25 replies to this topic

[coach1775]

11/4
My main purpose for this today is to tell you about my experience on the golf course with the Wilson DUO. The score was not a bad score and the golf course is not extremely long, roughly 5900 yds. I usually shoot in the mid-high 70's here but often find myself not having many birdie opportunities. Before I left Jeff (the Wilson rep) compared the Bridgestone (which I normally play) and the Wilson DUO, they were substantially different. Jeff gave me some DUO Wilson balls and I played them today. Before I continue I must say that I also, played a Callaway Hex Chrome that a friend gave me to test. I played it two holes (1) the 1st hole; I missed a 3 ft birdie and (2) Hole no.14 a left to right dogleg with water in play on the right side. The only reason I played the Callaway here was, because I was afraid of losing the DUO in the water and I wish I never had because I bogeyed. I have often heard people say that after hitting a certain type of ball/club they feel the difference on the first shot. "Bologna" I say how's that possible? It takes more than one shot to know how a ball/club feels. On no.2 I switched balls after missing the birdie on no.1. I absolutely toed the crap out of my tee shot, what should have been a 175 yd drive still went 225 with the DUO. I could finally understand what people meant, I could feel the ball launch off the drive immediately. So, now I'm buried in wet rough, 135 out. I proceed to hit my second shot and get stuck... and again I feel the ball launch off the face. A pured stuck shot (if that's possible) 10 ft away from the pin and birdied using the DUO for the very first time. I shot a +2 = 72 but what I'm impressed with the most, is that along with the 3 birdies I had, I also had 5 additional realistic birdie opportunities (the longest being 6 ft). I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an extra few yds. and still be able to afford it.

11/6
I had a chance to shoot a 78 in 45 degree weather and raining today and I accidentally played a wrong ball on the very last hole and double bogeyed. It would have been my first time breaking 80 at this particular golf course but still shot my lowest round by 1. Man I love this Duo I've played 3.5 rounds with-it (gave the other one to a buddy) and it's still going strong.

PROS: The ball launches, good control/feel, and good putting role. $20 a box.(I gained between 4-7 yds with my lower irons)
CONS: With it being so soft it took me sometime to get the role down on putting, but it did not hurt my putting at all. It also sounds funny at times coming of the driver but who cares, if the ball flys. Flys around the greens too..... careful

[puttingmatt]

I tried this ball also, and to my surprise, It really is a good ball !!
Flies well and seemed to do fine around the greens !!

[Sushiyoshi]

I still have 8 doz of the Zip and 6 doz of the FG Tour.  I will stock up on the DUO when they are on clearance.  BTW, they are $12.96/doz at Walmart.

[highscoreinky]

Wish my Walmart had the Duo"s on sale for $12.96.  They are selling them at $19.86 here.  I have given away 2 dozen Duo's so far to friends to try because I have been so impressed with this ball.  The Duo will be my gamer for 2013 unless something comes along and just blows it away which is doubtful.

Played the Duo in 6 tournaments this year and never shot double digits over par.  Did have two rounds of 81 and a career best of 69 while I was in Hilton Head.  Not a ball everyone will like or play but I love it.  How much?  So much that I will list 10 dozen brand new Pro V1's and 5 dozen Pro V1X's on ebay this weekend.  Don't need them anymore, I have found the ball for me.

[TerpInTime]

I have been so pleased in my short experience with Wilson Staff's ball line-up, that I am going to switch over fully for 2013. Picked up a box of DUO's and FG Tours from Walmart about 2 months back, and I have been blown away, especially with the DUO (and a $20 price point, WHAT?!?!).

These things are killer, and affordable!

[erock9174]

Sushiyoshi, on 07 November 2012 - 11:39 AM, said:

I still have 8 doz of the Zip and 6 doz of the FG Tour.  I will stock up on the DUO when they are on clearance.  BTW, they are $12.96/doz at Walmart.

Are you sure of the $12 price?  Normally the 50 Elite are in that range but never the Duo's.

[Funkey]

I have to agree about the Duo.  I played to day in very high wind and some what cool temp's.  I started with a Hex Black which used to be my faviorite ball.  I had change after two holes to the Duo.  It just has a nice soft feel that I really like.  I can't tell it is any shorter than the Hex or ProVx.  I will be using this ball for quite some time. Guess I should add that I'm a senior and have a slow swing speed.  I'm hooked on this ball.

[slodsm]

I was in the golf shop today picking up another 3 dozen E5's while they are on sale (sometimes I love this ball when my ball striking is sucking so I'm stocking up right now) and I went ahead and picked up a dozen duo's. Never played a Wilson ball so we will see how this goes.

[erock9174]

slodsm, on 12 November 2012 - 06:51 PM, said:

I was in the golf shop today picking up another 3 dozen E5's while they are on sale (sometimes I love this ball when my ball striking is sucking so I'm stocking up right now) and I went ahead and picked up a dozen duo's. Never played a Wilson ball so we will see how this goes.

I played the Duo's alot this summer and I felt they were just as long and straight as the e6 but had a bit more approach spin.
The Duo's definitely fly straighter off the tee than an e5 for me.  I tend to pick up a lot of side spin with the e5's.
Around the greens, your e5's will have more spin than the Duo's since they are urethane.

All and all I really like the Duo.  Once Walmart drops the price they will be my go-to ball.
But right now, I just cant pass up the NXT Tour S and Velocity X outs (cosmetic blemishes) at Walmart for $9.86 a box.  24 of those for the price of 12 Duo's is a steal.

[offapex]

been playing the DUO for a few rounds now. definitely like it off the tee/irons. Longer and better feeling than the DT Solo, e6/e5 for me.

[slodsm]

I have to admit, I'm shocked and quite pleased. First Wilson ball I've played, very straight off the tee, slight fade with my 3w off the tee and fairway, and pretty good with my irons as well.

What really impressed me was how soft it felt on short chips. My usually method of chipping in close is to just make a putting stroke with a 9i and let it roll out. All around this was a really good ball and I might start playing it regularly once my stock of 200ish E5's and 100ish TP3's run out.

[btymes2]

Great ball.  Just wish they came in yellow also  

[plus8]

Based on this thread, I ordered some of the $6.99 Duo's from RBG and played them fo the first serious time yesterday in a weekly skins match at my club.  Weather conditions were extremely windy, with cold gusts all over the place -- several holes are pretty wide open (not easy holes, just no tree cover), so care had to be taken throughout the day. Temps in 40's to 50's with a wind chill.

Results:
1. Off the tee, I didn't really notice any more distance from my regular NXT Tours.  The Duos do feel softer, but I didn't think I really gained anything to speak of.
2. Off the irons,  I was amazed at how far my approach shots were flying - often way too far, over greens, etc.....may have gained up to15- 20 yds off the irons (this is not a great thing, btw).
3. Putting - I couldn't tell much difference on the green - but then again I am not known as a world class putter, either.
4. Seemed to have a bit of variance between balls - seems like some of them flew a little differently than others, including distance. But that could have been me or the weather.
5. These were more affected by wind than my NXT Tours or my E6's (of course), but I was surprised at the lack of predictability as compared to my NXT's.

After nine holes, I gave up and went back to an NXT tour. Frankly, it felt like I was coming back home again.

Front nine - terrible score - 11 over par.
Back nine - better - 4 over par (2-4 over for nine is pretty normal for me, and it's a good score in that weather).

Conclusion: Well, I think these things may be too soft, at least for me.  I'm gonna give 'em another try in more benevolent - less windy - conditions, and I may play 'em in extreme cold weather, but to be honest, right now I don't trust 'em too much at all and I don't think they fit my swing very well.

YMMV
Thanks.

Edited by plus8, 15 November 2012 - 10:04 AM.

[sui generis]

btymes2, on 15 November 2012 - 02:11 AM, said:

Great ball.  Just wish they came in yellow also  

I received an Edwin Watts catalog in the mail this afternoon and there they were, Yellow Duos.

[btymes2]

YES!!!

sui generis, on 15 November 2012 - 07:55 PM, said:

btymes2, on 15 November 2012 - 02:11 AM, said:

Great ball.  Just wish they came in yellow also  

I received an Edwin Watts catalog in the mail this afternoon and there they were, Yellow Duos.

YES!!!

[golferlaird]

I lost distance with the driver and gained with the irons. Strange ball.

[Padre John]

I too tried the duo after playing the hex black all summer. For the price, the duo is a great ball.

[LOVE4LPGA]

coach1775, on 06 November 2012 - 10:12 PM, said:

11/4
My main purpose for this today is to tell you about my experience on the golf course with the Wilson DUO. The score was not a bad score and the golf course is not extremely long, roughly 5900 yds. I usually shoot in the mid-high 70's here but often find myself not having many birdie opportunities. Before I left Jeff (the Wilson rep) compared the Bridgestone (which I normally play) and the Wilson DUO, they were substantially different. Jeff gave me some DUO Wilson balls and I played them today. Before I continue I must say that I also, played a Callaway Hex Chrome that a friend gave me to test. I played it two holes (1) the 1st hole; I missed a 3 ft birdie and (2) Hole no.14 a left to right dogleg with water in play on the right side. The only reason I played the Callaway here was, because I was afraid of losing the DUO in the water and I wish I never had because I bogeyed. I have often heard people say that after hitting a certain type of ball/club they feel the difference on the first shot. "Bologna" I say how's that possible? It takes more than one shot to know how a ball/club feels. On no.2 I switched balls after missing the birdie on no.1. I absolutely toed the crap out of my tee shot, what should have been a 175 yd drive still went 225 with the DUO. I could finally understand what people meant, I could feel the ball launch off the drive immediately. So, now I'm buried in wet rough, 135 out. I proceed to hit my second shot and get stuck... and again I feel the ball launch off the face. A pured stuck shot (if that's possible) 10 ft away from the pin and birdied using the DUO for the very first time. I shot a +2 = 72 but what I'm impressed with the most, is that along with the 3 birdies I had, I also had 5 additional realistic birdie opportunities (the longest being 6 ft). I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an extra few yds. and still be able to afford it.

11/6
I had a chance to shoot a 78 in 45 degree weather and raining today and I accidentally played a wrong ball on the very last hole and double bogeyed. It would have been my first time breaking 80 at this particular golf course but still shot my lowest round by 1. Man I love this Duo I've played 3.5 rounds with-it (gave the other one to a buddy) and it's still going strong.

PROS: The ball launches, good control/feel, and good putting role. $20 a box.(I gained between 4-7 yds with my lower irons)
CONS: With it being so soft it took me sometime to get the role down on putting, but it did not hurt my putting at all. It also sounds funny at times coming of the driver but who cares, if the ball flys. Flys around the greens too..... careful

Coach,

it would be interesting to ask your W S connection Jeff about how they might bring Wilson back up in the States. I love the W S lines, but they seem to always hard fall into liquidation mode every season. Not many dealers, it appears.

[plus8]

golferlaird, on 16 November 2012 - 11:21 AM, said:

I lost distance with the driver and gained with the irons. Strange ball.

Yeah, same thing for me.

UPDATE: I used 'em yesterday, similar weather, nobody on my course, so I used 'em side by side with an E6 and NXT Tours.  With me not swinging out of my shoes, these performed pretty well - plenty long off the tee. On approach shots (and my test bed was 110 yds out, over water, to a soft green, back pin - using gap, SW, and PW, and a ProV, B330RX, DUO, NXT Tour, and E6).  I was on the 9th hole, all warmed up and swinging pretty well into a chilly breeze).

Most had similar flights, but the DUO had about 5 yards more flight with acceptable control on approach.
But it also had a lot more rollout than the others. the Prov, 330, and NXT were drop-&-stop, the e6 was a couple of feet or less, and the DUO was probably 8-9 feet of roll.

I am not crazy about the rollout, but it does fly well for me if I don't swing too hard.  

As always, YMMV.

I do agree that WS makes some very fine equipment and balls, and I echo LOVE4LPGA's question -- when is WS gonna make a big move in the States?

Edited by plus8, 17 November 2012 - 05:29 AM.

[Funkey]

Padre John, on 16 November 2012 - 11:47 AM, said:

I too tried the duo after playing the hex black all summer. For the price, the duo is a great ball.

I really like the Duo and it will be my ball next year.  But I also like the Hex Black.  It's no doubt the best ball I have ever used.  I keep a dozen and use one on special occasions "Big money skin games".  The only problem with the hex black is the cost. The Duo is not far from the Hex in performance with better feel for less than half the cost.

I just bought a box of 50's as well.  Never used them thought if I like the Duo so much I might like the 50 as well.  I like Wilson balls so well wonder how there clubs are?

[Demo1]

Picked up two dozen "Premium Cosmetic Blemish" Duos for $20 yesterday at Edwin Watts.  Difficult to see any blemishes...look perfect.

[Padre John]

Will hav eto try the Wilson 50.  Played a round yesterday with  a Duo and it was still very long off the irons, but not as much off my driver.  Maybe it was the guy driving the golf ball and not the ball!!

[Steel Dillo]

Shot my lowest round ever (74) with a Duo. I normally shoot in the low 80's.

[tjumper78]

can anyone please compare duo to fg tour on full wedge shots?

im not a high spinner but i do like some spin and normally use urethane balls.
with a full swing with my pitching wedge (mizuno mp-57), i hit about 105~120 yards. FG tour spins back about 1~2 feet.  
with a full swing with 52* nike v-rev, i hit about 90~105 yards.  FG tour spins back 2~4 feet.  WS fifty elite spun back a little less than a foot with this club.

thanks in advance.

[thevaporz]

I never got any spin back using the DUO. Put 'em in play for 36 holes last Sunday and I liked the performance of the ball, overall, but I never got any spin back. It rolled out (forward) more than I would like on approaches and chips. But I putted well with it so I'll keep it in play for a while.

You could pick up a few dozen blems from budgetgolf.com's ebay account for $9.90/dz plus $6.99 flat shipping (no matter how many dozen you buy).

I liked the FG Tour around the green but for my overall game, I prefer the Top Flite Gamer V2 and the DUO right now. I didn't like the feel of FG Tour off the tee very much.

[MarkCPA]

After reading all the praise (for the most part) on the Duo ball, I picked up a dozen last weekend and played 18 holes in terrible conditions.    The course was saturated by a big rain from the night before.    It was an all-carry day, no roll whatsoever.    Greens were very soft due to the rain.

This is a nice golf ball, especially for the price. I played the full 18 with two balls switching in and out just so I was hitting and putting with something reasonably clean.   Neither ball showed any signifcant wear and tear at the end of the round.    I didn't find the ball any longer than what I normally play with (Callaway HEX Tour or Taylor Made TP3) off of the tee, but did find the ball going a tad farther off of the irons like a poster above me.    Spin is quite respectable as I had no trouble stopping the ball on the greens in the very wet conditions.    It was by no means a day to try to see what a ball can really do, so I'll tee up with it again this weekend.   Out of curiousity, I've order some blemished FG Tours online to see what Wilson does with a urerthane cover.