dimple pattern, found on both balls, is the company's best answer to the aerodynamic challenges a golfer will face during a round.
The Srixon Golf Z-Star golf balls are available Feb. 1 for $40 per dozen.
