Gear: Wilson Staff Model putters
Price: $349.99 each
Specs: Milled 304 stainless steel heads available in 33-, 34- and 35-inch options
Available: Oct. 3 for pre-order, in stores Nov. 1
Who its for: Golfers looking for putters with classic, time-honored shapes and an especially soft feel.
The Skinny: Wilson comes to the premium putter market with four offerings that look familiar to nearly every player and that blend the precision of milling with the soft feel of 304 stainless steel.
The Deep Dive: For the past several seasons, Wilson has slowly and methodically added the Staff Model name to products it designs to appeal to accomplished golfers and serious players. For instance, the Staff Model Blade irons are musclebacks for single-digit handicap golfers, the Staff Model Utility iron is a better-player’s driving iron and the Staff Model Tour wedges feature a timeless shape and sole configuration. The Staff Model golf ball, with a four-piece construction and urethane cover, also fits in the premium family.
Now come four Staff Model putters, and as you might suspect, all of them will look familiar and are made with premium materials.
The new Staff Model 8802, BL22, MT22 and TM22 each start as a solid black of 304 stainless steel that is milled by a computer-controlled bit that passes back and forth over the block, shaving small ribbons of metal away with each pass. This is the most precise way to make a putter, and while it is time-consuming, the final result is nearly perfect consistency from club to club.
The faces of the Staff Model putters are also milled deeply, which creates a cool-looking hitting area and softens the sound and feel further.
All four models come standard with 3 degrees of loft and a 71-degree lie angle and are available in 33-, 34- and 35-inch lengths, and custom fitters can easily modify and adjust the clubs to fit a golfer’s preferences and needs. All the putters except the 8802 blade also have weights in the heel and toe that fitters can adjust to increase or decrease the swing weight.
The 8802 is inspired by The Original 8802, the shaft-over-hosel blade used by countless players for decades that rewards an arced putting stroke, while the BL22 is a heel-toe-weighted blade with a plumber’s neck hosel and slightly less toe hang.
The MT22 is a compact, semi-circular mallet with a short slant neck and a single black alignment line, while the TM22 (which stands for tech mallet) is a familiar-looking mid-mallet with wing-style extensions in the heel and toe that increase stability on off-center hits.
Wilson Staff Model 8802 Blade - $349.99 Wilson Staff Model BL22 Blade - $349.99 Wilson Staff Model MT22 - $349.99 Wilson Staff Model TM22 - $349.99
