The new Mizuno ST220 driver line-up is designed to bring out your best drives more often and your worst drives … not so much. Consistency is king in ST220 drivers, with both the ST-Z and ST-X models guaranteed to patch over those talent gaps in your tee ball game better than ever.
How did Mizuno achieve such an undertaking?
It’s all about stability.
STABILITY IS GREAT BUT WHAT ABOUT BALL SPEED?
In somewhat of a departure for a new driver release, stability and consistency are at the top of the pecking order for the new ST220 drivers, without a specific mention of faster ball speeds.
But there’s a good reason. Mizuno are so confident they have maxed out the ball speed with their CORTECH titanium face they shifted their focus to making the new ST-X and ST-Z drivers more stable and, therefore, more efficient and consistent. The sweet spot of the ST220 drivers has been expanded by between 20 to 30 per cent, a big factor in greater consistency.
But here’s the low down on ball speed in the ST220 range: by Mizuno’s reckoning, stability is interminably linked with ball speed. If a driver head is more stable it will deflect less when a strike isn’t quite out of the sweet spot. And with less deflection comes more ball speed. And with more ball speed comes … extra distance.
And that all adds up to the ST220 line-up achieving optimum launch and maximum ball speed on a more regular basis, a.k.a the good stuff appearing far more often.
Get the picture?
WHAT’S NEW IN THE ST220 DRIVERS
To achieve more stability, Mizuno engineers trod a few well-worn paths.
First they made the lightweight carbon fibre sole 40 per cent bigger, while also making the titanium frame that supports the sole thinner too.
And with all that mass freed up, Mizuno could slam a bigger weight on the back of the new ST220 drivers - a classic and reliable method to achieve more stability.
The new 20g weight almost doubles the previous 11g weight, a massive gain in a world where a couple of grams here and there is touted as game-changing.
Mizuno’s Wave Sole, which provides forgiveness for low strikes, and the aforementioned CORTECH titanium face both return, with impact sound also tuned for superior acoustics.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DRIVERS
Mizuno’s naming convention refers to how each head is weighted - with regard to the CG - to bring about specific performance.
But first a quick reminder: there are three different planes in a driver head. The X axis is from the toe to the heel, the Y axis runs from the crown to the sole and the Z axis runs from the front of the head to back.
The ST-X has its CG shifted on the X axis (weighted for a draw bias), while the ST-Z is weighted rearward and low for highly forgiving and high launching performance. And by the way, both drivers are also tuned for stability on the Y axis - resulting in both high and low face impacts becoming far more consistent in achieving optimal spin and launch.
THE MIZUNO ST-Z 220 DRIVER
The ST-Z is the straight-driving, low-spin model in the ST220 line-up. It’s historically Mizuno’s most popular driver and will suit players with high swing speeds who don’t need to shape the ball. It’s available in lofts of 9.5˚ and 10.5˚, with a selection of premium shafts - HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 60, Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 50/60, Aldila Ascent Red 50 and Aldila Ascent UL 40.
THE MIZUNO ST-X 220 DRIVER
The ST-X spins more and flies higher than the ST-Z (it’s in the mid-spin category) and will suit players with moderate swing speeds. But the real kicker is the ST-X’s draw bias, with its heel-weighted design making it a top option for anyone who fights the left-to-rights. It’s available in 10.5˚ and 12˚ with a Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue, Aldila Ascent Red 50 and Aldila Ascent UL 40 the stock shafts to choose from. The ST-X 220 also comes in a J-Spec configuration, which has a longer (45.75” compared to the standard 45”) and lighter UST Helium NanoCore shaft.
MIZUNO ST220 DRIVER SPECS
- Hand: Right/Left (ST-Z only)
- Shaft Options:
- ST-Z 220 driver:HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 60, Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 50/60, Aldila Ascent Red 50, Aldila Ascent UL 40
- ST-X 220 driver:Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue, Aldila Ascent Red 50, Aldila Ascent UL 40, UST Helium NanoCore (J-Spec only)
- ST-Z 220 driver lofts: 9.5˚, 10.5˚
- ST-X 220 driver lofts: 10.5˚, 12˚
- Hosel: adjustable through 4˚ range
MIZUNO ST-X 220 FAIRWAY WOODS
Sticking closely to the script established by the ST-X 220 driver, ST-X 220 fairway woods offer the same high-flight, draw-biased performance to suit players with moderate swing speeds.
But the ST-X 220 three wood is a bit of an outlier in the line-up. It’s completely crafted from titanium, which gives it a lower and deeper CG, and features a confidence-building, oversized shape.
The rest of the ST-X fairways (five and seven woods) sport a maraging MAS1C steel face and are significantly more compact.
MIZUNO ST-X 220 HYBRIDS
Mizuno ST-X 220 hybrids are the perfect foil to their fairway wood and driver counterparts, with similar high flight, draw-biased performance.
The hybrids feature a MAS1C steel face, which is Mizuno’s thinnest (1.8mm) and fastest for a hybrid, while a lightweight ‘Waffle Crown’ and a Wave Sole, calibrated for use off the turf, make it an extremely handy hybrid.
MIZUNO ST220 FAIRWAY & HYBRIDS SPECS
- Hand: Right
- Shaft Options:
- ST-X 220 fairway woods:Mitsubishi Diamana Red 50, Tensei AV Raw Blue 60, Aldila Ascent Red 50/60, Aldila Ascent UL 40, UST Helium NanoCore
- ST-X 220 hybrids: Aldila Ascent UL Hybrid 50, UST Helium NanoCore Hy 5
- ST-X 220 fairway lofts: 3W: 16˚, 5W: 18.5˚, 7W: 21.5˚
- ST-X 220 hybrid lofts: 4H: 20˚, 5H: 23˚, 6H: 26˚