Wilson Staff C200 Irons Review Thread

[DufferToo]

You guys have been doing a great job with your reviews and answering our questions, thanks again.

As I've mentioned previously, I have been gaming the C100's for over a year now. I think that the C100's Exoskeleton did a great job in defining the Control (now Crossover) class of clubs. Based on the reviews, the C200's with the FLX Face Technology really are the next step in providing the majority of golfers with a club that can enhance their performance, be forgiving, and yet be fairly compact.

I can understand W/S wanting to make the FLX Face Tech visible to differentiate the C200's from the crowd and to create buzz. In-hand pics really show off the Power Holes and kind of remind me of stitching. Though they don't seem very noticeable in the address pictures. For me, I can see using the "stitching" as a quick verification that the clubface is square and then my focus would be on the ball, hopefully letting the FLX Face work it's magic.

Overall, the C200's are a good looking, fairly compact iron that seem to pack a substantial amount of game enhancing technology. With all of the technology, it's easy to overlook the small aesthetic details, but I for one, like the "milled" look in the cavity surrounding the badging.

Thanks man.

For those who haven't seen it:
http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?77586-Traveling-C200

Thanks for posting your C200 travel thread. I've been following along and commenting on Twitter.

 

[Molten]

Please don't go to any extra effort, as you are doing me a favor.
If you have the two 5's easily accessible, that is more than perfect.

Thanks,

Steve

Here are some different shots of the five irons. Let me know any other views you might want. Less offset for sure, but it is still present. And the iron head is slightly smaller but way more sleek.

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[Molten]

The C200 is very sleek with a ton of tech in there. I really like the intricate details of design - it is like they knew they were pushing the envelope with the power holes so they made sure everything else made it look sexy.


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[brianmk24]

Power holes and flex technology will certainly help us get the ball to the hole better. Love the bright red and the badging on the back of the irons as well.

 

[Rambler]

Having gamed the C100s for a half-season, I like the look/finish of the C200s much more. The Power Holes are interesting tech, and though my initial thoughts were that they might be distracting, reviewers thoughts indicate this shouldn't be a worry. I'm looking forward to getting some swings in as soon as they are available.

 

[gmiller598]

I've never tried a Wilson iron but these look quite interesting. The distance and feel combination sounds like a great thing for everyone.

 

[Harvmp28]

I really like that polished finish. The slots don't seem to bother me at all and doubt they would standing over them. When I see a set in a bag and see all the slots on the soles I actually think they look awesome, draws your eye and makes you wonder. Side note, when seeing pics of the soles keep seeing four slots _ _ _ _ and it makes me think of Hangman and the answer is LONG!


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[Molten]

I've never tried a Wilson iron but these look quite interesting. The distance and feel combination sounds like a great thing for everyone.

These were my first WS clubs and now I always give them a try when looking for a new club. The tech just can't be ignored anymore.


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[tt100]

I'm excited to try these out. The Cincinnati Golf Show is the 15-17th. I hope Wilson participates...

 

[mikeg_74]

The technology packed into these is impressive. WILSON is definitely bringing some serious fire power to the iron market in 2016. I can't wait to test these and see what all the hype is about.

 

[rogt]

What a great review. Just jumped on here to see what all the bus was, tons of technology there great looking top line and just the shear look of the irons WOW impressed Wilson Staff doing some great things.

 

[Rusty Dave]

These were my first WS clubs and now I always give them a try when looking for a new club. The tech just can't be ignored anymore.


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Agreed. I never thought of W/S prior to #staffproto mainly because I don't get their stuff up here. Now W/S won't be able to get rid of me. Just ordered their driver and 3 wood. The C200's are the real deal. Before you buy clubs, you need to try these. They are truly awesome.


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[ArmyGolf]

Have any of you guys found that you needed a lower launching iron shaft than normal to keep the flight down? Or maybe another way of putting it, is the fact that these launch nice and high causing issues for anybody?

 

[mikedean441]

Have any of you guys found that you needed a lower launching iron shaft than normal to keep the flight down? Or maybe another way of putting it, is the fact that these launch nice and high causing issues for anybody?

Not me but your iron elevation is drastically lower than most

 

[Molten]

Have any of you guys found that you needed a lower launching iron shaft than normal to keep the flight down? Or maybe another way of putting it, is the fact that these launch nice and high causing issues for anybody?

The higher launching has been great for me. I was a low launch player who tried to help the ball up to make up for it. Swing is much better now.

I know that a few friends that have hit them could never play the tour 90 that I got but WS has plenty of lower launching shafts for these clubs.

A truly high launching player hitting these might need to register the golf ball as a drone - it might pop up on radar. A different shaft would make it better though.




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[ArmyGolf]

Not me but your iron elevation is drastically lower than most

Someone has to keep those darn groundhogs in their holes.

 

[choda]

These irons look nice, Not the best looking, But nice. Never thought much about Wilson irons. But I would be interested in hearing more about them and hitting them.

 

[Mmaynard11]

About the Reviewer:

I’m currently at a 13.1 GHIN handicap and when I started this whole process I was a 14.1 GHIN handicap. For the sake of this review, I did not take any lessons so that any results could be approximately tied to the change in irons alone. [This is not exactly the case I learned quickly – the new distances of the C200s required an overhaul my hybrids and wedges to properly gap the whole bag.]

My previous gamers were Ping G25 with a stock stiff shaft. I carried 6-P in irons and replaced the 5 iron with a hybrid.

I currently carry the 5-G and have no intention of making any changes to the irons. None. I love to try and buy new equipment but I haven’t hit an iron like this in my life so why bother looking to change?! For what its worth, I gave the four iron a good college try to make the bag but I couldn’t hit it well enough to replace a hybrid. I did put a W/S M3 hybrid in its place. I did try to befriend the 4 iron, though. For example, I took it to work for a week and took it for rides in two Teslas. Heck, I tried to take it to dinner but my wife said no. I think she was just confused about what irons eat for dinner – had she asked I would have said they like poultry; mostly birdies.

General Impressions:

If you read nothing else, I want you to understand that the C200s are amazing game improvement irons that actually have the technology to improve an amateur’s game. I gained about ½ of a club in yardage from my previous irons – a number that is likely skewed on the low side because I am comparing the G25 summer distance to the C200 late fall/ winter distances. More importantly, I gained this yardage AND achieved much higher launching shots, which resulted in holding more greens and spinning the ball back with regularity. I mean come on – I dropped a whole digit off my handicap with new equipment and colder weather. The C200s are the reason, without question.

I have to imagine that I’m not spinning the ball much more than I was in the past, but the success in holding greens is a direct result of the much steeper descent into the greens. This steeper angle combined with my average spin numbers has allowed me to look like I know what I’m doing on a golf course. I’ll take it and so should you.

The C200 head is larger than a true “player” [read: not me] might want but it hides it surprisingly well at address. My personal belief is that the C200 irons would be well suited to a player in the 5 to 18 handicap range, although I’m sure that there are exceptions to my best guess.

Setup:

I was fit into the Regular flex KBS Tour 90 shaft with an extra ½’’. Standard lie. I chose different grips from the stock option.

The change from stiff to regular allowed me to swing with a much better tempo and achieve a much better and repeatable ball flight. Setting my ego aside, the change was for the best. The Wilson Staff Specs on these are:

In Action:

The C200s are just flat out long and high launching. The high launching is not at the expense of control either, as somehow (Vrska magic?!) the ball is still very penetrating into the wind. Despite the height, I do not notice any additional movement with the wind from the much lower launching irons I was playing previously.

The C200s are forgiving and give the player so much confidence standing over the ball. I know where the ball is going – period. That isn’t to say that they are a true distance club either, as the C200s will give a player plenty of feedback when the hit the ball. I know where I missed instantly and it helps me to tweak my swing in round here and there. Amazingly, these clubs are so easy to hit and control that I actually put the five iron in the bag and took out the extra hybrid that I used to carry - something I never thought I would do. I could never hit a 5 iron and now it is one of my favorite clubs to hit.

I break the irons into three categories for my review process – the long irons (4-6) the short irons (7-9) and the scoring irons (P, G).

Long irons:

Very easy to hit and perform very well off the tee too. The long irons want very badly to go straight. This is completely fine with me as I do not typically try to work these clubs very much. I mostly want these clubs to go the right distance and land somewhere (softly) near the green. A green hit with a long iron went from an unlikely event to a slightly more common event. I am still not great with the long irons but I have seen an increase in greens in regulation (thanks Arccos) with the long irons. This helps to save a stroke or two a round, which is all I can ask for.

Short irons:

I love these clubs. Easily my favorites as a whole, with the 8 iron being my favorite. Give me 135-140 and an 8 iron and I know I have a good chance to knock one on the green and sometimes close. I’m interested to see if this range gets a bit longer once the summer months hit.

These irons go high and I now know that I can clear the trouble that is in the line of my shot. On my home course there are several shots that require you to (1) go over the trees, (2) punch under the trees / through the small openings, (3) shape a nice draw/fade around the trees, or (4) lay up in a direction that really doesn’t advance the ball very far toward the hole. I used to take (2) or (4). Sometimes I would try (3) if the round had already gotten away from me.

The C200s let me take option (1) or (3) now and allow me to do so with great success. The short irons are easy to shape between a draw or fade (when the user isn’t the problem) but don’t run a big risk of running too far away from you. The one thing to consider is that the C200s WANT TO GO STRAIGHT. This is secretly awesome but realizing this simple fact allows a player to approach a shot into a green with confidence. I will set up so that a straight shot is on the green or not in trouble and aim to shape the ball toward the pin. If I hit my shot, fantastic and I can try a little pose while I watch the ball. If I mess up, the C200 is going to throw that thing straight and I’m fine. The C200 short irons let me act like I “meant to do that” no matter the results because they are so consistent.

Scoring Irons:

Most other reviewers are going to rave about these clubs and they deserve it. The set gap wedge has changed the way that I chip and has helped to eliminate the chili-dip, fat chips from my game. (Thanks to fellow #StaffProto tester John for making me realize that I was making chipping WAY too hard)

In my eyes, the scoring irons are very similar in performance to the short irons. One thing that I love about the wedges is that I can take a full swing with them, something I typically never do with my other wedges.

Durability:

The irons stood up to about 30 rounds and about 15 range sessions and show the same wear that any iron would through similar usage. The TE031 urethane has shown no wear and I have had no issues with it. I actually forget that its present until someone asks about the irons.

The one area of concern that I have is the chrome on the toe of the irons. My six iron took one solid shot to it (yup – my big miss is on the toe) and there is a bit of a splash mark. I really hope that this was just bad luck but I’m a little surprised that the mark occurred so quickly.

In sum, forget about worrying if the FLX face technology will hold up or be troublesome. It will perform the first round and won’t quit until you do. I will take a photo during tomorrow's round and put it up to show the current state of wear.

Final Thoughts:

Give the C200s a shot – hit them a few times and tell me that you aren’t impressed. They may not be for you but the technology is worth a look. Wilson Staff may have just changed the iron game and showed some real advancement in the field – don’t get left behind by not even giving them a swing.

The C200s have worked for me and I will play anything that works for my game. I shot my best round ever with the C200s (broke 80 for the first time ever with a 79 on a par 70 course) and this was only a few weeks after getting them. The ball goes where you want it and they allow for some workability too. It isn’t too hard to hit it straight, a small draw, or a small fade. I had a very hard time hooking or slicing these irons and that made the world of difference on most tight holes. A poorly struck ball goes where you want it and the C200s have all the forgiveness to reward these poor shots. On average, I would estimate you get about 85-90% of your original distance on these poor swings. Heck, I’ll take that any day for my game.

Everyone raves about the set gap wedge and yeah – it’s very good. But I think the real game changing aspect of the C200s are the 7-9 irons. Most of my approach shots are from the 7-9 iron range and the confidence that the C200s and its FLX face gives me is has been game changing. For the first time ever, I think I have a shot at reaching a single digit handicap next year and I have to thank THP and Wilson Staff for allowing me to even entertain that thought. At minimum, my consistency has gotten much better over the last three months. Before the C200s, the difference between my highest round and lowest round was 21 shots. Since getting the C200s in the bag, that difference is down to 15 (and remember, that now includes a new personal best round).

Lastly, thank you to THP and everyone at Wilson Staff for this experience and everything that they have done to just some ordinary golfer. I hope I get to be a part of whatever Wilson Staff and THP have baking up for 2016.

Amazing review!!! Definitely an offering that I want to give a go.

 

[JohnSinVA]

Have any of you guys found that you needed a lower launching iron shaft than normal to keep the flight down? Or maybe another way of putting it, is the fact that these launch nice and high causing issues for anybody?

I swapped mine out for Dynamic Golds I had in an old set. Would love to try some C Tapers in them but thats pretty tall cotton at $36/shaft. They do launch a bit lower but there's still good high flight.
It's just what they do, the ball gets up and stays up.



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[Grins]

Awesome reviews so far guys! I haven't been fortunate enough to hit these yet but I'm hoping to change that today, thanks to Wilson & THP for their contest to win a set of C200s! I love my Di11's but it's time to get the best new tech out there. Hopefully I'll be able to add to this discussion very soon.

 

[fran21356]

Great review Rusty and great photos! These are sweet looking irons.

 

[MBurnham]

Great reviews everyone. These irons are very intriguing. Any iron that offers good forgiveness and increased distance would help my game. I definitely need to get out and give these a try.

 

[Johnny mojo]

Lurking around in here more each day, and the KBS Tour 90 shaft that I played in my J40's as well as the confidence inspiring looks of these really speak to me. The offset looks "manageable" to the eye and the topline doesn't bother me at all. And all those bag shots everyone is posting.......they sure do look good in the bag!

JM

 

[tequila4kapp]

Questions for the testers.

The feedback about distance and forgiveness has stood out to me so far. I'm curious to hear more about this club as a Crossover offering. What other characteristics do the clubs offer that put this in the Crossover category? How are those working out for you? How is feel? Sound? Can you flight the ball and shape shots? Is this really a Crossover club or is it a Distance club dressed in GI clothes? Thanks!

 

[Olliebollie]

Congratz to Wilson for being innovative in a very competitive marketplace! Congratz also to THP for being a major influencer and making sure that the amateur golfer voice gets heard.
For me it is hard to say what to think of these clubs. For sure, the pics look nice, but I need to swing these and see them in real life before I can pass judgment. Unfortunately in The Netherlands it will take another month or so (Feb/March) before we can demo them. At the moment I game the Adams XTD irons from a couple of years ago and I am very happy with them. I had tried the D200 and the C100 in stores here, but they didn't make the difference compared to the XTDs.
Once the C200s become available here I will definitely give them a try.