Srixon Q Star Tour Golf Ball Review

Srixon Q-Star Tour golf ball promises tour-level performance at a compression and price to suit amateur golfers’ swing speeds and budget.

Now into its fourth generation, the three-piece Q-Star Tour is the brand’s softest golf ball that delivers tour-level performance. It is specifically calibrated to fit moderate swing speed players that want the distance and spin found in a premium ball. This is one of the best golf balls most club golfers could game.

The updated Q-Star follows Srixon’s Z-Star Diamond Golf Ball into the brand’s 2022 balls line-up, which brings together the benefits of the Z-Star and Z-Star XV and will be played by Brooks Koepka.

But while that ball targets Tour players and faster swingers, the Q-Star Tour is very much a Tour-quality ball aimed at the club golfer. How is that possible? Srixon say that Tour performance starts around the greens, which is why the updated ball uses a 0.5mm premium urethane cover that’s coated in Slide Ring Material (SeRM). Srixon’s Spin Skin with SeRM coating increases friction and bite for more spin and control when attacking flags.

Srixon’s robot testing saw the Q-Star Tour deliver 400rpm more spin than some of its closest competitors, which is highly impressive.

The ball’s FastLayer Core sees a gradual transition from soft inner core to firm outer edge and behaves like a core with thousands of layers, helping to deliver distance and softer feel. It is Srixon’s softest core that still delivers Tour-grade performance, while also dramatically reducing long game sidespin to help your tee shots fly straighter.

You’ll also find 338 dimples on every Q-Star Tour ball, a pattern used in the Z-Star balls and designed to deliver less drag and more lift for a long and true flight, even in strong winds 

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We’re big fans of the Q-Star Tour here at Today’s Golfer and found it to be a genuinely excellent alternative to premium tour balls when we pitted it against Titleist’s market-leading Pro V1 in our head-to-head test in 2020, something we can’t see changing in 2022.

Impressively, Srixon have kept the price of the new model the same at £34.99 per dozen, making it a no-brainer to switch into for the majority of normal club golfers currently using more expensive premium options.

TH Q-Star Tour is marginally cheaper than a Pro V1 but without any significant loss of performance. The softer compression means you’ll give up a little driver distance over a premium ball, but you’ll gain that back in iron distance.

And while data will show it spins significantly less than a Pro V1, it actually launches and flies higher, dropping at a steeper angle, so will still stop quickly on the greens.

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For us the Q-Star Tour joins Callaway’s Chrome Soft, TaylorMade’s Tour Response and Wilson’s new Triad in being a superb golf ball option for club golfers who have a “normal” swing speed and don’t have money to burn.

The Q-Star Tour is also available in a Divide version (read our review here), released late in 2021, which brings all the benefits of the standard ball but with a colourscheme that is designed to help with alignment and putting.

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Srixon Q-Star Tour: Key Technology

How the Srixon Q-Star Tour fits into their balls line-up

Srixon Z-Star (£47.99)

Srixon’s original premium ball, the Z-Star was updated in 2021 and is ideal if finesse around the greens and pinpoint approach shots are your keys to your scores. A three-piece 0.6mm-urethane-covered ball, Z-Star offers 90 compression, long distance through low driver spin, a mid flight and the highest greenside spin.

The FastLayer Core starts soft in the centre and gradually becomes firm around its edge, giving high-speed players exceptional feel and plenty of ball speed for maximum distance. The thicker thermoplastic urethane cover features Spin Skin with SeRM, for maximum iron and wedge spin. 338 dimple reduces drag and improves flight for more distance.

Srixon Z-Star XV (£47.99) 

Srixon’s only four-piece ball, the XV was updated in 2021 with everything from its molecules to its dimples pushed to the limit. Used by Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry, it’s longer than Z-Star thanks to a reformulated inner core boosts overall resiliency for a faster snap off the clubface for more ball speed and distance.

Expect a mid-high flight and soft feel (102 compression) and plenty of greenside spin thanks to its 0.5mm urethane cover which uses Spin Skin with SeRM. The 338 dimple pattern reduces drag and improves flight.

Srixon Z-Star Diamond (£47.99)

The newest ball in Srixon’s Z-Star series, the three-piece Diamond is played by Brooks Koepka, and combines the best of Z-Star and XV. The new FastLayer Core starts soft in the centre and gradually becomes firm around its edge, giving high-speed players exceptional feel and plenty of ball speed for maximum distance. The thicker thermoplastic urethane cover features , for maximum iron and wedge spin. 338 dimple reduces drag and improves flight for more distance.

Srixon Q-Star Tour (£36.99)

Three-piece urethane-covered ball that provides premium tech in a model that’s suitable for moderate swing speeds. Uses Tour technologies found in the Z-Star series like FastLayer, Spin Skin with SeRM, and Speed Dimples but with a softer compression (72). 338 dimple reduces drag and improves flight for more distance.

Srixon AD333 (£26.99)

Into its 10th generation, the two-piece AD333 is one of the most popular balls with club golfers. The new FastLayer core lowers compression (72) for better flight with lower-lofted clubs, while the Spin Skin with SeRM found in the brand’s premium models improves spin and stopping power. The 338 ‘speed dimple’ pattern helps reduce drag and boost lift and the 1.45mm ionomer cover is very durable.

Srixon Soft Feel (£24.99)

The Soft Feel lives up to its name with 60 compression and a thin ionomer cover for better spin and feel around the greens, while the FastLayer Core combines softness with distance. The 338 dimple pattern helps reduce drag and improve flight through the wind for more distance.

Srixon Ultisoft (£24.99)

The lowest compression ball in Srixon’s line-up (42), the two-piece has a soft ionemer cover for better feel and more greenside spin. The 338 dimple pattern helps reduce drag and improve flight through the wind for more distance.

Srixon Distance (£17.99)

The lowest priced ball in Srixon’s range, the two-piece distance does exactly what it says on the box – gives you more yards. It has a FastLayer Core, durable ionomer cover and and a 324 dimple pattern to maximise distance and help your ball fly through wind.

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What Srixon say about the Q-Star Tour Golf Ball

“The new and improved Q-Star Tour continues to deliver tour-calibre performance with a softer feel compared to our other tour-level offerings,” said Joe Miller, Product Expert at Srixon Sports Europe.

“This ball provides the distance all golfers need with the greenside spin and control to attack the toughest of pins.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Jerram is the Digital Editor of todaysgolfer.co.uk
He has been a journalist for more than 20 years, starting his career with Johnston Press where he covered local and regional news and sport in a variety of editorial roles across ten years.
Rob joined Bauer Media in 2010 and worked as the Senior Production Editor of Today’s Golfer and Golf World magazines for ten years before moving into the Digital Editor’s role in July 2020.
He has been playing golf for almost three decades and has been a member at Greetham Valley Golf Club in Rutland for eight years, playing off 12.
You can get in touch with Rob, here