Wilson Workers DUO Gentle Golf Balls – Key Takeaways
- New replace for Wilson’s softest ball
- “Specifically formulated core” for extra distance
- $22.99 a dozen. Preorder now, at retail Jan. 19
The Wilson Staff DUO Soft golf ball could have a greater declare to being “the ball that modified the ball” than the unique Callaway Chrome Gentle ever did.
Not this one, thoughts you. The unique DUO debuted in 2011 as a low-compression ball. In 2014, it broke new floor in gentle with a damn-near Charmin-esque 29 compression. One could make a compelling case that the DUO jump-started the entire “gentle really feel” motion. The DUO has turn out to be Wilson’s signature ball franchise and is a favourite among the many sluggish to reasonable swing velocity crowd.
And, not for nothing, hitting the damned factor is addictive.
Now referred to as the DUO Gentle, the ball is getting the requisite replace for 2023. Whereas we don’t know a lot, we do know some. Let’s get below the hood and see what’s what.
Wilson Workers DUO Gentle: Not As Gentle As Earlier than
The DUO franchise is your primary two-piece ionomer-covered ball designed to maneuver within the $20-per-dozen vary. What began because the DUO has had a number of incarnations and variations. The DUO morphed into the DUO Gentle after which the DUO Gentle+. We’ve additionally had the DUO Spin, the underrated DUO Skilled and your ball of many colours, the DUO Optix.
For 2023, Wilson is dropping the “+” suffix and giving us the DUO Gentle. The earlier model was rated at a 35 compression (our scale measured it at 45), and Wilson says the brand new model is available in at 40.
So yeah, it’s a little bit firmer.
In its launch info, Wilson is scant on particulars, aside from saying the brand new DUO Gentle contains a “velocity-boosting additive within the core for elevated distance.”
“The rate boosting additive is a peptizing agent which positively impacts the crosslinking composition of the core to maximise velocity,” Frank Simonutti, Wilson’sGlobal Director of Golf Ball Innovation, tells MyGolfSpy. “The earlier model had this peptizer as properly, however we’ve elevated the extent of it within the new ball.”
The 2020 DUO core had a trademarked identify: VelocitiCOR™. This new core isn’t getting any trademark love however the additional jolt of peptizer ought to give the ball a bit extra pop.
Gentle is Straight
Whereas decrease compression feels nice, it does include a ball-speed penalty in case you are on the upper finish of the swing velocity scale. The flip facet, nonetheless, is that decrease compression additionally serves up much less spin. Whereas that is probably not useful across the inexperienced, for the golfer inclined to play a DUO Gentle, it may be a present from the golf gods.
“As clubhead velocity will increase, we do discover a loss in carry distance,” says Simonutti. “However we are able to make up distance loss on the roll of the ball after it lands.”
Particularly if that focus on golfer suffers from a slice. One of many options OEMs prefer to tout of their low compression balls is that decrease driver spin tends to assist the ball fly straighter, or a minimum of much less crooked. That would imply the distinction between being on the correct facet of the golf green as an alternative of the correct tough. Or in the correct tough as an alternative of the correct forest. One golf truism – balls that land within the tough or within the woods don’t get very a lot roll.
This ball is for individuals who play golf for enjoyable. And little question about it, golf is extra enjoyable when yow will discover your tee shot.
In the event you’re into shaping your pictures, enjoying hop ‘n’ cease method pictures and backing the ball up together with your wedges, clearly the DUO Gentle isn’t supposed for you. And for those who’re a excessive swing velocity participant who needs spin, this ball additionally isn’t for you.
However for those who’re a excessive swing velocity participant who can’t discover the golf green, the DUO Gentle—and any low-spinning ball—may assist. And any distance penalty you may pay due to low compression could be mitigated by the truth that yow will discover your ball.
The low to reasonable swing velocity participant in all probability gained’t discover a lot of a distance penalty, if any, with the motive force. And it seems like hitting a marshmallow.
Wilson Workers DUO Gentle – Last Ideas
Wilson’s final two ball releases—last year’s Triad and the previous year’s Staff Model—had been stand-up triples at worst. Each balls scored very properly in MyGolfSpy’s Ball Lab and the Workers Mannequin ball surprised everyone with its performance in our 2021 ball take a look at. The DUO Gentle franchise is a profitable one for Wilson and this new DUO Gentle is placing its thumb on the “really feel versus distance” scale by firming up only a bit extra.
It’s odd Wilson isn’t resorting to any hokey trademarked names for its new core. Perhaps that’s factor. The DUO franchise does, in any case, have a devoted fan base.
And for those who like colours, Wilson has you coated in rainbows. Together with the normal white, you possibly can go all Lucy within the Sky with Diamonds with inexperienced, orange, pink and yellow choices. The DUO Gentle may even be out there with NFL group logos, because of Wilson Sporting Items’ partnership with the NFL.
A brand new addition to the DUO Gentle package deal is a QR code that brings you to a golf ball selector software on Wilson’s web site. It asks your common rating, driver and 8-iron distances and what your objectives are to direct you to both the Tour Mannequin, Triad or DUO Gentle. If you understand your sport it’s in all probability not a lot assist. However for the non-gear geeks, it’s a step in the correct route.
The brand new DUO Soft will retail for $22.99 per dozen. They’re out there for presale now at Wilson.com. Count on them at retail on January nineteenth.
*We could earn a fee whenever you purchase by hyperlinks on our web site.
