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%
Yeah I would say that is fair. I was looking for something to stand out. It didn’t in either a good or bad way.
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Kinda funny they didn’t have Frank holding the right ball or photo shoot it but in the current situation, I think that might be expected
Good catch didn’t even notice!
Perhaps this shows that players who pay over $45 for their ball don’t need any fancy campiagn. They need real data, maybe tour validation and perhaps a deal to get them on board with the first purchase. W/S isn’t adept or doesn’t execute these out of the box marketing ideas.
The "Seriously" Duo Ball ads
DvD1: Triton ruled non-conforming
DvD2: Cortex priced aggressively
Baller Box: Poor Math
This is live on Instagram for those that are interested!
EDIT: Frank had technical difficulty with no sound no live stream… needs a lesson from THP LIVE!
With golf taking off in a restart and people excited to get out there and play, the model (no pun intended) is fascinating to me.
I would love to hear what Tim Clarke or someone at Wilson has to say in a video chat with you.
I called my friend who is a W/S dealer last week to see if they sent him any to try. He hasn’t received any yet. I would like to try it, but $50 bucks for something unknown is kinda crazy. They should do trial sleeves!
Hard to go by views and counts and subscribers sometimes. For instance, we use YouTube, but its only a hosting site. Others with tens of thousands use it for their website. In our case, videos go to website, forum, mobile app and other places, where the “view count” is iffy at best.
With that said, Wilson has not done a good job of marketing that side of things, I agree. But youtube stats are hard to use as the measuring stick.
Did this once again, not happen?
See the update to the article and this thread.
They have abandoned that and are just selling them for $50 a dozen with discounts for multiple boxes sold.
oh, well color me out of date then!
$50 seems like a lot……. I am not sure I can pay that for a Wilson ball. I know that is probably wrong, but I am sorry I have pre-conceived notions regarding Wilson that tell me the ball is not worth that… I fully admit it as a bias.
Hahah, no apologies, everybody has it with a few things. I said the new Kia Telluride looked amazing, but no way I am going to spend 50k for a Kia.
FWIW, I think you are not alone and based on the questions asked in this thread, I would say more like the masses.
Haha, thanks! I just wanted to be sure and be clear as to my reason. This whole things just points to Wilson struggling to discover itself. Do you think it is a bad look abandon an idea so quickly? I guess even if it was shown to be a bad idea? That does not instill confidence in me as a consumer.
I actually applaud the look, they just lacked the communications to talk with their media relationships to have them update like we did. Then again, few have had conversations like this one on the subject.
I still view it as such a simpler thing. We created the best ball we have ever created and it costs more to do so. We want you to try it first.
Instead its a Staff Model, which is also a Baller Box, which is only a Staff Model, and a subscription gets more or less expensive for the exact same amount? The whole thing was a cluster f**k of awful.
This is what happens when you come up with a name you like (Baller Box) and try anything to get it to fit, but don’t have the "horses" to nail the messaging. My opinion anyway.
Yeah, that sounds about right.
While they do have a PR agency for outside golf media, they have marketing and communications in house.
We have held multiple events with them and the President of the company and THPers have always had a great time.
With that said, this community at least has been pretty vocal about the last year or so at Wilson Staff.
I think Wilson needs to look at Cobra and see what they can take away from their business model.
They just won the US Open too. First major in over 10 years. Woodland doesn’t move any needles. It’s just pretty hard to compete with the big guns when the big guns are grabbing all the talent.
He can’t move a needle if he’s not asked to. I think he’s a good guy. His relationship with Amy was really special. But he was made invisible too.
They had a great social media thing going until Corey left for FJ.
FWIW Corey didn’t leave for FJ. He left a long time ago and was working from another state in the interim while he looked for a job.
An issue I find is that this isn’t a golf company. They have WAY bigger names in sports using their gear outside of golf. Golf is something they do but it hardly defines them so the way the golf product is pushed on us is meh at best. They are top dogs in Baseball and Tennis equipment… golf is just another thing they do IMO.
Could be. I mean you could say the same about Mizuno, Cobra and a few others too though.
Each of these have separate golf departments and people though.
I feel the same way with Mizuno definitely. Cobra not as much but if they are I’m just not seeing it out there outside of golf. (cobra name over puma)
@JB thanks for shattering my completely unrealistic preconceived notions on how marketing works. I’ve spent hours, and days, weeks even parked in front of television and movies learning the dark arts of how advertising agencies work and what lengths they go to all trying to ensure they keep their clients happy and have successful advertising campaigns. Otherwise it’s so easly to lose the account.
Wondered if anyone had played a round with these. I’m curious since it seems Wilson might becreating a STAFF line up with the proto driver, irons,wedge, ball and who knows what else.
I mean they kind of already do, right?
Everything but metal woods in the Staff Model model family currently.
I have used it for short game practice only. It reminds me a lot of the DUO Pro in that regard.
That staff lineup has to be a tough sell considering the guy wearing the Wilson hat is only using Wilson irons. Wilson headcovers masking the driver/fairways and not a wilson ball.
Then again does it matter? I don’t know Gary as a product mover.
Im not sure. For the avid golfer, I am not sure it matters, outside of validation.
To use a parallel, most golfers wouldn’t ignore Mizuno clubs, because the guys playing them on tour, only use the irons, right?
A ball subscription service is interesting in a negative way. Does Wilson expect us to lose a lot of balls per month that we have to restock?
Also, take out the extra plastic and reduce the size of the box (more environmentally friendly), and pass those savings on to the golfer. If you can convince me its a better ball than those 3 manufacturers above, and at a cheaper price, then I would be interested. Until then, the only Wilson’s I play are those I find in the woods, and save them for over water tee-shots – so I don’t lose my good ones.
Wilson – convince me otherwise. Showoff (environmentally unfriendly) packaging and a higher price just isn’t going to cut it for me.
Yep, They pretty much have a STAFF line completed. I imagine they are executing this to separate those who see Wilson soley as a big box brand. But they leave it to the consumer to figure out the difference. You can’t built the line and forget to makret. Even with THP’ers it seems to be confusing.
I think the model they should follow is right there in Chicago with TE/Exoctics. That company is disruptive in a good way.
I played 3 holes with one on Monday. It was fine. I still think it reminds me an awful lot of the Professional.
Suits me! I bought a dozen Duo Professionals in the lovely town of Burlington NC
That sounds like a less than rave review. I don’t recall the Professional as standing out from the course in too many meaningful ways. Solid but in a crowded pack.
Im hopeful to get more time with it In the coming weeks.
Do comapnies drop positive reviews into their own sites or did actual people play this thing.
I can’t answer that. Only Wilson would know that. I can say I would be pretty surprised if they’ve sold a ton of these. Despite the ball being decent
I’m curious if they’re holding up to their premium price. I don’t see myself spending that kind of scratch on an unknown. But, am always willing to go out on a limb if there’s some buzz. Anybody get these in play much over the past few months?