FG Tour ball (2015)

The new 4-piece Wilson Staff FG Tour ball is designed for low-handicap players who crave a soft, Tour-quality feel.

For £35 per dozen and some £10 cheaper than many other better player golf balls, Wilson Staff instantly drew our attention with a ball they claim is the "softest urethane ball" out there today. 

The first thing that immediately stands out with this new 70-compression FG Tour model (most competitive urethane balls range between 89 and 107) is its new 318 dimple pattern. Out the box, it felt a little softer and tackier than some of the other balls we tested. 

When it comes to feel with the wedges, this ball does a great job. Wedge spin with a 55-degree wedge was hitting around the 9,200 RPM mark, which is a dramatic improvement on Wilson's former FG Tour X ball (a 90 compression ball) that we tested two years ago.

Out on the course, balls were nipping nicely off the face with a soft cushioned feel from inside of 100 yards, and grabbing well from the greenside rough and bunkers.

While not the longest ball off the tee, driver spin was pleasingly low enough for us and balls were bounding down the fairway more often than not. 

We also found this ball was able to hold its line well when the wind picked up. 

Putting from long range was really the only negative as we felt the ball tended to stop short of where it should have due to the tackiness of the ball. 

Durability-wise, this is one of the best out there. 

Verdict

A low-spinning ball with strong wedge spin. It also stands the test of time. 

It offers the best of both worlds and for £35 per dozen, it represents what we consider the best value premium golf ball on the market in 2014.

The softest ball on the market? That is a difficult one to call, but we would say Wilson Staff is not too far wrong.