Wilson used to be on the top of the world. If you were a player back in the day, you probably played a Wilson iron. Even last year… we had so many people come in my shop talking about the days of the Wilson Staff… “why don’t they make the Staff anymore?”, “I used to love my Wilson Staff irons and now I can’t find them in stores anymore”.
We heard it lots and we hoped that Wilson would just come to their senses and get back to what sold. It took a while but the Wilson Staff is back and the company is hoping that customers will come back too.
Wilson came out with a whole Staff line… irons, woods, a hybrid, bags, balls, hats… you name it. They even went out and tried to strengthen their Tour stable but the verdict is still out on that one. The Staff iron line features three clubs… the Fi5 (a forged combo set), the Di5 (a cast game improvement club) and the Pi5. The Wilson Pi5 is a cast club that looks and feels like the Wilson irons of old. The top line and sole are some of the thinnest around, the cavity is small, the Wilson staff shield logo is there and the irons are beautiful. The Pi5 is designed for the better player… or at least a good ball striker. They do offer some forgiveness but nothing close to some of the game improvement irons we see today. The clubs feature an undercut cavity in the long irons and a more traditional cavity in the shorter ones. This changes the ball flight throughout the set… it provides a high flight in the long irons and a lower ball flight as you move towards the wedge. The stock shaft in the Pi5 is a perfect fit… the Dynamic Gold steel shafts work great here. Graphite is available but not really recommended.
Traditionalists love these irons. They love the look of them, they love the feel of them and they love the ball flight that they provide. Make no mistake about it… these are designed for the better player and most mid to high handicappers should look elsewhere. The better players that tested these irons really enjoyed them although there were a few common complaints. Most better players wished that they were forged… that’s the Wilson that they all know and love. It’s tough to do that here though because of the undercut design in the long irons. The other common complaint concerned the ultra-thin sole. A thin sole is great but some of our testers had some problems with the irons digging into the ground. The sole is so thin that it actually acts as a knife… cutting into the turf and making solid contact tough. Overall… everyone liked these irons. If you are looking for a solid “players” club, the Pi5 is worth a try!
Overall Rating – 80%
Target Handicap – 15 and Under… Only good ball strikers need apply
Ball Flight – Low to Mid
Offset – Minimal
Construction – Cast 431 Stainless steel
Stock Shafts – True Temper Dynamic Gold steel, custom options available (including graphite)