MEMBER TESTING! Wilson Staff 2015 Golf Ball Review

[sp0rtsfan86]

Did some on course testing and noted a few things. The FG tour is slightly longer off the tee in limited sampling today. I averaged anywhere from 3-10 yards more compared to the Pro v1x 2013 model when directly compared. On the downside: it does not have anywhere near the spin of the Prov1x around the greens.

Two shots stick out in that regard. I had about a 20 yard pitch over a grass bunker to a tight pin, so I had to hit a semi high spinner. I hit two good shots, one with each  and noticed that the Titelist checked up within two bounces and rolled out maybe a foot.  The Wilson, which I thought I hit with more spin and zip went and rolled out 2-3 yards after the first bounce. Not quite as much as the Bridgestone would have but there is a pretty noticeable lack of check. If I'm playing a shot that is a pitch I have to account for slightly more roll out with the Wilsons. 

 

That being said the ball does spin more than the Bridgestones I use, so it's somewhere in between those two. I'll have more tomorrow.

[fozcycle]

I have determined via on course testing that the Wilson Staff Duo Spin will sink to the bottom of the lake just like its competitors. And even after retrieving it from the lake, I have discovered that it will return to the water on the next shot. Fully understanding that the Duo Spin wanted to reside on the bottom of the lake the second time, I left it to wallow in it's own misery.

 

I also noted that they do have a tendency to stop short of the pin when you do not hit them hard enough, leaving a long putt to finish the hole. This happened on more than one occasion.

 

I then experienced at least five times where the Duo Spin would be going straight for the hole, then lip out and stop on the backside of the hole, leaving a 6 inch tap in for Par or Bogey or Worse.

 

Thus was my round of 91 today.

[Txstcatman]

So I'm late to the party in getting my thoughts up.  It's been a crazy past couple of weeks.  I've been working summer programs for my school.  Week one was teaching 6 visually impaired kids to form a rock band, learn about being in such a group, and learning/performing three tunes.  I'm in the middle of my second program with kids learning about career exploration/opportunities in the field of music.  I get to take it easy after this coming week with a two week stint as a TA for a transition to middle school group (less paperwork for my part).  Anyways, that's not why you're here.  You want the review.  Well here goes with my first impressions:

 

Preface:

I was selected to review the Wilson Staff DUO Spin ball for MGS.  I was hesitant at first, thinking of all things this guy needs is a ball that's supposed to spin MORE!  Ask some of the Texas Open guys, and they'll tell you I was making last year's B330 stick and pull back a bit on some greens in Huntsville.  Plus, I've always been the typical golfer who put up with a fade/slice for most shots.  Between last and this season, I'd made some changes to my swing path and it seems to help not come in so steep on the ball and also allow for hitting the ball left.  Monitors don't always give me accurate numbers, but I mostly use them to compare distances with the same club or ball.  When I saw the W/S DUO Spin box, I thought "ooh a shiney!"  I liked the packaging instantly, bold colors are always good in marketing. While some have written off Wilson Staff and might consider them an antiquated brand, I've found that many of their products are top notch and rival most other OEMs.  Sadly, they don't push the envelope in advertising, but not everyone can.

 

The Rounds:

I have played three times with the DUO Spin in the bag.  The first round was a charity scramble with some older gents from my work.  We played out at Point Venture, a 9-hole course hard to get to but not lacking for scenery.  Needless to say, with a soggy course, a new shaft in my driver (a head I'd only hit on the range) and a new ball, we managed to use my shots a lot during the round.  The memorable shot happened on a Par 5.  We had about 200 in, I pulled my 21* hybrid, and smashed it 10 yards past and just off the green.  This ball was taking off for me in ways that prior versions of the DUO did not.  Thanks to my play (and the ball of course) we took 3rd net and split a $100 pot.

 

The next time I played was with Hula and JDiddy in San Antonio.  Unfortunately, factors out of my control cut that round short.  I wasn't hitting it well that day either so it's hard to comment on performance.

 

Third round was this past Monday at Morris Williams here in Austin.  This course was redone a couple years ago, with improvements made in the sand traps, rough, and tree lines.  Greens lately have been suffering a little bit.  They were actually quite patchy and resembling another one of the city courses that often struggles with a fungus that eats up the greens.  Still, I was able to play, albeit in soft conditions again.  Rain has been killing the chance for hitting runners and such up here.  Did you know Austin has had more rain this year than Seattle?  Anyways, shot of the round was on #8, a 170y par3 that was playing about 165 downhill with less than 5mph of helping wind.  Stroked a 7iron right over a tight pin about 3 yards past.  Ball hit and actually scooted back a foot.  Made the birdie.

 

Performance:

I really like the way this ball performs.  It combines the right amount of soft with the right amount of distance.  I actually found my swing/game to pair well with the ball from tee to green.  I think I hit into spots I've never played from before thanks to this ball.  Those of you that have played Mo Willy know about the par5 #11 with the big downhill.  I played from the blues and almost made the drop down, and had it not been so wet on the course (this was 6pm too), I might have bounced down and had a legitimate chance to get on in two.  Can't wait for this stormy weather to finish up and make the course play a little more normal.  Maybe it's the driver combo I'm playing, but this ball just screams for me and provides a really nice sound off the face.  Iron shots were equally impressive for me.  I hit plenty of shots during my scramble and Monday round that flew true and landed soft.  Ball would come to rest never more than 2 feet from the pitch mark on any given swing.  It'll take a round with some more dried out greens to test the true nature of the beast though.  Wedge play was really nice with this ball as well.  I hit plenty of flop and high pitches that had very little release to them and stopped as I had in mind.  Also, the little runners that needed some roll were true and easy to pull off.  Overall, I'd give the ball an A so far for performance characteristics.
 

Feel:

Okay, so I provided the dental analogy above in the first post.  I meant what I said.  I've never gotten along with most "spin" version balls for some reason.  I've tried to like the ProV1, ZStar, B330S/RXS, Project(a), and other similar balls.  About the only one that hasn't been terrible for me is the Chrome Soft, but I won't directly compare it to the DUO Spin because of cover materials.  However, I've never gotten along with "distance" balls that are marketed to the more typical weekend golfer.  Two piece balls and I just don't jive.  Where has that left me, with every iteration of a Ball-X possible.  However, I couldn't always make every tour level ball stop the way I wanted when it was needed.  Those B330's I mentioned earlier, yea I was mostly playing for roll out each time I made one stop cold.  The DUO Spin for me wraps up a lot of great things about several balls and packages it into one neat piece.  I like the multi-layer construction, and I'm ok with it not being a urethane ball.  Urethane might improve spin even more around greens, but then it'd be priced in the $30+ category.  Where the Spin sits now is perfect cost/value/performance.  It's a great ball that gives plenty of feedback on all shots.  Woods make a nice "thwack" and it's soft off the putter face.  Still there's no harsh feedback, nor is there the feeling like it's going to wrap around the face of the club on impact.  Just a nice feel at compression is all she wrote.

 

I plan to get a few more rounds in with the remaining sleeves, hopefully sooner than later.  I'll update more with progress using the ball.  All I can say is that if I needed to purchase any golf balls at this time, the DUO Spin would likely be the ball I'd choose for price, performance, and feel.  Seriously.

[Sschaffer24]

Excellent write-up txstcatman! Very interesting stuff.

[sp0rtsfan86]

Played another round with the Wilson. I've lost about half of my balls already due to two factors: A complete loss of long iron swings and a driver that has given me fits. Today I started out with it and hit a good wedge shot. The ball didn't spin back or check, partially due to the downslope. 

 

Feel is something I'm still figuring out. The Pro v1x still feels much softer off the face of the driver when I hit a solid shot. There's almost a smush to it that the Wilson does not have. Also it spins a lot more around the green. For instance, I was 140 out today with the wind at my back to an uphill green. I was hitting the Prov1x and spun a slight draw into the green. The ball checked nearly straight horizontal and ended up 7 feet away. As of right now, I'm still loving the Pro V1x over the Wilson, but for the sake of this test I will continue to go out and play both until I lose them all.

 

Side note: this week I may not get as much time... I strained/sprained something in my left hand around the thumb area making it almost impossible to grip a club. I've been icing it all night and currently have it wrapped up. Hopefully it's a minor thing, but I may skip my midweek range session to let it heal up.

[MotoGolfer250]

Hello fellow MyGolfSpiers, so sorry for the tardiness of this review in comparison to the punctuality of others who participated in this review. With that being said, I tested out the Wilson FG Tour golf ball. I was completely giddy with excitement when I was chosen so first of all a big thank you to MyGolfSpy for this opportunity.

When I first opened the box i was happy with the more than adequate packaging to make sure these babies got to me safely. Once I opened one of the sleeves and held the ball for the first time, I could already tell that this was gonna be a good ball. It felt soft to the touch without feeling squishy or like i could squeeze it and dent it. I was ready to go. I went out to the course the next morning and played 36 holes with the ball. I hit driver off of the first tee but didn't hit it low and off the heel. I thought i was going to be well right of the fairway and well short of my normal drive. I was pleasantly surprised when my ball ended up only maybe five yards short of where i wanted to be and maybe two yards off the fairway. I knew then that this ball would be long. The next hole is a par 3, about 150 yards. Normally i would hit a 9 irons but I wanted to see just how long the ball was. I hit pitching wedge and landed it pin high but it spun back probably 15 feet. Shown below

I was impressed with the spin here as well as the distance. I know that when you take a wedge and trap it like I did and hit it full, you're going to create a lot of spin, but i didn't think it would do that. If you have any questions, please just ask. I do have some more pic if you want to see them too. Thanks for reading

[mulliganman]

Some great reviews here!  One thing that I would love to see would be if we could get some official driver spin and wedge spin rates on the Duo and Duo spin if possible.  I know they are not being reviewed but I would be interested in seeing that same information on another Wilson low compression ball, the Wilson 50 Elite.

[fozcycle]

My weekly partner is a 5 Hcap and games the Fifty elite.

[mizuno_lover]

Well my curiosity has been piqued enough to buy a sleeve of their tour spin balls.  I admit I am not fully convinced given some of the reviews seeming to confirm doubts that I have about the balls. For example more run out around the green than other balls which isn't good if you're like me and short side your self a lot.  What is the launch like on these balls? I like a higher launching ball given my propensity for a low ball flight. Well done though men and keep 'em coming I don't think you can beat user reviews from unbiased testers!

[MotoGolfer250]

Well my curiosity has been piqued enough to buy a sleeve of their tour spin balls.  I admit I am not fully convinced given some of the reviews seeming to confirm doubts that I have about the balls. For example more run out around the green than other balls which isn't good if you're like me and short side your self a lot.  What is the launch like on these balls? I like a higher launching ball given my propensity for a low ball flight. Well done though men and keep 'em coming I don't think you can beat user reviews from unbiased testers!

As far as the launch on these, I may not be the best judge, I have a naturally high ball flight anyway. With that being said, I had no problem getting the FG Tour ball up in the air even with my long irons. Will it help your "propensity for a low ball flight" ? I honestly can't say. What do you mean when you say "more run out around the green" ? Do you mean that it doesn't check up as much when chipping or when hitting shots into the green?

[sp0rtsfan86]

As far as the launch on these, I may not be the best judge, I have a naturally high ball flight anyway. With that being said, I had no problem getting the FG Tour ball up in the air even with my long irons. Will it help your "propensity for a low ball flight" ? I honestly can't say. What do you mean when you say "more run out around the green" ? Do you mean that it doesn't check up as much when chipping or when hitting shots into the green?

I can confirm these go just as high as Pro v1x. They carry like heck too. At least in my testing I've yet to spin the ball the way I can with a titlest. That's the ball I can spin like no other. The Wilsons do spin don't get me wrong, especially compared to a 330RX, but it's pretty night and day between the Prov1x and FG tour in my book.

[mizuno_lover]

What I mean by more run out is that as you said they don't check up but keep going for several more yards.  When I short side myself I like the option of hitting a high flop and killing it pretty much as it lands.  Comes off when I'm using a Pro V or a Z Star not so much other balls that I have tried.

[revkev]

I tol Barbajo"" data-cid="171665" data-time="1435410454">

Picture of the year right there!

I told you he's a great guy!

[fozcycle]

Played the DuoSpin today at Babe Zaharias GC......shot a 39/44=83. With 3 Birdies, but more importantly, I lipped out 4 others....

 

My drives were down the middle and in the 210-225 range. My mid irons were spot on and my wedges were close to the pin.

 

My putting was just a hair off.

 

I reached the green (over the pond) in two on a Par 5 and 2 putted for Birdie.

 

The more I play with the DuoSpin, the more I like it.....the ball I used today has now been played for two rounds and is every bit responsive as a brand new one.

[sp0rtsfan86]

What I mean by more run out is that as you said they don't check up but keep going for several more yards.  When I short side myself I like the option of hitting a high flop and killing it pretty much as it lands.  Comes off when I'm using a Pro V or a Z Star not so much other balls that I have tried.

It's sort of in the middle. It spins and checks some, but not on the same level as a Prov1x for me. That Titleist will really check up, so much so that I totally forgot up until I gamed it that I couldn't spin anything. I'd say the Wilson is a good halfway between non spin urethene balls such as the RX300 and the spinning on it's head titelists.

[fozcycle]

I had no issues when chipping with my 57* from the rough or the bunker.  The DuoSpin will drop to the green then run out only a yard at most.  I tried my 54* when chipping from the approach area.  I had to adjust my shots tand throw the ball more to the pin than what I am used to.  I will be playing on Friday & Saturday so I should get plenty of chances to chip.  Meanwhile, I found my approach shots to drop and stop from 150 to 70 yards when i hit the green.

[Severtheties]

Sorry for the late response. I started a new job as soon as this thread opened and I've been working some crazy hours!

 

So I was able to test the Wilson Duo ball. The ball has the lowest compression ball on the market. I was able to get some practice on the chipping and putting green with these as well as 6 rounds on the books. 

 

First impression was really good. I love what Wilson did with the MSG stamping on the ball for some personalization. It certainly made people ask questions when they saw it. 

 

As far as the ball goes I can't say that it was my favorite of all time. This is the first year that I decided to take my golf ball game seriously. Before, I would grab a cheap dozen of golf balls or just play stuff I found around the course. This year, however, I decided I was going to see if playing a solid golf ball and played it regularly helped me out at all. 

 

I decided to give the Srixon Z-Star ball a chance this season after some positive reviews earlier on. I must say, I fell in love. Playing the same ball has also helped my chipping and putting as I now have the same feel at all times.

 

The Wilson Duo is much softer, especially putting, than the Z-Star. I really struggled putting as the feel was just too soft for me. Now, if your looking for a softer feel, especially off the putter, this is the ball for you! I also had some trouble getting much spin off my wedges around the greens. 

 

As far as the feel off the driver and irons, I couldn't feel quite as much difference. Distance wise it seemed to keep up with what I was used to. I will say, on iron shots that i hit pure, It felt like butter. Very smooth off the irons on pure shots. It was super soft off the driver as well. I prefer a little bit harder feel.

 

In conclusion, I really didn't have any issues with the Wilson Duo. If your looking for a super soft, great priced golf ball, this is the ball for you! 

 

PS - I do have pictures to add and I will add them here soon! Sorry for the delay.

[rvman]

Awesome reviews! I'm hoping to play this weekend with the Duo. I'd been playing the e6 for months but lately the Callaway Super Soft, which I love. I'm hoping the Duo lives up to all the great reviews I've read.

[fozcycle]

Awesome reviews! I'm hoping to play this weekend with the Duo. I'd been playing the e6 for months but lately the Callaway Super Soft, which I love. I'm hoping the Duo lives up to all the great reviews I've read.

 

 

If you find the Duo or DuoSpin to be too soft, try the Wilson Staff Fifty Elite.....a 50 compression ball obtainable at Walmart for $13/dozen

[MotoGolfer250]

The only other thing I think worth mentioning about the FG Tour ball is the durability. This was pretty much the only aspect that I was not impressed with. As compared to other urethane balls I have played where I can pretty much get an entire round with one ball (unless I lose it or hit a tree or something), I didn't feel like the FG stood the test as time as well as I would have liked. I found a decent sized scuff mark after my fourth or fifth hole. I'm pretty sure it happens with full wedge shots. I can't say for sure, but that's when I first remember seeing it. I really liked the ball as far as performance goes, I just wish it would last a little longer. Did any other testers of the FG run into this problem as well??

[fozcycle]

Nope, did not test the FG, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

That said, the DuoSpin is very durable, having lasted 36 holes last week.

[sp0rtsfan86]

The only other thing I think worth mentioning about the FG Tour ball is the durability. This was pretty much the only aspect that I was not impressed with. As compared to other urethane balls I have played where I can pretty much get an entire round with one ball (unless I lose it or hit a tree or something), I didn't feel like the FG stood the test as time as well as I would have liked. I found a decent sized scuff mark after my fourth or fifth hole. I'm pretty sure it happens with full wedge shots. I can't say for sure, but that's when I first remember seeing it. I really liked the ball as far as performance goes, I just wish it would last a little longer. Did any other testers of the FG run into this problem as well??

I've been playing desert golf, so I've been losing a bunch of balls every time I play. I haven't seen any noticeable wear that's abnormal, but then again I've only played with the ball 4-5 holes before it's in a graveyard. When I did hit rocks or the like, I didn't seen anything that would suggest it isn't durable. Something the next time I play I will certainly look out for.

[Joezilla]

I am testing the Wilson Duo and having picture problems at this time. I normally game the Titleist Pro V 1 even with my slow

 

The Duo's are definitely soft. In putting, I find that the ball hugs the putter just a bit longer than the V1 and it enables me to make more consistent strokes. I am finding that I am a better putter with the Duo. Around the greens, the softness allows me to make better chips as there is not as much roll off. 

 

These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head. I hope to get some pictures up and an addition to this review soon.

 

Joe

[Kenny B]

I am testing the Wilson Duo and having picture problems at this time. I normally game the Titleist Pro V 1 even with my slow

 

The Duo's are definitely soft. In putting, I find that the ball hugs the putter just a bit longer than the V1 and it enables me to make more consistent strokes. I am finding that I am a better putter with the Duo. Around the greens, the softness allows me to make better chips as there is not as much roll off. 

 

These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head. I hope to get some pictures up and an addition to this review soon.

 

Joe

Joe, if you want to try another soft ball for comparison, I like the Bridgestone Precept Lady for winter golf. The soft balls don't work for me in the summer heat; too mushy, but in winter the Lady works great. I especially like it in the yellow color for those overcast days.

[markb]

The only other thing I think worth mentioning about the FG Tour ball is the durability. This was pretty much the only aspect that I was not impressed with. As compared to other urethane balls I have played where I can pretty much get an entire round with one ball (unless I lose it or hit a tree or something), I didn't feel like the FG stood the test as time as well as I would have liked. I found a decent sized scuff mark after my fourth or fifth hole. I'm pretty sure it happens with full wedge shots. I can't say for sure, but that's when I first remember seeing it. I really liked the ball as far as performance goes, I just wish it would last a little longer. Did any other testers of the FG run into this problem as well??

 

I would echo your durability comments.   It's good, but not as tough skinned as the ProV.

[fozcycle]

Took the day off from the DuoSpins.......played horrible today...will be back on the with the DuoSpins tomorrow.

[Wozgolf]

I went out again and this time tested the Wilson Duo v the Callaway Diablo.

Unlike my earlier test, the putts were about the same.

I did hit the Duos, on average, 15 yards longer than the Callaways. Again, there was less left to right on the drives. I will be getting some of these after I go through the 4 dozen Srixons that I own.

Thanks for the opportunity to participate in the test.

[JudgeSmails]

After about 2 weeks of rain and being on vacation, finally able to get out and play 18 today.

 

Testing the FG Tour

 

Previously played Callaway Chrome Soft and Bridgestone E5

 

The good:  Driver distance.  I hit 2 of my longest drives ever today (measured w/ gps), and they weren't on big swings.   Driver wise, I was getting a good 5 -10 yds more distance than I had been previously.  Obviously, other things can go into this.  But I seemed to be getting a lot of roll out with these.  I would say side spin (aka, my slice), was about the same

 

The same:  I would say greenside and iron spin was about the same (as I would expect) to my chrome soft and E5's.   Got the ball the check up good on a couple chips, and brought a few iron shots back just a bit hitting from the fairway.

 

The bad:  These balls seem to wear really quickly.  Trying to attach a pic or two, after 4-5 holes, and not hitting a tree or cartpath, I was seeing significant scarring on the ball.  

 

 

[casey_0507]

First off want to apologize for the delayed post on this topic.  I've been on travel for work the last 6 weeks and haven't had a chance to play.  I did however make some time to get to the putting green this weekend so I will start off my review there and then as I get to play will add some more information in further posts as well as make any necessary updates to this one

 

Ball Tested -    FG Tour

Current Ball -   Taylormade Lethal

Other Balls -    Titleist ProV1 (2015), Srixon Z Star (2015)

 

 

Putting

 

My initial reaction putting with this ball is it really reminds me of the original Taylormade Penta.  I nice soft muted feel when struck.  I don't consider the Lethals I use to be hard or clicky, but the FG Tour is noticeably softer feeling.  I also noticed this when comparing the FG Tour to a new model ProV1 and new model Srixon Z-Star.  

 

Performance

 

There was no loss of feel or adjustment needed when using the FG Tour.  I didn't have a hard time with speed/distance on putts with it and would say performance wise there wasn't any difference between the three balls mentioned above and the FG Tour.

 

 

Alignment

 

I don't normally use an alignment line when I putt as I try and pick a spot on the green just in front of my ball as my alignment aid.  However I did use the stock lines on all balls mentioned so far and would say one did not "float my boat" more than another.  They all were comparable to me and would really be a personal preference to whomever was using the ball.

 

Pics

 

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and I will try to answer them the best I can or will do another practice run on the green to answer them.  

[Joezilla]

I got the Duo's out on the course today. I must say that off the driver, I am getting them into the fairway on a more consistent basis. The sound is a bit muffled when contact is made. The distance off the driver is not as long as I would get with the Pro V1, but with them in the short grass more it is a nice tradeoff.

 

As others have said, it takes a good whack/stroke to get the Duo to the hole with the putter. With the Duo being so soft, they tend to hang on the putter blade a bit longer and thus I found today that I had many on the front 9 that I left short several feet. I was able to strike them just a bit harder on the back 9 and found that helped. 

 

I did not play all that well, my iron game was off today so I wasted those drives in the fairway. I did lose two of the balls today. They do not float, nor do they have a locator beacon. ha. I saw the ball head into the woods, tracked it's line, had a good idea where it should have ended up, but alas, I could not find it.

 

My overall impressions thus far are, this is a ball that is just as soft as they claim. When it comes to distance, the ball is almost as long as the Pro V1 the way I hit it. I have to  get used to not hearing and feeling the same thing that I am used to on impact. I found that I much prefer to be shorter off the tee a little bit if I can also be in the fairway. The Duo does this for me.  

 

The Duo is favorably comparable to the Bridgestone E6. I like it better than the E6. Having lost two of the dozen already on one round, I have 10 more to play with. I probably will not purchase another dozen when these 10 are gone. I might however, step up to the Duo Spin and give them a try. 

 

These Duo balls are $19.99 a dozen. If you are looking for a cheap $$ ball to play with that gives respectable distance off the tee and pretty good straightness off the tee, while at the same time providing decent hold on the greens, the Duo might be for you!!

 

Thanks to MGS for allowing me to test these balls out. I will update again after my next round.

 

Joe