For many who prioritize distance above all, Srixon has unveiled the longest golf ball it has ever made.
I’m not an enormous exclamation level man however I really feel prefer it’s value saying once more.
ULTISPEED is the longest golf ball Srixon has ever made!
Changing the favored Q-STAR, the brand new Q-STAR ULTISPEED isn’t simply one other incremental replace. It represents a realignment of Srixon’s “non-Tour” golf ball lineup and a reimagination of what a distance golf ball may be.
From non-conforming to authorized (and playable)
The UltiSpeed story begins with a Japanese mannequin known as the Xmax. The primary-generation Xmax was something however standard. It was a 115-compression fully non-conforming distance machine that provided completely no really feel (or spin) across the inexperienced.
Lengthy? Oh, hell sure.
Playable? Not a lot.
I’m not a mushy golf ball man however none of this (apart from the large distance) sounds fulfilling.
Nonetheless, Srixon thought there was one thing to the thought. A number of generations later, the corporate thinks it has found out easy methods to preserve a lot of the distance that outlined that first Xmax whereas creating one thing it believes golfers will precise get pleasure from hitting.
All it took was to fully change every little thing from cowl to core.
A decade in growth
The evolution of ULTISPEED required considerably rethinking supplies throughout all three layers of the ball’s development.
And I suppose that brings us to a serious distinction between Q-STAR and Q-STAR ULTISPEED. The brand new mannequin has three layers whereas Q-STAR was extra of a textbook two-piece ionomer providing.
ULTISPEED’s layers leverage what Srixon says are proprietary new supplies that took 10 years of analysis to develop. “We had been considering exterior the field testing issues that you just wouldn’t suppose can be in a golf ball,” says Srixon’s Jake Donahue.
As with practically each proprietary factor in golf, Srixon isn’t saying precisely what the brand new supplies are however they’re distinctive to the ULTISPEED ball, though these items typically have a approach of filtering into different fashions.
What makes the ULTISPEED significantly attention-grabbing is how its core differs from different balls with graduated core know-how. The place most three-piece “Tour” balls search to create a major gradient from the softest interior a part of the core the firmest outer portion, ULTISPEED takes a special strategy.
“It’s mushy within the middle of the core after which it regularly will get agency in direction of the surface of the core. That’s in all our golf balls,” says Donahue. “With this new materials, it allowed us to vary that hardness distribution. It’s not as drastic so it doesn’t have that soft-to-firm transition that the others do. It’s a bit bit nearer collectively. That allowed us to protect power loss which was actually key for us in maximizing ball velocity.”
Mentioned one other approach: Whereas most graduated core designs work to tune spin by way of the bag, with ULTISPEED, Srixon used comparable know-how to create softer (that’s a relative time period right here) really feel with out sacrificing velocity.
A brand new becoming matrix
The Q-STAR ULTISPEED introduction is a part of a strategic realignment of Srixon’s “non-Tour” ball lineup.
As a smaller firm, Srixon can’t moderately provide the identical variety of SKUs as its bigger opponents so it’s essential to diversify its “non-Tour” golf ball lineup. With the introduction of Q-STAR ULTISPEED, right here’s the place every little thing lands.
Delicate Really feel is for the man who desires … properly, that one’s type of on the nostril, isn’t it?
Q-STAR Tour is for the golfer who desires a bit extra spin however isn’t essentially on the lookout for Tour-level efficiency and the pricing that comes with it.
ULTISPEED exists in a extra clearly designed area for the golfer on the lookout for most distance off the tee.
At 85 compression Q-STAR ULTISPEED is dramatically softer than its 115-compression ancestor nevertheless it’s nonetheless considerably firmer than the 72-compression Q-STAR it replaces.
ULTISPEED replaces Q-STAR nevertheless it’s hardly a one-for-one swap.
Efficiency Expectations
In the case of distance, Donahue doesn’t mince phrases about ULTISPEED. “We will safely say it’s positively our longest golf ball we’ve ever made.”
And that features the entire Z-Star lineup.
In testing towards aggressive distance balls and even premium “Tour” choices, ULTISPEED has impressed.
“We took all these kind of distance-focused kind of golf balls to do some testing. It’s loopy. We’re seeing increased ball velocity, we’re seeing decrease spin for probably the most half off the tee and we’re seeing a pair yards of distance.”
Maybe extra stunning had been comparisons with premium tour balls. Srixon discovered that ULTISPEED can match Left Sprint mph for mph, however due to the decrease spin price, it’s a few yards longer.
Whereas distance off the tee in all probability isn’t the perfect purpose to decide on a golf ball (until you’re the bomber in your scramble group), ULTISPEED was designed to ship extraordinarily low facet spin, conserving photographs straighter, which isn’t any small profit for golfers on the lookout for all the assistance they’ll get conserving a ball in, or at the very least near, the green.
“The theme of this golf ball is lengthy and straight,” says Donahue. “There’s simply actually minimal facet spin so that you’re not seeing these huge left-to-right or right-to-left trajectories with this golf ball.”
Who ought to play Q-STAR ULTISPEED?
Curiously, ULTISPEED or, I suppose, UMax, was initially conceived for prime swing velocity gamers looking for obscene distance. Over time, ULTISPEED’s market place has developed.
“I believe the place we actually noticed nearly all of the demographics flock to this ball was these average to common swing velocity gamers and a few older gamers who possibly misplaced some swing velocity over time,” explains Donahue.
The corporate now positions ULTISPEED for mid- to high-handicappers who prioritize distance and straight ball flight over greenside spin and workability.
“This golf ball goes to be marketed extra in direction of the mid- to high-handicapper, possibly your on a regular basis golfer who simply desires to go on the market and have enjoyable, not take it too severely,” says Donahue. “Or they do wish to actually enhance however they don’t wish to spend the cash that they might on a Tour ball.”
That stated, for those who’re a quicker swinger on the lookout for much more, at 85 compression, ULTISPEED ought to maintain up higher than something in its class.
Really feel and development
If you happen to’re on the lookout for mushy really feel out of your golf ball, ULTISPEED isn’t going to ship something near what you’re on the lookout for. It’s unapologetically agency (a lot firmer than Q-STAR), although Srixon thinks the texture is mushy relative to its compression quantity and, so far as the aggressive set (most notably, Titleist Velocity), it’s no firmer than the rest on the market.
Greater than something, ULTISPEED stands out for its value level. It options three-layer development, together with Srixon’s 338 Pace Dimple sample and what the corporate calls a FastLayer Core.
At $29.99, it presents a singular worth proposition as a three-piece distance ball.
“For that $29.99 value level, we actually suppose it is a steal of a golf ball for every little thing you’re getting,” Donahue says. “There’s not one other ball that’s a three-piece $29.99 providing.”
Significant distance
Past pure numbers, Donahue emphasizes that ULTISPEED isn’t nearly “excessive distance” or outdistancing taking part in companions. It’s about what that distance means for a golfer’s total recreation.
“Once I consider this golf ball, I consider it as significant distance. The concept isn’t to only crush drives and outdrive your taking part in companions. Definitely, you are able to do that with this golf ball however the concept is basically for this to essentially simply enhance your recreation, make it extra fulfilling for the on a regular basis golfer.”
The underside line
With the Q-Star Ultispeed Srixon is betting that golfers looking for trustworthy distance features will discover its mixture of straight flight, distinctive distance, and affordable value compelling.
From its origins as an unplayable Japanese market curiosity to its present kind as a refined distance weapon, the Q-Star Ultispeed’s growth journey displays Srixon’s dedication to pushing boundaries whereas conserving playability in thoughts.
Maybe the advertising tagline for Q-Star Ultispeed sums it up greatest: “Play a spherical and discover out.”
The Srixon Q-Star Ultispeed is offered now in each white and yellow.
The submit Srixon Q-Star Ultispeed: From Non-Conforming Japanese Curiosity To Your New Distance Ball appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
