Another fantastic guest review right now from Ty on twitter. And this one's all about the new Mizuno ST-G 220 driver he won in my 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway.
Ty has played around with settings, tested it numerous times, and even compared it to other drivers he's played. And he's been hitting the ST-G 220 longer and keeping drives more in play than with his previous gamer. And as he says, "it's (ST-G 220) as good as anything out there."
In is own words, here's what Ty (@over7par on twitter) thinks about the new Mizuno ST-G 220 driver after taking it out for a few rounds.
First off, I want to express my appreciation to Pete and Mizuno for the opportunity to win and test this driver. It was incredibly generous of them both and Pete is such a great ambassador for this great game we love with all he does—reviews, giveaways, general musings, etc. He’s always been incredibly generous with his time answering random questions from me about clubs, shoes, and almost anything else golf related. He doesn’t have to be that generous, but that’s just the kind of guy he is.
I’m going to preface this review with the caveat that I’m not a professional reviewer. I’ve tested a bunch of things in fittings and on my own the last couple of years and I’m much more in tune with what works best for me and can compare for myself what a club can or can’t do for me, but as you know with golf, everyone’s different. What works for some people doesn’t for others and vice-versa.
I’m a 4-handcapper (for now) who was a 13 as recently as 2 years ago. Fittings and more frequent play has made this game a whole lot more fun and enabled me to improve a great deal the last couple of years. I’m currently playing the Titleist TSi3 9° paired with a Diamana-TB 54g stiff shaft and my average driving distance is around 260-265 carry.
I don’t hit the ball a long way, but that carry distance is consistent at the top of my bag (3W is around 235-240 carry). I’ll also add that my decision to go with TSi3 in the first place is not only based on performance, but also look, sound, feel—basically everything. It’s the most complete driver I’ve ever played and I enjoy it thoroughly.
When Pete messaged that I’d won the driver, I immediately began searching and comparing what shaft would work best for me. As you all probably know, Mizuno is one of, if not, THE best companies as far as no-upcharge shaft offerings go. After much deliberation, I ended up going with the 9° paired with the Fujikura Motore X F3 68g stiff shaft. I’d been finding with my TSi3 that I’d sometimes get the pulls and wanted a slightly heavier shaft for some stability, so this one was going to be worth a try.
Now to the goods—the Mizuno ST-G 220 is as solid a performer as anything out there. I initially tested it at the stock settings on the range AND on the course to get a fair comparison. My immediate thoughts behind it were that it was very nearly as long as the TSi3 and seemed a little more stable. I hit more fairways with it and essentially that’s what you’re looking for, right? I’ll be completely honest and say I did not prefer the sound (it’s a little tinny, but not quite as much as a Ping might be) and the feel was a little harsher compared to my gamer, but it was still a solid first showing.
At that point, I looked at the settings a little closer and decided to crank it down a notch and went to 7.875° of loft, which opened up the face a little at address and made it slightly more upright. I did keep the sliding rear weights in their neutral/mid-flight positions for the added forgiveness. At address, I much preferred this look and this is where it shined for me. Comparing them side-by-side, I hit the ST-G 220 around 7-10 yards farther AND hit more fairways with it. I think that’s a combination of things.
The look at address is confidence-inspiring, because it just looked better to my eye and I felt like I hit the center of the face more in this setup. This also helped with the sound and feel that I referenced above. It’s still not as good in those categories as the TSi3, BUT with the performance of 7-10 more yards plus more fairways being hit, I think that’s something that must be considered. With most things being equal (distance primarily), the TSi3 is still MY choice. I think where my game is right now and what I’m wanting out of my driver, the Mizuno is very much in play to win a spot in my bag.
To summarize my thoughts on the Mizuno ST-G 220, I think it’s as good as anything out there. Seriously. I know the stigma that Mizuno sometimes carries with their irons being among the best in the business (new 225 player here and they are SPECTACULAR), but their drivers/fairway woods not really being top-tiered. I’m not saying this because I’m supposed to say something nice about the driver I won. It’s legit. With the right fitting/shaft/settings, it can be as good for you as anything out there.
And as I stated earlier, Mizuno’s no-upcharge shaft offerings are fantastic compared to some of the other companies. I will say I’m actually contemplating ordering a Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 6S to pair with this driver, because I’ve found since my last fitting that I love the AD-DI and I have it in all my fairway woods (Stealth Plus/SIM 2) and my 4 hybrid (TSi2). The Motore is super solid too, but I do feel like it’s maybe a little too much for me to handle. I would’ve probably been better served going with the Tensei AV Raw Blue instead of the Motore, but that’s nothing against the Motore. It obviously performs to beat out my TSi3.
I’ve probably written too much and probably more than Pete was expecting, but I wanted to make sure I gave my full review on the ST-G 220 and explain exactly where my thoughts were coming from on it. If you’re in the market for a new driver, this one should be looked at. I know the obvious suspects will always have more marketing and should perform as well, but I think the adjustability and price of the ST-G 220 is way too good to ignore. Go try it and see for yourself.
Thanks to Pete again for the opportunity to win this and present a review. He’s truly one of golf’s true ambassadors.
And there you have it. Sounds like it's going to be a heck of a season for Ty in 2022 from the tee with his new Mizuno ST-G 220 driver. Have fun with it Ty!
We'll continue having guest reviews throughout the year as well. And anytime any of you wants to write a guest review about something you won from me just shoot me an email or DM me.
You already know the giveaways I have are always about equipment, gear, apparel I've played and reviewed and wholly believe in. And guest reviews from winners is a fun way to keep getting you even more involved in all the action. Cheers to a great 2022 season!
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