Review: Mizuno ST-X 230 Driver
By Curated Experts
Miguel B. and Kyle Emery
Mizuno ST-X 230 Driver
See Price and Details
10 photos
The Curated Take
4.2/5
Ideal for
- Best for people wanting help fighting right ball flight (fade/slice)
- High Forgiveness
- High Launch
- Fantastic soft feel.
- Higher forgiveness model
- Crisp sound on contact
Not ideal for
- Not a neutral flight club
- Not a low spin club
- Slightly smaller footprint while still having a deep face
- Not the best option for shot shaping
Workability
The workability of this driver is not its strong suit. However, while it has a draw bias to it, the bias is minimal compared to other drivers out there. I...Read more
With the ST-X 230 dialing back the amount of offset at address, it provides players a bit more opportunity in certain settings to shape shots with this driver. The lower...Read more
Forgiveness
This driver is sort of a Swiss Army knife! It’s forgiving while also promoting some backspin reduction with the forward weight in the CoreTech Chamber. Typically, low spin...Read more
When testing the Mizuno ST-X 230 I thought it was very forgiving with mishits not being overly penalizing with distance or ball flight. I tend to hit the ball all...Read more
Feel
The feel of this club is solid. While some clubs feel bouncy or springy this club feels like a hammer at impact. You get feedback on very poor struck shots...Read more
Right next to forgiveness, the overall feel of the Mizuno ST-X 230 was outstanding. Responsive without being harsh or firm-feeling. Soft feel off the face where you can feel the...Read more
Sound
The solid sound of this club matches the solid feel which is a really beneficial quality to have in a driver. Feel and sound are closely related and since most...Read more
I really enjoyed and was impressed with the sound of the ST-X 230 driver. What I would call a clean and crisp sound at impact, it was something that I...Read more
Launch
The launch of this driver isn’t the lowest nor the highest I’ve tested. It’s a perfect mid launch trajectory that fits into the swings of many players. It’s not a...Read more
The deep placement of the center of gravity along with the rear weighting will allow players to achieve a consistently high ball flight. The adjustable hosel on the ST-X 230...Read more
Distance
Mizuno introduced a new feature called the CORTECH Chamber on the 230 line of woods to help gain some added distance. The CORTECH Chamber is designed to move weight closer...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Mizuno ST-X 230 Driver
Kyle Emery The Mizuno ST-X 230 driver is a great option for mid to high-handicap players looking for a forgiving driver model that provides a lower center of gravity for easy launch. In my testing of the ST-X 230, I found the face to not be quite as closed as address compared to the prior generation ST-X 220. The slight change still offers a draw bias ball flight, but will appeal to players who don't prefer to see something overly closed at address. Additionally, with the center of gravity in the head moved further back and lower than before, it ensures a consistently high launching ball flight. Lastly, the CORTECH Chamber that is visible on the bottom of the head, was implemented to reposition weight inside the head closer towards the face to increase ball speeds and provided as much added distance as possible.
Miguel B. This club is good for players seeking lots of forgiveness in a modern, sleek, and glossy aesthetic. The ST-X provides high launch and high forgiveness in a club that feels like it does some of the work for you. This model had the Kai Li shaft by Mitsubishi Chemical. This 50 gram model is a mid spin shaft that I found to be a bit too high spinning so consider a lower spinning shaft if that is a necessity in your performance requirements. Overall the STX had high ball flight with mid to high spin. Mizuno has created a driver that helps fight the slice without over correcting and turning it into a hook. At impact you hear a muted yet confident thud in contrast to higher pitched pings of all titanium heads. The visuals of the crown at address show sleek and refined gloss black with the contrast of the carbon fiber weave on the trailing half of the head so you see the technology at work. This driver has a rich and luxurious look. The head cover is a classic looking white and blue colorway that has class.
Product Specs
| Gender | Men's |
| Club Type | Drivers |
| Used (Y/N) | No |
| Player type | Super game improvement |
| Adjustability | Yes |
| Adjustability tool | Yes |
Review Ratings
Averaged between reviewers, view below how all experts voted.
Workability
3/5
Miguel B. gave 3 of 5 stars. The workability of this driver is not its strong suit. However, while it has a draw bias to it, the bias is minimal compared to other drivers out there. I found in my testing of this club that it does help keep the ball straighter and mitigates the slice. The ST-Z version of this head is more neutral for those looking for more workability.
Kyle Emery gave 3 of 5 stars. With the ST-X 230 dialing back the amount of offset at address, it provides players a bit more opportunity in certain settings to shape shots with this driver. The lower loft options allow better players to have a high level of forgiveness while also being able to work the ball. The center of gravity is placed forward and closer to the hosel to provide a balance of forgiveness and workability.
Forgiveness
5/5
Miguel B. gave 4 of 5 stars. This driver is sort of a Swiss Army knife! It’s forgiving while also promoting some backspin reduction with the forward weight in the CoreTech Chamber. Typically, low spin features in drivers reduce forgiveness yet in this head it’s merely one of the features. Overall, this STX 230 driver keeps the ball moving forward and straight even on miss hits.
Kyle Emery gave 5 of 5 stars. When testing the Mizuno ST-X 230 I thought it was very forgiving with mishits not being overly penalizing with distance or ball flight. I tend to hit the ball all of the face so added forgiveness is a benefit to me on drivers and I was really impressed with the performance.
Feel
4/5
Miguel B. gave 3 of 5 stars. The feel of this club is solid. While some clubs feel bouncy or springy this club feels like a hammer at impact. You get feedback on very poor struck shots but not on all miss hits as it’s a forgiving club. While it is a strong feel at impact, it’s slightly muted.
Kyle Emery gave 5 of 5 stars. Right next to forgiveness, the overall feel of the Mizuno ST-X 230 was outstanding. Responsive without being harsh or firm-feeling. Soft feel off the face where you can feel the ball spring off of the Beta Titanium face. In testing all of the new drivers released for 2023, the ST-X 230 was definitely one of the best feeling drivers in my opinion.
Sound
5/5
Miguel B. gave 4 of 5 stars. The solid sound of this club matches the solid feel which is a really beneficial quality to have in a driver. Feel and sound are closely related and since most players don’t want a mute driver or a hollow sounding driver, this driver gives you good feedback in sound and feel. It’s a solid whack sound.
Kyle Emery gave 5 of 5 stars. I really enjoyed and was impressed with the sound of the ST-X 230 driver. What I would call a clean and crisp sound at impact, it was something that I enjoyed quite a bit and added to the overall positive experience of testing this driver. I believe the sound profile will appeal to a wide range of players.
Launch
4/5
Miguel B. gave 4 of 5 stars. The launch of this driver isn’t the lowest nor the highest I’ve tested. It’s a perfect mid launch trajectory that fits into the swings of many players. It’s not a super game-improvement head but also not a small low launching head. I found the launch to be just right.
Kyle Emery gave 4 of 5 stars. The deep placement of the center of gravity along with the rear weighting will allow players to achieve a consistently high ball flight. The adjustable hosel on the ST-X 230 provides the opportunity to raise or reduce the loft by two degrees. That adjustability gives versatility to accomplish any desired ball flight and launch profile.
Distance
4/5
Kyle Emery gave 4 of 5 stars. Mizuno introduced a new feature called the CORTECH Chamber on the 230 line of woods to help gain some added distance. The CORTECH Chamber is designed to move weight closer to the face to lower spin rates and increase ball speeds. This added energy source allows for a thinner face and more speed transfer at impact to give you a boost in distances. I noticed about 5-6 yards in added distance over my current driver.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Miguel B. I really enjoyed swinging this club with the slightly heel oriented weight as it truly seems to mitigate the fade. With that said, you can still hit a slice if you come across the ball.
Kyle Emery During my testing of the Mizuno ST-X 230 driver, my favorite moment was my first tee shot with it. I have never done a thorough testing on any Mizuno clubs before this, and had been a few years since I had hit a Mizuno driver in any capacity. When that first tee ball came off the face with a nice high draw and a soft feel at impact, I was immediately impressed.
Why did you choose this product?
Kyle Emery The Mizuno ST-X 230 driver offered great all-around performance that I typically look for in a new model. The ST-X 230 has soft feel and ease of launch, which are two of the most important factors for me and the ST-X 230 checked both of those boxes. Added elements like higher forgiveness for consistent ball flight and increased distance over my current driver were also critical factors in my decision making.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Kyle Emery The Mizuno ST-X 230 comes in about $100 cheaper than the competition, which provides a great opportunity to be a highly valuable driver option.
During my testing of the new release drivers for 2023, Mizuno was just as competitive with regard to distance, forgiveness, and feel than most of the other options on the market. For many players, it's going to be hard to justify the added cost with performance being very comparable.
Ultimately, personal preferences will play a factor in any decision, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better club for the price than the Mizuno ST-X 230.
What do you love about this product?
Miguel B. Love the handsome and refined look of this club. It is sharp and you get to see all the technology features of this club. Also love that it is a slight draw biased club.
Kyle Emery I found the Mizuno ST-X 230 driver to be easy to hit with a lot of forgiveness that would suit a lot of low to high-handicap players with their wide range of loft offerings.
From the very first swings with the Mizuno ST-X, there was a lot of love for it. At address, the club sits more neutral than the previous ST-X models with just a slight bit of offset. I believe this change will suit more players' visual appeal and confidence level at address and a big win in my book. In addition to the change in the offset, I also really love the feel of the ST-X 230. A nice soft feel on contact gives you some responsiveness but with an overall smoothness and silkiness to it. Lastly, launching the ball is a breeze. The rear weighting and overall stability of the head work their magic perfectly to create a consistent launch.
Overall I was highly impressed with the Mizuno ST-X 230 and believe it can offer a wide range of players a lot of benefits off the tee.
Miguel B.
Golf ExpertKyle Emery
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