In the world of premium golf balls, they certainly hold a small market share, but those who have played and tested the Wilson Staff golf balls in recent years have been somewhat impressed.
They common word you hear from testers when describing the ball has been “soft”, while “fast” in not normally an adjective on the table.
It seems the company is addressing that in 2024, rolling out two new “Tour” balls, Wilson Staff models that will see play on the pro level by players like Brendan Steele, Ricky Barnes, Martin Trainer, and Paul Lawrie.
The new Wilson Staff Model X and Wilson Staff Model are urethane covered four-piece construction balls.
“In looking to continue the success of the popular Staff Model ball franchise, we now introduce two Wilson Tour balls with distinct differentiation to meet the needs of some of the world’s best players,” said Frank Simonutti, Global Director of Golf Ball Innovation. “We believe that the ‘X’ version ball will appeal to a greater number of elite golfers seeking higher velocity and spin, while the new Staff Model is designed for golfers who generate enough spin of their own.
“During testing, the ball speed numbers on both models were consistently higher than some of the most popular Tour balls on the market, so we’re really looking forward to seeing how they perform next season,” he added.
The company says the new Staff Model X ball retains the same characteristics as the previous Staff Model version but has undergone slight modifications to optimise iron spin through alterations to the inner mantle layer. They add that they are “Designed for golfers who want a ball with a firm and fast feel, it enhances spin for approach shots into the green.”
In creating the new models, the company honed in on the composition of the core used to help generate more speed, in concert with the four layers. The core is slightly softer in the Staff Model ball; about 10 points more so on a compression scale. The company says this helps to flatten the trajectory on the softer model.
They both utilize the “3SIX2 seamless Urethane outer cover” – a 362 dimple configuration.
“The Tour players who played or tested the original ball provided us with some valuable feedback about the level of spin they could already generate,” said Simonutti. “ Therefore, we made adjustments to the core and inner mantle layer to reduce driver spin while maintaining a firm outer mantle layer and thin cast Urethane cover to maintain high iron spin.
Wilson says both the Staff Model X and Staff Model balls are painted using a finely controlled application process that ensures a flawless finish. They will be available on January 12 in White and Yellow covers.
