Wilson Golf is a brand known for high quality, innovative golf equipment that has been used by many tour professionals throughout history - in fact, they have more major victories than any other manufacturer.
I’ve recently noticed a lot of female professionals using Wilson equipment, so when the new Staff Model CB irons came up for review, I was excited to see what they could do.
Who Are They Aimed At?
The Staff Model CB irons are designed to blend workability and forgiveness with a premium look for better golfers. These irons are geared toward the better player who wants an iron not as intimidating as an ultra-thin blade, but that can still provide shotmaking feedback and forgiveness out on the course.
The Tech
Often when we’re looking at new equipment, we have a huge, complicated tech sheet to run through. And its almost refreshing that this isn’t the case with these irons.
The main focus here is extreme feel and playability for the better player, with 3-main elements looking to contribute to this. We see precise toe weighting, a fluid feel hosel and forged 8620 carbon steel head for feel and workability. This provides some additional forgiveness compared to a true blade but not as much as larger game-improvement cavity backs.
The precise toe weighting is designed to eliminate the low left shot, and works by keeping the face slightly open while also maximising forgiveness and control.
The fluid feel hosel takes inspiration from Wilson's iconic Dyna-Powered irons to redistribute weight towards the toe, helping to improve overall performance.
A precision milling face pattern allows longer contact between the ball and the club face, for more consistent spin and better stopping power.
Watch On YouTube
You can watch the full review on the Wilson Staff Model CB irons via the Golfalot YouTube channel here:
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Wilson Staff Model CB Irons Review
Looks and Feel
The first thing that stood out about the CB irons from Wilson was their simple, clean aesthetics. These irons have a subtle, refined blade-like look, with a compact sole and topline giving them a really nice classic appearance at address.
Wilson have done away with their traditional logo on the clubhead, removing the ‘W/S’ from inside it and leaving behind the shield, just to give it a more simplistic, premium feel overall, which I do think is a big improvement from the previous Wilson Staff Model CB Irons from 2021.
Down by the ball I found that these irons did look a little daunting, with a very short blade length that I think would make some golfers a little apprehensive. The topline is also fairly sharp with a small toe area, meaning if you’re looking for a confidence inspiring look to your irons, these irons might not be the right choice for you.
Something I really liked with these irons was how soft they felt at impact, while still being feeling quite powerful. As we might expect, I wasn’t seeing loads of forgiveness with the Staff Model CBs, however there was certainly more than if we were to put these head to head with a more bladed iron.
On Course Performance
On the course, I was really impressed at how accurate I could be with these irons. The Wilson CB irons demonstrated consistently straight ball flights, which allowed me to take on some tighter pins with more confidence.
I did feel initially that these irons were falling slightly short in terms of distance compared to my current Titleist T150 irons, which do have stronger lofts to help me get a bit more from my shots. So, with this in mind it was time to head down to HUKD Golf to get the exact numbers for the Wilson CB irons.
The Data
Testing on Foresight certainly backed up what I was sensing out on the golf course, with the irons coming in at roughly 5 yards shorter than my Titleist T150 irons on average. This was the price you had to pay to see more consistency in the dispersion, with Wilson irons showing a tighter ball pattern than my T150s.
Taking a deeper dive into some of the numbers, the Wilson 7-iron was carrying an average of 138 yards, with an average spin rate of 6,000 RPM. Although we were seeing a slight drop-off in distance, this was to be expected with the variation in lofts between the T150 (32°) and the CB model (34°) but that spin number is exactly what I'd want to see.
Where the CB irons did come out on top was that dispersion and control around the greens. My spin rates were higher with the Wilson irons, which helps to hold greens and add some stopping power out on the course.
At £1050 for a full set, the Wilson CB irons are certainly on the more premium end of the market. Given how they’ve performed, I would say you’re getting good value from these irons. With high-end materials, looks and workability in a package geared for skilled golfers, the Staff Model CB irons are delivering on their promises.
Wilson Staff Model CB Irons Verdict
Overall, the Wilson Staff CB irons are a fantastic offering aimed at the better player. Their classic blade-like looks, superb feel and workability meant that they provided everything that you would expect from an iron like this.
Dispersion levels were very tight to inspire confidence when hitting approach shots even to tucked pins, with the only potential downside being the slightly lower distances. If you're someone who has plenty of speed and doesn't struggle to generate distance though, this shouldn't be an issue for you.
For those wanting a Tour-calibre iron with a great blend of looks, feel and performance, these clubs need to be on the test list. Wilson have delivered a player's iron that can more than compete against any of the other models in this category.
Would I Use Them?
Although I loved the feel and consistency of these irons, I think the slightly weaker lofts and the compact look at address were making things a little too hard for me, especially compared to my existing Titleist T150 irons that just offer me slightly more help.
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