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%
I kind of touched on that in the article and my hope is that Baller Box expands to not just be this product, because it does get a bit confusing.
Confusion isn’t exactly what you are looking for when you are trying to launch a new product or program.
Any margins will be lost by the amount of time their Accounting Dept now has to incur due to waterfall revenue recognition guidelines. It’s a nightmare to account for subscription based revenue.
My wife is learning quickly. When I hooked a Tour B RX out of bounds last week, she looked at me and said “is that another $4 donation?”
Wilson continues to take a step forward in products. Wilson staff model blades, great wedges, The V6 forged, even their recent(ish) driving iron. But the then marketing gimmicks and company decisions sweep it all away. Driver vs. Driver I and II ( I actually enjoyed the show). The first winner being none conforming, the second being a decent driver but not priced according.
Now a ball subscription. Company decisions outside of the R&D are pretty questionable.
I touched on this above, but one of the issues is that their premium golf balls are not in a ton of stores. Combine that with stores being closed.
Being that I dont even know what their premium ball is I think their marketing team has some work to do. Golf ball market is not something Id want to try and get into without a large budget to work with. I mean I cant keep track of the ads I see every day from 4 other ball companies. Ads obviously sell as do buy 2 get one free promos.
Their next premium balll is the Staff Model, which I actually think is well named and falls in line with the rest of their premium lineup.
Prior to that I would say Duo Urethane, which was always a little funny to me, because Duo means two (layers) yet it had more. I guess you could say Duo meant long and soft?
I think "premium" now kind of falls to most golfers on price. For a long while I guess you could say it was based on cover material. Yet there are a lot of urethane golf balls that are less expensive now, so not sure that still holds true.
Interesting. Ive heard of the Duo as several on the forums seem to like that ball. Think Ive seen them in Dicks as well. Like I mentioned its got to be a tough market, specially at the premium end of things. I mean the market on the budget side is a different type of customer, all price based, perhaps a bit of feel or color options. I wouldn’t want to have to buy a minimum number to try out a ball. Then again maybe Im not the golfer they are looking for. Id like to hear more on their thoughts on this approach.
so does this replace the FG Tour ? That was Wilson’s only Tour ball I knew of.
I guess I would ask the question, what makes a tour ball? Having tour in the name? If so, no, but it does say Staff
More price related for me. Say $40+. The FG Tour always filled that space for Wilson.
I would say head back to this above post as I touch on that.
A company would need to do a ball fitting to put me in the best ball for my swing and then I would consider playing that ball for an extended time of there was a big benefit to my pocketbook.
In my mind, that is basically what one of their competitors is doing for me. I send in a video to find the right ball and then purchase 4 dozen for the price of 3 without any subscription (limited promotion).
IMHO, this Wilson model has to be aimed at their current customers to maybe try and keep them from trying other balls?
1) I used to love W/S balls. Only stopped playing them because they were discontinued I think.
2) The ball itself sounds great. Thin cover, firm core? Yes please!
3) The ball subscription service actually sounds freaking brilliant as a concept and something I would consider. However, the details here seem to need a lot more flushing out for it to work – why commit to a ball for a 12 month period for barely any savings?. If an OEM came up with a ball subscription service that offered fun customization along with undeniable value, I could see TONS of golfers getting on board.
I feel like that would be his expression to knowing he missed out on such a baller idea. He’s like ah crap, that would have worked.
It’s a decent price, but it’s just not low enough to make people jump to it in droves. I feel like if they could sneak into that $30-35 range they’d sell a TON more balls.
goofy subscription
weird times at the W right now
Damn why you gotta hate on my go-to bottle service selection
I am intrigued with the new ball but the subscription deal throws it all off for me. guess i’ll just have to find some on the course…
there better be some moist towelettes in there…
I would have just sold these to my customer base and online. I think current customers will be upset with the attempted subscription model. Dealers do not like having items excluded from their assormtnet. I still think some may say if I can’t have everything I dont want any of it. There is a lot of product to buy out there. Meanwhile, we are all confused. So where is the win here.
Wilson marketing reads THP. I imagine they are questioning what they have gotten themselves into.
lemon scented?
This whole idea is a lemon.
If I was a betting man, you will see their entire ball lineup enter this with different price points.
a paltry discount to commit to a singular ball for an extended period of time doesn’t really get the juices flowing
Right. There’s no compelling reason to jump in on this.
That is my biggest concern for a launch like this. There has been zero come out anywhere outside of THP I believe so far (not sure why), but it is on their website now and live. They are now roughly the most expensive ball in golf out of major brands, with a product launch that is a bit unique.
I think the ball feels pretty darn good (some office putting) and the tech seems fairly solid, but in a year like this one, filled with tremendous choices, all of which are significantly less expensive now, this is a tough sell to the golfer.
OOH!!! THP got the SCOOP!!!
And it’s the year of the ball! That’s what was said at the PGA show… seems so long ago
1. free personalization
2. free shipping
3. early access to pre order products on the website
4. early access to early seasonal discounts