Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
Good luck at Deere Run Hawk. Keeping a close eye on the weather here as well. Looks like a may squeak out another week or so of outside play. Likely won't get a chance to get out again until Friday though.
Wilson Staff FG Tour V2 Review Thread
- Staff
- #952
You can always come down here! haha. Thanks man, I hope you can get out at least once more.
Nicklausfan
New member
Hawk:
Sorry to hear that she's a cool one for you for your testing. Here in Niagara Falls it's a balmy 64* with a strong southerly wind... like a spring zephyr. Looking forward to seeing how it went for you.
Alex
Sorry to hear that she's a cool one for you for your testing. Here in Niagara Falls it's a balmy 64* with a strong southerly wind... like a spring zephyr. Looking forward to seeing how it went for you.
Alex
- Staff
- #954
We had that yesterday, but it wasn't my turn. Lame!
I've made an appt for some sim/LM time today. The only thing I'm bummed is that I didn't bring any of my old irons for a comparison. I do have some numbers I got for my old 6 iron before the testing started to look at.
Most interested in launch angle, spin, and if my perceived distance is where I think it is.
Nicklausfan
New member
That's a shame that it wasn't your turn yesterday. That sucks and is lame. The sim and lm will help you... lol as long as you aren't like me and blow it when in a sim. I'm way shorter in those things and it's really both mental physical. I think out of the three stats you're looking at...two will have the best stock potentially indoors. The launch angle and spin for sure. Distance is so hard I find.... not to mention much like driving stats it's always a good idea to get an idea with both a helping and hurting wind.
Looking forward to seeing how it ends up. Hit'em pure... and straight.
Alex
Looking forward to seeing how it ends up. Hit'em pure... and straight.
Alex
- Staff
- #957
Testing Date: 11/1/2011
Indoor LM/Sim
Prior to this testing, I took the previous set of irons I was playing (Adams Redlines) to this same facility and got some averages. Tonight, I took the V2's, and did the same thing with the same ball. One thing to note is that I did the same thing with both sets of numbers in that I took an average and removed any drastic mishits - bladed shots or humongous fat shots. I left in anything else, including regular mis-hits like slight fat, slightly thin, toe shots, etc. Another thing to note is that I feel I've made some big improvements in my iron swing since this started.
One concern I had coming into this testing was giving up some distance in switching to a weaker-lofted set of irons. I'm not a long hitter to start with. I have felt for a couple weeks that I was getting longer with the V2's, but I wanted to see if that was perception or reality.
I am going to compare one iron - the 6 iron from both sets.
The specs are:
Redline - 27° loft and 37.875 inches length (taken from Adams website)
V2 - 31° loft and 37.75 inches length (taken from current product catalog)
Here are the specs (rounded up or down, accordingly):
Redline:
Carry - 158 yards
Club Speed - 82mph
Ball Speed - 109mph
Backspin - 4700
Launch - 15.57°
Max Height - 22 yards
V2:
Carry - 155 yards
Club Speed - 81mph
Ball Speed -108mph
Backspin - 4709
Launch - 15.4°
Max Height - 21 yards
Note (and this is an important one): These are averages and I'm not saying the V2's hit the ball farther (club for club) as the Redlines. It appears I'm hitting them better than I was at the beginning, but that most likely is due to hard work.
The thing that really excites me about this is that it shows I'm hitting the ball better. I hit a few that were real good with the V2's that gave me some real confidence going forward. I also hit some other irons, but didn't go to the same lengths in terms of getting averages. I was able to carry the 4 iron over 180 yards the two times I hit it and the 7 iron over 145 yards the two times I hit it. I'm planning on spending more time working on my numbers, but tonight was a big night for me. Some validation to what I thought I was seeing and the knowledge that I'm basically getting back to where I was prior to the testing, which I was comfortable with.
Indoor LM/Sim
Prior to this testing, I took the previous set of irons I was playing (Adams Redlines) to this same facility and got some averages. Tonight, I took the V2's, and did the same thing with the same ball. One thing to note is that I did the same thing with both sets of numbers in that I took an average and removed any drastic mishits - bladed shots or humongous fat shots. I left in anything else, including regular mis-hits like slight fat, slightly thin, toe shots, etc. Another thing to note is that I feel I've made some big improvements in my iron swing since this started.
One concern I had coming into this testing was giving up some distance in switching to a weaker-lofted set of irons. I'm not a long hitter to start with. I have felt for a couple weeks that I was getting longer with the V2's, but I wanted to see if that was perception or reality.
I am going to compare one iron - the 6 iron from both sets.
The specs are:
Redline - 27° loft and 37.875 inches length (taken from Adams website)
V2 - 31° loft and 37.75 inches length (taken from current product catalog)
Here are the specs (rounded up or down, accordingly):
Redline:
Carry - 158 yards
Club Speed - 82mph
Ball Speed - 109mph
Backspin - 4700
Launch - 15.57°
Max Height - 22 yards
V2:
Carry - 155 yards
Club Speed - 81mph
Ball Speed -108mph
Backspin - 4709
Launch - 15.4°
Max Height - 21 yards
Note (and this is an important one): These are averages and I'm not saying the V2's hit the ball farther (club for club) as the Redlines. It appears I'm hitting them better than I was at the beginning, but that most likely is due to hard work.
The thing that really excites me about this is that it shows I'm hitting the ball better. I hit a few that were real good with the V2's that gave me some real confidence going forward. I also hit some other irons, but didn't go to the same lengths in terms of getting averages. I was able to carry the 4 iron over 180 yards the two times I hit it and the 7 iron over 145 yards the two times I hit it. I'm planning on spending more time working on my numbers, but tonight was a big night for me. Some validation to what I thought I was seeing and the knowledge that I'm basically getting back to where I was prior to the testing, which I was comfortable with.
MattyKrack17
MattyCaulk AkA DigDug
Glad to hear hawk. Pretty soon you will be owning the low 80s
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk
Great feedback Hawk! I went through the exact same thing with a substantial distance loss (for me IMO) followed by getting back to even and then perhaps seeing a gain here and there.
Glad to see you able to get on the LM and really confirm what you were thinking/seeing on the range/course.
Tappin' from my iPad!
Glad to see you able to get on the LM and really confirm what you were thinking/seeing on the range/course.
Tappin' from my iPad!
Damaikis
Fairway Finder
Thanks for the numbers Hawk! Sounds good! I'm loving this testing more every day!
Good stuff, Hawk! I love seeing the hard data from launch monitors.
- Staff
- #963
Thanks for the comments, guys. I hope to have more over the coming months.
I'm glad you posted since I think we are in a very similar situations. That was an average, but my well struck shots were much farther than I expected them to be. I have been bumping up my 'expected yardage' by 5 yards, but I think I can eventually go about 10 yards more than when I started, which is a pretty big deal for me.
I'm glad you posted since I think we are in a very similar situations. That was an average, but my well struck shots were much farther than I expected them to be. I have been bumping up my 'expected yardage' by 5 yards, but I think I can eventually go about 10 yards more than when I started, which is a pretty big deal for me.
11/2/11 - Wilson Staff FG Tour V2s
Testing: Practice Day - Driving Range
Conditions: 80*, not a cloud in the sky.
Today was a practice day/testing/reviewing day for me. Got out on the practice green/area and driving range this afternoon, and it was a blast, as I was the only person out there. The short game area is usually packed, resulting with only being able to hit short 15 yard chip shots cause so many people are around, but today it was a ghost town, so I got to give it a workout, something that I havent been able to spend much time on. Also went back to work with the long irons, from the ground and the tee to see if my results from the weekend still held up for me.
Short Game: Like I said, this area is usually so packed with folks that you cant do much on it. Today, it was empty, and I was stoked. I worked from a couple different spots, starting at 50 yards, moving back to 100 yards, then edging to as far back as I could go to about 120. The green is an odd shape, almost like an hourglass with multiple flags, but I was just focusing on hitting the green from my distances.
- 50 yards - I took the PW here, which is not usually a distance I would hit a PW from, but for reasons of testing, I wanted to see what I could do. I decided to choke down a bit on the PW and take about a half swing, but to make sure I went all the way through with my swing. I was hitting some nice shots, most of them staying on the lower ball flight side, bouncing and running up the green. I really liked the feel of choking down on this PW, and as a club out of the set that I really like, I enjoyed hitting a nice easy swing and was getting some good results.
- 100 yards - Got set up at 100 yards, still with the PW in hand and was hitting at the same target. Still choked down a bit on the club, and kept with a nice smooth swing, with a focus on my follow through. The PW of the V2s is a 47*, for this shot I would normally hit my 55*, so obviously it was a bit out of the ordinary for me. I was really pleased with the results I was seeing, hitting the green a good bit and if not on the green, hitting right around the edges. I was really happy to use the V2 PW like this, as it is not something I have done with this club yet, and was glad to see the versatility of it and that I could use it in a variety of ways. I also grabbed the 9 and 8 iron and hit a few "lazy" swings from this distance. Hit some nice controlled shots with the 9iron that were on line with my target area, but was consistently long with the 8 iron.
Random Thoughts- One thing that had me concerned with the V2s early in the testing was my lack of ability to control my distances with them. I had felt that I was struggling with the clubs, and wasnt able to take a little off my swing with them and still see consistent shots. The more I have practiced with the V2s and game them, those thoughts have disappeared. I feel now, especially with the short irons, that I can control my shots much better, and swing stronger to squeeze out some extra distance, or go with a lighter/lazier swing to hit 3/4 or 1/3 shots. I am starting to be able to use the clubs for variety of shots, and dont have the mindset of "8iron - that's my 150 yard club" only.
Driving Range - Long Irons - I have struggled with the long irons in this set, specifically off a tee. I had an "AHA" moment on the range last week, and think I have figured out what where my miss was coming. I believe I was teeing the ball too high, and hitting high on the face, resulting in a pretty bad mis-hit. I started teeing it lower on the range last week, and continued so during my rounds over the weekend, and saw some good results. So, I hit the range with that in mind. I started hitting the 4iron from the turf, and was hitting some nice shots, ball flight wasnt too high, but was seeing some good distance out of it. I started hitting off the tee, and was pulling off some great tee shots. I was keeping the ball tee'd a bit lower than what I have done in the past, but interesting enough, I wasnt taking significant divots at all. With more work and more range time with the 4iron, if I could hit it well on a consistent basis and establish some confidence in it, I think it could possibly give my 3 Hybrid a run for its money...maybe...
Next up was the 5iron. I have had some beautiful shots with the 5iron from the turf, one of my most memorable shots during this testing was with the 5iron during my first round with the V2s a month or so ago, glad I got that on video. I have had success with the 5 iron from the ground, but would fall apart when hitting from the tee. I firmly believe it was due to my ball height on the tee and missing high on the face. The miss wasnt left or right, just short, very short. Well, that wasnt the problem on the range today, as I was hitting the 5 quite well off the tee. I still say that a well struck shot with the V2s is a thing of beauty, the feel, the sound, the ball flight, it's all great.
Overall Thoughts- I find my self slowly getting more and more adjusted to the V2s. It's been interesting switching to a set like these, especially having to disect my swing and my misses and figure out what I am doing wrong, and how to do it right. I have never had to take such a critical look at my iron game like I have over the past month or so, but through that I fell that I am not striking the ball much better than I ever have. Granted, I have spent more time focusing on my irons shots over the past month, but am finding that I hit my irons well more consistently than in the past. I still have a much higher comfort level with the shorter irons, but am starting to get there with the longer irons. At times, the small club head and thin top line can still be a bit intimidating, but it's a fun challenge to work with these, and to hit them well.
Testing: Practice Day - Driving Range
Conditions: 80*, not a cloud in the sky.
Today was a practice day/testing/reviewing day for me. Got out on the practice green/area and driving range this afternoon, and it was a blast, as I was the only person out there. The short game area is usually packed, resulting with only being able to hit short 15 yard chip shots cause so many people are around, but today it was a ghost town, so I got to give it a workout, something that I havent been able to spend much time on. Also went back to work with the long irons, from the ground and the tee to see if my results from the weekend still held up for me.
Short Game: Like I said, this area is usually so packed with folks that you cant do much on it. Today, it was empty, and I was stoked. I worked from a couple different spots, starting at 50 yards, moving back to 100 yards, then edging to as far back as I could go to about 120. The green is an odd shape, almost like an hourglass with multiple flags, but I was just focusing on hitting the green from my distances.
- 50 yards - I took the PW here, which is not usually a distance I would hit a PW from, but for reasons of testing, I wanted to see what I could do. I decided to choke down a bit on the PW and take about a half swing, but to make sure I went all the way through with my swing. I was hitting some nice shots, most of them staying on the lower ball flight side, bouncing and running up the green. I really liked the feel of choking down on this PW, and as a club out of the set that I really like, I enjoyed hitting a nice easy swing and was getting some good results.
- 100 yards - Got set up at 100 yards, still with the PW in hand and was hitting at the same target. Still choked down a bit on the club, and kept with a nice smooth swing, with a focus on my follow through. The PW of the V2s is a 47*, for this shot I would normally hit my 55*, so obviously it was a bit out of the ordinary for me. I was really pleased with the results I was seeing, hitting the green a good bit and if not on the green, hitting right around the edges. I was really happy to use the V2 PW like this, as it is not something I have done with this club yet, and was glad to see the versatility of it and that I could use it in a variety of ways. I also grabbed the 9 and 8 iron and hit a few "lazy" swings from this distance. Hit some nice controlled shots with the 9iron that were on line with my target area, but was consistently long with the 8 iron.
Random Thoughts- One thing that had me concerned with the V2s early in the testing was my lack of ability to control my distances with them. I had felt that I was struggling with the clubs, and wasnt able to take a little off my swing with them and still see consistent shots. The more I have practiced with the V2s and game them, those thoughts have disappeared. I feel now, especially with the short irons, that I can control my shots much better, and swing stronger to squeeze out some extra distance, or go with a lighter/lazier swing to hit 3/4 or 1/3 shots. I am starting to be able to use the clubs for variety of shots, and dont have the mindset of "8iron - that's my 150 yard club" only.
Driving Range - Long Irons - I have struggled with the long irons in this set, specifically off a tee. I had an "AHA" moment on the range last week, and think I have figured out what where my miss was coming. I believe I was teeing the ball too high, and hitting high on the face, resulting in a pretty bad mis-hit. I started teeing it lower on the range last week, and continued so during my rounds over the weekend, and saw some good results. So, I hit the range with that in mind. I started hitting the 4iron from the turf, and was hitting some nice shots, ball flight wasnt too high, but was seeing some good distance out of it. I started hitting off the tee, and was pulling off some great tee shots. I was keeping the ball tee'd a bit lower than what I have done in the past, but interesting enough, I wasnt taking significant divots at all. With more work and more range time with the 4iron, if I could hit it well on a consistent basis and establish some confidence in it, I think it could possibly give my 3 Hybrid a run for its money...maybe...
Next up was the 5iron. I have had some beautiful shots with the 5iron from the turf, one of my most memorable shots during this testing was with the 5iron during my first round with the V2s a month or so ago, glad I got that on video. I have had success with the 5 iron from the ground, but would fall apart when hitting from the tee. I firmly believe it was due to my ball height on the tee and missing high on the face. The miss wasnt left or right, just short, very short. Well, that wasnt the problem on the range today, as I was hitting the 5 quite well off the tee. I still say that a well struck shot with the V2s is a thing of beauty, the feel, the sound, the ball flight, it's all great.
Overall Thoughts- I find my self slowly getting more and more adjusted to the V2s. It's been interesting switching to a set like these, especially having to disect my swing and my misses and figure out what I am doing wrong, and how to do it right. I have never had to take such a critical look at my iron game like I have over the past month or so, but through that I fell that I am not striking the ball much better than I ever have. Granted, I have spent more time focusing on my irons shots over the past month, but am finding that I hit my irons well more consistently than in the past. I still have a much higher comfort level with the shorter irons, but am starting to get there with the longer irons. At times, the small club head and thin top line can still be a bit intimidating, but it's a fun challenge to work with these, and to hit them well.
- Staff
- #965
Great update!
I've been thinking a lot about using the PW for some more shots lately and I liked that you took the time to talk about it. Also, like to see the continued improvement with the longer irons. The one iron that has been most troublesome for me is the 4 iron, which doesn't make a ton of sense since I feel comfortable with the 3 iron (for the most part). I think its all mental and I think I proved that to myself tonight after hitting it well.
Love those random thoughts too. I'm finding myself using different irons than I typically would for different shots based on the lie, wind, pin placement, etc. I really think this testing has been a huge benefit to my iron game that I will look back on as a turning point in the future.
I've been thinking a lot about using the PW for some more shots lately and I liked that you took the time to talk about it. Also, like to see the continued improvement with the longer irons. The one iron that has been most troublesome for me is the 4 iron, which doesn't make a ton of sense since I feel comfortable with the 3 iron (for the most part). I think its all mental and I think I proved that to myself tonight after hitting it well.
Love those random thoughts too. I'm finding myself using different irons than I typically would for different shots based on the lie, wind, pin placement, etc. I really think this testing has been a huge benefit to my iron game that I will look back on as a turning point in the future.
Damaikis
Fairway Finder
Nice update WE. It sounds like the PW is really working well for you from all distances. It sounds like a really great club. I'm also glad you're having good luck with your teeing the ball up lower and hitting more solid shots now. Thanks for the great info!
As far as the PW goes, I have been hitting it great lately on the course, and wanted to see how it would work out for me in different distances. With the way the winds have been around here, having the option to hit multiple shots with different clubs from certain locations is nice. Especially when trying to keep the ball a bit lower and out of the wind.
Its been quite the struggle with me and the long irons. I don't think I have ever been so frustrated with some of my shots in my life, but at the same time, trying to figure out what I am doing wrong has been very fun. It also seems like there is always that one pure shot that I hit that keeps me addicted to this set, and wanting to keep hitting them.
I like how you said it could be a turning point you can look back on, I hadn't really thought about it like that, but can definitely see that now. I have a feeling that if I put this much effort in to every aspect of my game, I can reach the scores that I set out to achieve.
Its been quite the struggle with me and the long irons. I don't think I have ever been so frustrated with some of my shots in my life, but at the same time, trying to figure out what I am doing wrong has been very fun. It also seems like there is always that one pure shot that I hit that keeps me addicted to this set, and wanting to keep hitting them.
I like how you said it could be a turning point you can look back on, I hadn't really thought about it like that, but can definitely see that now. I have a feeling that if I put this much effort in to every aspect of my game, I can reach the scores that I set out to achieve.
Dubon25
Member
Great looking clubs
Griff
Hey Man, Nice Shot
Hawk, I'd rep ya if I could. That's hardcore testing right there. Total dedication and I love it.
I want to pose a tough question to you, but I will wait until you have more time with these bad boys.
I want to pose a tough question to you, but I will wait until you have more time with these bad boys.
Griff
Hey Man, Nice Shot
WE, love your post. I especially like your comments on the longer irons of the set. It's a valid area of concern for a lot golfers viewing this thread. That you are working through the challenges is awesome. Would be easy to say, "Can't hit these things." Instead you seem to be discovering different ways to approach the issue and I gotta say I'm impressed.
Question on the longer irons....when you do catch a good one is it worth the effort or have you seen similar results from a different club that requires less effort to achieve those results? It's a question I have challenged myself with in another thread and it's a work in progress for me.
Question on the longer irons....when you do catch a good one is it worth the effort or have you seen similar results from a different club that requires less effort to achieve those results? It's a question I have challenged myself with in another thread and it's a work in progress for me.
Solid write up war.eagle! Really like how you showed the versatility of the PW and also sounds like you found/fixed the flaw with the long irons off of the tee. Glad to see things still progressing nicely!
Tappin' from my iPad!
Tappin' from my iPad!
Appreciate the comments, griff. It would be easy to say "I can't hit these" an move on. But, that is what has made this testing such a fun challenge for me. Finding an area a struggle with, figuring out what I am doing wrong and trying to correct it.
For your second question; As far as the longer irons go, specifically the 4 iron here, hitting a great shot with it is well worth the effort. Interesting enough, I usually do not carry a 4 iron, as my distance gaps transition nicely from the 5iron to my 3hybrid, but since I am testing and reviewing this set, I have made an effort to use the longer irons, so I could get my successes and struggles out to anyone who may be considering this set.
Thanks MC, it's a work in progress that is for sure. Finding my issue with the long irons was easy, fixing it is the challenge.
- Staff
- #974
Feel free to ask a way, griff. I'll answer whatever is on your mind.
I like that sentence and it's exactly how I feel as well. It's good info to read and I think it's been fun. I honesty had no plans in carrying anything below the 5 iron when this started, but I figured I owed it to W/S, the readers, and myself to at least try. I'm really glad I did it too.