Srixon’s Stellar Launch

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The Srixon Z-Star XV balls come in both “Pure White” and “Tour Yellow”

 

Srixon has become an increasingly major player in the golf ball market in recent years thanks to an impressive and innovative product lineup, and a good deal of high-profile Tour success (Hideki Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell, Smylie Kaufman, Shane Lowry, William McGirt, Russel Knox, Rod Pampling, Harold Varner, JB Holmes…).

Last week at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, the brand, owned by Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.—a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., and a stablemate of Cleveland Golf and XXIO—launched three new balls that made a considerable splash.

They generated so much discussion that attendees left wondering if 2017 might be a year in which Srixon steals a good many players, up and down the handicap index scale, from different brands.

Golf balls have been in the news a lot recently with Costco’s Kirkland Signature ball making headlines and possibly shifting the golf ball-manufacturing paradigm, Tiger Woods signing a deal with Bridgestone, and Titleist introducing the latest Pro-V1 and Pro-V1x. And though the Srixon Z-STAR, Z-STAR XV, and Q-STAR TOUR haven’t created quite as much buzz on Twitter, YouTube, or eBay!, serious golfers have been watching closely.

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The Srixon Q-Star Tour

To the untrained eye and casual observer (actually, you don’t have to be that casual an observer to be
slightly confused), the differences between the three balls—especially between the Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV—seem incredibly small.

Srixon says the Z-STAR is “perfect for skilled players that demand ultimate control from a tour-level golf ball,” while the Z-STAR XV is “designed for skilled players that demand maximum performance from a tour-level golf ball.” Even the Q-STAR TOUR, $10 less expensive, is a “3-piece urethane cover ball with a lower compression, designed especially for skilled golfers that don’t have tour-level swing speeds but demand tour level performance and feel from their golf ball.”

Michael Ross, Srixon’s Senior Product Manager for Golf Balls, explains. “There is a notable difference in compression ratings between the three golf balls,” he says. “The Z-STAR XV has a compression rating of 105, the Z-STAR’s is 88 and the Q-STAR TOUR’s 75. That difference and range was intentional, as we wanted to offer golf balls that would cater to different swing speeds so that each golfer could determine which golf ball was best-suited to their game.”

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Ross admits there will certainly be some overlap with golfers performing well with more than one of the balls, but says that just furthers their options. “The new Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV are both designed to deliver optimal performance for players with high swing speeds,” he adds, “as they are the exact same golf balls used on Tour. But they offer golfers a choice between more distance with the XV and more greenside spin control with the Z-STAR. It boils down to which performance aspects each golfer is looking for.”

Adding to the golfer’s choices (or muddying the waters), the Q-STAR TOUR, says Ross, delivers similar performance to the Z-STAR Series but at a softer compression that is right in the sweetspot for many golfers who might have lost a little swing speed. “It allows them to fully compress the ball and realize the optimal performance of the Q-STAR TOUR.”

Like the Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV, the Q-STAR TOUR features Srixon’s third-generation Spin Skin coating, which is designed to increase friction between clubface and ball and thus enhance spin control for short-game shots. The Q-STAR represents a debut category entry for Srixon, and will retail at $29.99.

 

The Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV, meanwhile, will cost $39.99, which budget-sensitive golfers (well, everybody really) know is $5-$10 cheaper than other premium Tour balls. “We think that’s a noteworthy and compelling story,” says Ross. “And golfers are able to buy the exact same ball our Staff players play which doesn’t happen with every brand. We believe that gives us, as well as Srixon users, a genuine story to tell and a competitive advantage.”

The Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV will be available February 17th, the Q-STAR TOUR April 14th.
srixon.com

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