Gear: Mizuno ST-Z 230, ST-X 230, ST-X PLTNM 230 drivers
Price: $499.95 for the ST-Z 230 and ST-X 230 with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green shaft, Mitsubishi Kai’Li Blue shaft or UST Mamiya LINQ Red shaft and Lamkin Hybrid ST grip. $549.95 for the ST-X PLTNM 230
Specs: Forged SAT 2041 Beta Ti face with titanium chassis, internal steel weight with TPU coating, carbon fiber crown and adjustable hosel. Lofts – 9.5, 10.5 degrees for the ST-Z 230; 9.5, 10.5, 12 degrees for the ST-X 230, 10.5, 12 degrees for the ST-X PLTNM 230
Available: February
Who They’re For: Golfers who want a stable, low-spin, neutral-bias driver (ST-Z 230); players who want a draw-biased driver (ST-X 230); golfers who want a lightweight club to generate more swing speed (ST-X PLTNM 230)
The Skinny: The addition of an internal steel weight helps the ST-230 drivers generate more ball speed and lower spin rates, while the three club configurations give fitters a chance to help more golfers find a head that suits their needs best.
The Deep Dive: Four years ago the engineers and designers at Mizuno set out to do something hard. They were tasked with bringing the brand’s woods up to speed with Mizuno’s irons, which have been loved for years by discerning golfers for their distinctive looks and feel.
In each of the previous three seasons, Mizuno has released a new driver, starting with the ST-190, followed by the ST-200 and last season’s ST-220 drivers. (ST stands for speed technology.) Now the brand is releasing three ST-230 drivers, and Mizuno feels good enough about them to plan to move to two-year product cycles.