Wilson Staff C200 Irons Review Thread
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#THPEvents there is really nothing like them anywhere.
Great stuff guys.
Great stuff guys.
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Don't forget to sell those clubs at the price you told your wife you paid for them.
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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.
Rusty Dave
#staffproto
Great review Molten!
mikedean441
6X HOF
Awesome work Molten. Very well written and very comprehensive
In short, yes. I tried to avoid this but just couldn't. I went from a 50, 54, 58 set of RTX wedges to a 52, 56 wedge combo as a result of the quality of the set gap wedge. At the higher end, I adjusted the M3 hybrid a degree or two (can't remember) stronger so I had the 4 iron replacement not overlapping with the C200 5 iron.
The topline is only something I noticed for the first nine of the first round. It looks better than the G25s that I was playing prior and the unique look is exactly why someone should give it a look. My view - if someone wants to see the same topline that every other iron has, it might just perform the same as every other iron. Different is good (my mom told me so).
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That was really a good read Molten.
Wilson Staff C200 Irons Review Thread
That's a heck of a write up Molten! Definitely sounds like these irons have made an immediate positive impact on your game.
What wedges did you end up moving to with these irons?
ETA: nvm on the wedges, just saw you answer PhillyV's question as I was posting.
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That's a heck of a write up Molten! Definitely sounds like these irons have made an immediate positive impact on your game.
What wedges did you end up moving to with these irons?
ETA: nvm on the wedges, just saw you answer PhillyV's question as I was posting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Outstanding job on that review Molten!
Didn't he also have the closest to the pin on that unfair pin location on the par 3 15th? 441 was throwing darts having never swung the clubs so I can't imagine what he is doing with them now.
Excellent review Molten! Glad to hear that the C200's have worked so well for you. That's the thing with W/S, they make great equipment, unfortunately lots of golfers don't know it.
Hey, she "borrowed" my C100's. I had to have a set for when we play together, right?
Actually, I'm sure the selling price will be pretty close to whatever deal I can get from W/S on the C200's during the demo weekend.
I can post more comparison photos if you think it would be helpful. Let me know what kind of shots you would be interested in and I'll make em happen.
Molten....that was a great review. Very comprehensive, humorous, well done.
Looking at the price be point on these has me seriously considering them. I need to hit them some, but seems like they certainly deserve a look see for anyone looking at irons.
Sent from the magic know everything box in my pocket
Looking at the price be point on these has me seriously considering them. I need to hit them some, but seems like they certainly deserve a look see for anyone looking at irons.
Sent from the magic know everything box in my pocket
emart2173
#journey2017
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Great write up Molten. I can attest to everything you put in there and there is no way you stay at a 13 this year. The conversation we had in the cart about your fitting and shaft choice along with the controlled swing you use is a great match for these clubs. You hit ton of good shots throughout the day.
DavidWinchell
Pink Panther
Wilson Staff C200 Irons Review Thread
Alright guys here it is, the day the lucky 9 have been waiting for. We can finally talk about, in detail, Wilson Staffs’ newest addition to the iron family.
The C200s
These bad boys fall into the “c” category. Which stands for crossover and that’s exactly what they are. They aren’t blades or MB’s but they are definitely not your average “game improvement” iron either. They have the look of the game improvement iron with the feel of your more “player” iron.
From the company:
FLX Face Technology
FLX Face technology minimizes the contact points between the thin face and the club head for maximum face flex upon impact. 76% of the topline, toe and sole perimeter are freed from contact to the body, limiting contact to only 24% of the perimeter.
This is the main idea behind #GenFLX. There are 9 power holes that surround the head of each club that allow the face to flex upon impact. Giving you extreme distance. Each hole is filled with TE031 Urethane. This helps improve the sound as well as the feel.
Initial thoughts and Fitting
When I first arrived at Wilson HQ the day of the announcement, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I had some idea based off of last year’s event thread and in talking to some of the participants. But we all knew they were going to go above and beyond to top that event. We got to sit down and get a full rundown of these irons from the creators themselves. If I’m being completely honest, when I first saw the irons I was like “Ugh, game improvement”. Being a fairly low handicapper I was hoping for some form of a “players” iron. My current set going into this was the Taylor Made Tour preferred combo set of MC’s and MB’s. So I was very skeptical. Keeping an open mind I went into the fitting with the man, the myth, the legend DUFFY!
He comes over and says “just take a couple swings with these so I can see where we are at”. Couple 7 irons later and he says “stop”. Walks to his car and pulls the range finder out of his bag. “Um ok so you’re carrying that 7 iron about 205”. I was shocked. I’m not a short hitter but a 205 7 iron is just silly. He then asks me what my typical miss is, which is a pretty bad pull hook. Slips a .5” short shaft in it and walla, nothing but purrty straight balls right at the 200 stake. Even pegged it a couple times which was cool. Another shock to my fitting was that .5” shorter shaft. I’ve only known to play standard length. He said it will help make it slightly stiffer and keep the pull hook to a minimum. Yet another shock was that I was fitted to 2* Upright. Every set I’ve ever had has been 2* flat. But I wasn’t gonna second guess the man. I ended up with the KBS Tour 90 S and Decade grips in white. (They didn’t have pinkL).
The Specs
Shaft:
KBS Tour 90 (steel) or Aldila Rogue Pro (graphite)
Grip:
Lamkin Crossline Black
Swing Weight:
D1
On Course Performance
Now keep in mind living in Ohio I’ve only had maybe 4/5 rounds with these.
First time out with them in Chicago, I wasn’t really sure how they would perform. I knew they felt great, and I knew they were perfectly fitted for me but I was still unsure. Got to the range a bit early to see JB and Mike hitting 2 balls at once with these and neither ball losing distance over the other which is just insane. Anyway, after a nice solid warm up, I notice that everything I hit is missing a solid 5-10 yards to the right. If you remember from before my miss is literally the complete opposite. So now I’m a bit confused. I just said aim a little more left and you’ll be fine. Because naturally I aim right and draw the ball. These irons being a bit thicker on the sole was making it harder for me to turn them over. So coming away from the range I was a bit nervous, and then come to find out who my playing partner was, it didn’t help the nerves, it was Michael Vrska himself. I don’t know where the ball is going and I’m playing with one of the minds behind the equipment, UGH!
After watching the Asian tour pros tee off on 1 it was our turn. The first couple of iron shots were a little right of target let’s say. But the feel, contact, and sound was pure and beautiful. For the most part I kept them in play and on a decent line but I knew it was going go take some getting used to. We come to a par 3 in which Mr.441 had tucked his iron super close just ahead of us and told us we had to get inside him. I pulled a 6 iron, from 210 I believe, aimed a little left and put a pure swing on it. The ball never left the flag, but again the increased distance these things add I flew about 3 yards too far.
Coming back home, I immediately had to get out and play. I went a few days later with one of my buddies who was dying to see the new news. His Initial reaction to seeing them was exactly the same as mine, “Ugh, game improving”. I said just wait and hit 4/5 shots. He pulls the 7 iron and was just destroying this thing. I’m talking like a good 210/215 carry. Granted he is longer than me to begin with but that’s not normal. He said, ok ok I was wrong those feel great.
Now the added distance is also another issue I’m going to have to get used to for future use. Pulling a P wedge from 160 just doesn’t seem right to me but hey it is what it is.
The last round I got in with these was a couple weeks ago with some fellow THPers. I hadn’t touched a club in months. I had no clue what the swing was going to be like or what was gonna happen. Step up to the first tee. Par 5 slightly downhill. I hit a solid drive down the center and had about 176 into the green. I asked Mr. Granddaddy himself (PhillyV), “think I can get an 8 there”? he said uh yea. SO I pulled the 8 and stuffed it to 6 feet. Just an effortless swing with these and the ball just jumps. Such a great luxury to have with an iron.
Now, where I believe these clubs really shine, is the misses. Cause let’s face it, none of us flush every shot. We all have off center hits, and these clubs are soooooo good on them. Like I mentioned before, JB was hitting 2 balls at once and both balls were travelling the same distance and only about 3/5 yards apart. That speaks volumes for the forgiveness that these have. With 76% of the face free from the iron, that’s a ton of room for error with little consequence. Basically making the sweet spot much much larger than your typical iron.
Alright guys here it is, the day the lucky 9 have been waiting for. We can finally talk about, in detail, Wilson Staffs’ newest addition to the iron family.
The C200s
These bad boys fall into the “c” category. Which stands for crossover and that’s exactly what they are. They aren’t blades or MB’s but they are definitely not your average “game improvement” iron either. They have the look of the game improvement iron with the feel of your more “player” iron.
From the company:
FLX Face Technology
FLX Face technology minimizes the contact points between the thin face and the club head for maximum face flex upon impact. 76% of the topline, toe and sole perimeter are freed from contact to the body, limiting contact to only 24% of the perimeter.
This is the main idea behind #GenFLX. There are 9 power holes that surround the head of each club that allow the face to flex upon impact. Giving you extreme distance. Each hole is filled with TE031 Urethane. This helps improve the sound as well as the feel.
Initial thoughts and Fitting
When I first arrived at Wilson HQ the day of the announcement, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I had some idea based off of last year’s event thread and in talking to some of the participants. But we all knew they were going to go above and beyond to top that event. We got to sit down and get a full rundown of these irons from the creators themselves. If I’m being completely honest, when I first saw the irons I was like “Ugh, game improvement”. Being a fairly low handicapper I was hoping for some form of a “players” iron. My current set going into this was the Taylor Made Tour preferred combo set of MC’s and MB’s. So I was very skeptical. Keeping an open mind I went into the fitting with the man, the myth, the legend DUFFY!
He comes over and says “just take a couple swings with these so I can see where we are at”. Couple 7 irons later and he says “stop”. Walks to his car and pulls the range finder out of his bag. “Um ok so you’re carrying that 7 iron about 205”. I was shocked. I’m not a short hitter but a 205 7 iron is just silly. He then asks me what my typical miss is, which is a pretty bad pull hook. Slips a .5” short shaft in it and walla, nothing but purrty straight balls right at the 200 stake. Even pegged it a couple times which was cool. Another shock to my fitting was that .5” shorter shaft. I’ve only known to play standard length. He said it will help make it slightly stiffer and keep the pull hook to a minimum. Yet another shock was that I was fitted to 2* Upright. Every set I’ve ever had has been 2* flat. But I wasn’t gonna second guess the man. I ended up with the KBS Tour 90 S and Decade grips in white. (They didn’t have pinkL).
The Specs
Shaft:
KBS Tour 90 (steel) or Aldila Rogue Pro (graphite)
Grip:
Lamkin Crossline Black
Swing Weight:
D1
| Loft | Lie | Length | |
| 3-Iron (custom option) | 19.0 | 59.5 | 39.50 |
| 4-Iron | 22.0 | 60.0 | 39.00 |
| 5-Iron | 25.0 | 61.0 | 38.50 |
| 6-Iron | 28.0 | 61.5 | 38.00 |
| 7-Iron | 32.0 | 62.0 | 37.50 |
| 8-Iron | 36.0 | 63.0 | 37.00 |
| 9-Iron | 40.0 | 63.5 | 36.50 |
| PW | 44.0 | 64.0 | 36.00 |
| GW | 48.0 | 64.5 | 35.75 |
On Course Performance
Now keep in mind living in Ohio I’ve only had maybe 4/5 rounds with these.
First time out with them in Chicago, I wasn’t really sure how they would perform. I knew they felt great, and I knew they were perfectly fitted for me but I was still unsure. Got to the range a bit early to see JB and Mike hitting 2 balls at once with these and neither ball losing distance over the other which is just insane. Anyway, after a nice solid warm up, I notice that everything I hit is missing a solid 5-10 yards to the right. If you remember from before my miss is literally the complete opposite. So now I’m a bit confused. I just said aim a little more left and you’ll be fine. Because naturally I aim right and draw the ball. These irons being a bit thicker on the sole was making it harder for me to turn them over. So coming away from the range I was a bit nervous, and then come to find out who my playing partner was, it didn’t help the nerves, it was Michael Vrska himself. I don’t know where the ball is going and I’m playing with one of the minds behind the equipment, UGH!
After watching the Asian tour pros tee off on 1 it was our turn. The first couple of iron shots were a little right of target let’s say. But the feel, contact, and sound was pure and beautiful. For the most part I kept them in play and on a decent line but I knew it was going go take some getting used to. We come to a par 3 in which Mr.441 had tucked his iron super close just ahead of us and told us we had to get inside him. I pulled a 6 iron, from 210 I believe, aimed a little left and put a pure swing on it. The ball never left the flag, but again the increased distance these things add I flew about 3 yards too far.
Coming back home, I immediately had to get out and play. I went a few days later with one of my buddies who was dying to see the new news. His Initial reaction to seeing them was exactly the same as mine, “Ugh, game improving”. I said just wait and hit 4/5 shots. He pulls the 7 iron and was just destroying this thing. I’m talking like a good 210/215 carry. Granted he is longer than me to begin with but that’s not normal. He said, ok ok I was wrong those feel great.
Now the added distance is also another issue I’m going to have to get used to for future use. Pulling a P wedge from 160 just doesn’t seem right to me but hey it is what it is.
The last round I got in with these was a couple weeks ago with some fellow THPers. I hadn’t touched a club in months. I had no clue what the swing was going to be like or what was gonna happen. Step up to the first tee. Par 5 slightly downhill. I hit a solid drive down the center and had about 176 into the green. I asked Mr. Granddaddy himself (PhillyV), “think I can get an 8 there”? he said uh yea. SO I pulled the 8 and stuffed it to 6 feet. Just an effortless swing with these and the ball just jumps. Such a great luxury to have with an iron.
Now, where I believe these clubs really shine, is the misses. Cause let’s face it, none of us flush every shot. We all have off center hits, and these clubs are soooooo good on them. Like I mentioned before, JB was hitting 2 balls at once and both balls were travelling the same distance and only about 3/5 yards apart. That speaks volumes for the forgiveness that these have. With 76% of the face free from the iron, that’s a ton of room for error with little consequence. Basically making the sweet spot much much larger than your typical iron.
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C200 Review - JohnSinVA
C200 Review - JohnSinVA
Intro and brief history
Wilson have been producing golf equipment for players of all skill levels for over 100 years. Wilson irons have won more majors than any other company's irons and Wilson remain committed to producing high quality equipment for players of all skill levels through their F-C-D equipment classifications.
The (F)eel category of equipment is targeted to the more skilled player or a player who likes a great deal of feedback from their equipment. The Feel category of irons includes the FG Tour 100 muscleback irons and the FG Tour V4 muscle cavity irons. The (D)istance category is intended for the player seeking to maximize distance and forgiveness, and includes the well-received D200 irons. The(C)rossover category is intended for players whose games are in transition. Players who have gained some consistency in their ball striking but still suffer from the occaisional mishit, who are looking for a more compact look at address but still need a little help, or those seeking to add workability are the players Wilson are looking to reach in its Crossover category.
C200 intro
The Wilson Staff C200 is one of the two newest installments of irons in the Crossover category, with the other being the FG Tour F5 previously reviewed by JMan. In the C200 Wilson have introduced a radical new approach to iron construction that it calls FLXFace. Wilson first pioneered the idea of a slot in the sole of the club when they introduced the Reflex irons in the late 1970's. Since then other companies have added slots to the soles, and faces, of their clubs. The C200 has taken this idea and, for lack of a better term, "kicked it up a notch." Wilson have chosen the KBS Tour 90 as the stock steel shaft option, and a new Aldila shaft for the graphite shaft option, with which Wilson will be first to market. The C200 heads have a traditional chrome finish on the heel and toe, with a satin finish along the grooves and in the center of the sole.
On the dotted line
The C200 has introduced what Wilson calls "power holes", which are short slots that are cut around all the club face, starting on the topline near the hosel and continuing around the toe and across the sole back to the heel of the club. The power holes give the impression of a dotted line around the perimeter of the club. The face of the club is attached to the body at only 24% of the possible surface area of attachment, with the holes comprising the remaining 76%. The design enables the entire face to flex, yielding increased ball speed retention on even the most poorly struck shots. The shape and number of the power holes was arrived at after extensive testing of many different variants.
The C200 is a complex piece of golf equipment. The thin face is 17-4 stainless steel. The body of club is a cavity casting with the power holes creating a small void between the face and the rest of the casting. The holes are filled with TE031 urethane inserts to keep dirt out of the voids and provide dampening of impact. The urethane inserts also make the power holes clearly visible around the club face. Wilson elected to take this approach to make the technology immediately visible to the shopper in an effort to grab their attention and make the irons stand out among the many choices one is likely to see when browsing at a well-stocked golf store. The rear cavity has a larger urethane insert fit into the center. The badge on the rear of the club is then glued onto the insert to complete the club. Here is the C200 7iron at address next to the C100 iron it replaces:
Offset is moderate and the topline of the club is not hideously thick, but at address it is apparent that the C200 is biased toward the game-improvement side of the Crossover category. Club specifications are the same as those of the C100 predecessor:
Expected MSRP for the C200 line of clubs is $799/steel and $899/graphite.
Impressions of the C200 w/KBS Tour 90
As with the other participants in the #StaffProto event, I was fitted by one of Wilson's staff fitters into KBS Tour 90 steel shafts in stiff flex with 2* flat lie angle and 1/2" short shaft length, deviated from Wilson standard. On fitting day with that configuration in the 7iron I was finding contact consistently near the center of the club face. Ball launch was mid-high and had a nice trajectory with no discernible ballooning. Carry distance on fitting day was consistently around 180 on good strikes with a full swing.
On the range the next day I spent time with the full fitted set of clubs, 4-GW. My first thought is likely similar to those of the other participants: "Wow, these are long!" What I found is that with the longer clubs there was an obvious distance gain over my prior irons - 10+ yards in the long irons. As I moved to the shorter irons, the distance gains became less dramatic, but were still apparent. As loft increased in the set the FLXFace seemed to impart less dramatic effect on distance. I found the same mid-high launch and similar ball flights throughout the set on solid strikes as I did during the fitting with the 7 iron. Misses, of which I had plenty, tended to stay on target, but what was really surprising to find is that distance was punished much less than to what I had been accustomed.
Several rounds following the #StaffProto event were played with the C200/KBS Tour 90 combo. I played a total of eight rounds and had several sessions at the range with them. I got plenty of distance and spin from the combination, and more than enough height to my shots. Well struck shots were rewarded with a deep "thwack" sound and the feeling of having hit nothing at all. Mishits were immediately apparent and there was plenty of feedback, both in sound and feel, to let you know where you missed. Feedback was not harsh like it would be with a player's type iron, but it was plainly there, and much more so than in other game improvement type clubs I have hit. The feedback did not change significantly with changes in temperature. However, we have not had really cold temperatures in the east yet, so I have not had them out in anything less than the mid 50's temperature-wise.
As I played with the clubs more I noticed that I was hitting a pretty consistent fade - nothing huge or unplayable, just a few yards off the target line. On a more subjective note, I felt that the shafts made the weight of the club head more apparent, and I tended to get a bit quick on takeaway and transition with them. With a smooth swing the C200/Tour 90 combo can put a hurting on the golf ball, and will be an exceptionally playable option for many golfers.
{To be continued...}
C200 Review - JohnSinVA
Intro and brief history
Wilson have been producing golf equipment for players of all skill levels for over 100 years. Wilson irons have won more majors than any other company's irons and Wilson remain committed to producing high quality equipment for players of all skill levels through their F-C-D equipment classifications.
The (F)eel category of equipment is targeted to the more skilled player or a player who likes a great deal of feedback from their equipment. The Feel category of irons includes the FG Tour 100 muscleback irons and the FG Tour V4 muscle cavity irons. The (D)istance category is intended for the player seeking to maximize distance and forgiveness, and includes the well-received D200 irons. The(C)rossover category is intended for players whose games are in transition. Players who have gained some consistency in their ball striking but still suffer from the occaisional mishit, who are looking for a more compact look at address but still need a little help, or those seeking to add workability are the players Wilson are looking to reach in its Crossover category.
C200 intro
The Wilson Staff C200 is one of the two newest installments of irons in the Crossover category, with the other being the FG Tour F5 previously reviewed by JMan. In the C200 Wilson have introduced a radical new approach to iron construction that it calls FLXFace. Wilson first pioneered the idea of a slot in the sole of the club when they introduced the Reflex irons in the late 1970's. Since then other companies have added slots to the soles, and faces, of their clubs. The C200 has taken this idea and, for lack of a better term, "kicked it up a notch." Wilson have chosen the KBS Tour 90 as the stock steel shaft option, and a new Aldila shaft for the graphite shaft option, with which Wilson will be first to market. The C200 heads have a traditional chrome finish on the heel and toe, with a satin finish along the grooves and in the center of the sole.
On the dotted line
The C200 has introduced what Wilson calls "power holes", which are short slots that are cut around all the club face, starting on the topline near the hosel and continuing around the toe and across the sole back to the heel of the club. The power holes give the impression of a dotted line around the perimeter of the club. The face of the club is attached to the body at only 24% of the possible surface area of attachment, with the holes comprising the remaining 76%. The design enables the entire face to flex, yielding increased ball speed retention on even the most poorly struck shots. The shape and number of the power holes was arrived at after extensive testing of many different variants.
The C200 is a complex piece of golf equipment. The thin face is 17-4 stainless steel. The body of club is a cavity casting with the power holes creating a small void between the face and the rest of the casting. The holes are filled with TE031 urethane inserts to keep dirt out of the voids and provide dampening of impact. The urethane inserts also make the power holes clearly visible around the club face. Wilson elected to take this approach to make the technology immediately visible to the shopper in an effort to grab their attention and make the irons stand out among the many choices one is likely to see when browsing at a well-stocked golf store. The rear cavity has a larger urethane insert fit into the center. The badge on the rear of the club is then glued onto the insert to complete the club. Here is the C200 7iron at address next to the C100 iron it replaces:
Offset is moderate and the topline of the club is not hideously thick, but at address it is apparent that the C200 is biased toward the game-improvement side of the Crossover category. Club specifications are the same as those of the C100 predecessor:
| Club | Loft(deg) | Lie(deg) | Length(in) |
| 4 iron | 22 | 60 | 39 |
| 5 iron | 25 | 61 | 38.5 |
| 6 iron | 28 | 61.5 | 38 |
| 7 iron | 32 | 62 | 37.5 |
| 8 iron | 36 | 63 | 37 |
| 9 iron | 40 | 63.5 | 36.5 |
| PW | 44 | 64 | 36 |
| GW | 48 | 64.25 | 35.75 |
Expected MSRP for the C200 line of clubs is $799/steel and $899/graphite.
Impressions of the C200 w/KBS Tour 90
As with the other participants in the #StaffProto event, I was fitted by one of Wilson's staff fitters into KBS Tour 90 steel shafts in stiff flex with 2* flat lie angle and 1/2" short shaft length, deviated from Wilson standard. On fitting day with that configuration in the 7iron I was finding contact consistently near the center of the club face. Ball launch was mid-high and had a nice trajectory with no discernible ballooning. Carry distance on fitting day was consistently around 180 on good strikes with a full swing.
On the range the next day I spent time with the full fitted set of clubs, 4-GW. My first thought is likely similar to those of the other participants: "Wow, these are long!" What I found is that with the longer clubs there was an obvious distance gain over my prior irons - 10+ yards in the long irons. As I moved to the shorter irons, the distance gains became less dramatic, but were still apparent. As loft increased in the set the FLXFace seemed to impart less dramatic effect on distance. I found the same mid-high launch and similar ball flights throughout the set on solid strikes as I did during the fitting with the 7 iron. Misses, of which I had plenty, tended to stay on target, but what was really surprising to find is that distance was punished much less than to what I had been accustomed.
Several rounds following the #StaffProto event were played with the C200/KBS Tour 90 combo. I played a total of eight rounds and had several sessions at the range with them. I got plenty of distance and spin from the combination, and more than enough height to my shots. Well struck shots were rewarded with a deep "thwack" sound and the feeling of having hit nothing at all. Mishits were immediately apparent and there was plenty of feedback, both in sound and feel, to let you know where you missed. Feedback was not harsh like it would be with a player's type iron, but it was plainly there, and much more so than in other game improvement type clubs I have hit. The feedback did not change significantly with changes in temperature. However, we have not had really cold temperatures in the east yet, so I have not had them out in anything less than the mid 50's temperature-wise.
As I played with the clubs more I noticed that I was hitting a pretty consistent fade - nothing huge or unplayable, just a few yards off the target line. On a more subjective note, I felt that the shafts made the weight of the club head more apparent, and I tended to get a bit quick on takeaway and transition with them. With a smooth swing the C200/Tour 90 combo can put a hurting on the golf ball, and will be an exceptionally playable option for many golfers.
{To be continued...}
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C200 Review - JohnSinVA continued
C200 Review - JohnSinVA continued
C200 vs. Prior Gamers
For the year prior to #StaffProto I had been playing the Wilson Staff Ci9 irons, 4-GW. The Ci9 irons are three generations behind the C200s in Wilson's Crossover category. The Ci9s are solid irons in their own right, and offer a lot of help for inconsistent swingers. With both the Ci9 and the C200 (and pretty much every other iron I swing) my misses tend toward thin and on the toe. The Ci9 was not penal unless you really put a poor swing on the ball, but the C200 is much better in both direction and distance. The #12 hole of Blue Ridge Shadows, which I consider to be my home course, is a mid-length par 3:
It is usually at this point in a round when I need to start to focus on my swing and make a conscious effort maintain spine angle throughout the shot. Thin shots tend to curse me here and have done so playing both the Ci9 and the C200. In my last round there with the Ci9 I thinned my 7i tee shot, hitting a low fade that hit short and rolled into the water hazard short and right and led to me taking a double on the hole.
A few weeks later on this hole I hit nearly the exact shot with the C200 7i, helplessly watching the familiar, ugly, low fade flying a similar path. However rather than rolling into the water the ball landed and trickled forward coming to rest on the right edge of the putting surface. This along with the tees being placed a few yards back on the box gave me a roughly 12 yard improvement over my old 7i. I was still faced with a long putt (which I three-putted) but the C200 7i kept me out of the hazard and saved me a stroke.
Overall, I found that the C200s were essentially a drop in replacement for me, allowing me to leave my longer clubs and wedges unchanged (18* hybrid below 4i, 54* wedge above GW). Players who are coming to the C200 from an older set of clubs, or from a more skilled player's club may find the ends of their bags need to be reworked, perhaps significantly, if the distance gains are particularly great.
The C200 also offers some visible improvements over the Ci9 in static comparison between the two. Looking at the soles of the two clubs the placement of the number lends some insight to the differences in the clubs. The location of the club number is on the sole of the Ci9 while it is moved forward onto the toe of the C200. This indicates the C200 has a thinner sole with more mass moved toward the back of the club:
Turf interaction is also improved with the C200. The Ci9 offers a wide sole but with a leading edge that is fairly sharp, and a very large radius on the sole which makes it appear somewhat flat (Ci9 on left):
The C200 is also a wide-soled club but has a much more rounded sole with greater relief toward the face of the club (C200 on right):
I have a steeper angle of attack and in my hands the Ci9 could often do a good impersonation of a garden hoe. While I can still take a large chunk of turf with the C200, I get through much more easily. As a bonus I don't have to get refills on the sand bottles as often.
Finally in looking at the faces of the two, one can see that the Ci9 has a more traditional shape to it, with a high toe and topline dropping straight to the hosel. The C200 offers a more rounded topline, curving gracefully down toward the hosel and adding height toward the heel of the club, increasing the amount of forgiveness available on shots struck heel-side (Ci9 front):
Looking at the outline of the Ci9 topline drawn on the C200 face, the differences become more apparent:
C200 vs. C100
Looking at the C100 it is clear that this was used as the basis for the C200, rather than the C200 being drawn up from a blank sheet of paper. The C100 has essentially the same profile and shape along the toe, topline, and sole as its successor C200. The primary difference is the C200's power holes versus the C100's exoskeleton and deep undercut cavity:
I am fortunate enough to have a local golf store with a C100 demo 7iron that enabled me to get direct comparison between the C100 and C200 clubs with a launch monitor. The demo C100 7iron was standard length and lie with the True Temper CL100 shaft in regular flex. Below are some swings I took alternating between the two clubs, the first five with the C100, the remainder with the C200.
I spent some more time with each and some impact tape trying to get into a groove where I was making contact consistently around the sweet spot. When I got comfortable I put fresh tape one each club and took six full swings with each. (Pay no mind to carry distances, I think the tape was lowering the spin numbers and messing with the calculations.)
The C100:
The C200:
What I found surprising in the six swing comparison was that shots that were struck close to center-face had no really significant differences in distance. However, in comparing the two C100 misses (2&3) with the C200 miss (2), ball speed dropped much less with the C200, with all misses being toward the toe. The results here seem to further reinforce the increased forgiveness provided by the C200's FLXFace tech.
Impressions with DG S300
I had thought quite a bit about how the C200s would perform with a different, heavier shaft. My Ci9 were equipped with a Wilson branded version of FST 115 pro shafts, a stepless design that offers solid performance. I thought about installing these shafts into the C200 but elected instead to use some Dynamic Gold S300s I had in an old set of Nike CCi irons, 4-PW. I installed the S300s into the 5-GW C200 heads, trimming them to Wilson standard length. After three rounds and a couple range sessions with the C200/S300 combo I found it easier to keep good, steady tempo in the backswing. The heavier shafts did not cause noticeable distance loss and I saw a bit lower launch and flight. I won't say the shaft change made me swing better, but it did make me swing more consistently.
Impression with AXE excalibur in 4 iron
Since I had 8 heads and 7 shafts I had a 4 iron out in the cold. Rather than tracking down another S300 I decided to try a graphite shaft in the 4 iron head. I had an AXE Excalibur graphite shaft in stiff that I had messed around with and decided to use it here. Installed it was a little shorter than Wilson standard length, and weighed in at around 85 grams. As a result I had to focus more on smooth takeaway to get good contact. The 4 iron with the graphite shaft turned out to be an excellent club off the tee for shorter par 4s or where accuracy is more important than distance. From the deck it was a more erratic performer for me and I tended to leave it in the bag on long approaches and lay ups. I still have a pet theory that with the correct shaft, the longer C200 irons, 3&4, could be made into very good utility irons for those who prefer long irons over hybrids. The C200 heads performed well with the three different shafts I tried in them and I suspect they would get along well with most popular shaft choices.
Final thoughts
Wilson was once a powerhouse in the golf industry and the iron of choice of some of the world's best players. Having been surpassed in the marketplace by other brands they are making a concerted effort to retake their place among the premier equipment manufacturers. They have already made a name for themselves with the excellent Duo balls, and their recent D200 line of clubs has been very well received. The C200 irons introduce a radical new iron design which improves forgiveness and ball speed retention across the entire face of the club, and does so in a package many players will find pleasing in form at address. The C200 represents the vanguard of Wilson's charge back to golf prominence.
C200 Review - JohnSinVA continued
C200 vs. Prior Gamers
For the year prior to #StaffProto I had been playing the Wilson Staff Ci9 irons, 4-GW. The Ci9 irons are three generations behind the C200s in Wilson's Crossover category. The Ci9s are solid irons in their own right, and offer a lot of help for inconsistent swingers. With both the Ci9 and the C200 (and pretty much every other iron I swing) my misses tend toward thin and on the toe. The Ci9 was not penal unless you really put a poor swing on the ball, but the C200 is much better in both direction and distance. The #12 hole of Blue Ridge Shadows, which I consider to be my home course, is a mid-length par 3:
It is usually at this point in a round when I need to start to focus on my swing and make a conscious effort maintain spine angle throughout the shot. Thin shots tend to curse me here and have done so playing both the Ci9 and the C200. In my last round there with the Ci9 I thinned my 7i tee shot, hitting a low fade that hit short and rolled into the water hazard short and right and led to me taking a double on the hole.
A few weeks later on this hole I hit nearly the exact shot with the C200 7i, helplessly watching the familiar, ugly, low fade flying a similar path. However rather than rolling into the water the ball landed and trickled forward coming to rest on the right edge of the putting surface. This along with the tees being placed a few yards back on the box gave me a roughly 12 yard improvement over my old 7i. I was still faced with a long putt (which I three-putted) but the C200 7i kept me out of the hazard and saved me a stroke.
Overall, I found that the C200s were essentially a drop in replacement for me, allowing me to leave my longer clubs and wedges unchanged (18* hybrid below 4i, 54* wedge above GW). Players who are coming to the C200 from an older set of clubs, or from a more skilled player's club may find the ends of their bags need to be reworked, perhaps significantly, if the distance gains are particularly great.
The C200 also offers some visible improvements over the Ci9 in static comparison between the two. Looking at the soles of the two clubs the placement of the number lends some insight to the differences in the clubs. The location of the club number is on the sole of the Ci9 while it is moved forward onto the toe of the C200. This indicates the C200 has a thinner sole with more mass moved toward the back of the club:
Turf interaction is also improved with the C200. The Ci9 offers a wide sole but with a leading edge that is fairly sharp, and a very large radius on the sole which makes it appear somewhat flat (Ci9 on left):
The C200 is also a wide-soled club but has a much more rounded sole with greater relief toward the face of the club (C200 on right):
I have a steeper angle of attack and in my hands the Ci9 could often do a good impersonation of a garden hoe. While I can still take a large chunk of turf with the C200, I get through much more easily. As a bonus I don't have to get refills on the sand bottles as often.
Finally in looking at the faces of the two, one can see that the Ci9 has a more traditional shape to it, with a high toe and topline dropping straight to the hosel. The C200 offers a more rounded topline, curving gracefully down toward the hosel and adding height toward the heel of the club, increasing the amount of forgiveness available on shots struck heel-side (Ci9 front):
Looking at the outline of the Ci9 topline drawn on the C200 face, the differences become more apparent:
C200 vs. C100
Looking at the C100 it is clear that this was used as the basis for the C200, rather than the C200 being drawn up from a blank sheet of paper. The C100 has essentially the same profile and shape along the toe, topline, and sole as its successor C200. The primary difference is the C200's power holes versus the C100's exoskeleton and deep undercut cavity:
I am fortunate enough to have a local golf store with a C100 demo 7iron that enabled me to get direct comparison between the C100 and C200 clubs with a launch monitor. The demo C100 7iron was standard length and lie with the True Temper CL100 shaft in regular flex. Below are some swings I took alternating between the two clubs, the first five with the C100, the remainder with the C200.
I spent some more time with each and some impact tape trying to get into a groove where I was making contact consistently around the sweet spot. When I got comfortable I put fresh tape one each club and took six full swings with each. (Pay no mind to carry distances, I think the tape was lowering the spin numbers and messing with the calculations.)
The C100:
The C200:
What I found surprising in the six swing comparison was that shots that were struck close to center-face had no really significant differences in distance. However, in comparing the two C100 misses (2&3) with the C200 miss (2), ball speed dropped much less with the C200, with all misses being toward the toe. The results here seem to further reinforce the increased forgiveness provided by the C200's FLXFace tech.
Impressions with DG S300
I had thought quite a bit about how the C200s would perform with a different, heavier shaft. My Ci9 were equipped with a Wilson branded version of FST 115 pro shafts, a stepless design that offers solid performance. I thought about installing these shafts into the C200 but elected instead to use some Dynamic Gold S300s I had in an old set of Nike CCi irons, 4-PW. I installed the S300s into the 5-GW C200 heads, trimming them to Wilson standard length. After three rounds and a couple range sessions with the C200/S300 combo I found it easier to keep good, steady tempo in the backswing. The heavier shafts did not cause noticeable distance loss and I saw a bit lower launch and flight. I won't say the shaft change made me swing better, but it did make me swing more consistently.
Impression with AXE excalibur in 4 iron
Since I had 8 heads and 7 shafts I had a 4 iron out in the cold. Rather than tracking down another S300 I decided to try a graphite shaft in the 4 iron head. I had an AXE Excalibur graphite shaft in stiff that I had messed around with and decided to use it here. Installed it was a little shorter than Wilson standard length, and weighed in at around 85 grams. As a result I had to focus more on smooth takeaway to get good contact. The 4 iron with the graphite shaft turned out to be an excellent club off the tee for shorter par 4s or where accuracy is more important than distance. From the deck it was a more erratic performer for me and I tended to leave it in the bag on long approaches and lay ups. I still have a pet theory that with the correct shaft, the longer C200 irons, 3&4, could be made into very good utility irons for those who prefer long irons over hybrids. The C200 heads performed well with the three different shafts I tried in them and I suspect they would get along well with most popular shaft choices.
Final thoughts
Wilson was once a powerhouse in the golf industry and the iron of choice of some of the world's best players. Having been surpassed in the marketplace by other brands they are making a concerted effort to retake their place among the premier equipment manufacturers. They have already made a name for themselves with the excellent Duo balls, and their recent D200 line of clubs has been very well received. The C200 irons introduce a radical new iron design which improves forgiveness and ball speed retention across the entire face of the club, and does so in a package many players will find pleasing in form at address. The C200 represents the vanguard of Wilson's charge back to golf prominence.
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woody_74
Well-known member
I am loving these reviews and these items are definitely on my ponder list. I am getting new irons this year and I feel like these could be the ones for me especially with their price point. Great job guys on the review.
emart2173
#journey2017
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Nice reviews dave and john
Alright guys here it is, the day the lucky 9 have been waiting for. We can finally talk about, in detail, Wilson Staffs’ newest addition to the iron family.
The C200s
These bad boys fall into the “c” category. Which stands for crossover and that’s exactly what they are. They aren’t blades or MB’s but they are definitely not your average “game improvement” iron either. They have the look of the game improvement iron with the feel of your more “player” iron.
From the company:
FLX Face Technology
FLX Face technology minimizes the contact points between the thin face and the club head for maximum face flex upon impact. 76% of the topline, toe and sole perimeter are freed from contact to the body, limiting contact to only 24% of the perimeter.
This is the main idea behind #GenFLX. There are 9 power holes that surround the head of each club that allow the face to flex upon impact. Giving you extreme distance. Each hole is filled with TE031 Urethane. This helps improve the sound as well as the feel.
Initial thoughts and Fitting
When I first arrived at Wilson HQ the day of the announcement, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I had some idea based off of last year’s event thread and in talking to some of the participants. But we all knew they were going to go above and beyond to top that event. We got to sit down and get a full rundown of these irons from the creators themselves. If I’m being completely honest, when u first saw the irons I was like “Ugh, game improvement”. Being a fairly low handicapper I was hoping for some form of a “players” iron. My current set going into this was the Taylor Made Tour preferred combo set of MC’s and MB’s. So I was very skeptical. Keeping an open mind I went into the fitting with the man, the myth, the legend DUFFY!
He comes over and says “just take a couple swings with these so I can see where we are at”. Couple 7 irons later and he says “stop”. Walks to his car and pulls the range finder out of his bag. “Um ok so you’re carrying that 7 iron about 205”. I was shocked. I’m not a short hitter but a 205 7 iron is just silly. He then asks me what my typical miss is, which is a pretty bad pull hook. Slips a .5” short shaft in it and walla, nothing but purrty straight balls right at the 200 stake. Even pegged it a couple times which was cool. Another shock to my fitting was that .5” shorter shaft. I’ve only known to play standard length. He said it will help make it slightly stiffer and keep the pull hook to a minimum. Yet another shock was that I was fitted to 2* Upright. Every set I’ve ever had has been 2* flat. But I wasn’t gonna second guess the man. I ended up with the KBS Tour 90 S and Decade grips in white. (They didn’t have pinkL).
The Specs
Shaft:
KBS Tour 90 (steel) or Aldila Rogue Pro (graphite)
Grip:
Lamkin Crossline Black
Swing Weight:
D1
Loft
Lie
Length
3-Iron (custom option)
19.0
59.5
39.50
4-Iron
22.0
60.0
39.00
5-Iron
25.0
61.0
38.50
6-Iron
28.0
61.5
38.00
7-Iron
32.0
62.0
37.50
8-Iron
36.0
63.0
37.00
9-Iron
40.0
63.5
36.50
PW
44.0
64.0
36.00
GW
48.0
64.5
35.75
On Course Performance
Now keep in mind living in Ohio I’ve only had maybe 4/5 rounds with these.
First time out with them in Chicago, I wasn’t really sure how they would perform. I knew they felt great, and I knew they were perfectly fitted for me but I was still unsure. Got to the range a bit early to see JB and Mike hitting 2 balls at once with these and neither ball losing distance over the other which is just insane. Anyway, after a nice solid warm up, I notice that everything I hit is missing a solid 5-10 yards to the right. If you remember from before my miss is literally the complete opposite. So now I’m a bit confused. I just said aim a little more left and you’ll be fine. Because naturally I aim right and draw the ball. These irons being a bit thicker on the sole was making it harder for me to turn them over. So coming away from the range I was a bit nervous, and then come to find out who my playing partner was, it didn’t help the nerves, it was Michael Vrska himself. I don’t know where the ball is going and I’m playing with one of the minds behind the equipment, UGH!
After watching the Asian tour pros tee off on 1 it was our turn. The first couple of iron shots were a little right of target let’s say. But the feel, contact, and sound was pure and beautiful. For the most part I kept them in play and on a decent line but I knew it was going go take some getting used to. We come to a par 3 in which Mr.441 had tucked his iron super close just ahead of us and told us we had to get inside him. I pulled a 6 iron, from 210 I believe, aimed a little left and put a pure swing on it. The ball never left the flag, but again the increased distance these things add I flew about 3 yards too far.
Coming back home, I immediately had to get out and play. I went a few days later with one of my buddies who was dying to see the new news. His Initial reaction to seeing them was exactly the same as mine, “Ugh, game improving”. I said just wait and hit 4/5 shots. He pulls the 7 iron and was just destroying this thing. I’m talking like a good 210/215 carry. Granted he is longer than me to begin with but that’s not normal. He said, ok ok I was wrong those feel great.
Now the added distance is also another issue I’m going to have to get used to for future use. Pulling a P wedge from 160 just doesn’t seem right to me but hey it is what it is.
The last round I got in with these was a couple weeks ago with some fellow THPers. I hadn’t touched a club in months. I had no clue what the swing was going to be like or what was gonna happen. Step up to the first tee. Par 5 slightly downhill. I hit a solid drive down the center and had about 176 into the green. I asked Mr. Granddaddy himself (PhillyV), “think I can get an 8 there”? he said uh yea. SO I pulled the 8 and stuffed it to 6 feet. Just an effortless swing with these and the ball just jumps. Such a great luxury to have with an iron.
Now, where I believe these clubs really shine, is the misses. Cause let’s face it, none of us flush every shot. We all have off center hits, and these clubs are soooooo good on them. Like I mentioned before, JB was hitting 2 balls at once and both balls were travelling the same distance and only about 3/5 yards apart. That speaks volumes for the forgiveness that these have. With 76% of the face free from the iron, that’s a ton of room for error with little consequence. Basically making the sweet spot much much larger than your typical iron.
I forgot how silly long you are with these