Gear: Mizuno ST-Z 220 and ST-X 220 drivers
Price: $449.99 with Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue or Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black shaft and Lamkin ST Hybrid 360 grips
Specs: 460 titanium heads with carbon-fiber crowns, carbon-fiber sole pieces, stainless steel back weights, and adjustable hosels.
Available: February 3
In September, Mizuno released the ST-G 200 driver, one of the most technologically advanced drivers on the market. It features a carbon-fiber crown, three moveable weight tracks, a thin titanium face, and an adjustable hosel to allow players and fitters to fine-tune the center of gravity and find the ideal launch angle and spin rates.
Now the Japanese sporting goods giant is releasing two more drivers that may seem less sophisticated. However, the ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200 were designed to offer golfers more ball speed with extra forgiveness and stability.
The ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200 feature a titanium chassis and a forged SAT2041 Beta titanium face that is thinner and stronger than most faces in modern drivers. That should allow the face to flex more efficiently and provide a larger sweet spot.
Both the ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200 feature Wave Technology in the sole to increase ball speed. It is a series of ridges that look like an accordion in the bottom of the head, directly behind the leading edge, that allows the lower portion of the face to flex more efficiently on low-struck shots.
Both clubs were designed with large carbon-fiber crowns and pieces of carbon fiber in the heel and toe areas of the sole. Compared to the previous generation of ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200, the carbon-fiber pieces on the sole are 40 percent larger, saving more weight and letting designers increase the stainless-steel weight found in the back of each club from 11 grams to 20 grams.