What's new? How much does it cost? And how does it perform? Jack Backhouse brings you the low down on Wilson's new Staff Model BL22 putter
How does Wilson’s new premium Staff Model putter perform? Find out in our Wilson BL22 putter review.
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Wilson Staff Model BL22 putter review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
As soon as you remove the headcover from the BL22 it screams quality. Wilson have done a brilliant job putting together this premium putter in the design we all know and love.
This is perfect for players who are traditionalists when it comes to putters, wanting something clean and simple that will not only turn playing partner’s heads when it comes out of the bag but also feels great and putts well.
PROS
- Beautifully shaped
- Clean and not over branded
- Feedback from the putter is top notch
CONS
- The grip doesn’t feel to match the quality of the rest of the putter.
Wilson Staff Model BL22 putter review: First Impressions
This putter feels special. When you take the head cover off, and get a view of the precision milling, you get a feel for how much thought has been put into designing it. The design is so clean and elegant you almost don’t want to hit putts with it, but rather hang it above the fireplace at home.
Wilson Staff Model BL22 putter review: NCG Verdict
I was very excited when I saw Wilson were releasing a new range of Staff Model putters and I had to get my hands on one to give it a go.
I love small blade putters. Even though I have toyed around with mallets, odd shapes, fat grips and anything else you can think of, but I always come back to a small blade putter as I believe to putt well you have to love what you’re using.
Building a blade putter is harder than you think, as there will always be an army of traditionalists looking to critique what you put out there. The traditionalists are going to have a very hard time finding anything wrong with the BL22.
Once I had gotten over how nice the BL22 is to look at, I started hitting some short putts with it. I found it really easy to line up as all the lines and details of the putter sit very square. I vary between using a line on the ball and not, and either way I found it easy to point at the hole and knocked a lot of short ones in.
The Wilson Staff Model BL22 has two 10-gram weights in the sole which make it feel quite heavy. This I believe adds to the quality feeling to the putter and also will help performance. A heavier head will not be affected so badly by misstrikes keeping the ball more online when you make a bad stroke.
Moving onto longer putts and I felt like the forged 304 stainless steel head was quite soft, and I didn’t feel like the ball was coming off too fast which is sometimes what I see with heavier-headed putters. The face has quite an aggressive milling which is supposed to help get a better roll on the putts.
The only thing I could possibly criticise the BL22 putter for is the grip. The Lamkin Deep Etched is a paddle grip which means it has quite a wide front. I would have preferred to see a pistol-shaped grip which is more ‘classic’ and would have been more aligned with what the putter is.
The headcover that comes with the Wilson Staff BL22 putter is also great. It’s thick and sturdy to protect your new wand, but again just like the putter, clean in design and looks great in the bag.
I am sure you know by now but I absolutely love this putter. You won’t very easily find a better-looking blade putter on the market, and it’s more reasonably priced than the other brands in this same market. If you’re looking to update or upgrade your blade you absolutely must give this a go, you will not be disappointed.
Once I have changed the grip this putter is going straight in my bag!
Wilson Staff Model BL22 putter review: The Details
Available: Now!
RRP: £330
Loft: 3°
Shaft Length: 34″ or 35″
Lie Angle: 71°
Grip: Lamkin Deep Etch Putter Grip
More information: Wilson Website
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