Reviews By and For the Readers
Once again, Srixon and Plugged In Golf have teamed up to bring you reviews from readers like yourself. We selected golfers from across the country to put the new Q-STAR into play. Here are their reactions.
Reader Review #1
Name: Brad Neal
Handicap: 6.5
Driver Swing Speed: 85 MPH
Current Golf Ball: Bridgestone E6 or Tour B RX
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? In 3 rounds on 3 different courses, the distance was equal to my Bridgestone.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? On the short game the Q Star seemed to have a little better stopping on the green. I don’t spin the ball back but the Q Star generally stopped very close to the landing spot.
How did the Q-STAR feel? The feel was surprisingly softer than I expected from a ball that claimed to add distance.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? I would have no hesitations playing the Q Star ball. Overall it seemed to be a very good ball especially for the price. I could not find any negatives.
Reader Review #2
Name: Willie Tyndall
Handicap: 32
Driver Swing Speed: 80
Current Golf Ball: Titleist DT TruSoft
How Tested: I opted to play the balls against in each other. This was achieved on an off day at the local club while golf traffic was light. I used my preferred driver, a TaylorMade R580 10.5* Senior Flex. There was only one fairway metal in use and it was also a TaylorMade R580 15* Reg Flex. I use older hybrids as well with a Tour Edge GeoMax Bazooka 19* 3H and Nike CPR 26* 5H. The irons are 6 – SW being Tommy Armour 845s Silver Scots and the Putter a Callaway Odyssey D2.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? As I have a slower swing speed, I need every yard I can get off the tee so I was excited to be trying a ball that may give me that advantage. The first drive off a par-4 slight dog leg left, found both the Q-Star and the TruSoft less than 5 yards apart, slight advantage Q-Star. Subsequent holes revealed a distinct carry/total distance advantage to the Q-Star as it would average a total distance increase for this golfer of around 20 yards on the drives. That is something to write home about.
Fairway shots with the 3W, hybrids and longer irons were longer with the Q-Star making reaching the greens in regulation more regular. In fact my wife, who was my playing partner that day, remarked that it seemed I was hitting the “yellow” ball better (I was using a white Titleist ball and yellow Srixon ball).
In terms of accuracy off the tee, both balls were pretty similar. My swing is more of a push-fade so I am used to the balls heading to the right. The TruSoft was more consistent in terms of finding the “central” area of the fairway. Both balls had no trouble getting in the air and landing with plenty of roll out. On one hole, I actually regretted not using a 3-wood instead of the driver as the Q-Star stopped about 10 yards shy of the water hazard crossing the fairway that the one time the TruSoft really outflew Q-Star and rolled into the water hazard (approx. 210yds total distance). Again my typical drives are 190 +/-.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? The Q-Star felt good coming off the club. I typically know that at 110-120 yards out I can hit my 8-iron and be close to the pin. Both balls were accurate in that sense. The Q-Star may have been better in terms of sound and feel off the club head. The amount of spin I could generate gave the ball great stopping power to hold the greens well. Full on shots stopped within a foot or two of where they landed. Pitch and runs landed softly and rolled with ease onto the greens.
How did the Q-STAR feel? I really like the feel of the Q-Star, particularly off the irons, where it seems I can feel the ball more. The ball produced a solid feel upon contact but not to the point of like you were hitting a rock. Putting wise, it has a nice “click” sound off the Odyssey putter. I had a sense of predictability of speed off the putter when making my shots to the cup, giving me the confidence to make the stroke.
Additional Notes: The Q-Star is a good ball that added distance to my drives on the course and everyone loves more distance. Around the green it stopped where it landed so I could dial in better my shots on the green. Overall the ball is a keeper as it flies reasonably straight for this 32 handicap push-fade driver. I had no trouble getting the ball in the air from either tight fairway lies or the rough. It did not matter if I had a hybrid, an iron or a wedge, the ball was going to go. When it landed it took the club spin induced on it to hold the green and not go running off. I had read in other reviews of the cover scuffing up heavily only after a couple of holes. I did not have that issue as the ball(s) (I lost a couple to the trees) were in great shape after the round.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? Based on my experience with this test, I could easily switch to the Q-Star as it has, for this golfer, some distinct performance advantages over the TruSoft. I plan another round soon with the Q-Star ball to see if this impression remains and if so, I plan on being an advocate of the Q-Star to my friends – as I still have a number of sleeves I can share to let them take the Q-Star test as well.
Reader Review #3
Name: Max Fulkerson
Handicap: 10
Driver Swing Speed: 100 MPH
Current Golf Ball: Wilson Staff DUO Urethane, Srixon Q-STAR Tour, Srixon Z-STAR
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? The new Q-STAR performed really well with woods and long irons. I tested on a course I play a lot and my tee shots were at least as far as usual. On one hole, I caught it thin but the ball still traveled as far as some of my longest drives this year. Also, the ball flew pretty straight, even on less than stellar strikes. Trajectory was high, but I hit it high anyway. It did not balloon, however. On long irons, the feeling at impact was soft, by not too soft. The sound was like snapping a green tree branch. I had two approaches more than 200 yards and held the green with a 4 iron each time. It was fun to hit it far.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? I really like putting with the ball. however, it comes of the face a little hot and springy, like a regular Wilson Duo, but less so. After making the adjustment to shorten my backstroke I was able to dial in distance fairly well. This hot, springy phenomenon continued with chips and pitches, and it’s here where I think the ball still falls short of my expectations and marketing hype. On chips the ball launches noticeably higher (even on 8 footers) and it runs forever. I could not not control the spin or distance even on perfect strikes. Because many amateurs often leave chips and putts short, this could actually be good for some golfers. I was frustrated, though. On two holes I had pretty short approaches, PW and 8 iron, that landed within 10 feet of the hole after a fairly steep landing angle that rolled too out much more than I expected or deserved. One of them even rolled to the back of the green, turning two legit birdie looks into long 2 putts to save par. My game isn’t good enough to withstand that kind of result. When I hit it close I need it to stop , as I don’t make many 20-30 foot putts.
How did the Q-STAR feel? Right out of the box it passed the fingernail test; not as grippy as a tour ball but still soft enough that it surprised me. The ball felt great. I really wanted to love it, especially for the price and because they no longer make my favorite ball. I could play it all day from the tee and the fairway, but I know it will let me down green-side. It’s a great ball for the price, but Srixon’s claim of great short game performance is just marketing hype unless they’re only talking about putting.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? I could see using this ball as the months grow colder, or when I just want to play for fun. I would need more spin control in the short game for me use it as my full-time gamer. Golf ball manufacturers have been chasing for decades the ideal of short game performance in a budget ball. At this point we need to ask ourselves, “is this even possible?” It seems that despite the advancements in core and cover technology and construction that come every year, companies still come up short of the ideal. On the other hand, do they really want to reach that goal? After all, why would golfers spend extra money for the Tour ball if the budget ball was just as good? And if the Q Star could do everything you ask of a golf ball, why keep making the Z Star? In the end, I must conclude that that new Q Star is a good ball, and almost a great ball, but it can’t do everything and claims that it will are just unnecessary.
Reader Review #4
Name: Margaret Smith
Handicap: 19
Driver Swing Speed: 70 MPH
Current Golf Ball: Pinnacle Extreme, Srixon Distance, Callaway Chrome Soft
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? The Q-Star carry distance and flight pattern is equal to if not further than current balls I use or have tried. The straight shots went straight and the misdrives/iron mishits were more forgiving and playable. The bounce/roll distance seemed to be less but appeared to continue forward;didn’t experience the wicked hop in the wrong direction that happens with some of the harder balls or the complete stop with softer balls.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? The Q-Star’s performance in the short game is a noticeable difference for me compared to other balls. The Q-Star held true to the ball path/speed and didn’t take off past the cup like I’ve experienced with other balls. Love it on the green. The same held true with my pitching/chipping game. This has been a problem area for me and feel that the Q-Star will absolutely improve my short game.
How did the Q-STAR feel? Smooth, comfortable and solid without feeling like a rock.
Additional Notes: The sound. It’s a solid confident kind of sound that doesn’t have have that gunshot crack type of noise that other balls have and is disconcerting on the golf course.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? It is now my gamer. With the Q-Star I didn’t lose anything in my long gam and know it definitely improved my short game.
Reader Review #5
Name: Robert Hedrick
Handicap: 9.3
Driver Swing Speed: 95 MPH
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? The Q Star was great in the long game. Good to great distance with the driver, fairways and hybrids. The ball would land softly with a bit of release into the green.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? The Q Star is good in the short game. Soft landing, with one hop and then grabbing. Chipping, the ball has a little more release, but was easy to adjust to. Putting is where this ball shined for me. Soft feel, but not a marshmallow. I had great distance control each time I played this ball.
How did the Q-STAR feel? Loved the feel of this ball with all clubs. Soft, but not too soft.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? The Q Star will be in my rotation for game balls. I tend to play balls that are well priced, and the Q Star fits perfectly.
Reader Review #6
Name: Chris Castro
Handicap: 12
Driver Swing Speed: 104 MPH
Current Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? With the driver, I hit both the Q-Star and ProV1 back-to-back on all par 4’s and par 5’s at the course I used for testing. When I felt I hit both balls solid off the tee, my further drives were with the ProV1. Using my range finder, I was routinely 5-8 yards closer to the green with the Titleist ball. The Q-Star noticeably had a lower trajectory than the ProV1 and held up just as well into the wind.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? On pitch shots and chips, the Q-star had a tad less “bite” than the ProV1. However, on full shots with my wedges and short irons, both balls were comparable to one another in regard to “bite”. In fact, just eyeing the divots from a few approach shots, both balls seemed to back up the same distance. As with the long irons, the Q-Star added 5-7 yards to each wedge and short iron.
How did the Q-STAR feel? Off the driver, the Q-Star was a little firmer than the ProV1, not by much though. With the irons, wedges and putter, I couldn’t notice a difference. I liked the feel of the Q-Star.
Additional Notes: For this review, I played the front 9 at Goose Creek in Mira Loma, CA twice. I played a match between the Q-Star and ProV1 on both occasions, switching which ball I hit first on each hole. The first time out, I shot a 39 with the Q-Star and a 44 with the ProV1. The second time out, I shot 42 with each ball. I play a Ping G driver, Srixon 565 irons (4-AW) and Ping Glide wedges.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? Yes.
Reader Review #7
Name: Mike Harrington
Handicap: 11
Driver Swing Speed: 95 MPH
Current Golf Ball: Snell Black or Vice Pro
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? Nothing spectacular. Similar in flight to my current ball. Well struck shots seemed to roll out a touch more. Simulator testing found the ball spinning a few hundred RPM less than Snell or Vice.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? This is where I noticed the difference between balls. Much less spin on short pitches and chips. Definitely something that needed to be adjusted for. Once I figured out the additional roll out, it was fine.
How did the Q-STAR feel? The best way I can describe the feel is premium range ball. I prefer a softer feeling/sounding golf ball. The Q-Star was firm and maybe a touch “clicky”. I couldn’t get a good feeling for it off the putter either. I have played the Q-Star Tour before and there is a big difference in feel and performance in my opinion compared to the regular Q-Star. Not sure about compression ratings between the Q-Star and my regular ball but I suspect that the urethane cover has a lot to do with feel and sound.
I also gave my wife a sleeve to try. She currently plays the Callaway ERC soft. Her immediate feedback was “no way”. She thought I gave her a range ball. I have played a few holes with the ERC before. Huge difference in feel. But the ERC does spin nicely.
Additional Notes: I was able to test the ball on my simulator (GC2) and the feeling/sound indoors is the same. Spin was a few hundred RPM less with all shots.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? Nope. Although I’m an average golfer, I am willing to spend a little more for a urethane ball. Maybe the Q-Star bought me a few yards off the tee but I’m not willing to give up a better feeling ball with a touch more spin for the majority of my shots.
Reader Review #8
Name: Jared Wallace
Handicap: 13
Driver Swing Speed: 97 MPH
Current Golf Ball: Srixon Q-STAR Tour
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? First swing with the driver couldn’t believe it was a two piece ball, felt the exact same as the Q-star tour, it felt soft but not squishy. Made a great sound on contact similar to most tour balls. Overall distant was great, felt it lacked some work-ability but the ball flew straight so there isn’t that much to complain about. Hitting long irons into the green it felt great and didn’t release as much as I expected it would.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? With full swings with wedges the ball felt great and was able to get it stopped just as good as any tour ball I have played. It released more than I expected based on the way it felt on short chip and pitch shots. With that being said the release on the shorter shots was consistent each time so it was very easy to adjust to. I did not love the feel of the ball with the putter. I don’t have an insert on my putter so it felt a little hard for my liking but nothing compared to most 2 pieces balls.
How did the Q-STAR feel? It felt very soft for a 2 piece ball, enjoyed the feel more with my driver and longer irons than I did with my putter and wedges.
Additional Notes: I used the tour yellow ball and the shine of it wears off pretty fast and turns into a dull yellow. Playing in South Florida where the rough isn’t a dark green made difficult to find.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? I won’t only because the Q-Star Tour is only a few dollars more and I personally think it performs a little better around the green but I am splitting hairs when it comes to the difference.
Reader Review #9
Name: Jason Gaines
Handicap: 17
Driver Swing Speed: 82 MPH
Current Golf Ball: Callaway Hex Tour Soft or Super Hot 55
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? The Srixon averaged 5-10 yards less than the Callaway.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? Definitely more control with the Q-STAR.
How did the Q-STAR feel? Slightly softer feel than my gamers.
Additional Notes: On wet fairways or in early morning dew the cover on the Q-Star faded somewhat. In fact the yellow balls turned a light green! The Q-Star is certainly playable but not distinguished enough to make me choose it over a lower priced competitor.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? The pricing of the Sirixon ball would determine whether or not it might become my Game ball. The company would also have to improve the quality of workmanship on the cover if I were to consider it.
Reader Review #10
Name: Peter Dourvetakis
Handicap: 7.6
Driver Swing Speed: 105 mph
Current Golf Ball: Callaway ERC Soft
How did the Q-STAR perform in the long game? Great mid-to-high launch which helped me carry a few more yards usual. Even with a higher launch, the ball had a very penetrating flight which helped me gain a few more yards. The ball seemed to fly pretty straight even on slight mishits which helped me keep it in the fairway a little more than I usually do. Overall, I would give the ball high marks off the tee.
How did the Q-STAR perform in the short game? This is where the performance of the Q-STAR was the most noticeable. The trajectory on my irons was perfect, not too high or low. On my shorter irons, I like to flight the ball a little more and the Q-STAR delivered. It maintained a low, piercing ball flight while creating enough spin to stop quickly. I created even more spin around the greens than usual which helped me control the ball a lot more than I usually do.
How did the Q-STAR feel? The Q-STAR felt great off every club in my bag, from the driver to the putter. I really enjoyed a ball that felt soft off the clubs but did not sacrifice any distance.
Will you be making the Q-STAR your gamer? Working for a Callaway sponsored club, I will most likely keep playing Callaway. However if this was not the case, I would strongly consider making the Q-Star my gamer because of the great feel and distance that I experienced while playing it.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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Exactly what I was looking for, thank you for putting
up.