Mizuno ST-Z Fairway Wood Review

Mizuno ST-Z Fairway Review

Mizuno has a world leading reputation for excellence in making forged blades and better player irons. Deservedly so, ‘nothing feels like a Mizuno’ is a brand statement that has earned its stripes, from the days of Nick Faldo to the best Mizuno irons you can buy in 2022.

Over the years, the Japanese brand has also been quietly excellent at producing fairway woods, without receiving the recognition it deserves. The F-60 3-wood was a personal favourite and stayed in my bag for several years, which was why I was keen to test out the Mizuno ST-Z fairway woods to see how they compared to the best fairway woods on the market.

We headed to the performance testing studio at Wynyard Club on Teesside using a Foresight Sports GC Quad launch monitor and Titleist ProV1x golf balls to see what the ST-Z offers to golfers looking to switch things up at the top end of the bag. We followed up with a range session and put it in play on Wynyard’s Wellington course.

Before we get into the performance, it is worth looking at where the ST-Z sits in comparison to other models. The ST-X model is only other option in the new Mizuno range, offering all the benefits of the ST-Z with a draw-bias weight embedded into the head. The ST-Z is a lower spinning head that combines power and forgiveness and is pitched at a broad cross section of golfers.

Pull off the headcover and you can’t miss the fact that Mizuno have built a beautiful looking golf club that sits well behind the ball and makes you want to take a swing. Mizuno designers call it a ‘throwback profile,’ meaning it’s inspired by classic clubs from the past with a square face and elegant rounded toe.

The Mizuno running bird logo sits plumb over the sweet spot and the leading edge gives a simple classy aesthetic. The ultra-lightweight grey carbon crown is a lovely accent touch blending nicely with a deep black top edge.

Mizuno says it’s made improvements to lower the COG (centre of gravity) for better spin and MOI (moment of inertia) performance. This means they’ve used lighter materials, like the carbon crown, and re-engineered the Wave technology soleplate to free up weight that can be moved lower in the head to deliver a better launch with lower spin.

On the launch monitor, it was one of the lowest spinning heads in the group test, launched nicely at 14.4° and had a peak flight of 28 yards, delivering a penetrating flight. With an average carry distance of 232 yards, the ST-Z matched up well against leading competitors. There is an extra weight positioned to the back of the clubhead which balances out the low-spin profile and gives you the versatility to launch it higher. 

Unlike the previous ST-2000 model, this model’s hosel is highly adjustable, giving a 4° range – so you could knock it down to 12.75° or up to 17.25° - that’s like having the option to play a mini driver or a four wood.

This superb adjustability makes the ST-Z one of the most forgiving fairway woods out there and excellent value for money at £279 RRP. On the course, it was easy to pick up off the fairway and was stable and powerful from the tee. It was an easy club to fade which always sits well with me as I like to use my fairway wood as a backup to driver on tighter holes.

The ST-Z comes with a huge choice of custom shafts from leading brands including Aldila, Fujikura, Mitsubishi Chemical, Graphite Design and True Temper. Many are available at no additional cost but premium models like the Fujikura Ventus come with an upcharge.

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