 You know, I think we could have a couple of drivers that go under the radar this year and this could be one of them. But let's start off, first of all, with a question. That question being, in your opinion, what are the brands of the most popular drivers going to be this year? My guess is that list will also be probably the most expensive brands of driver this year. And the driver featured in today's video, well it won't have featured on your most popular list and it won't be the most expensive. But it could well outperform some of the drivers on that list. But I'm also confident it certainly won't be outperformed by any of them. Now, interestingly enough, that was a really good first driver of the day and that's also followed up with a little hybrid from the same range of product. So the driver featured in today's video is from Mizuno. It is the STZ model and it is from the new ST230 lineup. But this year, things are very different. You see, Mizuno suggests that this driver is four years in the making. It is an evolution in fact of those models that have brought us right up to this ST230 lineup and a piece of technology which they claim is the final piece of the jigsaw. And if that ball flight is anything to go by, that technology may be helping because that is certainly a low spinning ball. Trajectory is really positive in the fact that it is piercing. We are right into an extremely strong headwind and that ball has not deviated one bit. That's nice to see. Right, before we go any further, let's just take a little look from the visuals of this ST230 lineup. And to be honest with you, right through from hybrid through to these drivers, I've got a from my perspective, I think they look stunning. They've kind of evolved, if you like, in terms of the way they look without any significant changes. And now this is instantly recognizable as a Mizuno driver because I mentioned that past four years, they've not changed. They've just tweaked slightly. And I like the fact that they've done that. There's an element of blue that you'll see behind the driver face and throughout all models that we'll discuss very, very shortly. There is that magic final piece of the jigsaw. I just want to turn this club over the driver. Now let's get back to and talk about the crown because for me, it's high gloss. It's got this sort of checkered elements at the back end and the thick black stripe, if you like, of gloss in the front of the club. I think it's quite possibly one of the best finishes in terms of the crown address that are out there right now in terms of drivers. I absolutely love it from a visual perspective. The only negative I would have in terms of gloss drivers in general is when you're out on a day like today, the sun is shining brightly. There is a glare off them. And I don't really understand why more of the drivers haven't gone to that matte finish, which would be my preference. But overall, from a visual perspective, let me know what you think. I think they've done a really good job of this line up without changing it too much. Right, time to get another one. Now, for those of you interested, I am filming this video in La Hacienda Lynx Golf Resort in San Roque, which is Southern Spain. Absolutely stunning. I spent the first two days on what is the Lynx course. This is known as the Heathland. It's a little bit breezy today, but the sun is shining. And I'll show you a lot more of this course in the coming days. Right, back to this driver. I've got to admit, first two shots that I've hit, I've been so impressed with. Let's see if we can find another sense of the fairway. We're down breezy this time, so I'm hoping this is a long one. Well, this looks to be in terms of the shots that I've hit and a superb combination because that ball is launching high, but spin seems to be low. And we've seen that from up into the wind, which is that penetrating ball flight. And then I've seen that downwind. It's just kicking on and kicking on. So that suggests to me they could have a winning combination here in terms of performance. And I've also got a comment at this stage at just how good this thing sounds and feels. I'm also going to discuss what I thought of the previous year's model. And that opinion really was one of negativity, I suppose, because the issue I had with the previous models or certainly last year's models from Mizuno was that they were just so low spinning that I just could not get the ball airborne. To be honest with you, long enough, they were just nose diving out in the sky. I remember recording the video at Wall Street Golf Club. It was a bit colder than this. And I really struggled with it in terms of performance. Now, one of the things they have changed is the ability to control and have better control over launch conditions and spin. And that seems to be something that has resonated out in the course. So that's a real positive for me. The other thing is, and I'm not too sure if you can see it, because that's the black and white marker post. There's a ball right next to it, which is always nice because we found the middle of the fairway. And we've got a fairway down here as well. Now, there are two models in this ST230 line up. There is the STZ, and that's the model that I am trying out in today's video. They suggest that it's straight, stable, and low spinning. And I, well, I tend to agree with that so far. A straight bias drive with great stability from off-center hits that's similar in look and character to its predecessor. Then you've got the STX230, more workable with a mild draw bias. Well, I'm not gonna be trying that out here today. I'm gonna stick with this model that I've got. And right now I'm more than happy with, A, my performance with it. But B, the fact that what Mizuno is suggesting this drive it does seems to be happening. Right, so probably the final drive I'll hit on the video to be honest with you on what is a super hole, which I've got a feeling might come back to this one and have a little bit of a challenge later on today. But elevated T position, which is always nice to hit from, wasn't my best swing in terms of what we've hit on the video today, but the ball's performance was good or maybe the driver's performance was good and better than the swing that I put on it. Out of interest, I ended up in that huge bump that you can see on the right hand side. So the final piece of the jigsaw is what they're calling the core tech chamber. And I'm gonna read from my phone to tell you exactly what that is. And then I'll tell you whether or not I feel like they've achieved what they suggest with that final piece of the jigsaw. So the core tech chamber in case it's a stainless steel weight with elastomeric TPU taking stress from the club face and creating an additional source of energy. At the same time, it locates weight closer to the club face to reduce spin rates while contributing to a more solid, powerful sensation and impact. Look, I know what they've done. I've said in another video where we've looked at the fairways and the hybrids. I never really care what a manufacturer does in terms of their spilling tech. I just like to see what it does in terms of performance. This for me is by far the best model of driver that I have tried from Mizuno. Now, maybe I've not got on with the sort of shaft head combinations I've had in the past, but for me, this surpasses them on every level. Obviously, first of all, performance. I think visually they've all looked really good. But then that kind of what it's done out here on the fairways, which is fine fairways, the carry distances have been good. I think I certainly noticed that low spin model, but low spin, but still launching high. And that's the issue I had with last year's models. They were low spinning, but I couldn't get the ball airborne and that is not a combination that's any good to anyone. The only other interesting fact is this year, and I've done it with a lot of manufacturers, is I've changed to a softer, lighter shaft I suppose. This is the Motore 5 reg, so I think that's a 50 gram reg shaft. Again, got on with it really well and that combination of the two was good. So for me, personally, maybe I'm slowing down a tad, moving away from stiff shafts and going into reg, which has also been a huge help in terms of performance and certainly with launch. So the key message again is always to get that custom fit element right. Otherwise, you can see a detrimental effect on performance. Right, that's me done. The final thing to mention, sorry it was before I do go, is that the price. I mentioned about these two models, two brands actually, and I'm gonna get to the second one very shortly, going under the radar. They go under the radar because they're perhaps not associated with having success in the driver market in the past. But they're at a price point that suggests to me they're probably gonna be in and around maybe a hundred pound cheaper than those bigger brands that we referred to. And I certainly found from performance wise, they're just as good. So they're a real again, you've got to put them on your list, especially when you think of that financial gain that can be made as well when everybody else seems to be just going through the roof right now in terms of their pricing structure. Right, that is me. I'm finally done. Thank you for watching this video. Probably see you tomorrow night with another one because I'm carrying on. We're on hole seven here, I think it is. So I've got a lot more to go on the Heathland course, but I'll be testing quite a few more products that are two more interesting drivers to come. See you soon.