Written By: John Barba
A lot can happen in 10 years.
Back in 2006, Wilson Staff was on virtual life support. The one-time 800-lb golf industry gorilla was on the endangered list, owning a 0.5% share of the premium irons market and swimming in red ink.
Today, Wilson is riding a 4-year wave of irons ranging from the solid (the C-11’s, C-100’s and D-100’s) to the sublime (the forged FG Tour series: the 100 blades and the V2 & V4 player’s cavity backs). By any measure, since 2012 Wilson Staff’s recent offerings – from Super Game Improvement to Player’s clubs – have been as good as anybody’s.
Wilson’s market share is sneaking up on 5%, and red ink is now the other guys’ problem.
So to close out a decade-long rise from the crypt, Wilson is bringing two new players to the party. We’ll have to wait until January to meet one, but we can introduce you to the other today.
FG Tour F5 Irons
Wilson says the FG Tour F5 irons are geared toward the better player that might want a little extra technology, forgiveness and distance along with a forged feel. That would place the F5’s in the same neighborhood as your Titleist AP2/Mizuno JPX 850 Forged/Callaway Apex Pro’s/TaylorMade PSi Tours.
In the Wilson World of F-C-D club categorization (Feel – Crossover – Distance – more on that later), the FG Tour F5’s straddle the Feel-Crossover line – sort of a Crossover crossover.
Speed Sole™ technology is Wilson’s way of maximizing an iron’s CT, or Characteristic Time (“springiness” of the club face). Specifically, Speed Sole™ technology thins the transition between the sole and the face. In theory, maximizing CT increases ball speed which, in turn, makes the ball go farther.
The Sole With Soul
Wilson unveiled Speed Sole™ technology in early 2015 in the D200 super-game improvement iron. The F5 irons mark the debut of Speed Sole in a forged iron, in hopes of adding ball speed and distance within a category that still leans traditional. The F5 irons feature more-traditional lofts (albeit with shafts that are, on average, 1/2″ longer shafts than others) are swimming in the same shark tank with that have, comparatively speaking, jacked up lofts.
In a world filled with longer, farther, deeper and faster is Wilson worried the more traditional lofts will hurt the F5 when compared to, say, the Titleist AP1/AP2, or the Cally Apex/Apex Pro?
“We think MyGolfSpy said it best,” replies Vrska. “It’s Technology vs. Specology.”
The Speed Sole™ is made possible by something called the “Stabilizing Bar.” It’s a heel-to-toe strip of mass in the forged head right behind the impact area, and its job is to provide support behind the thinned out face and sole, which is what allows Speed Sole™ to actually add speed.
“It also allows for the area near the topline to be thinned as well,” says Vrska. “When coupled with the thin face, it allows us to move more mass around the perimeter for increased MOI and forgiveness.”
86ing The M3
The FG Tour F5 irons replace the 2-year-old FT Tour M3’s (a 2 year product cycle?). There are two visual changes; one obvious, and one that’s a bit more subtle.
First the obvious: the matte black of the M3 is gone, replaced with Wilson Tour Satin, and the F5’s topline has been thinned a bit compared to its predecessor. In this case, thinner is relative.
On the thickness scale it’s closer to Rhonda Rousey than Kim Kardashian.
The more subtle change? M3’s Ping G-series-ish offset has been noticeably reduced. A side-by-side comparison with the Wilson FG Tour V4 cavity back irons shows fairly similar offsets.
The color scheme on the head is rather tame by game-improvement iron standards. The F5 carries virtually the same matte chrome-black-yellow branding as the V4’s but, as you can see, the graphics are much bigger and bolder
Sound, Feel and Who It’s For
Wilson has been making irons since the Wilson Administration (Woodrow, not Flip), and knows a thing or two about forging. The F5 irons join the Tour 100 blades and the V4 cavity backs in the forged 8620 carbon steel club. Like it’s older brothers, the F5 has a soft, springy-feeling muted click when struck on the sweet spot.
As for forgiveness, the added perimeter weighting works as you’d expect: off center strikes lose very little – if any – distance. There’s plenty of feedback when you miss, but it’s more gentle reprimand and less electro-shock aversion therapy.
The F5 is finding its way into Wilson’s Tour Staff bags, further proof that even Tour Pros could use a little forgiveness. Brendan Steele – who games the Tour 100 blades – has added the F5 3-iron to his bag. Ricky Barnes is gaming the F5 4- and 5-iron and may switch to the full set at some point this season.
Wilson says anyone from a low single-digit player to an 18 handicap can game the F5’s. In reality, the mid-teen handicapper who’s what you’d call an “emerging” player could play the F5’s. The can’t-play-or-practice-as-much-as-I-like-and-don’t-count-that-last shot 18 ‘capper may find more forgiveness elsewhere.
The FG Tour F5 irons sets will include 4-iron thru Gap wedge, with an optional 3-iron also available. Stock shafts will be True Temper Dynamic Gold XP in steel or MRC Kuro Kage LB 85 in graphite, with Lamkin Crossline Black grips standard. Custom shafts will be available at an upcharge.
List price is $899.99 steel/$999.99 graphite, and the irons will be available in January.
Now About That F-C-D…
For several years now Wilson Staff has categorized its clubs using the F-C-D system: F for “Feel,” C for “Control,” and D for “Distance.”
Wilson says it’s an easy-to-understand way to explain to customers what each of their clubs do, and who they’re for.
There’s a slight change for 2016 – C now stands for “Crossover,” which Vrksa says is simpler and more descriptive than “Control.”
“All of our ‘C’ products feature great distance technology and a proven feel technology. ‘Crossover’ is more descriptive of the category, and easier to understand. The F5’s literally cross over the Feel and Distance categories.”
For 2016, Wilson Staff will offer 6 different iron sets – two for each category – each representing a step up the ball-striking ladder.
The D’s:
DeFy Hybrid irons – new for 2016, an integrated hybrid-iron Super-Duper Game Improvement set
D200 irons – Super Game Improvement set carrying over from 2015
The C’s:
“Mystery” iron – replacement for the Game Improvement C100’s, Wilson views this highly anticipated iron as a potential game-changer in the GI category. We’ll see it officially January 1st (MyGolfSpy did share an early, unofficial and non-sanctioned sneak-peak back in August).
FG Tour F5 irons – forgiving forged iron for the “Feel” player who wants more distance and help.
The F’s:
FG Tour V4 irons – Carrying over from 2015, forged player’s cavity back and utility irons
FG Tour 100 irons – Year 3 for Wilson’s flagship forged blades.
As stated above, Wilson Staff’s 4 year run of “equipment you probably should pay attention to” marches on, with solid choices for every level of player. And if you subscribe to MyGolfSpy’s credo that you should consider gaming the most game improvement technology you can stand to look at, Wilson’s FG Tour F5’s join the AP2/PSi Tour/Apex Pro/Ping i series/850 Forged as a “must-demo” option for 2016.
What are your thoughts on the F5 irons? Do they have what it takes to continue Wilson Staff’s re-emergence?
from MyGolfSpy http://www.mygolfspy.com/wilson-staff-fg-tour-f5-irons/
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