Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Golf Ball Review- Srixon Q Star (Tour Yellow)

I know, I know...it has been ages since I made a post on my blog.  Between working on my golf game, coaching baseball in the summer and preparing for my first child I have been busy.  Now that baseball is winding down and everything is pretty much done in the nursery, I thought what better time to getting my writing going than now. 

I can't say that I haven't been playing much this year as I have played as often as I can.  My bag is set right now until I come across something that can knock one of my clubs out and I have been playing the Titleist NXT Tour S as of recent and have fallen in love with it.

Yesterday, though, I went out and played 18 holes with a buddy of mine and I had picked up a sleeve of Srixon Q Star Tour Yellow balls (I am a sucker for yellow golf balls).  Since we weren't playing for anything, I thought I would give them a go and see how they performed for me.  I have played Srixon balls in the past and my favorite was and has always been the Z Star Tour Yellow, of course. 

I am not a tour level golfer by any means, but I do drive the ball well, have an above average iron game, and my wedges have become something a sniper would be jealous of.  I can play a tour level (multi-piece) golf ball or a mid-level distance ball and shoot roughly the same score.  So now, after telling you about my game...let's get to the review:



Specifications

According to Srixon, the Q Star is a 2-piece ball that is "designed for players who are looking an all ability ball with Z-STAR performance". It is built for swing speeds of 90+ mph.  The ball is rated with exceptional driver distance, minimal spin off the driver and average spin on approach shots. 

How it performed-Feel

The first thing I notice is feel as that is a major importance factor to me, so please keep that in mind throughout my review.  With that being said, the first negative I found with the ball was on driver impact.  The first time I hit the ball, it felt rock hard and left the impression that I didn't put my best effort on the ball.  I thought that I had caught the ball off the heel a little more than usual, but I decided to tee another up and I got the same exact thing.  Let's just say that after 18 holes, this is not my favorite ball off the tee.

I would be lying if I said that after my experience on the tee that I didn't have some doubts going into iron and wedges shots with the Q Star.  Luckily, I found that the Q Star has a little softer feeling off an iron or wedge, but it does produce a louder "click" off the club face than I am used to.  I was pleased with the feel off the irons and wedges, because if it felt like it did off the driver then I would have had a hard time continuing this trial of the Q Star. 

How it performed-Distance & Spin

I will say that Srixon seems to be spot on with their exceptional distance claim when it comes to the driver.  Even though I wasn't pleased with the feel off the driver, I could not dispute the distance I gained.  Let's just say that the Q Star was easily 10 yards longer off the tee on average than the Titleist NXT Tour S ball I have been playing a majority of the year.  The ball has a penetrating flight, that lands hard on the fairway and gets exceptional roll out. 

I was a little scared of the extra distance I gained off the driver, so I decided to back down a little on my irons and wedges.  This decision was not my brightest idea, to say the least.  I was afraid I would blow the ball over the green on approach shots and that was not the case.  I was able to use the same club I would normally.  The only difference on approach shots was in spin.  I can't spin the ball like the guys on the PGA Tour, but I have enough game where I can get the ball to check and maybe spin a slight bit.  Unfortunately, the Q Star didn't want to check or spin back.  It does land soft on the greens for such a firm ball, but you need to be prepared for the ball to roll out. 

I would like to add that the majority of use "recreational" golfers out there should not be worried about spinning the ball back.  We just need to be worried about getting the ball in the hole. 

How it performed-Chipping & Putting

I was slightly skeptical of the Q Star around the greens due to the firmness I felt from the ball on impact, but surprisingly enough the Q Star is amazing around the greens.  I am the type of golfer that uses an 8 iron from the fringe to get the ball to roll out to the hole and I will only use the 60* wedge when using the 8 iron doesn't make sense.  No matter the shot I had the Q Star passed with flying colors.  The fringe chip rolled tried and true, the low running chip shot landed soft enough to roll close to the hole and the long pitch/chips landed soft with just a small amount of roll out.  I felt like I had total control of the ball around the green.

As a feel player, putting is where you notice the most.  While the Q Star is not my favorite off the putter, it is also not the worst.  The big issue I had was on short putts, I felt that I had to hit the ball a little lighter due to the feel and I had the tendency to come up short.  Once I convinced myself to actually "lift my skirt up" and hit the ball the results were just as typical as I would normally see.  I did, however, love the Q Star on longer putts.  When I knew I had to hit the ball firm I saw the results that I wanted to see and that was the ball falling into the cup or at the least nestling up next to it for an easy tap in. 

Final Takeaway

If you have a higher swing speed (90+) and are looking for a long ball off the tee that performs well around the greens, then this ball is for you.  If you are a feel player I suggest you give the ball a little time.  It will take you a few swings to get adjusted to how the ball feels off the driver, woods and hybrids.  The other big factor is the price...if you aren't looking to spend $40 or more for a tour level ball then the Q Star is adequate substitution. 


If you have any requests of clubs, balls, apparel or equipment you can leave a comment on this post or send me a tweet (@mcbush25) and I'd be happy to fulfill that request. 

Hit 'em Straight!

2 comments:

  1. Enjoyed the article. I like the Srixon line of golf balls and have good luck with the Q-Star line. I agree that the spin on approach shots is not a strong point, the ball seems to have good feel for my swing on most shots.

    http://hittingthegolfball.com

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  2. I really like the Qstar. I think it feels remarkably soft off woods and irons. They are definitely long. As far as spin it seems ok to me but it is still cold and greens are very firm. I have stopped old top flight so I know these will work. I doubt any good golfer would discard them.

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