In case you don’t already know, let me be the first to tell you something.
Wilson golf balls are dirty good.
Very well, actually.
If you already knew, let me be the first to remind you Wilson golf balls are dirty good.
Very well, actually.
The Wilson Triad may very well be the best golf ball under $40 that isn’t called Maxfli or Vice. But we are not here to talk Triad (that was the last one year, man). We’re here to talk about the 2026 update to Wilson’s four-piece urethane tournament-level golf balls: the Wilson Staff Model and the Wilson Staff Model X.
The first is the slightly softer, less-spinning Wilson golf ball. The latter is stronger and more spinning. Moreover, it is being advertised by its creator as, ta-da, The fastest urethane golf ball in the world.
That’s a bold claim and you know how we here at MyGolfSpy feel about bold claims. Let’s look behind the curtain, shall we?
Wilson Staff Golf Ball Model: Are They really fast?
“Everyone in golf claims they have the longest ball, but it always depends on the tests,” Wilson Global Director of Golf Ball Innovation Frank Simonutti tells MyGolfSpy. “If you set the test the right way, almost everyone can claim to be the longest ball.”
While distance can be manipulated, speed (eg the speed measured in impact), it really can’t be.
“Speed is almost a fixed thing,” explains Simonutti. “No matter what your test setup is, if you’re faster, you’re faster.
“It’s always nice to be able to claim to be the fastest at something.”
2024 editions of the Wilson Staff Model and the X Staff Model were outstanding performers in MyGolfSpy’s ball test last year. The stronger Staff Model X ranked third in ball speed in the 115 mph swing test, just 2/10th one mph behind the leader (Maxfli Tour X) and just ahead of the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash. The softer Staff model finished eighth overall, 9/10th one mph behind Maxfli.
In the midrange speed test, the Staff Model X finished a close second in ball speed, just 1/10th one mph behind the flagship Maxfli Tour X and Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Diamond.
So how does one make an already fast golf ball faster? The usual recipe is to make the ball a little harder because, as any good MyGolfSpy reader knows, firmness equalizes quickly.
Wilsonhowever, it went in the other direction.
Soft equals faster???
Yes, in an effort to gain more speed, Wilson made the 2026 Staff Model balls softer.
What madness is this?
“We wanted the old Staff Model X to be the fastest ball, but the side effect was harder,” explains Simonutti. “Some of our advisory staff thought it was a little too clicky on the irons. We were also on the higher end of the driver spin.”
The solution to both issues was to make the ball a little softer. Wilson rated the old Staff Model X at 106 compression. The new version is 100.
To achieve this, Wilson developed what it calls advanced V-Cor Performance technology. The short version is that Wilson mixes a speed-enhancing additive into its synthetic rubber cores. This addition allows Wilson to create a lower compression core that is more flexible, offsetting any potential loss of ball speed.
The long version involves you looking up Zinc Pentachlorothiophenal. Have in it.
Either way, that new, softer core opened up some possibilities Wilson. Both Staff Model balls combine the softer (“less firm” is more accurate) with a softer inner coat layer. This combination reduces the driver’s spin rate by about four percent while keeping the speed up.
To continue rolling on approach shots, Wilson switched from a standard ionomer outer coat to a stronger, high-acid ionomer coat. The dynamic between the grip of the hard layer to the soft urethane cast cover keeps the iron spinning speed up.
“It won’t have any kind of significant impact on the driver’s spin,” explains Simonutti. “This is dictated by the inner parts of the ball.”
Wilson Staff Golf Ball Model 2026: Facts and Figures
Golf ball manufacturing has its limitations, so it’s undeniable that if you do anything to decrease driver spin, iron spin will also drop. The goal for any OEM, then, is to maximize the tilt between the two. This means doing everything you can to keep the iron spinning while still getting the driver to spin a little.
For its part, while Wilson says it reduced spin by about four percent, the iron’s spin dropped, but only by about two percent.
“The iron turnover dropped a bit,” says Simonutti, “but we’re still at the very top.”
As mentioned, the 2026 Staff Model X’s compression has been lowered by about six points per 100. The lower compression, while slightly reducing driver spin, was intended to resolve that “clicking noise” that members of Wilson’s advisory staff objected to.
The standard Staff Model ball is rated at 90 compression, 10 points lower than the Staff Model X and 10 points higher than the Triad. The core still includes Wilson’s speed-boosting additive, but it’s still softer than the Staff Model X. The inner shell is also softer than the Staff Model X. Overall, it spins roughly four percent less than its stiffer counterpart.
As for being the “fastest urethane golf ball” on the market, that’s what Wilson is claiming based on its testing last spring. The company isn’t releasing any specifics other than the claims come from testing at Wilson’s Humboldt, Tenn., test facility, and are based on a driver travel speed of 105 mph. We can assume that the test was against the 2024-2025 models. To see how the Staff Model and Staff Model X stack up against the 2026 updates, we’ll have to wait for MyGolfSpy’s annual ball test this summer.
Wilson Staff Model and Staff Model X golf balls: Price and availability
As our last two ball tests have shown, Wilson makes really good and very underrated golf balls. Given the company’s track record, there’s no reason to think Wilson will take a step back with the new Staff Models.
With that, it’s interesting to note that Wilson is taking a step back in price. The company caught some flak over the pricing of its 2024 balls. They hit the market at $54.99 a dozen, the same price as the Titleist Pro V1 and other top golf balls on the market. With the new models approaching the $60 barrier, Wilson is launching the new Staff Model balls at the relative bargain price of $49.99 per dozen.
Yes, you read that right: the fastest golf ball, or at least a top-three ball, for under $50. If this price drop is due to market perceptions, the erosion of direct-to-consumer competition, or the Maxfli effect, just be happy. It might just be the best mainstream OEM golf ball deal.
The new Wilson Staff Model golf balls are available in white and yellow in eye-catching new premium packaging. Wilson is also offering both balls with its unique TRK 360 visual alignment lines. The lines are a muted black with a gray accent running all the way to the bottom of the ball (so 360). If you’re cynical, you’ll say they look like a ball, but if it helps, it helps.
The Wilson Staff Model and Staff Model X golf balls are available starting today at retail and online.
For more information, visit www.wilson.com.
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