Three Cool Things About The New Wilson DUO Soft Golf Balls
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Three Cool Things About The New Wilson DUO Soft Golf Balls

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Three Cool Things About The New Wilson DUO Soft Golf Balls

If you’re a Wilson DUO Soft fan, and we know there are many, the new version will give you more of what you love.

One can make a compelling case can be made that Wilson started golf’s” Soft Parade” when it introduced the low-compression DUO franchise in 2011. Over the past 14 years, the DUO Soft has earned a legion of fans who find the soft feel addictive and the low spin beneficial.

You might even say they have a soft spot in their hearts for the DUO Soft.

Okay, okay. The new 2025 Wilson DUO Soft is still a soft, two-piece golf ball priced to move at $22.99. IT hasn’t changed much, but there are still three cool things about it you’ll want to know.

Wilson DUO Soft Golf balls

2025 Wilson Duo Soft: What’s new?

In reality, not very much. The Wilson DUO Soft is a very simple golf ball: a soft core with a hard cover. From DUO Soft’s earliest days, Wilson has touted a core compression as low as 27. Its overall measured compression has bounced between a low of 38 and a high of around 45 or 46.

Wilson listed the 2023 edition at an even 40 (we measured it in our Ball Lab at 45). The company says the new version is a wee bit softer at 37.

“The goal is to be the softest ball on the market with the straightest flight,” says Frank Simonutti, Wilson’s Global Director of Golf Ball Innovation. “It has a firmer cover that’s a little thicker while the core is a little smaller and softer. Core compression is around 25.”

If you’re counting along at home, that’s Cool Thing No. 1 about the Wilson DUO Soft: No matter how you slice it, it’s still a very soft golf ball.

And speaking of slicing it, that brings us to Cool Thing No. 2.

Soft may be slow but that doesn’t mean it’s short

The firmer the golf ball, the more ball speed you’ll get when you whack it with a golf club. Or a two-by-four. Or anything else for that matter.

“We know that, with a driver, if you hit a 30-compression ball and a 70-compression ball, the 70 will go faster,” says Simonutti. “There’s less deformation with the 70 at impact.”

We also know a two-piece ball with a firm cover and a soft core won’t spin very much. For higher-handicap golfers who struggle with spinning the ball too much, a low-spinning golf ball like the Wilson DUO Soft is a good thing. For the habitual slicer who loses a lot of strokes (not to mention golf balls) in the woods on the right, a lower-spinning ball might wind up in the right rough instead.

Golf is a lot more fun when you can find your tee shot and hit it again.

Additionally, a lower-spinning ball gets a lot more roll.

“With DUO Soft, we have to make up for what we lose in velocity,” says Simonutti. “We know we have to roll more.”

And that leads us to Cool Thing No. 3.

Let it roll, baby, roll

Wilson did give the soft core a little extra juice with what it calls “velocity boosting additives.” That comes in the form of something called ZNPCTP, Zinc Pentachlorothiophenol. This won’t be on the test but it’s a plasticizer that makes a synthetic cover more flexible which should help with ball speed, even with a core as soft as DUO Soft’s.

But that’s not the cool part. The dimple pattern is.

“The dimple pattern is designed specifically for a 40- to 45-compression ball,” says Simonutti. “We know we get a higher launch trajectory because of the compression. Our dimple pattern is designed to get the peak trajectory high but keep the overall flight flat.”

Wilson DUO Soft golf balls

So while the Wilson DUO Soft won’t carry as far as a firmer ball will, the fact it’s spinning less and landing with a relatively shallow descent angle means that baby’s gonna roll.

And roll.

And last I checked, it’s where the ball winds up that matters, not how it got there. As Simonutti says, there’s not a golf course in the world where they make you pick up the ball from where it stops and go back and play it from where it landed.

Low spin/lots of roll isn’t for everyone, obviously. If you’re a single-digit player, the Wilson DUO Soft won’t give you the spin you need for approach shots and around the green. That’s OK.. This ball isn’t made for you. For golfers who struggle with too much spin or who just love the Charmin-like softness, the DUO has, since its debut, been a popular choice.

Wilson DUO Soft: Colors and availability

 The full line of Wilson DUO Soft golf balls is available starting today in stores and online.

They’ll retail for $22.99 per dozen and in the traditional array of colors. Along with standard white, you’ll get high-visibility red, orange, green, yellow and pink.

For more information, visit the Wilson Golf website.

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John Barba

John Barba

John Barba

John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 6-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” - BenHogan

John Barba

John Barba

John Barba

John Barba

John Barba

John Barba





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      Bob [email protected]

      2 weeks ago

      I play mostly persimmons and blades and also hickory shaft clubs! I don’t care for any balls over 80 compression because they can damage my prized classic clubs! So I use Wilson DUOs almost exclusively and enjoy them a lot! I’m 72 so I have a slower swing anyway but the DUOs perform well for me and don’t break the bank!

      Reply

      Beau

      2 weeks ago

      Like the Duo’s but I love the Maxfli Tri-fli’s. A 3 piece, low compression ball with the same dimple pattern as there Straight-fli. Right near the same price point $24.99 but you can buy there 48 ball pack for $64.99!!! It’s a must try!

      Reply

      Robert Dicks

      3 weeks ago

      Looking forward to trying the new Duo, but perhaps the price bump should have been to $25.99 or so.

      Reply

      FakeRichGuy

      3 weeks ago

      Agreed. That’s about the price of the Supersoft.

      Reply

      John Barba

      3 weeks ago

      Just got a corrected press release from Wilson – they had a type in their original announcement. We’ll all be happy to know the price remains at $22.99 per dozen. Someone might be heading to the woodshed for that one ;-)

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    LIV USGA LIV USGA
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