Srixon Z-Star Golf Ball Review: Why more golfers should play this ball

There was once a time when Srixon's base model Z-Star stood alongside the Titleist Pro V1 as one of the most celebrated tour-level golf balls on the market. That was, of course, until brands like TaylorMade and Callaway got involved with the TP5 and Chrome Soft/Chrome Tour respectively.

Now almost 15 years old and into its ninth generation in existence, the Z-Star is still very much an elite-level ball engineered with a heritage other golf balls can only dream of. However it finds itself in a much more crowded market – something not helped by the fact that none of the Japanese brand's staff players use the Z-Star in competition play anymore – favouring faster variants like the Z-Star Diamond and Z-Star XV instead.

So who is the Z-Star for in 2025? Much like Callaway's Chrome Soft, which has been superseded by a more aggressive tour level ball in the Chrome Tour, the Z-Star now fills a role as something of a more approachable ball for better players who want top-tier performance without the need to swing the club at elite speeds. 

As such, we thought it about time to take this iconic model back out on the golf course to see if it still cuts the mustard for the modern player.

Looks and features

Most recently updated for the 2025 season, the Z-Star hasn't changed a whole lot since its introduction almost 15 years ago. Relying on the same combination of features it always has albeit with a few minor updates, its MO remains the same as it was eight years ago: soft but not too soft feel, lower driver spin with excellent distance, and great spin thanks to the most premium materials Srixon can engineer into a golf ball.

The foundation of the Z-Star is the FastLayer DG 2.0 Core. With its gradual transition from soft inner core to a firmer outer edge, the core behaves like a core with thousands of layers, delivering distance and soft feel. 

Notably, Srixon have tuned the Z-Star with a slightly lower compression figure than more modern tour preferred models like the the Z-Star Diamond and Z-Star XV, and say that the regular Z-Star is at its best when hit by anyone who can swing it faster than 90mph. This is great for aggressive swingers and developing players alike, helping both low and mid-handicappers unlock higher tiers of performance than what's available in mid-range balls.

The exterior of the Z-Star is identical to that of its siblings, with the thinnest Urethane cover Srixon have ever engineered onto a golf ball and the Spin Skin+ coating that really helps the ball grab the grooves of your wedges. Like all of Srixon's premium golf balls, it also features their unique 338 Speed Dimple Pattern for optimum launch and aerodynamics.

Performance

The feel of the Z-Star golf ball remains superb, and stands right up there with the finest feel we have experienced from a premium golf ball.

The standard version of the Z-Star golf ball is 100% a golf ball that we would have no issues sticking straight in our bag this season, delivering an outstanding combination of softness, and zip around the greens. 

It also possesses good ball speed figures across the board and low spin with the driver, and while players with elite ball speeds will likely look towards the Z-Star Diamond and XV models, the regular Z-Star's slightly lower compression will help both moderate and fast swingers of the ball maximise their distance.

Our iron shots were spinning a little higher with the irons than some other golf balls we've been testing this season, but overall, shots felt great.

Shots inside that 100-yard mark and around the greens felt terrific. The Z-Star's new SpinSkin+ coating certainly makes a big difference in regards enhancing more greenside spin.

So feel and performance wise, this golf ball is nailed down. The numbers don't lie.

What about the Srixon Z-Star Divide?

Still an option for the 2025 generation of the Z-Star is the Divide variant, which comes presented in a half-half colourway of pure white and a high-visibility yellow. This serves two functions, producing an instant alignment aid to help with aiming putts and getting instant feedback on your roll, while also aiding contrast to help with finding the ball in low visibility conditions.

Does it work? Sort of. The divide system is a hugely effective alignment aid and does a great job of providing a built-in way to instantly tell you whether you've rolled a putt nicely or poorly. 

However while looks are a personal preference, we're still not particularly taken by the white and yellow colour combination, which both looks a little offputting and, compared to higher contrast Divide options like Srixon's lower level Q-Star Tour, doesn't really do much to help you find the ball. 

Should you buy the Srixon Z-Star Golf Ball?

With tour level golf balls increasingly being engineered for players with truly elite ball speeds, models like the base Srixon Z-Star feel more important than ever. Tuned to suit a wider range of better players who want to shoot low but don't necessarily hit it miles, the Z-Star is a truly premium ball that shines for its versatility, delivering exceptional distance, wonderful feel and fantastic short game performance.

At £44.99 per dozen, which makes it a fair bit cheaper than its three major rivals in the premium ball sector, the Z-Star also represents an excellent value proposition.

As such, we have no hesitation in recommending the Z-Star as one of the very best golf balls you can buy, and one that very much still deserves its stripes in 2025.