Wilson Staff Zip Golf Ball Review

Look, I'm trying to play more golf. That's been my plan this summer and will continue into the fall. I'm fine with greens fees, cost of being an occasional club flipper and all the rest.

But, of late, I've gotten a tad pissy about the cost of golf balls.

No, I'm not talking about the $45 a dozen for Pro V1s. I'm talking about the high 20s I pay for my Nike One Vapor Blacks. It's not the biggest expense ever, but commensurate with my goal of saving some cash while playing more I decided to check out some cheesey balls and see how low I could go money-wise without losing something I enjoy.

Enter the Wilson Zip. It's kind of a dreary looking ball with its flat dimples. Even the Staff logo looks a little off somehow. not overly rich or clear...rather like a mediocre inkjet image compared to a really sharp laser. My in-store fingernail-tap test was inconclusive but I figured for $14.99 a dozen, they deserved a try.

One Zip got me through 18 holes and I was very pleased with the ball overall.

Off the driver I had no issues; it seemed as long as the One Vapor Black with similar spin. Full iron swings generated good spin with a slightly higher flight than I expected. Feel on short shots was fine but spin was reduced relative to the One Vapor Black, and that's when even a touch of spin means the difference from keeping the ball on the green or having it release.

Feel and sound off the putter was exceptional. It's hard to imagine many players being disappointed if the compare the Zip to their favorite premium ball on the green.

The modest look of the Zip's cover made me wonder about the ball's durability. In 18 holes, I caught a couple iron shots thin and hit a number of hard wedge shots but there was no cover loss I could see in the grooves or on the ball. I would that the Nike One Vapor Black showed wear slightly more quickly than the Zip.

Wilson is definitely doing their homework on their golf balls, either that or someone's doing it for them.

Either way, I found the Zip to be a good, consistent ball and a truly amazing one for the money.