If you’re someone who shoots above 90, you’d be considered a high handicapper. At this point, playing a cheaper 2 piece ball that goes long and straight is what you should be looking for.
One of the most popular options in the low compression category is the Wilson Duo Soft. It’s actually the softest ball on the market (currently), which makes it a good choice for people with a slower swing speed (below 95 MPH).
A lot of people will be turned off by this ball because of the limited spin around the green, and while that’s true, I’ve shot some of my best scores with it (and other similar balls). You’d be amazed by how well you can play when you focus on hitting fairways and middle of greens.
Let’s get into the specs of the Duo Soft, how it performed for me, and try and figure out if it’s a good choice for you. You can also see more of our favorite balls HERE.
Wilson Duo Soft Product Details
| Handicap | High |
| Layers | 2 |
| Feel | Soft |
| Swing Speed | Under 95 MPH |
| Compression | 37 |
| Spin | Driver: Low Wedge: Low |
| Cover | Surlyn |
| Company Website | Wilson |
The Tech
The Duo Soft is Wilson’s entry-level ball and is designed for higher handicaps who have a slower swing speed (under 95 MPH). You can see how it compares to the other Wilson balls HERE.
The Duo Soft has a 2 piece design and a Surlyn cover. This type of cover is more durable than urethane and won’t spin as much (which is probably good for high handicappers). You can see more differences HERE.
The benefit of this type of ball is that it’ll feel better for people with slower swing speeds. Plus, you’ll likely get more height on your shots.
If you’ve ever used the Callaway Supersoft, this ball is very similar. It’s also somewhat similar to the Srixon Soft Feel, but the Duo Soft is even softer.
The Feel
A lot of balls have “soft” in the name, but none are a better fit than the Duo Soft. With a compression rating of around 37, it’s the softest ball you can buy.
What this means is that it doesn’t take much force to properly compress the ball. When you compress the ball properly, you’ll get more distance, more height, and a straighter ball flight.
On and around the green, you don’t notice the softness as much because of the Surlyn cover. It’s a firmer type of cover that’s used for durability and reduced spin. It’s not as “clicky” as a distance ball, but it’s not as soft as something like a Chrome Soft.
Off the tee is where you notice the softness, especially if you have a faster swing speed. My swing is somewhere around 100 MPH, which is a bit higher than recommended.
Even though that’s the case, I still liked the way it felt (since I prefer softer balls). Whenever I made solid contact, it felt like I crushed it. When I mishit it, I also liked the fact that it didn’t feel like a rock.
The Quality
If you don’t lose many balls, durability should be an important thing to consider. That said, most high handicappers lose a lot, so how the ball feels and performs is much more important.
The Duo Soft uses a Surlyn cover, which is firmer and more durable than one made of urethane. This means it’ll withstand cart paths, rocks, hard sand, or whatever else you hit into.
The picture above is what my ball looked like after 9 holes. There’s clearly a scuff mark on it, but I didn’t notice any impact on how it performed.
I’m not sure what caused the mark, but if I were to compare the durability against similar balls, I’d say it’s somewhere in the middle. Some were better, some were worse.
The Short Game
The main thing to look at when it comes to the short game is how much the ball spins around the green. Everyone wants the ball to land on the green, bounce once or twice, and stop.
If that’s what you’re looking for, the Duo Soft isn’t the best option. Actually, that’s the case with any 2 or 3 piece ball with an Ionomer or Surlyn cover.
To do this, you’ll need a premium ball with a Urethane cover. The only problem is that most people don’t hit their wedges solid enough to get much spin, regardless of the ball.
With my wedges and shorter irons, I was able to get the Duo Soft to stop a few yards from its divot on full shots. I was pretty happy with this.
The adjustment I had to make was when I was hitting shorter chips into the green. It was tough to get much spin, so I had to land short of the pin and let the ball run out.
I actually think this is the better play for the majority of weekend players. There’s no need to take the lob wedge out and possibly skull it over the green.
The Long Game
Where this ball will shine for a lot of golfers is with the longer clubs. What’s the most common shot you’ll see on the course? It’s usually a big, high slice.
If you already slice or hook the ball, a premium ball could make it worse. These balls spin more, so if you’re putting sidespin on your shots, it could amplify the result.
The Duo Soft is one of the most forgiving balls I’ve tried. I don’t think it’ll be the longest ball for most people, but I do think it’ll find a lot of fairways.
If you’re swing speed is quite a bit slower than mine, you may get better distance numbers compared to other balls. I’d argue that fairways and greens are more important than a few extra yards, but you may feel differently.
Should You Use The Duo Soft?
After using the Duo Soft for a number of rounds, I really like how it performed and would recommend it to a certain type of golfer.
If you’re a high handicapper with a slower swing speed, I think you should give it a try.
The 2 piece design and Surlyn cover will help straighten your shots out. The lower compression rating will feel a lot better with slower speeds.
It’s not the longest ball out there, and it’s not going to spin much around the green. But if your focus on hitting more fairways and greens, it’s one of the best options out there.
Have you used the Duo Soft? If you have, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!
Best Place To Buy: Check The Price On Amazon
Other Balls To Consider
Even though the Duo Soft is a good ball, it’s not going to perform well for everyone. If you want to see what our favorite balls are for the average golfer, read one of the guides below.
