Wilson aims for new heights and new speeds with two new Staff Model golf balls

Much like the brand's high-end golf clubs, Wilson's Staff Model golf balls have always had a reputation for quality and value without ever gaining major plaudits on tour.

They routinely score among the fastest, best-spinning balls on the market, but due to the brand's limited staff roster, Wilson sadly doesn't really get the protracted time in the spotlight it perhaps deserves.

This, however, forces Wilson to make the best gear possible at the best possible price, and the brand's updated Staff Model balls are no exception. In fact, with the Staff Model and the Staff Model X, Wilson says, you should be able to expect performance rivalling that of a Pro V1 or Callaway Chrome Tour at a generally reduced price tag.

Wilson love to make big claims on their packaging. The Duo Soft is, according to them, the world's softest golf ball, and Wilson also make the pretty bold claim that the Staff and Staff X are the fastest Urethane balls on the market (which, it must be said, hasn't quite borne out in more detailed testing from other outlets).

Whether or not this is true isn't super relevant to most players who simply just want to hit the ball far and keep it in play, but Wilson have plenty of new tech in both models to suggest they'll be faster than ever. Both use a new V-COR core material which magnifies energy and generates maximum velocity off the club face, and according to Wilson's new internal testing both are among the fastest, if not the fastest balls in their respective classes.

Wilson have made moves to make the two models even more distinct than one another for the 2026 generation. The lower-launching standard Staff Model has lower long-game spin and marginally less check around the greens, trading some of that spin for a softer feel by way of its 90 compression. It does, of course, still deliver plenty of control in the short game thanks to its thin cast urethane cover.

The Staff Model X delivers, predictably, all of the traits we've come to expect from an X-model ball over the years. It's firmer than the standard Staff Model (by a total of 10 compression points), launches higher and delivers more spin in the short game while maximising ball speeds. Wilson listened to player and staff feedback and made the new Staff Model X softer in both feel at impact and sound, mostly through the use of a smaller core and a softer fatty-acid modified terpolymer inner mantle layer.

Both models come with Wilson's proprietary 362 hexagonal seamless dimple pattern for optimal ball flight and trajectory, and both come with the option of Wilson's wrap-around TRK360 alignment system, which we think is one of the most handsome alignment aids on the market.

Once again, the real drawcard with the Staff Model series is the price. Each will retail for £53.99 (which, funnily enough, is £2 more than a box of new Pro V1s), but we expect you'll be able to find these far cheaper on the street before too long. They're available on store shelves now.