Srixon Z-Star XV Review (2026): The Tour Ball for 105+ mph Swings

Is the Z-Star XV longer than the standard Z-Star?

Z-Star XV vs Z-Star, same test, same robot

The XV leads on every driver row. The Z-Star leads on every wedge row, and the 7-iron rows are close to a tie.

Off the driver: more carry, and more spin

At the fastest test speed (about 116 mph) the XV produced 169.1 mph of ball speed and 289.6 yards of carry, ninth of the 48 balls tested. Driver spin was 2,471 RPM, the fourth-highest in the field. Golf Monthly’s 2025 reviewer called it one of the fastest balls he’d tested with the driver.

The carry lead over the standard Z-Star held as the robot slowed down. At 102 mph the XV carried 4.5 yards farther. At 86 mph it carried 199.5 yards, second of all 48 balls and 3.8 yards past the Z-Star.

The spin gap held too. The XV spun 72 RPM more than the Z-Star at 116 mph, 104 more at 102 mph and 114 more at 86 mph, and it ranked in the top six for driver spin at every speed. So the XV is the higher-spinning driver ball of the two. If your driver flight already climbs and stalls, that’s the number to weigh against the extra carry.

Golf Monthly’s reviewer, testing on a launch monitor, found the XV “equal to the new Z-Star Diamond ball in terms of carry distance output but on a slightly higher flight.”

Iron spin matches the Z-Star, and wedge spin trails it

The firmer XV kept pace with its softer sibling on iron spin. Its 7-iron spin matched the standard Z-Star at the fast speed (6,524 vs 6,523 RPM) and the slow speed (5,193 vs 5,188), and ran about 100 RPM higher at the middle speed (6,362 vs 6,263). That middle-speed figure ranked seventh of 48.

Srixon credits the FastLayer DG Core 2.0, which starts soft in the center and firms up toward its edge. GolfWRX’s launch coverage described the design goal as a ball that “boosts ball speed for greater distance and improved iron spin.” The robot numbers fit the ball-speed half of that claim. On iron spin the XV tied its softer sibling, which is a good result for the firmer ball but short of an improvement.

The short game is where the standard Z-Star pulls ahead. On a 35-yard pitch it spun 5,871 RPM (fourth of 48) against the XV’s 5,596 (14th). On a full sand wedge in dry conditions the two were 74 RPM apart.

Wet conditions opened the gap. The Z-Star held 10,436 RPM on a wet full wedge, the best of all 48 balls, and the XV dropped to 9,142 (23rd). The XV still stops: Golf Monthly’s reviewer saw chip shots take two hops and check. If you play a lot of dewy mornings, the Z-Star keeps about 1,300 RPM more on that shot.

Which Srixon to play: XV or standard Z-Star

Srixon positions the XV for driver swing speeds above 105 mph, and that’s where the 8-yard carry gap showed up. The robot also had the XV about 4 yards longer at 102 and 86 mph, so swing speed alone doesn’t settle it. TrackMan’s amateur data puts the typical male driver swing speed around 93–94 mph, inside the range where the XV still led.

What settles it is what you’d trade for those yards:

• Feel. The XV is 15 compression points firmer. Golf Monthly’s reviewer called it one of the firmer-feeling premium balls he’d tried, with a click at impact even on chips.
• Short-game spin. The Z-Star spun about 275 RPM more from 35 yards and about 1,300 RPM more on a wet full wedge.
• Driver spin. The Z-Star spun 72 to 114 RPM less off the driver, depending on speed.

Pick the XV if carry is what you’re short on and firm feel doesn’t bother you. Pick the standard Z-Star if you score with your wedges or want the softer ball. A robot swings one way all day, so test both on your own course before buying three dozen. The swing speed guide covers how to match compression to your speed, and the Srixon Z-Star vs Pro V1 head-to-head covers the softer ball against Titleist.

Specs, and what changed for 2025

Specs sourced from Srixon’s official Z-Star XV page and GolfWRX’s 2025 Z-Star launch coverage. Three engineering changes define the 2025 model.

FastLayer DG Core 2.0. The core starts soft at the center and firms up toward its edge, using three formulas inside a single core. The XV version adds firmness partway through the core, which Srixon says boosts ball speed and iron spin.

Bio-urethane cover with Spin Skin+. The cover stays thin and now includes a plant-derived biomass material that takes fewer carbon emissions to manufacture. The Spin Skin+ coating, a thin urethane layer applied over the cover, uses a stronger paint for 2025. Per Srixon’s product page, the stronger paint resists dirt and grime, so the cover keeps its friction on wedge shots late in a round.

338 Speed Dimple Pattern. It carries over from the prior generation. Srixon says the pattern cuts drag and adds lift so the ball flies straight in wind.

How the XV compares with six other firm tour balls

Seven urethane tour balls sit in the high-compression bracket. Compression, layers and price come from our catalog; the last column is from MyGolfSpy’s 2026 robot test.

Against the Titleist Pro V1x (~102) at 116 mph, the XV was 0.8 mph slower and carried about 3 yards shorter, with near-identical driver spin (2,471 vs 2,438 RPM). The Pro V1x also spun about 375 RPM more with a 7-iron at the fast speed. If those margins matter to your game, the Pro V1x earns its extra $3.

Against the TaylorMade TP5x (~98), the XV was 0.5 mph faster and carried about 5.5 yards farther, with about 185 RPM more driver spin. Against the Callaway Chrome Tour X (~99), carry landed within a yard and driver spin within 15 RPM.

Two patterns stand out. The XV has the lowest compression of the seven, so it’s the softest way into this bracket. It also spun the most off the driver at 116 mph, and the Left Dash, Tour B X and TP5x all spun at least 110 RPM less there.

Buy it if / skip it if

Buy it if:

• You want more driver carry than the standard Z-Star and you’re happy to keep the same 7-iron spin
• You like a firm ball with a click at impact
• You play firm greens and need approach spin: the XV’s 7-iron spin ranked seventh of 48 at the middle and slow speeds
• You stock up during promos, when Buy 2, Get 1 Free turns the XV into a ~$36.66 ball

Skip it if:

• Your driver already spins too much. The XV ranked in the top six for driver spin at all three speeds, and the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash (~105) spun less at each one
• You score with wedges, or play a lot of wet rounds. The standard Srixon Z-Star (~81) spun more from 35 yards and far more on a wet full wedge
• You want a soft feel on and around the greens
• You play a lot of cold rounds. Our catalog doesn’t rate the XV as a cold-weather ball

What it costs, and when Srixon discounts it

Srixon lists the Z-Star XV at $54.99 per dozen on its own store in 2026, level with the standard Z-Star and the Z-Star Diamond. Retailer prices vary, and some run a few dollars under that. At list price the XV sits $3 below the Pro V1x, TP5x and Chrome Tour X, and level with the Tour B X.

The bigger saving is Srixon’s Buy 2, Get 1 Free deal. It runs each spring around Father’s Day, and a holiday version ran at the end of 2025. Three dozen at the two-dozen price puts the effective per-dozen cost at about $36.66, a 33% discount.

Titleist discounts the Pro V1x less often. Its main manufacturer promo is the spring Loyalty Rewarded deal (buy 3 dozen, get 1 free), which works out to about $43.49 a dozen. That’s still about $7 above the XV’s promo price.

Across 8 dozen a season, the $3 list-price gap is worth about $24. Buy the XV at promo against a Pro V1x at $57.99 and the season gap is roughly $171.

Check your own numbers first

Robot numbers show how two balls differ, and your own swing decides which difference matters. Take the BallCaddie fitting quiz and the engine scores the XV against the rest of the 72-ball catalog using your swing speed, ball flight and short-game priorities. It takes 90 seconds. Your fitting report is free; your #1 ball is paid.

For deeper dives:

• How to choose a golf ball by swing speed: the pillar guide that maps swing speed to compression tier.
• Srixon Z-Star vs Pro V1: the XV’s softer sibling against Titleist’s flagship.
• Pro V1 vs Pro V1x: the Titleist comparison most XV shoppers run in parallel.
• Golf ball compression chart: where the XV’s 96 lands next to every other ball we track.
• Best low-spin golf ball: the alternatives if the XV’s driver spin runs too high for you.

Sources

• MyGolfSpy, 2026 golf ball test
• Golf Monthly, Srixon 2025 Z-Star XV golf ball review
• GolfWRX, Srixon unveils new Z-Star series of golf balls