Srixon built the Z-Star XV to be the quick one in its Z-Star family, and the launch monitor agrees. It carries with the leaders at high speed, spins like a urethane ball should, and asks a fair bit of the player in return.
What's new
The 2025 XV is a three-piece ball wrapped around the FastLayer D.G. core 2.0, a dual-gradient design and the fastest core Srixon puts in a Z-Star. A high-rebound ionomer mantle sits over it, and a bio urethane cover with Srixon's Spin Skin+ coating finishes the build.
Srixon rates it at 102 compression, which puts it on the firm side of mid, and dimples it with 338 Speed Dimples in a penetrating pattern. It comes in white, yellow and royal green. It carries tour money in the tag.
How it plays
Off the driver, a launch-monitor session at 159 mph of ball speed produced 2300 rpm, a 276-yard carry and 295 yards in total. In a 48-ball test it was second in carry for high-speed swings and fourth at mid speed, so the core speed is real.
Spin holds up through the bag. A 7-iron at 116 mph spun at 6300 rpm, and a 50-yard pitch came off at 7800 rpm, which is enough bite to stop a ball where you land it. Our 9.1 for workability and 8.8 for feel reflect a ball that answers to good hands.
Where it lacks
Spin cuts both ways. At an 85 mph driver speed the XV posted top-three spin in its test, and a mid-handicapper with that swing will see shots climb and stop rather than run out. Forgiveness scores 8.2, the lowest of its performance marks.
Feel is good without being plush, a fair result for a 102-compression ball. Value lands at 7.8: you pay tour money, and the testing puts it close to the top tier but not at its head.
“If you swing hard and want spin you can control, few balls carry farther for you.”- The Club Stand gear team
Reasons to buy
- Finished second in carry at high swing speed and stayed inside the top 12 for total distance in a 48-ball test
- A dual-gradient FastLayer core gives it the most ball speed in the Z-Star family
- Bio urethane cover with the Spin Skin+ coating, with 7800 rpm measured from 50 yards
Reasons to think twice
- You pay tour money for a ball the testing puts close to the top tier but not at its head
- Top-three driver spin at 85 mph means slower swings can see the ball balloon and lose roll
- Mid-firm at 102 compression, so players who want the softest premium feel will look elsewhere
Specs
| Construction | Three-piece, FastLayer D.G. core 2.0 (dual gradient) |
|---|---|
| Cover | High-spin bio urethane, Spin Skin+ coating |
| Mantle | High-rebound ionomer mid |
| Dimples | 338 Speed Dimples (penetrating pattern) |
| Compression | Mid-firm (102 per launch spec sheet) |
| Colors | White, premium passion yellow, royal green |
| Best for | Skilled players who want the fastest Z-Star for distance with tour spin |
More balls we've scored
- Maxfli Tour X LS 2026 - 8.8/10. Maxfli's lower-spin Tour X, built for Ben Griffin and sold well under tour-ball money.
- Wilson Staff Model 2026 - 8.8/10. Wilson's four-piece urethane tour ball matches the longest models tested for distance and spins hard around greens.
- Titleist Pro V1 2025 - 8.8/10. Titleist's most-played ball gets a faster core and adds spin with irons and wedges.
- Callaway Chrome Tour 2026 - 8.7/10. A stiffer mantle gives Callaway's 2026 tour ball more speed without hardening the feel.
- Vice Pro 2024 - 8.7/10. A three-layer urethane ball that matched or beat the Pro V1 in testing for about mid-tier money.
- TaylorMade TP5 2026 - 8.6/10. A softer five-layer TaylorMade that ranked second for greenside spin among 62 robot-tested balls.