When someone asks me about cavity back game improvement irons that offer good value for money then Wilson usually gets a mention.
They offer a variety of irons in their F-C-D range that are usually good looking and easy to play with. With the Wilson C100 irons, the C stood for Control, but now with the C200 irons it stands for Crossover.
Wilson define this as a mid to high handicapper looking for a playable iron with a midsized head and that is exactly what you get with the C200.
What stands out right from the first time you pick them up is the appearance of the black TE031 Urethane material around the perimeter of the club that gives it a 'I have to hit these' dramatic look.
These pockets of polymer represent the FLX Face where Wilson has cut away material so there are less contact points between the face and the body of the club.
Apparently 76% of the face is not touching the chassis and the resulting 'Power Holes' allow it to flex more at impact to give a little more ball speed and hence distance.
At address I really liked this look and right through the bag the impacts felt solid and light with a great sound. The whole hitting experience is hard to fault and as close to a forged feel as you are going to get from a cast, multi-material head.
The cavity is reasonably generous, but is also nice and compact which hides the forgiveness and means you don't get any trailing edges visible at address in the longer irons.
Even with the cavity, the C200 irons delivered just the right mid-trajectory you would expect. The sole widths play a little narrower than they look, which is not helped visually by the matte chrome finish in the middle, but they went through the turf very well regardless of the finish.
The C200 irons have a rounded feel to them with every angle from the trailing edge to the top line featuring a subtle curve. As you went up the set the heads got progressively larger, but all delivered a great balance of feel, playability and forgiveness.
At address it took me a while to figure out why they looked different and it is the curve of the sole, particularly towards the toe, that is greater than most other irons and gives that distinctive rounded shape. It didn't really affect the performance so it just was something visual to get used to.
Keeping the club light is key in this category to generate more club head speed and the shafts really help with this. As standard the C200 irons comes with a quality KBS Tour 90 steel shaft which is light and responsive and suits the heads well.
In addition there is also an Aldila Rogue Pro graphite shaft option in three flexes for an extra £100 if anyone needs more help.
Overall it was hard to find anything to dislike about the Wilson C200 irons. They look distinctive and the performance, head size and feel right throughout the bag were very good.
In addition they are keenly priced, so if you are new to the game or counting the pennies then the Wilson C200 irons are one of the best value for money game improvement irons around.