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%
Im going to
forceask @JDax to play them next round.I’ll play them to provide feedback…. lol
It’s funny i find a Decent amount of Wilson balls in my area.
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I have heard the same thing, which I think is good for them.
Although incredibly unique considering the entire Baller Box program and pricing structure.
I was told the subscription thing will end then. Not sure how they could do both..
Yeah I was too. So ask yourself this.
You subscribe for a 12 month plan this week. 2 dozen a month because its the only way to get a ball you like.
Pay the premium and then they are all of the sudden available everywhere (And I have not heard price yet).
Oh yeah. Totally get that.. but, isn’t that kinda of confusion and bad implementation par for the Wilson course these days?
In my opinion? Yes.
The biggest questions for a national release of this ball will be where is it available and what will the price be. Odds are, at $40 or higher, it will primarily be online stores that drop ship.
You have to assume they have not sold a ton with the current structure. I have heard rumors about some ridiculously low amounts, but I dont like to deal in that kind of info. So maybe you aren’t alienating enough people to worry about it?
I played the Wilson Staff Model from the Baller Box today.
I had 3 balls… I’ll apologize in advance, I didn’t get to throughly put it through it’s paces. I lost 4 balls today, 3 of which were the before mentioned Wilson Staff Model.
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Some thoughts:
The distance off the tee was decent even into the wind. Example this drive on the 7th hole (Gold Tees w/ wind in).
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Green side the ball seemed to spin fine, but I’m not sure if it was the ball or the RTX ZipCore wedges.
Iron distance and spin was what I’m accustomed to seeing with the other premium balls that I game.
By my tee shot on the 10th, I was out of Wilson Staff Balls and put other balls in play (Pulled 8 iron on 2 into the Woods, pulled 7 iron on 8 into the water, blocked Drive on 10 into the Cumberland River).
I did start to play better after losing the last Baller Box ball, it might be a superstitious thing, but I don’t think this ball works for me. I can’t imagine paying a higher price point to switch to this ball from my normal Z-Star or Chrome Soft.
Although 2 of the best tee shots I hit all day was with this ball.
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This one is strange. By all accounts I have heard good things about the ball itself. But, Wilson always tripping over their own feet wreckEd any potential it may have had
In December, my guess is it needs to be an exceptional products and $35 or less to gain any real traction.
The DTC ball market has it about as figured out as I think you can get. Snell has price breaks down to $28/dozen depending out quantity and will have them to you I think it 2 days. No commitment required.
Buy 5 dozen and you are done for a few months. Vice is about the same but you can get those down to $25/Dzn. I am not sure about their shipping time.
Taylormade has a subscription but there is no price break for quantity, They just give you free personalization. I don’t get that either..
Why not go the route of Callaway, and copy the price point of the Gen 1 Chrome Soft to gain traction and then slowly raise the margin?
Wilson Golf makes no sense…
The subscription service was scrapped pretty early on as mentioned in the thread.
The price drop had to happen. I expect it to get dropped again soon too.
I think the ball is becoming readily available now. The baller box was an abysmal failure and a terrible idea that was executed even worse. I think it only ever existed for a few weeks. Then it was a Wilson golf website offering only for a bit, but will be full retail soon.
I won a dozen W/S Duo Urethane balls from a THP contest last year. I thought they were a really good ball.
. I noticed I putted well with it. I reached it the bag and those two popped out. I bought the Wilson’s at our friends store in Burlington.
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just got the message Johnny on the spot….
may e you could be Cobbler on the spot
Jimmy the Bull on the spot?
Still too much. Lol.. honestly it’s a great ball..
This deal still isn’t having me run out and buy them though
I love the brand but it’s so frustrating. They bring out DynaPwr and you wait forever to actually see or hit one. No other new product other than a ball. No bag, no wedge, no glove not even a damn hat. I envisioned a section in the awful website for STAFF only product. With their introduction calendar I’m not sure that could happen. In hindsight the baller box like many of their ideas in clubs might have been a good idea…… for a brand who actually is thought of as a golf company. You just make stuff. Even when it’s good stuff it just seems like stuff.
I’ve played the FG Tour previously and enjoyed it. Even put one in play this week.
So has anyone actual played the Staff Model for a period of time? How does it compare to PV1X or CSX?
I played them a bunch though, and for a guy that needs some spin and liked a high compression ball it has played pretty darn well. Seemed long off the tee for me paired with the Aerojet LS, good spin on approach. Didn’t really get to test it in the wind much so I can’t say how slippery it is, but it did seem durable. Greenside seemed good. Nothing stood out for complaint. It’s a louder ball indoors. Pitch it unique. Definitely been a bit of a surprise though.