Before TaylorMade and Callaway start shouting about their latest 2024 drivers, we decided to review something a little different and a brand packed with history but overlooked in the Middle East – Mizuno.
Famed for making arguably one of the best tour iron ranges but never stood out in regard to metal woods, therefore we decided to put their current ST-G driver to the test and see if the iconic brand’s most talked about driver in 2024 has the firepower to compete with the market leaders.
Why select the smaller 440cc ST-G head for the review?
Simply based on looks and performance compared to the larger ST-Z and ST-X, plus having a slightly higher than average swing speed. My issue with drivers has been optimising spin rates and the Tour style heads have always addressed this issue. The question I want to know is how the ST-G performs in terms of distance, dispersion and feel. It’s got the looks, but aesthetics has no impact on a score card.
Sound & Feel
Even after the first couple of warm up drives the feel is different than the other leading drivers. It’s quieter and softer off the face but that also meant you fail to get that dramatic energy feel at impact. The whole face felt a little numb, as the soft feel made it hard to detect if you flushed it off the face or slightly missed it towards the toe. Having said that I prefer this feel and sound over the deafening crack and hard face from some of the competitors.
Performance
It came as no surprise to see that I was 15 yards down over my current Titleist TSR2 gamer when it came to carry distance and 20 yards shorter on over all distance. The ball speed was only slightly lower, which was a surprise, and after tinkering with the adjustable weights I manage to get my spin rate to a respectable 2,600 rpm but the launch was a little low. I’m sure with a custom fi t and aftermarket shafts I could have got more out of the ST-G, but then you are upping the budget and bringing other leading drivers into the equation.
Dispersion
It did not help I was trying to step on most of the drives to see how close I could max out in terms of carry and overall distance. This meant the dispersion was way off the mark, but that was my problem not the STG. Once I calmed down and swung at 75% the dispersion was tight, but you could apply that to most drivers out there.
Verdict
Performance is fair but the looks are outstanding. It’s a niche driver for a golfer that isn’t too concerned with distance but understands the benefits of being able to tinker with the head weighting track and loft settings to dial in their required ball flight.
