2022 Srixon Q-STAR Tour Golf Balls – Key Takeaways

Fourth generation of Srixon’s popular mid-range urethane ball Updated FastLayer core with ultra-thin cover 72 compression $34.99/dozen, available starting today

The new 2022 Srixon Q-STAR Tour is the fourth generation of what started out as a very intriguing ball. When it came out in early 2017, the Q-STAR Tour was a bit of a unicorn. It was most definitely on the soft side but it was a urethane-covered ball that was originally priced to move at less than $30.

It didn’t have the speed of a firmer Tour-level ball. But for the target golfer, it was plenty fast enough. And while it didn’t have quite the spin of a Tour-level ball, for the target golfer, it was spinn-y enough.

The category itself—a soft-ish ball with a urethane cover for under 40 bucks—is popular with consumers. It may not have the same pizzazz as your Tour-level balls but golfers seem to like them.

And if you liked the 2020 Srixon Q-STAR Tour, you’ll be happy to know Srixon followed the ball maker’s Hippocratic oath: First, do no harm.

2022 Srixon Q-STAR Tour: What’s New?

In a word: not much. Well, that’s two words but you get the idea.

“The goal with this new version was to make some incremental improvements without reinventing the wheel,” says Srixon General Manager Brian Schielke. “The new Q-STAR Tour features a softer mid-layer which produces better feel and an increase in spin.”

The 2020 Q-STAR Tour was a middle-of-the-road performer in last year’s MGS Ball Test. By and large, it was low spin with both the driver and iron at all three swing speeds tested. And out of all 37 balls tested, it finished no lower than 12th in iron carry distance in each swing speed. Driver distance, however, was a different story. It was a top-half performer in the mid-swing speed category but finished near the bottom with both high and low swing speeds.

Getting a 72-compression ball to spin like a firmer Tour-level ball is next to impossible. And making the mid-layer softer isn’t going to help much. Greenside spin comes from a larger delta between a soft thin cover and a firm mid-layer. Srixon has the thinnest urethane covers in the game (Q-STAR Tour’s is 0.5mm, same as the Z-STAR) and Srixon’s unique spin-enhancing SeRM coating will help. But, in this case, spin is relative.

Q-STAR Tour won the spin contest in Srixon’s head-to-head wedge testing against the TaylorMade Tour Response and the Titleist Tour Speed. With a 58-degree wedge and a 35-mph swing, the Q-STAR Tour had nearly 400 more rpm than the TaylorMade and nearly 800 more than the Titleist. It was, of course, Srixon’s test, so the results should be taken with a prescription-strength grain of salt.

FastLayer Cores and Speed Dimples

When Srixon introduced the Q-STAR Tour DIVIDE two-color balls last spring, they included much of what’s new in this “standard” version. The high points are the ever-evolving FastLayer Core, that thinner cover we discussed earlier and an elongated alignment stamp.

Of the three, the new FastLayer core is the most interesting. If you move up Srixon’s ownership chain, you’ll ultimately arrive at Sumitomo Rubber Industries, the “SRI” in Srixon. SRI is a multi-billion-dollar tire and rubber company and, like Bridgestone, has rubber engineers coming out of its all-season radials. The FastLayer Core is a bit of rubber alchemy that’s soft in the center and gets progressively firmer toward the outside. The end result is a core that’s both firm and soft.

The thing is, Srixon is telling us this FastLayer Core is the softest overall yet used in a Q-STAR Tour. Srixon says the 2020 Q-STAR Tour compression is still 72, the same as the 2020 model. I’m sure that will be one of the first tests we do in Ball Lab.

Another Srixon signature is the 338 Speed Dimple Pattern. Srixon balls do have a reputation for performing well in the wind and the 338 Speed Dimple Pattern is designed to reduce drag and increase lift. Lower drag helps keep the ball online while greater lift helps keep the ball in the air longer.

The Elephant in the Room

MyGolfSpy readers have excellent memories and I’m certain you remember the 2020 Q-STAR Tour’s poor showing in our Ball Lab study. That study showed one out of every three balls tested wasn’t round and one out of every four had layer concentricity issues which lead to wide compression inconsistencies in a single ball.

We’ve discussed this with Srixon whenever Q-STAR Tours come up and, to its credit, the company has neither shied away from the results nor has it dismissed them.

“Quality is always a priority for us,” Schielke says. “And in development and production, we are ensuring the highest quality and consistency are going into each Q-STAR Tour.”

The most recent Z-STAR XV and Soft Feel balls have tested out considerably better than the Q-STAR Tour. The XV graded out to average which, I suppose, is neither good nor bad. And the Soft Feel, a low-compression two-piece ball selling for $23 per dozen, was slightly above average.

The bottom line is it will be interesting to see the Ball Lab results on not only the new Q-STAR Tour but Srixon’s other new offerings as well. Both the Z-STAR/Z-STAR XV DIVIDE and the Z-STAR Diamond are out now.

2022 Srixon Q-STAR Tour: Final Thoughts, Price and Availability

So where does the Srixon Q-STAR Tour fit? And, for that matter, where do the other players in the near Tour-ball category fit? Sales numbers suggest that while no one really likes paying $45 to $50 per dozen for an OEM’s premier ball, the folks that want high-level firmness and spin will pay for it.

Then there are the DTC contenders who provide that same Tour-level performance at $10 to $15 less per dozen.

“Q-STAR Tour really is one of the best values in golf,” insists Schielke. “It has the Tour-level urethane cover but is priced to give golfers added value. We know golfers will stick with it once they see the performance.”

One of the shifts we’re seeing in the golf ball market is line extension. OEMs are putting more offerings on the table in hopes of scratching different golf ball itches. Srixon is taking that to the next level. The new Q-STAR Tour release now brings its urethane ball count to 12.

That, friends, is a lot of retail space.

The new 2022 Srixon Q-STAR Tour golf balls are available in Pure White and Tour Yellow and sell for $34.99 per dozen.

They’re available starting today.

For more information, visit Srixon’s website.

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