Wilson Innovation Center: (Before & After)
(Written By: GolfSpy_Matt) About a year and a half ago, I had the opportunity to check out Wilson’s Innovation Center (here is what it looked like before the renovation), their R&D facility in Chicago. When I got word that the Innovation Center had received a major upgrade, I immediately made plans to do some fresh recon to find out what Wilson has in store. I also had the opportunity to interrogate Michael Vrska, Wilson’s new Global Director of Golf Research and Development.
Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover
As I walked into the Innovation Center, things looked basically the same…but alarmingly different. The large, airy space in the front of the building is essentially unchanged except for a major subtraction: all the cool golf tools. Where this space used to be split between golf and tennis, it is now almost entirely tennis. Outside of the patents on the wall (which are damned cool) that cover all the sports equipment that Wilson produces, this front room would lead you to believe that Wilson is serious…about tennis. Lucky for you this spy is not easily dissuaded. I dug deeper…
Now We’re Talking
As I moved through the tennis R&D area, I caught a glimpse of Wilson’s new D100 line being displayed in a conference room…now I was on the right track. Pushing through the double doors into the rear half of the Innovation Center, I was greeted by a new fitting center that was totally unrecognizable compared to the one I had seen just 18 months earlier.
Prior to the upgrade, the fitting center had been a 10 for function but a 5 for looks: just a basic black “tent” that housed the projector and the screen, and shielded Wilson employees from errant shots. The new fitting center is a 10+ for function, and a Kate Upton for looks (I feel like we’ve been kinda heavy on the Kate Upton references lately…funny how no one has complained…). Wilson’s Master Club Fitter Steve Junkroski, also the manager of Wilson Golf’s Special Order Department, now has both Trackman and Foresight at his disposal, with all the results displayed on a mammoth screen. All of the Wilson fitting components, as well as complete sets from every line, are displayed beautifully right next to the hitting bay.
We were also able to take advantage of Steve’s expert fitting with Wilson’s latest iron innovation, the Wilson D100, an experience that will be detailed in a story on the MyGolfSpy Forum in the coming weeks.
Research and Development
After the fitting, Michael Vrska took over the tour and showed off the rest of the facility. Many things remain the same, but it’s evident from talking to Michael that he has plans for every inch of real estate. One specific change that’s coming soon is going to eat up a lot of floor space: an Iron Byron that is being moved north from their facility in Tennessee (maybe they’ll let MGS do some testing with it to shut up all the robot lovers).
Finally, we reached the last stop on the tour: the new golf R&D area. While at first glance it seems fairly innocuous, just a walled in area with desks, a closer examination reveals dozens of tools and machines for designing the next great Wilson golf club. Though the area already seems stuffed to the gills with machinery and clubs, Michael informed me that just that day he had put in requests for more new machines to further expand the capabilities of his design team. From what I was able to see, Wilson is definitely making the investment to have world class R&D capabilities.
D100…
While in the R&D area, I was able to see both the new D100 products, as well as some of the things further down the road.
The D100 line will cover everything from the driver through the wedges. The big concept that Wilson is promoting with the D100 line is “The Right Light.” The D100 line, while very light, won’t be the lightest club on the market, but Wilson believes they have found the “sweet spot” in terms of weight where players will get maximum distance while retaining accuracy and control.
Wilson is also going to be pushing hard on the idea that light weight is for everyone, including better, stronger players. To make his point, Michael displayed a PowerPoint presentation that showed how, over the last 15 years, PGA Tour players have dropped the weight of their clubs. One has to concede, at least to a point: if heavier were truly better, wouldn’t there be guys on tour still playing Dynamic Gold in their driver?
…and Beyond
For those who want to know what’s next, I can tell you that it will be exciting, but you’ll have to wait for details. Here’s what I can share: the next version of the FG Tour iron was discussed, and, based on a CAD drawing I saw, you won’t be disappointed. I also got a glimpse at prototypes of a player’s driver and fairway wood that look to be adjustable.
The Interrogation
If the name Michael Vrska sounds familiar to you, well, it should: he was Director of Product Development for Adams Golf for almost 10 years where he was responsible virtually all of the IDEA Hybrids and Hybrid/Iron sets. He recently came back to Wilson because, in his words, he “loves a challenge,” and he sees the opportunity to return Wilson Golf to the position of prominence it once occupied.
Golfspy Matt: What do you think the perception of Wilson Golf is right now?
Michael Vrska: I think people know the history of Wilson Golf. We’ve won more majors than any other golf company. We have won majors in every decade. We have many golfers who love our products and tell us so, but we also realize that we still have many to win over. Our entire team is working to do that. We are passionate about golf and passionate about Wilson Staff. We are moving in the right direction but it will take some time for the positive things happening here to get recognized by all.
GM: Some of our readers, and even one of our staff writers, think of Wilson as being on par with MacGregor, a bargain brand or a starter club.
MV: That is certainly still out there, and we’re aware of it, but that perception is fading. One thing that’s happening now, that seems to indicate that the tide is turning: better players, college players and mini tour players, are calling us for equipment. That wasn’t happening a few years ago. Many better players know the quality of our equipment and are seeking it out. And not to be overly obvious, but MacGregor is a house brand now. They are not in PGA Tour SuperStore or Edwin Watts or Golf Galaxy. We are in the important retailers and getting more placement every day. We are competing everyday against the other big OEM’s. We have tour players and tour vans. We have great R&D resources. We make great golf balls. We advertise on TV, in magazines and on the internet. Our brand is very strong in Europe and we are gaining steam in the US and like the direction we are headed.
GM: What are you doing to change the perception of Wilson as a bargain brand?
MV: We feel that we’re doing everything we can do, but we work to do better at it every day. If you turn on the Golf Channel, we’re there. But, it all comes down to great product. You can have all the marketing in the world, but if you can’t back it up with great product, it’s meaningless. We know that we have outstanding people and a world-class R&D department, and we believe that if we continue making great products, that perception will change. It may not happen overnight, but we are seeing positive feedback from consumers and retailers and are confident that will grow and continue. I met with our staff players recently and Padraig, Paul, Ricky and Kevin all said they have fans say “Seriously!” to them in a positive way every week on tour. They love being in our commercials. Our marketing message is getting through and we are now starting to see the return on that investment.
GM: How do you deal with the confusion that comes about as a result of the dueling Wilson/Wilson Staff monikers? Do you feel that the box sets that Wilson sells hurt the perception of the Wilson Staff product?
MV: In some consumers’ minds, it may hurt us. But I look at it much differently. One of the biggest issues golf is facing is getting new players to try the game and then keeping them involved when they do. There are major initiatives on this. Golf is a hard, intimidating game. I met with the management of one of the big golf specialty retailers yesterday and one of the things they mentioned is that they have a very hard time even getting new, beginning golfers in their store. They get the die-hards, but all the products, launch monitors, jargon and options overwhelm many people who want to give our great sport a try. Yes, we offer package sets for the beginning player. Yes, they are sold at some big box stores, but Wilson Staff clubs are not and have not and will not. Yes, the package sets are more affordable. But, this helps to bring people into the game. We can’t put the same technology features that go into a Staff product into a package set, but the team that makes the package sets know golf. They care. They make, I think, very, very good product considering the cost parameters. If new players have a good experience with that first set they buy, then they are more apt to give Staff products a chance when they are ready to upgrade. We think and talk about that all the time.
GM: What direction is Wilson Golf moving towards with its new product? Is the idea to try to recreate the things that made Wilson great, or are you turning away from the past towards the future?
MV: We have so many people who tell us how they love our classic irons, which is great, but look at this (Pulls out an old Wilson 4 iron. I have steak knives that are thicker.), no one would want to play this now. For one, the golf ball has changed too much for something like this to work optimally today. There are design features that don’t make sense anymore. But we do look at our great history to help us understand what a Wilson iron ought to look like. We are proud of the great Staff heritage and it does help R&D in many ways, but we want to and are continuing to innovate. Technology is changing and so are we. Ultimately, we want to keep an eye on our history, but we are always moving forward.
GM: How do you feel like your line up compares to those top OEMs, the TaylorMades, Titleists, and Callaways?
MV: I think we compare very well. Just as every other OEM does, we buy the competitors’ products, measure them, test them both on one of our robots and with players. We know how we compare and we do great, both balls and clubs. We certainly understand there are many good products out there and the competition is tough, but we do very well head to head. We feel that many of our products are truly world class and are working to make sure that all are in the future. At our mobile fitting events we ask players to hit our products against their favorite brand in the simulators. They see the performance. You can’t cheat launch angle, ball speed and spin rate. The results are there to see. We had an event last year in South Carolina at a major golf retailer where every set of irons sold that day were Wilson Staff. People came in looking to buy irons and left with ours after testing. That certainly doesn’t always happen. But still, that makes us feel good and gives us confidence as we continue to get our name and products out there, that we will continue to gain share.
GM: Who does Wilson Golf want to be in the future? Is the plan to try to be the #1 OEM, to take on TaylorMade, or is it something else?
MV: We want to get better every day. We work hard to innovate. We work hard to gain market share. We listen to feedback we receive during testing, at demo days, on the internet and through social media. Yes, we want to be number 1. We are not there yet. I have helped to build a company from a position of weakness to a position of strength. Wilson is part of this great, large global brand. We have some unique resources available to R&D because of that. We have an outstanding management team here. We will continue to improve our place in the market by making great products, having a consistent message, continuing to show validation on tour and getting the word out through our marketing efforts. We are committed to that. We are committed to the tour. We are committed to innovation. We are definitely on the right track.
Conclusion
I left Wilson’s Innovation Center with the feeling that things are heading in a good direction for them. Regardless of the issues they have had in the past, they seem to have the right people there, with the resources to bring Wilson back to the front of the pack – both in reality and in perception. I am particularly pleased to hear that they’re addressing what I would consider their greatest weakness: a line of woods for better players.
Your Thoughts Now About Wilson?
What are your thoughts? If you had a low opinion of Wilson before, did you see anything that changed your mind? What are your thoughts on the hiring of Adams Golf’s top product designer? Did he say anything that changes how you view Wilson?
Keep reading about the newest innovations in Golfing with the rest of GolfSpy’s articles. You can also explore Golf’s Most Wanted Products!
Scott Scrima
11 years ago
I have played Wilson Staff irons my whole life. I have only everplayed one other brand for about a year and switeched bach to Wilson Staff. I currently play Ci7’s. I have had had 3 sets of them and I love them. The only issue i have is that I have not had a driver of theirs i have liked since 2000. I play Adams long clubs. They make great irons .Always and I hope always will.
I will continueto play and support the brand and I like the direction they are headed in.