Titleist Pro V1 vs Srixon Z-Star Golf Balls: Our Head-To-Head Verdict

Titleist Pro V1 vs Srixon Z-Star Golf Balls: Our Head-To-Head Verdict

As you can read from the Titleist Pro V1 ball review and Srixon Z Star ball review, these two are among the best golf balls on the market. The Z star is the softer, higher-spinning version of the Srixon Z Star range, whereas the Pro V1 is the slightly lower-spinning yet softer ball of the Titleist Pro V1 family. See how they fare head-to-head as we compare the Titleist Pro V1 vs. Srixon Z Star golf balls. Additionally see our guides on the best Titleist golf balls, and best Srixon golf balls as well.

Looks

Both of these balls are available in both white and yellow, with the Pro V1 housing 388 dimples versus the 338 of the Z Star. They each come with all-black text and a potentially useful straight-side logo for those who utilize this for alignment. 

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Feel

In the short game, both balls produced a very pleasing strike, however we felt that the Pro V1 gave a marginally softer feel when chipping and pitching. The difference was negligible when rolling putts on the green, both feeling soft and producing a satisfyingly dull, muted sound. 

On longer shots, once again, the Titleist Pro V1 was the slightly softer feeling ball of the two particularly with the driver. Both are a similar compression ball, with Srixon reporting the Z Star as a 90 compression and independent tests suggesting the Pro V1 comes in at around 87.

Ball Flight & Distance

The Titleist Pro V1 has the edge in this department, producing a few extra yards across the board. Looking at the data, this would most likely be attributed to the lower spin profile as the other parameters were pretty similar. Ball speed and launch angle were very comparable, as were peak height numbers, so the extra distance would likely come from the 2-300 less rpm produced by the Pro V1 on the long shots. 

Control

Both balls performed extremely well around the green with ample spin on chips and pitches. For the full shots, the additional spin of the Z star should mean that iron approaches will pull up a little quicker, but to switch perspective for a moment, this makes the Pro V1 a touch more stable in head and crosswinds, so this needs to be weighed up. 

Which should I choose?

Whilst both are extremely good options, The Titleist Pro V1 remains the benchmark that all other premium balls will be judged against. The Z Star will be a good choice for those who like softer feel golf balls and a bit more spin than the Pro V1. One negative of the Z Star we found was the cover was undoubtedly less durable than the Titleist Pro V1.

There is very little between the balls in terms of control, with the Z Star producing a fraction more spin than Pro V1 in the long game but with the Titleist ball giving a touch more stability in the wind. The Pro V1 just edged the distance contest throughout the bag.

Choose the Titleist Pro V1 if...

- You value distance over spin
- Durability is important to you
- You prefer a slightly softer feel

Choose the Srixon Z star if...

- You would prefer a touch more spin on your full shots
- You enjoy a mid-soft feeling ball

For more golf ball buying advice, have a read of our guides on the best golf balls for high swing speeds.