Equipment
New 2020 Wilson Staff D7 Forged irons: Forged for all
In 2019, Wilson Staff irons were in the bag of a major winner again, thanks to Gary Woodland winning the U.S. Open with the Wilson Staff Model Forged Blades. From a brand perspective, this was a huge win for Wilson, but one quick look into the bag from a consumer relatability side of things would show that few golfers can gain a benefit from hitting a forged blade ala Mr. Woodland. Wilson is proving forged can be for everyone with the introduction of the Wilson D7 Forged Irons for 2020. They’re forged and fast!
Just because an iron is forged doesn’t mean golfers of a particular handicap should shy away from it—forging is merely a process used to create end products, not a measure of a club’s forgiveness or ball speed potential. With the new Wilson D7 Forged irons, every golfer can appreciate the feeling of a well-struck shot with a forged club without the fear of a tiny miss coming up 10 yards short, since they are also packed with key Wilson golf innovations.
Wilson Staff D (for distance) Series is better known for larger cast clubs built for longer, higher-flying shots, but the engineers at Wilson wanted to change that perception by bringing D Series technology into a club that would appeal to more traditional golfers still looking for a ball speed boost. By working with their tour staff from the PGA Tour down to PGA staff professionals, they have created a club with tour-preferred styling; one packed with distance and launch improving technology.
2020 Wilson Staff D7 Forged irons: The technology
Urethane Power Chamber and Power Holes: Like with the previous (non-forged) D7 irons, the new forged model has a unique set of holes on the sole positioned to allow for greater flexing of the face for more ball speed, especially on shots hit lower on the face, a popular spot for recreational players.
By combining these slots with a urethane-filled cavity behind a soft 8630 forged carbon steel face (the Power Chamber) you get greater rebound potential paired with a very pleasing soft feel. Placing a vibration dampening insert or softer material behind a thin face to tune acoustics is not a new idea, and each OEM has a different take on what the best way to achieve the final result is, but Wilson is the only player using both a filled cavity and sole slots to do it, making the D7 forged a stand out in the crowd.
The looks
The D7 Forged irons are designed to appeal to what Wilson calls the “traditional golfer” with minimal offset similar to the C and Tour series irons and a thinned out topline and thinner sole for improved ground interaction. It’s one thing to have a technology-filled club, but if a golfer doesn’t feel comfortable standing over a shot, it’s never going to end up in the bag.
Wilson designers looked at every detail to bring the D7 Forged iron in line with the wants and needs of aspiring players.
“Combining the distance technologies from the original D7 line with the aesthetics of Wilson Staff’s players irons, the D7 Forged Irons provide an ideal blend of maximum distance and ultimate feel for golfers looking for effortless distance and ultimate control,” said Jon Pergande, Manager of Golf Club Innovation. “
“Through the optimized sole and face thickness, urethane-filled Power Chamber and centered power holes, the new D7 Forged Irons give golfers remarkable ball speeds, shot-making ability, and a soft forged feel across the entire club face.”
When talking further about the new D7 Forged with Jon, one of the reoccurring themes of our conversation was choices. A golfer needs confidence standing over a longer iron, knowing that a miss—over a hazard for example—still has the opportunity to make it, even if contact isn’t perfect. That same golfer also needs to know when hitting a short iron, precision will be rewarded with consistent downrange dispersion—something that more traditional game improvement clubs can struggle with based on spin rates.
The D7 Forged balances the best of both worlds very well!
Shafts, pricing, and availability
The D7 Forged irons stock shafts are
- Steel: KBS $-Taper Lite’s
- Graphite: Project X Catalyst Black 80g
The D7 Forged irons start at $899.99 in steel and are $999.99 with graphite, in a seven-piece configuration.
The D7 Forged will be available for pre-order at retail and on Wilson.com, starting January 14, 2020. You will see them arrive on golf retailers shelves January 21, 2020.
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Equipment
Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.
However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.
“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”
Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.
Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.
Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.
One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.
We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!
- Check out the rest of our pictures from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
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Whats in the Bag
Zac Blair WITB 2024 (March)
- Zac Blair what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade M5 Rocket 3 (14 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 757 Evolution V1 X
Utility: Titleist U510 (3)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Blue 85 X
Irons: Ping i210 (4-6), Miura MB-001 (7-9)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 58-08M @57, 60 @61), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (52-M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 105 X
Putter: Scotty Cameron prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
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Whats in the Bag
Martin Trainer WITB 2024 (March)
- Martin Trainer what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Wilson Staff Staff Model (6.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue 70 TX
3-wood: Wilson Staff WLabs Prototype (13 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 80 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Staff Model (2, 4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Wilson Staff Staff Model (52, 56, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Putter: Bobby Grace Greg Chalmers Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Pelling
Jan 8, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Junk, for hackers.
Kurt
Jan 7, 2020 at 11:52 pm
Got fitted for 5-PW yesterday. Great distance and feel. Ultimately preferred them over the T200, particularly for the prices here locally (NZ). Should be here early next week.
James
Jan 7, 2020 at 3:15 pm
Priced $1000 for 7 irons. BAD MOVE! The Wilson brand is not THAT good. Yet. Hit 2 home runs first.
Greg
Jan 9, 2020 at 12:55 am
I see your point, but just wondering–would the V6’s and the Staff Model Blades be considered home runs?
Patrick J McLeod
Jan 10, 2020 at 10:45 am
$1000 for a 7 piece forged set with graphite is priced below just about every other club in the category.
Jim
Jan 7, 2020 at 12:25 pm
The iron could potentially be a big step for Wilson as it’s a pretty good looking iron that allows for most players to play forged irons. It’s a little big/ thick for my taste for a nice overall appearance. But the multiple sole slots is where they lose me. I couldn’t look at these in my bag every round, it’s just goofy looking and not in keeping with what you would expect from a better iron. Wilson needs to lose the slots and then they would have a solid iron in my opinion.
Martin Brown
Jan 7, 2020 at 11:14 am
The article says this is the only iron to have sole slots and urethane filling. However the TaylorMade P790 has had exactly that since its introduction in 2017.
Thomas A
Jan 7, 2020 at 12:08 pm
I think they meant that they are one piece. In the P790’s the urethane insert is not connected to the urethane slot filling.
Milo
Jan 7, 2020 at 11:11 am
So thick and shiny
Peter
Jan 7, 2020 at 9:39 am
Is just the face insert forged? If so, the term forged iron is very misleading compared to a true forged head from a single billet.
Thomas A
Jan 7, 2020 at 12:09 pm
Yes, only the face is forged. Which is fine with me because I only hit the ball with the face of the iron. 😉
Charlie Waffles
Jan 7, 2020 at 12:54 pm
I’m getting a different take on these, thinking that they are forged and not just the face. I could be wrong tough.