Equipment

Wilson Staff FG Tour V2 Iron Review

Published

12 years ago

May 5, 2012

Editor Review-

Pros-
A good blend of forgiveness and workability, the V2 Irons are designed for the golfer wanting it all. The 8620 forging gives a player’s feel while the cavity construction provides added forgiveness. The rounded topline, soft leading edge and weight distribution around the cavity encourages the weekend warrior to play like a pro. Stock KBS shaft is just fantastic and conforming grooves.

Cons-
While their stock shaft option is the KBS Tour, the standard length is slightly longer than other manufacturers. Traditional forged players will not like that it is 8620 forging. The higher bounce will turn off sweepers and the shiny chrome can be glaring in certain sun light conditions. A slightly larger club head for a player’s iron.

Bottom Line-
I have played everything from Super Game Improvement to pure butter blades and these Wilson Irons will beat them all to the bag. The V2 Irons are one step closer for Wilson Staff being back to their glory days and no longer viewed as a K-Mart special.

Click here to read discussion and see more pics in the forums

Review-

FG Tour V2’s are forged from 8620 mild carbon steel, but don’t let that fool you into thinking these are cheaply made. These irons scream detail from their precise weight distribution to the extra padding behind the sweet spot to enhance the feel and are accented by KBS Tour shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips.

Looks-

These irons are three shades of pretty. The sleek silver and black look is a mixture of class and simplicity. While other irons tend to get busier and busier, the V2 irons have that perfect blend of technology without slapping you in the face with gaudy colors. A thin topline, minimal offset and rounded leading edge make the Wilson FG Tour V2 irons a stellar looking iron for the traditionalist. They offer a slightly higher bounce than some other player’s irons creating a larger sole which might turn some players off, but they are great to reduce excess digging.

The stunning look of the blend of silver and black really goes well with any bag colors. With the irons being forged from 8620 mild carbon steel, the cost is lower than other forged clubs. The heads are on the larger side of a player’s club, but would fall in line with the Titleist AP2 or Ping I20 irons.

Performance/playability-

I tested the V2 against my current irons (Callaway X-Forged ’09) and was blown away by the tighter dispersion with the Wilson Irons. A bit about my swing; I am taller and have a step angle of attack (am a digger for those whom use that term), SS was 89 with 6 iron. My launch angle was 2 degrees higher with the Wilson (16.9*) versus the Callaway (15.1*), and the back spin was 5600 versus 5200 in favor of the V2’s again, but what really surprised me was the dispersion. I was constantly tighter with the Wilson Irons and every guy likes it tight (am I allowed to make that joke?).

I only play a 5 iron as my longest iron, but for testing, I hit the 3 and 4 as well. Even the 3 was easy to get air born with control. The irons are pretty traditional loft (47* PW) for a player’s club and are easy to flight. If you like to move the ball up and down or left and right, you should have no problem with these irons. The slightly larger club head also encourages confidence when you set up behind the ball.

Click here to read discussion and see more pics in the forums

Feel-

Feel is very subjective so just believe that these things are fantastic. If Fabio hit these irons, he would say “I can’t believe they’re not blades” then flap his hair across his chest. A strategically placed hunk of mild carbon 8620 steel right behind the sweet spot doesn’t hurt either. When you hit these things in the center, you have to look down to make sure you actually hit the ball. I really liked the sound as well. While not Muira forging, the V2’s have a muted sound through impact while still giving solid feedback on off center hits as you would expect from a player’s club. Accented with KBS Tour shafts as stock, these irons just belong in your bag.

Overall bottom line-

Some people just really want the game to be much harder than it has to be and if you are that person, stay away from these. However, if you want a player’s iron with GI characteristics that help you take money from your playing partners…give these a try. I played the FG Tour irons for a while and these are definitely a step up. To put it simply:

Wilson Staff? SERIOUSLY!

Click here to read discussion and see more pics in the forums

Awesome Video Review with Wilson Golf-

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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