Wilson FG Tour V4 Irons – What You Feel Is What You Get

3044

willsonLike most reputable golf club manufacturers, Wilson Staff has its own stable of PGA Tour players, most notably Ricky Barnes, Padraig Harrington and Kevin Streelman. These players were instrumental in the development of Wilson Staff’s latest player irons, the FG Tour V4. These irons are designed for the Feel (F in Wilson Staff-speak) player seeking a sleek setup, ultimate feedback and shot-shaping control.

What these players were looking for was to have the ball stop faster, with extra spin. Wilson Staff’s answer to this was to have the ball descend at a steeper angle and, by inserting an 18 gram tungsten weight in the sole of the 3 – 7 irons, they was able to do this. This heavier metal lowers the center of gravity in the irons which enables players to flight the ball higher and at the same time increases the launch angle. And, there’s a real good chance you might find yourself gaining a few more yards in the process.

The look of the club has been updates as well. Gone is the boxy toe look of recent Wilson Staff models. It has been replaced by a rounder shape and a sole grind that matches that preferred by staff player Kevin Streelman. According to Michael Vrska, Global Director of Innovation at Wilson Staff, “We’ve modernized the look a little bit. Kevin Streelman has been grinding his V2’s in a certain way for a while, and the V4s are pretty close to his clubs, right out of the box. This gives the V4 a little more rounder look, where the V2 was a little bit sharp and hard-edged. Our main goal was to continue to innovate and improve upon our great forged iron heritage, especially as it relates to playability, versatility and optimal ball flight.” That being said, one look and you can still tell, it’s a Wilson iron.

Wilson has also made the face of the FG Tour V4 irons 11% thinner outside the hitting area. This allowed designers to shift weight to the heel and toe, producing a moment of inertia which is 3 percent higher than the V2’s, making these irons more stable. Mass remains concentrated in the impact area to maintain a solid, muscle back like feel and to provide workability on center and close-to-center impacts. Although the FG Tour V4 irons are far from the most forgiving clubs Wilson makes, you’ll know when you’ve hit a shot pure.

The Wilson Staff FG Tour V4 irons are forged from 8620 carbon steel for soft feel and consistency from shot to shot. These irons have a head size, blade length, offset and topline that are nearly identical to the FG Tour V2 irons, the same irons Padraig Harrington played in winning the 2015 Honda Classic. Because these clubs are designed for better players, the lofts are very traditional. A standard set includes 4-iron (24 degrees) through gap wedge (51 degrees).

Other features of the FG Tour V4 irons include precision milled grooves, Optimized sole camber which improves turf interaction and control from all lies, a tour-preferred nickel-chrome finish and Lamkin Crossline grips. Also standard are the True Temper Dynamic Gold DG Pro shafts which feature variably-sized steps in the bottom half of the shaft for trajectory and responsiveness. The DG Pro shafts are available in regular, stiff and extra stiff flexes.

During my testing and playing of this new Wilson iron offering, I was amazed at how easy the long irons were to hit. Without the presence of the “speed pocket” feature found in many newer irons, the ball rocketed off the face of the club with a very penetrating ball flight. When it reached the apex of its arc, it came down very softly and held the greens well.

Standing over the club at address, these irons inspire confidence. One of the first things I noticed was that the heads are a little smaller than most player irons. The thin top line falls into place with the clubface and the nickel-chrome finish shines brightly in the sun. The redesigned sole and bounce cut easily through the light rough, improving distance and ball flight. The new FG Tour V4 irons continue Wilson’s tradition of an old school, classic look infused with some modern technology.

The Wilson Staff FG Tour V4 irons are available at most golf retailers at a price of $899. For more information on these and other Wilson Staff golf products, you can visit their website at www.wilson.com.

David Theoret

David Theoret has been in the golf and golf travel industry for over 12 years, primarily selling online advertising. For the past seven years, he has also been a golf writer, reviewing golf courses, resorts, destinations, equipment, golf apparel, and training aids – the latter of which never seems to help. What started as a dream years ago, by God’s grace, became a reality in 2015 when The Golfin’ Guy editorial marketing company was founded. Working together with golf course designer Ron Garl; David’s articles and reviews have been posted on many golf travel, equipment, and apparel websites.

Previous articleZepp Swing Analyzer – Lots of Data on Every Swing
Next articleWaldorf Astoria Golf Club – A Public Facility with a Private Club Feel

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.