Wilson Staff Golf Putters- the 88 Series

Although Wilson Staff is not known as a “putter company” per se, the new 88 series offers a good range of choices in a product line of only 5 models. This article will describe these five putter models.

There are two very traditional putters in the product line. These include the 8861 model which is an offshoot of the traditional Ping Anser look, and the 8862 which is a sort of traditional blade putter with a rounded flange at the back of the putter which gives it a sort of half mallet appearance. The 8861

has a plumber’s style neck with two 90 degree bends creating an offset, while the 8862 has a straight shaft with no offset. The other three models are very modern looking mallet style putters with considerable weight redistribution to the rear of the putter heads and this is clearly done to increase the moment of inertia (MOI) of the putters, which of course provides more forgiveness for off-center hits.

The 8871 model could be called a blade inspired mallet putter. That is, the back portion of the mallet is somewhat truncated near the toe and heel sections. There is a round hole in the middle of the back which is centered behind the putter face, and the perimeter weighting continues behind the hole to help accomplish a higher MOI. The 8872 obviously has very similar design goals but offers a different shape of the putter head. This shape is a modified trapezoid, with the longer side being the putter face. A solid bar runs from the back of the putter face to the back of the club, and this helps define two holes in the club head behind the putter face. There is a lot of weight at the back of the putter, and this moves the center of gravity (CG) to the rear which helps get the ball rolling optimally. The 8875 model has more of a rounded mallet shape, and it also has a solid center bar from the putter face to the back which helps to form two holes in the putter head. These three putters have a double bended shaft creating offset.

One of the unique features of these Wilson Staff golf putters is a choice of face inserts. These are made of anodized aluminum, and the golfer can choose between an insert that provides a soft feel or one that is firmer. Milled face inserts have been shown to create less skid after impact to get the ball rolling more quickly and help it stay on its intended line more easily. Another option is putter length, which can be either 34 or 35 inches. The lie angle for all the putters is 72 degrees, and Wilson Staff has worked with Winn Grips to design a proprietary wrap grip. All the putters are available in both left and right handed versions except the 8862 which is not available for left handed golfers.

For a small putter product line of only five clubs, the 88 series of putters by Wilson Staff offers both modern and traditional choices, and these are all certain to be quality clubs, true to the traditions of Wilson Staff, a long time fixture in golf equipment. In fact they point out that with his win at the British Open this year, Padraig Harrington of Ireland is the 59^th player to win a major golf tournament using Wilson Staff equipment. Few golf club companies, if any, can match that record.