One of the issues keeping some would-be players from trying the game of golf is equipment cost. If someone is thinking about taking a swing at it for the first time, seeing big name clubs selling well north of four figures can provide enough of a shock to send the curious scurrying back to frisbee golf. This cannot be allowed as no one — no one — should be forced to settle for the awkward shame of bringing flying discs to a golf course.
Fortunately, you can buy a top-rated set of irons from a trusted manufacturer without breaking $1,000. And after testing out the Wilston Staff D7 Forged Irons, I can verify that they definitely fit the bill.
Wilson Staff is as close to an everyman brand as any golf club manufacturer out there, and the company is clearly committed to building and selling the best possible equipment that doesn’t alienate the new player or even the veteran golfer looking to break out of “hand me downs” and buy his or her first truly brand new set as they approach that mid handicapper stage.
Wilson’s new Staff D7 Forged Irons offer the latest in that company’s club design technology. Created with forged 8620 carbon steel, the D7’s Power Hole and Power Chamber technologies blend into the club heads and look to provide comfortable weighting and extended distance. They feel well-balanced in the hand and on the downswing. Their highly detailed aesthetics are a bonus.
The D7 Forged Irons cost around $900 for steel shaft clubs and about $1,000 for graphite shafts, with both varieties offering Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.
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What We Liked About the Wilson Staff D7 Forged Irons:
Clubs designed for mid or high handicap players (or beginners, as they’re often one and the same) tend to come in cavity back or muscle back designs. The D7 Forged Irons opted for a cavity construction, concentrating a mass of balanced steel behind the club face and separated by a small pocket of empty space, a feature that provides spring off the club face.
The cavity design puts most of the D7’s weight on the very bottom of the golf club, aiding the player in maintaining acceleration and centrifugal force upon release.
Most Unique Feature: That Generous Club Face
When it comes to golf clubs, the general understanding is the larger the club face, the more forgiving the club. It makes sense because the more metal you put on the golf ball, the better it travels. So, a wider ball striking area would logically lead to fewer miss-hits. The Wilson Staff D7 Irons don’t quality as oversized, but it’s surprising to see Wilson describe them as “compact head.” There remains plenty of forged steel down there on the end of the Wilson shaft, and that gives the player a reassuring sense of forgiveness.
What We Didn’t Like About the Wilson Staff D7 Forged Irons:
These are not shot-shaper golf clubs for high precision. Low handicap and more experienced players looking for surgical control to hit a cut into a dogleg or low stinger in high wind conditions should stay on the lookout for more blade-centric sticks. While the Wilson Staff D7 Forged Irons are well made and accurate, they’re effective as general game improvement tools for the higher or mid-handicap player.
The Verdict:
Well built and designed for forgiveness, the Wilson Staff D7 Forged Irons employ durable, high quality materials and use the right cavity back weighting to help any player settle the club into a solid swing slot. While not ideal for the most refined golfer, any other stage player would be hard-pressed to find better equipment for less than $1,000.
Where To Buy Wilson Staff D7 Forged Irons:
As a proud, long-standing member of the golf equipment community, Wilson products are available via multiple online outlets. However, some customers have reported orders with missing clubs when ordering from third-party stores on sites like Amazon, so we would strongly advise purchasing these clubs directly from Wilson. For serious players looking to order directly from the manufacturer, consider going through the official Wilson Custom Fit service.