Wilson Staff Model irons: What you need to know
What you need to know: Wilson’s new Staff Model line of irons features three models: the Staff Model Blade, Staff Model CB, and the Staff Model XB. Each of the 8620 carbon steel irons were designed to fit together to address the increasing desire for combo sets. “When you sit the irons side-by-side, you’ll notice the consistent design across all models, whilst each model has individual nuances to differentiate between each iron,” said Ben Hanser, CAD engineer at Wilson Golf.
Price/Availabilty: Each of the three models cost $1,400 for a set of seven irons with steel shafts. Available in February.
3 Cool Things
1. Power Play
“Wilson has a long history of great performing irons, and we've taken part of that heritage and combined it with modern craftsmanship to produce what I believe to be the best iron family the brand has ever produced,” said Hanser. “Adding a players performance iron in the XB to the Staff Model family allows more people to fit into the range.”
Wilson ran more than four thousand face optimization profiles across five impact locations before deciding on three for the new XB iron: one for the 2- through 5-irons; another for the 6- through 8-irons and one for the rest of the set. The hollow-body construction also allows for the use of tungsten in the 2- through 7-irons (19 to 27 grams), to be positioned in the low toe area to raise stability.
“Topology optimization is an incredible tool that effectively tells us where to position mass internally to maximize performance and from this, we developed unique rib configurations for each loft in the XB” said Hanser.
To assist sound, urethane was injected into the internal cavity to reduce vibrations at impact while the faces are precision milled for consistency then bead blasted to reduce glare. To aid with turf interaction, the sole camber features more curvature in the sole than most irons. Combined with a relatively short blade length, this allows the heads to be quick in and out of the turf.
2. Bring the blades
Yes, the muscle-back blade iron still has a place in the game, although they should solely be used by those with mad ball-striking skills. If that sounds like you, Wilson’s latest version of its Staff Model iron features some subtle, yet meaningful refinements.
Chief among them is a shortened blade length and reduced offset that produces a more compact profile and minimizes the area beyond the scoreline—resulting in a tour-inspired aesthetic. The variable hosel length also enables more precise mass distribution for center of gravity locations better players can take advantage of.
3. Feel with forgiveness
Building on the previous generation, the Wilson R&D team refined the head of the Staff Model CB by shortening it and softening its edges to better align with the Staff Model Blade’s profile. The hosel length also matches the Blade for visual consistency, complemented by an improved hosel-to-face transition for a cleaner, more seamless look.
Further sliding toward the Blade, the offset was reduced and a straighter, narrower sole enhances turf interaction. The design also features a slightly longer blade length and a thinner topline.