The Green Fee Wilson’s focus on their latest golf ball is consistency. Consistency is the name of the game in golf and the golf ball is no different. How did Wilson address inconsistency in the golf ball market? They introduced a golf ball that they are considering raw. Essentially they have stripped the paint and clear coat off the ball leaving raw urethane. Most golf balls have a layer of paint then a clear coat on top of that. If applied inconsistency Wilson is claiming you could see as much as 25 feet of drift on a 200 yrd shot. I took the Staff Model R out for a spin to see if there was anything to this.
Driver
One of the biggest performance aspects of the raw golf ball is that we should see more spin and launch a little lower. This wasnt something I noticed off the driver compared to a Pro V1 and the Tour Speed. It wasnt significantly shorter than anything. I tested the ball in pretty blustery conditions out on the course and didn’t see any major ballooning. In the simulator I saw the ball launch maybe 2/10th of a degree lower than the ProV1 and the spin rate was about the same. It performed as expected for a tour level ball. I didnt lose or really even gain much distance vs other golf balls.
Irons
This is where I could start to see some of that extra spin. It wasnt so high that it was losing distance. The higher launch still seemed to give me the landing angle I needed to keep the ball on the green. I am not much of a high spin player and getting the ball to back up on the green is a rare occurrence. Usually my ball hops and stops pretty close to the ball mark on the green. With the Staff Model R the ball was actually backing up a little. Is this better? Not necessarily. It looks bad ass but it doesnt necessarily mean its better. On The simulator I was also seeing increases in spin. On average I was seeing 300-500 additional RPM. The feel off the ball felt good as well. A firm ball for sure but not offensive by any means.
Wedges
This is where the Staff Model R ball shined. Greenside I have never had this much confidence with a ball. My first pitch with it was over a bunker about 15 yards out down hill. I was actually higher than the flag stick. I opened up the face of the wedge and made solid contact. The ball came out perfect. When the ball hit the green it hit the brakes and slowly trickled towards the hole. At the perfect pace it hit the stick and dropped. NOT A BAD FIRST IMPRESSION! Next hole was a long par 3. I pulled the tee shot leaving myself a long 15 yard pitch to the other side of the green. Same shot as before. This one hit the brakes again and stopped about 3 feet from the cup. From round to round I was seeing incredible greenside performance.
Duarability
With the raw golf ball there has to be some concern for the durability of the ball. I had the same concerns initially. After taking the balls through some rounds I can honestly say it isnt a problem. Now, the golf ball is super dirty and looks like an old lake ball but it is still in good shape outside of its looks. The only weird and concerning aspect is the fact it is VERY obvious where the seam in this golf ball is. Its crazy how much it shows. Its not a pretty golf ball anymore but it isnt scuffed and has lasted.
Final Thoughts
Im going to be honest. I wanted to hate this golf ball. I saw it and thought it was a stupid useless idea. I thought it was dumb we were paying regular for a unpainted golf ball. I mean it takes less steps to produce. With that said I LOVE this golf ball. If someone wants to send me a year supply I would gladly play this ball. If you are looking for a tour ball and dont give this one a go you will be missing out. Just an incredible product