Ball Lab: Wilson DUO Soft

MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of golf balls. Today, we’re reviewing the 2023 Wilson DUO Soft. To learn more about our test process, click here.

About the Wilson DUO Soft

Based on the data we’ve collected, we think the Wilson DUO Soft may prove to be the softest ball on the market this year.

It’s certainly the current softest among brands that most golfers have actually heard of.

Given its extremely low compression, it’s all but a given that the Wilson DUO Soft will provide high flight with low spin.

While Wilson’s urethane offerings (Staff Model and Triad) are produced at Foremost in Taiwan, the DUO Soft is produced by a different factory in China.

Wilson DUO Soft Construction

The Wilson DUO Soft is a two-piece ball with a 302-dimple ionomer cover.

Short of a one-piece range ball, the construction is about as simple as it gets.

Wilson DUO Soft Compression

On our gauge, the Wilson DUO Soft has an average compression of 46, making it the softest golf ball we measured this year and among the softest we’ve measured to date.

That shouldn’t come as any surprise. “Soft” is the story of the DUO Soft so the low compression should be expected.

By way of comparison, it’s just four points firmer on average than the 2020 model and eight points softer than the 2019 Supersoft (the softest we’ve ever measured).

From a compression standpoint, the most similar model on the market would be the Callaway Supersoft. Slightly firmer options include the Bridgestone e6 and the Srixon Soft Feel.

Compression Comparison Chart

We’ve had requests for a standalone compression comparison tool. As it turns out, that tool exists. We created it as part of our Golf Ball Compression FAQ page. At some point, we may merge the two charts but, for now, the plan is to include this chart in future Ball Labs.

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Diameter and Weight

All of the balls in our Wilson DUO Soft sample met the USGA’s standards for both size and weight.

Filed under “it is what it is“: We flagged 11 percent of the sample as bad for failing to meet our standard of roundness.

Wilson DUO Soft – Inspection

Centeredness and Concentricity

While we did find several minor concentricty defects, only two balls in the sample had issues significant enough for us to flag them as bad.

Core Consistency

While it’s not in and of itself cause for alarm, we noted that the core texture of our first box was significantly different than the other two. It’s a much smoother material (noticeable with cutting). The difference is similar to what we find between a TaylorMade core and a Titleist core.

We can’t be certain core mixture is the explanation but, as you can see in the chart below, Box 1 was noticeably larger and firmer than the other two.

Cover

No cover defects were identified in our Wilson DUO Soft sample.

Wilson DUO Soft – Consistency

In this section, we detail the consistency of the Wilson DUO Soft. Our consistency metrics provide a measure of how similar the balls in our sample were to one another relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.

Weight Consistency

Weight consistency for the Wilson DUO Soft falls in the Poor range. As it relates to weight, it’s the least consistent ball we’ve tested to date.

Diameter Consistency

Diameter consistency falls within the Poor range. As you can see from the chart above, there’s a tremendous amount of variation in the sample

Compression Consistency

Compression consistency for the Wilson DUO Soft falls in the Average range All three boxes showed similar compression distribution. The compression delta across the sample was 9.5 points which is solidly average.

Wilson DUO Soft – Golf Ball Quality Summary

To learn more about our test process, how we define “Bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.

Priced at just $22.99, there’s a case to be made you’re getting exactly what you pay for (and absolutely nothing more) with the Wilson DUO Soft.

It’s soft, it’s inexpensive and, based on sample and measurements, the quality is suspect.

The Good

DUO Soft should provide the exceptionally soft feel that some golfers want.

The Bad

Inconsistent weight and diameter Several balls in the sample weren’t round.

The Score

The True Price for the Wilson DUO Soft is $27.59. That’s a 20-percent increase over the retail price of $22.99

At the time of testing, the Wilson DUO Soft receives a Ball Lab score of 53. That’s 20 points below the current average.

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