Wilson Staff FG Tour V2 Review Thread

[Chunkylover77]

Nice - That will be a good thing. I know I can hit both regular and stiff based on my swing speed, but if a KBS Stiff plays like an x stiff I know that probably isn't the shaft for me.

I had KBS stiff softstepped once. It was pretty perfect. I think we seem to have similar swings. I'm sorry if this is off topic

 

[Hawk]

Here are the lengths I got from W/S site for the FG Tours vs the Redlines

3 - 39.25 40
4 - 38.75 39.25
5 - 38.25 38.50
6 - 37.75 37.875
7 - 37.25 37.25
8 - 36.75 36.625
9 - 36.25 36
PW - 35.75 35.75


My apologies. It appear the original FG Tours are shorter in the long irons and about even in the shot irons. I don't have specs on the V2's available.

 

[ddec]

Here are the lengths I got from W/S site for the FG Tours vs the Redlines

3 - 39.25 40
4 - 38.75 39.25
5 - 38.25 38.50
6 - 37.75 37.875
7 - 37.25 37.25
8 - 36.75 36.625
9 - 36.25 36
PW - 35.75 35.75


My apologies. It appear the original FG Tours are shorter in the long irons and about even in the shot irons. I don't have specs on the V2's available.

Left column is FG Tour?

 

[Hawk]

Yes, left is FG Tour. Sorry about that.

 

[War Eagle]

I can't wait to hit these. I want to compare the forgiveness against the Pro Combos. I think it would be an interesting test especially for the Pocket Cavs of the Nikes. I am loving this thread by the way guys. Some of the best testing I've ever read on this site. I will be stealing some of this for my own writeups with of course no credit given

Thanks CL. I posted in the Pro Combo thread the other day how after playing the V2s for the last week, how I can see a split set being beneficial for mid-capper. Would make it have an easy transition through the bag.

 

[Smallville]

It's crazy how our minds work. I was the complete opposite. I was hitting the clubs I used at TMC about 1.5 clubs further than my gamers and it was really messing with me and actually had the lofts bent weaker. Still hit them much further and it was really weird to me.

That's so different from the way I think! Any time I can get extra distance I'm all over it!

 

[sharkwrestler]

Iron Fitting and Comparison continued:

I hit the 6 iron from each set. The Swing Lab computers take into consideration the differences in loft between the sets and compensates for a fair comparison. Here are some of the numbers that were used for the comparison. I will upload some photos of the data this weekend.

Overall Performance ...................MP 53 ..............Burner 2.0............... FG Tour V2............... Anser
Clustering Diameter ....................13.9 Yards .......47.7 Yards ...............43.2 Yards ...............54.1 Yards
Total Distance .............................166 Yards ........175 Yards ................169 Yards ................169 Yards
Carry Distance .............................160 Yards ........169 Yards ................164 Yards ................169 Yards
Backspin (Optimal 5942 RPM) ....5498 RPM ........5942 RPM ...............6226 RPM ................5007 RPM
Mean Ball Speed .........................113.3 MPH .......110.0 MPH ..............117.8 MPH ..............112.3 MPH
Mean Clubhead Speed ................84.7 MPH .........84 MPH ...................90 MPH ....................83 MPH

Here is how each club ranked in each category:

...............................MP 53 ..............Burner 2.0............... FG Tour V2............... Anser
Shot Efficiency ...........3...................... 4.................................1 ...........................2
Total Distance ...........3...................... 4 .................................2 ..........................1
Carry Distance ...........3 ......................4 ................................2 ...........................1
Launch Angle .............4 ......................2 ................................3 ...........................1
Direction/Deviation ...1...................... 3................................ 2........................... 4
Back Spin ...................1...................... 3................................ 2 ...........................4
Decent Angle .............1...................... 2 ................................3........................... 4

Based on the results it ranked the irons in the following order:
1. Mizuno MP 53’s
2. Wilson Staff FG Tour V2’s
3. Ping Anser
4. Taylormade Burner 2.0

The Mizuno’s and Wilson’s were neck and neck as you would expect based on how similar they are. Again these results are not perfect as we used specs from the Callaway Diablo Forged because the V2’s are not in the system yet.

Great post Howzat, waiting to see how all this transpires on the course.

 

[sharkwrestler]

Very nice write up Howzat. Seems to be a lot of struggling going on with these irons. Maybe its just an adjustment period? Whatever it is it seems to be consistant across the testers.

+1 Agreed.

 

[coolbreeze]

Finally found the time to catch up on this thread and you guys have been doing a great job. It seems like there is an adjustment period for all the testers with these irons, but I love all the honesty so far. I also really like the different HC ranges that are testing these irons, as I think almost any HC range can get an idea of whether or not they could game these irons.

Looking forward to reading more as you guys go on with these sexy clubs.

 

[Hawk]

A couple quick videos and a picture from today's range session. I'll have some more thoughts coming up. Had a really good session today and have another video I may post as well. Notice the quality grass. I always seem to hit the ball better on good ranges and it was nice to be at one today.

First of all, here is what I did to the ground with about 10 PW shots or so. No, I'm not coming over the top that bad. The alignment aid is not lined up in the exact direction I was hitting.

Here are some impact videos of the 7 and 8 iron off of the grass.



[video=youtube;zFWQYBs-tYg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFWQYBs-tYg[/video]

 

[Chunkylover77]

Nice vids. 8I sounded like you caught it thin. The 7I sounded beastly. Real nice

 

[Hawk]

Yea, the 8 wasn't great, but the first 7 iron was really nice. The second one wasn't as bad as it sounded, believe it or not.

I'm working on my thoughts, but I spent some time just trying to hit the ball farther in general today and came away with a little "aha" moment right before I left. I don't know if this video will translate what happened, but the third shot was a good 15 yards longer than the two before it and I did it a few more times. To be honest, I really tried hard to stay connected and just swung harder haha. It worked though.

The original point of this video was to show what I'm taking as far as divots go.

 

[Puttin4Bird]

Nice videos Hawk, I really like the sound and they seem like they really look great sitting behind the ball. Turf interaction looks to be outstanding as well. Your swing is looking good bro, keep it up!

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[Hawk]

Testing Date: 9/24/2011
Location: Driving Range
Conditions: 60°, mostly sunny, light wind
Focus: Ball Striking, Accuracy and the 4 iron Vs Hybrid

4 iron vs Hybrid


So far, my 4 iron has been my 170-ish club, which is the gap I filled with my 5 hybrid in the past. This isn't a distance I find myself at too often, but it's something that I may see a couple times a round. I think that this distance requires a pretty high ball flight as I'm almost always going to be using it for a shot into the green. In windy conditions, I think I'm looking for something a bit lower.

There really isn't much comparison in terms of ball flight between the 5 hybrid and the V2 4 iron, which is exactly what I expected. I hit the hybrid quite a bit higher and it landed much softer. I'm able to hit both of them, but the difference in the height of the shots is pretty substantial. As I've mentioned before, I've not had a 4 iron in my bag for almost two years. It's just a club that many of us struggle to hit high up the air and the V2 isn't any different.

I think I'm going to bag the hybrid tomorrow and see what happens. I actually have had success with the 4 iron on the course, but I'd like to try the hybrid at the same course to get a good idea how the two compare.

​More to come

 

[Tadashi70]

This is great stuff hawk. I like the comparison of the two clubs and I applaud you for stepping outside of your comfort zone for the sake of testing. I think you may find a few more shots in the bag with the 4 iron vs the 5 hybrid. At least that has been my experience. Again nice testing going on.

Testing Date: 9/24/2011
Location: Driving Range
Conditions: 60°, mostly sunny, light wind
Focus: Ball Striking, Accuracy and the 4 iron Vs Hybrid

4 iron vs Hybrid


So far, my 4 iron has been my 170-ish club, which is the gap I filled with my 5 hybrid in the past. This isn't a distance I find myself at too often, but it's something that I may see a couple times a round. I think that this distance requires a pretty high ball flight as I'm almost always going to be using it for a shot into the green. In windy conditions, I think I'm looking for something a bit lower.

There really isn't much comparison in terms of ball flight between the 5 hybrid and the V2 4 iron, which is exactly what I expected. I hit the hybrid quite a bit higher and it landed much softer. I'm able to hit both of them, but the difference in the height of the shots is pretty substantial. As I've mentioned before, I've not had a 4 iron in my bag for almost two years. It's just a club that many of us struggle to hit high up the air and the V2 isn't any different.

I think I'm going to bag the hybrid tomorrow and see what happens. I actually have had success with the 4 iron on the course, but I'd like to try the hybrid at the same course to get a good idea how the two compare.

​More to come

 

[Hawk]

Testing Date: 9/24/2011
Location: Driving Range
Conditions: 60°, mostly sunny, light wind
Focus: Ball Striking, Accuracy and the 4 iron Vs Hybrid

Accuracy


By nature, I'm not incredibly accurate with any golf club. I miss quite a few greens when I play golf. One thing that I've wondered is if the V2's will help that at all. There is no way for that to be proven except for a launch monitor or watching my GIR stats, none of which will happen right now.

Still, I wanted to spend time today with the PW firing at a target. I know that this isn't real course conditions, but it's the best I could do today. There is sign that says 100 yards and lasered at 105 today. I actually didn't have a club for this distance in my bag when I had the Redlines. The PW went too far and my 50° is 95 yards on a good day. I usually choked down the PW.

I hit the sign on the fly twice in my first 20 balls, which was pretty exciting to see. The rest of the 'good' shots were all very close on the left or right or hopped into it. I'm not talking fatties or blades here as well know that they wouldn't make it. I was looking to see what well struck shots did and I was really happy with the results. I'm really hoping to get a few shots into the green with this club tomorrow. I feel really confident in it right now.

I'm also going to try a comparison on the launch monitor next week to see if there is any difference between the two irons.

 

[Hawk]

This is great stuff hawk. I like the comparison of the two clubs and I applaud you for stepping outside of your comfort zone for the sake of testing. I think you may find a few more shots in the bag with the 4 iron vs the 5 hybrid. At least that has been my experience. Again nice testing going on.

I appreciate that! My job as a writer here takes me out of my comfort zone all time, but I don't mind it at all. I really want to see what effect equipment has on my game.

 

[Howzat]

Testing Date: 9/24/2011
Location: Driving Range
Conditions: 60°, mostly sunny, light wind
Focus: Ball Striking, Accuracy and the 4 iron Vs Hybrid

Accuracy


By nature, I'm not incredibly accurate with any golf club. I miss quite a few greens when I play golf. One thing that I've wondered is if the V2's will help that at all. There is no way for that to be proven except for a launch monitor or watching my GIR stats, none of which will happen right now.

Still, I wanted to spend time today with the PW firing at a target. I know that this isn't real course conditions, but it's the best I could do today. There is sign that says 100 yards and lasered at 105 today. I actually didn't have a club for this distance in my bag when I had the Redlines. The PW went too far and my 50° is 95 yards on a good day. I usually choked down the PW.

I hit the sign on the fly twice in my first 20 balls, which was pretty exciting to see. The rest of the 'good' shots were all very close on the left or right or hopped into it. I'm not talking fatties or blades here as well know that they wouldn't make it. I was looking to see what well struck shots did and I was really happy with the results. I'm really hoping to get a few shots into the green with this club tomorrow. I feel really confident in it right now.

I'm also going to try a comparison on the launch monitor next week to see if there is any difference between the two irons.

Great stuff Hawk. Glad you had a good session today and gained some confidence. Look forward to seeing your results on a LM.

 

[Chunkylover77]

Yea, the 8 wasn't great, but the first 7 iron was really nice. The second one wasn't as bad as it sounded, believe it or not.

I'm working on my thoughts, but I spent some time just trying to hit the ball farther in general today and came away with a little "aha" moment right before I left. I don't know if this video will translate what happened, but the third shot was a good 15 yards longer than the two before it and I did it a few more times. To be honest, I really tried hard to stay connected and just swung harder haha. It worked though.

The original point of this video was to show what I'm taking as far as divots go.

First 2 sounded alright. Then I think you hit 2 or 3 in a row that just sounded deep and perfect. Then a thin one I think. Just sounds like you are beginning to hit the ball better. I'm loving the progress in this thread dude

 

[Hawk]

Thanks Chunky. I went back to something I used to do last year - focusing ahead of the ball in the hopes that I hit it cleaner every time. It worked wonders last year for me. The fatties are not a directional killer, but do hurt distance.

 

[Chunkylover77]

Thanks Chunky. I went back to something I used to do last year - focusing ahead of the ball in the hopes that I hit it cleaner every time. It worked wonders last year for me. The fatties are not a directional killer, but do hurt distance.

I noticed the Vision Track. I keep forgetting to bring that to the range with me. I have used something similar to your focus tecnique although mine will be focusing on the middle of the ball

 

[#Cookie]

Perhaps sometime down the road Hawk and I will do a temporary switcheroo of say a 4I and do some testing. I think it could be fun

I like that idea and really would look forward to your findings.

Great vids and feedback Hawk. You and I have seen some very similar initial results as well as issues. Think I need to try the hitting in front of the ball tip for the fatties. Keep up the great work man; I still have some catching up to do on this thread - so much info it is hard to keep up!!


Tappin' from my iPad!

 

[sharkwrestler]

Cool Vids Hawk, waiting to hear how the launch monitor session goes.

 

[War Eagle]

Testing Date: 9/24/2011
Location: Driving Range
Conditions: 60°, mostly sunny, light wind
Focus: Ball Striking, Accuracy and the 4 iron Vs Hybrid

4 iron vs Hybrid


So far, my 4 iron has been my 170-ish club, which is the gap I filled with my 5 hybrid in the past. This isn't a distance I find myself at too often, but it's something that I may see a couple times a round. I think that this distance requires a pretty high ball flight as I'm almost always going to be using it for a shot into the green. In windy conditions, I think I'm looking for something a bit lower.

There really isn't much comparison in terms of ball flight between the 5 hybrid and the V2 4 iron, which is exactly what I expected. I hit the hybrid quite a bit higher and it landed much softer. I'm able to hit both of them, but the difference in the height of the shots is pretty substantial. As I've mentioned before, I've not had a 4 iron in my bag for almost two years. It's just a club that many of us struggle to hit high up the air and the V2 isn't any different.

I think I'm going to bag the hybrid tomorrow and see what happens. I actually have had success with the 4 iron on the course, but I'd like to try the hybrid at the same course to get a good idea how the two compare.

​More to come

Great thoughts Hawk. I have had success with the 4Iron off the tee, off the ground, not so much (same as with the 3iron). I could definitely see how someone would prefer the hybrid over the 4i, especially when looking for higher ball flight.

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

Good thoughts guys. Great videos too!