Wilson Triad golf balls might very well be the most innovative golf balls released in the past decade.
Yep, we went there.
We’ll get into why but after three years Wilson is dropping an updated Triad. The 2025 model is very similar to the original from 2022 with one major difference: it’s softer.
Don’t take that to mean it’s DUO Soft soft. Not even close. But the new Triad is appreciably softer than the old Triad,and it’s all the Staff Model’s fault.
Don’t worry, we’ll explain.
First off, what is the Triad?
The Wilson Triad golf ball is a couple of things. First off, it’s a three-layer urethane golf ball priced just under $40. That’s nice but not remotely unique. What makes the Triad interesting is what Wilson calls Tri-Balanced Technology and, in our opinion, that’s what makes the Triad so innovative.
With Triad, Wilson created what it thinks is the perfectly balanced golf ball, not in performance but in density. Wilson found a way to make all three of Triad’s layers – core, mantle and urethane cover – the exact same density.
Typically, a golf ball’s synthetic rubber core might weigh around 36 grams with a density of 1.2 grams per cubic centimeter. The ionomer mantle usually weighs less than six grams with a 20 percent lower density. Last is the thin urethane cover, which weighs less than four grams, but with a density of 1.125 grams per cubic centimeter, roughly in the middle between the core and the mantle.
Wilson has managed to make the core lighter and a little less dense. Some of that mass is transferred to the mantle for increased density and weight. The cover stays the same, resulting in each layer with a density of 1.125 grams per cubic centimeter.
That gives the ball a higher MOI which results in lower spin rate off the tee. The soft cover backed with a firm mantle keeps spin up (as much as is possible) on approach shots.
Sounds perfect, right? The Triad, in fact, was one of the better performers in our 2023 Ball Test.
So why is Wilson making it softer?
Why is Wilson making it softer?
Wilson originally listed the Triad at a compression of 89 (we measured it at 86) which put it in the same neighborhood as the Pro V1, the Srixon Z-STAR and the Bridgestone Tour B XS.
The Triad was targeted toward the aspiring golfer trying to break 80. The low spin would help him/her keep the ball in play off the tee but with enough spin to hold the green.
So far, so good.
When the Triad was launched, Wilson’s only other urethane ball was the “Tour-level” Staff Model, listed at 102 compression. Last January, however, Wilson revamped the Staff Model line. The new Staff Model X was now listed at 102 while the updated Staff Model ball was listed at 94.
That left scant compression differentiation for our friend, the Triad. To fix that, Wilson is softening the Triad down to 80 compression. That provides a little more separation between the Wilson’s three urethane balls. It’s not as firm as it was but no marshmallow, either.
“We wanted to bring the spin rate down more because, for the guy trying to break 80, lower driver spin is a positive,” Wilson’s Global Golf Ball Innovation Director Frank Simonutti tells MyGolfSpy. “We also wanted to maintain iron spin rate as best we could.”
Specifically, Wilson is softening the core to lower the compression. To offset potential ball speed loss, Wilson is adding a dose of ZnPCTP to the core.
What, you may be wondering, is ZnPCTP?
It stands for Zinc Pentachlorothiophenol. It serves as a plasticizer for synthetic rubber and makes the core more flexible so it can be higher compression without feeling like a rock.
The soft/speed/spin conundrum
When compression goes down, ball speed potential goes with it. That’s a fact of life. Another fact of life is that spin goes down with compression. OEMs have several levers they can pull to minimize tradeoffs but they can’t really eliminate them.
“With a lower spin rate off the tee, the ball won’t curve as much,” says Simonutti, “and when it lands, it’s going to roll farther.”
Make no mistake. The Wilson Triad is not a soft ball and will still spin quite a bit more than, say, a Wilson DUO Soft off the tee. However, at 80 compression, it will spin considerably less than a 102-compression Staff Model X. However, as the swings get slower with irons, the soft core plays less of a role.
“The inner part of the ball is less of a factor and the outer layers are more of a factor,” Simonutti says. “We have a soft core but a high stiffness mantle with a 25/1,000ths of an inch thin urethane cover.”
If you compare the new Triad with, say, a Staff Model, you’ll probably see a noticeable spin drop off the 5-iron but as the lofts get higher, the differences will get smaller.
“With a 56-degree wedge, you’ll probably only see a four- to five-percent lower spin compared to the Staff Model,” says Simonutti. “That’s not too bad, considering these players are looking more to just hold the green as opposed to backing it up or anything.”
Who are Wilson Triad golf balls for?
If the target market is any golfer trying to break 80, the answer is simple:
Damn near everyone.
“Triad is still for the better player,” says Simonutti. “It’s not a game-improvement product. It’s kind of a stepping stone for golfers. As they continue to improve, they can move from Triad into one of our Staff Model balls if they want. It’s for the guy trying to break 80, who’s taking more lessons and who just wants to play better.”
Wilson’s Tri-Balanced Technology should, in theory, create a perfectly balanced golf ball. Because we mere mortals aren’t perfectly consistent swingers of the golf club, it’s hard to notice any benefit on a shot-by-shot basis. That, however, doesn’t mean the benefit isn’t there. I mean, how would you be able to tell that the reason your tee shot stayed on the right side of the fairway instead of flying into the right rough is the fact your ball has three layers, all with a density of 1.125 grams per cubic centimeter?
Never mind snaking 23-footer to save par that circled the cup before falling in instead of falling out.
Wilson Triad golf balls: Price and availability
The new Wilson Triad golf balls hit the stores and the World Wide Web today. They retail for $39.99, the same price as they were when launched in 2022.
The Triad will be available in white and yellow.
For more information, visit the Wilson Golf website.
The post Why Are Wilson Triad Golf Balls Getting Softer? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
