Chalk this one up to very interesting timing. Today, Wilson Golf is launching a new golf ball and subscription service. Following in the footsteps of the irons and utility that have been previously launched and feature the same name, the Staff Model golf ball is designed for the lower handicapped golfer looking for the best control of their game.
Before getting into the Baller Box (yes that is real), let’s go over the new Staff Model ball which offers some intriguing technology. The 4-piece golf ball features a cast urethane cover and 362 dimple pattern design. I always enjoy the dimple count in the technology details from companies for some strange reason, despite being able to say without a shadow of a doubt that golfers don’t care. If there are #DimplePeepers out there, let us know in the comments below. Wilson is touting maximum distance with tour level spin, as expected, but the details show a very promising golf ball.
The 4 piece golf ball breaks down as cover, two mantle layers, and a core. Starting on the outside and working our way in, the cover is new for Wilson. The balancing act that manufacturers go through with the golf ball cover is constant battle between increasing spin and losing durability. While the materials remain largely the same here, the Staff Model is thinner on the outside than their previous tour offering to increase the spin around the green. Moving to the inside of the golf ball, we start with an outer mantle that is a firm/hard ionomer material much like you would find on the cover of range balls. The inner mantle is a HPF, which is another name for ionomer, but in this case, a softer version according to Wilson. They don’t want to abandon the soft feel they have had in place for years.
The core is where this gets really interesting. Mentioned above, Wilson doesn’t want to sacrifice the feel that their avid customers love, but the company did go firmer with the core. In design principles, this is in part where the speed comes from. Some like to call it the engine, I prefer the term gas pedal. Firmer can lead to more speed, while also a bit more spin (player dependent), so it is a careful balance. It is important to note that speed does not automatically equal distance. Distance is primarily a combination of ball speed, launch angle, and spin, which is why we continue to support fitting.
“Featuring a thinner cover and harder core, the Staff Model ball provides higher spin rates on iron shots and holds the maximum allowable initial velocity based upon USGA conformance for a more impressive velocity than traditional urethane covered balls.” said Frank Simonutti, Global Director of Golf Ball Innovation.
You don’t often get velocity twice in the same sentence, so you know they are excited, and they should be. The Staff Model lineup has been extremely well received so far on the THP Forum and their premium golf ball lineup has always been an underrated product by the masses.
A subscription golf ball service is being rolled out at the same time as the Staff Model golf ball. In fact they will be sold exclusively as part of this new program that Wilson calls The Baller Box. You choose how many dozen each month. You choose 3, 6 or 12 months. You choose your customization. You can try it for a single month at a cost of $49.99, but the subscription model only exists of course, with discounts based on longevity. Sign up for 3 months and your Baller Box is $44.99 per dozen, 6 months, drops that to $42.99 and 12 months takes it down another two bucks to $40.99.
Choosing multiple dozen per shipment does not reduce the cost of the Baller Box and despite the catchy name, the box only contains the personalized golf balls you order.
The Staff Model ball is rather intriguing based on construction and Wilson’s pedigree in the space, but the subscription service exclusivity is a tiny bit puzzling. The Baller Box, is a dozen Wilson Staff Model golf balls, and ordering a dozen golf balls means you are ordering a Baller Box. Baller Box and Staff Model in this instance are identical, yet called two different things, but are necessary to complete the order. Still with me? This is where it gets weird, but we believe like anything new, this gets reworked and hammered into a positive in time. Let’s take a look at the subscription math, as we like to call it.
Signing up for 6 months and 2 dozen golf balls per month, means your total cost will be $515.88. Not bad, right? Signup for 12 months at 1 dozen per month and your cost is $491.88. See the issue? Both subscriptions give the golfer exactly 12 dozen Wilson Staff Model golf balls. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet a golfer with a 6 month season is punished in this instance for ordering more golf balls per month, as they are paying an extra $24 for the same number of balls. Crazier still? The golfer that wants 12 dozen now will pay $599.98, more than $100 more for the same 12 dozen if they break them down to one dozen per month.
The Wilson Staff Model ball is an intriguing advancement in design from the company and we look forward to our community of golfers putting them in play and offering feedback. Being a brand new program, I am willing to give them a pass on the math is hard costs part, as we expect them to grow and tweak the program relatively quickly. For more information, check out their website at www.wilson.com/BallerBox
UPDATE
This story ran yesterday and then we received notice from Wilson that they are going to suspend the Baller Box program and just offer the Staff Model in one month trial and the more you buy, the more you save.
Price Breakdown for Staff Model 1 DZ Trial Baller Box:
- Buy 1 for $49.99
- Buy 2 for $47.49 each and save 6%
- Buy 3 for $44.99 each and save 11%
It sounds like a ball I would like to try, but being subscription only makes it a gamble unless you fork out the extra for just a single month first
This one is a bit of a different animal. If you get a chance, check out the article linked in the first post.
I just don’t get it.
Admittedly I have never gamed a Wilson ball, but the design story and specs seem more similar to the 2020 CSX rather than the CS. is this right @JB ?
Not sure I would go that firm. It’s still going to come in softer than the new CSX.
The bigger thing for me, where is the incentive? As @JB broke it down so well, what is supposed to entice us to jump on this?
That’s what I mean… Who needs to plan the next 12 months of golf ball purchases? I can easily go to sporting goods store of choice, DTC, local pro shop, online golf store (seems like 1,000 exist) or directly to manufacture website and get a deal.
I’m curious why you think that? It’s not a limited edition, but a subscription, right? So a person with a 6 month season that buys 2 dozen balls a month, should pay more per dozen than the person that plays year round and buys only 1 dozen per month?
I am for de-escalating costs based on longevity, but I think it must also come with reduction based on how many dozen one buys. Maybe I am off base, but there is literally zero incentive to buy more than a single dozen per month and they can pretty much eliminate that drop down, since you are being charged more for them, right?
I agree on the subscription model FWIW. It has been tried, but perhaps a larger brand like Wilson has more success than others have.
I do like Wilson elite 50’s and duos… partly because they’re softer-ish and their price.
1) Golf ball subscriptions don’t work. Many have tried. None of succeeded. This won’t be any different.
2) The math straight up suggests Wilson wants customers to go long-term instead of budget-friendly, which is a bad look.
what a strange turn of events on this lovely Monday.
See that’s what I don’t like. Saying a ball is for a certain level of golfer. It
I completely agree that the cost is high for people to take a chance. And Wilson introduced a barrier to acquisition that seems silly – you can’t impulse buy these balls at stores or green grass shops. Crazy to me to limit your sales like that when you are already there.
and I don’t think Woodland plays their balls.
FWIW, I don’t like that either, but in this instance, Wilson used it as a differentiator from the rest of their lineup (not sure if you read the article yet).
The name is horrible, who green lit the name? Wilson is an older brand , with a older demographic traditionally. The use of the slang term “Baller” to appeal to a younger demographic misses the mark.
The cost of the subscription model is idiotic. The price point is too high and there isn’t an incentive to buy more at a reduced cost.
Why would I switch to this ball from say the Z-Star line? The Z-Star is a lower price point, great ball, and you don’t have to deal with this subscription model.
Too many good balls on the market in this price point, to get cute with the marketing.
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Even at the 12 month price point of $40.99, it still costs more than the Z-Star line. They should have positioned this ball with a price point of $36.99, just like Callaway did when they launched the OG Chrome Soft in ‘15.
Dumb, right? First, low handicap is not Wilson’s regular market and second, anyone can play a 4-piece ball if they want.
I see this release as "tough haul" for them.
I need to see a reason to change or test and I’m not sure I’m seeing that.
I did. Interesting model for them to go to in my opinion. I get it as a differentiator, but easily could just tour level 4 piece ball that should allow you to spin it more, but keep our noticeably softer feel.
or something like that haha.
I’m more in lines with what jman referenced in terms of possibly going backwards and this feeling like they’re reverting. I love wilson. Always have.Really like the people there. Just sometimes they get into their own way when it comes to marketing/implementing designs.
May not be entirely their fault though as the parent company may be calling the shots? I don’t know and I’m sure that’s a strong possibility.
But yeah, that’s about everything you don’t want to do to get me interested in purchasing.
Well that is a bit of a tricky one. If the company doesn’t have distribution available in the stores, for instance this one with premium balls, they have to think outside of the box.
For instance this line "MORE DISTANCE WITH MORE DISTANCE". No that is not their slang, that would have been mine as a play on words to the pandemic and distancing and needing to purchase this direct from their website.
I kind of answered that in the above question, but stores are not carrying their premium golf balls in a lot of areas, so I don’t think it impacts them negatively. Unless this becomes the only marketing push, then I could see it having some backlash. I dont expect that to happen though.
I get that too. Plus, what good does having it in stores do when most stores aren’t open to let customers see their product.
Do you really need to see a golf ball to purchase it? I’d say no
While I tend to agree, big box stores and green grass for golf balls, make up an overwhelming amount of golf ball sales.
I have no doubt that is the case. I was just saying I don’t think many need to inspect a golf ball before purchasing like they would a club let’s say.
Agree there. And I think that is why it has started to change a bit. I still go back to golfers not realizing they need that many balls. So green grass purchases happen more than not.
Was gonna say, in stores? Yeah if you’re just walking in and you’re like hey I need a good ball I don’t play much etc etc then packaging goes a long way. Then again, so does the price.
Agree there, packaging can be huge to a non informed buyer and price is a big factor.
And so can location on the shelves. End caps are huge!
Most people don’t realize how many balls they lose. Nor do they realize how much they spend to replace those balls.
Very true and It’s best not to see it added up that way either haha