2020 Official Member Review: Wilson D7 Forged Irons

[Thin2win]

4 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

I'm glad that chip in was saved until now and not during our BIG $$$ match in Idaho . Looking like they respond to ball flight commands pretty darn well.  Any initial impressions on distance?  Also, your backswing in these videos seems much shorter than I recall when we've played.    

On distance; yesterday I just played just 5 holes. And my approach was long on all 5.

Today I played all 18, and my approach was long on the first 3 holes. After that I decided to club down, that worked well. So for me, these are playing at least a half club longer. 

 

As for my backswing... Damn it is short. I'll start taking yoga. 

[MattF]

Went to the range yesterday and I have to tell you, I'm not a range guy. I didn't think I was and yesterday confirmed it, I just can't hit balls at a range even if I try to envision playing a few holes...I might be as mental as @MaxEntropy! I'm just going to go out and play for this test. Here's a few teaser photo's of the PW, 6 and 4 compared to the same Bridgestones.

[MaxEntropy]

2 minutes ago, MattF said:

Went to the range yesterday and I have to tell you, I'm not a range guy. I didn't think I was and yesterday confirmed it, I just can't hit balls at a range even if I try to envision playing a few holes...I might be as mental as @MaxEntropy! I'm just going to go out and play for this test. Here's a few teaser photo's of the PW, 6 and 4 compared to the same Bridgestones.

Those look quite a bit bigger than the B-stones.... True or illusion? And more offset?

[MattF]

1 minute ago, MaxEntropy said:

Those look quite a bit bigger than the B-stones.... True or illusion? And more offset?

They're a little bigger, but not as much as you think. Just a hair less offset too, I'll be doing a spec comparison in my full review. (I did that yesterday and actually had to do some maths because Wilson uses imperial measurements and Bridgestone uses metric.)

[xOldBenKenobiX]

16 hours ago, Thin2win said:

Adding a couple ball flight videos:straight, L -> R, R -> L. And a bonus. 

Hole 2: need a slight draw, 6i off the tee. 

 

 

Hole #3, Left rough 140y 9i. Hoping for a straight ball flight.

 

Hole #4, right rough needing a L -> R ball flight, 8i ~150y

 

The follow up shot, Hole #4, Gap Wedge from just off the green:

 

What are you using as a shot tracer?

[GregGarner]

10 hours ago, HardcoreLooper said:

How do the lofts compare to your prior set?  It's interesting that you're getting 10 more yards and a lower ball flight, where I'm getting about 5-7 yards less (no big deal) and a higher ball flight (a huge deal, and definitely needed)

Ah, yes. In my case, I find the differences in ball flight and distance to be pretty interesting given these specs:

	Ping i210	D7 Forged	Ping i210	D7 Forged	Ping i210	D7 Forged
Iron	Loft	Loft	Lie	Lie	Length	Length
3	19.0	19.0	60.5	59.5	39.25	39.50
4	22.0	21.5	61.0	60.0	38.75	39.00
5	25.0	24.5	61.5	61.0	38.25	38.50
6	28.0	27.5	62.0	61.5	37.75	38.00
7	31.5	30.5	62.5	62.0	37.25	37.50
8	35.5	34.5	63.3	63.0	36.75	37.00
9	40.0	39.0	64.0	63.5	36.25	36.50
PW	44.5	44.0	64.6	64.0	35.75	36.00

So yes, the D7s are a touch long and strong (and based on the spin I'm getting, they're definitely getting the friction on) and the flatter lie is almost certainly to blame for my newfound butter cut. As for ball flight, I'm reasonably confident it has to do with the i210's weighting (see side-by-sides). I'm certainly not about to #FindItCutIt, but it seems reasonable that the D7 has a higher CoG than the i210. I also have a different shaft, but it should be comparable (DG S300 vs KBS Tour-V 110S).

[JohnSmalls]

I am surprised at how wide the soles are on these irons. It seems to me that Wilson really made a GI club aimed at better players (little offset, forged goodies)

[fixyurdivot]

13 hours ago, greggarner said:

But for now, it looks like I can reliably plan on ~10 more yards with equivalent stopping power and a much, much lower ballflight. 

Probably too early to know but do you suspect that (lower ball flight) more the lofts/CG or shafts?

[russtopherb]

23 minutes ago, JohnSmalls said:

I am surprised at how wide the soles are on these irons. It seems to me that Wilson really made a GI club aimed at better players (little offset, forged goodies)

Same. The overall design seems to hide how big the clubs really are, which I'm betting for most golfers is a good thing. 

[Thin2win]

2 hours ago, xOldBenKenobiX said:

What are you using as a shot tracer?

I'm using the shot tracer app :

[xOldBenKenobiX]

3 minutes ago, Thin2win said:

I'm using the shot tracer app :

Cool, thank you.

[GregGarner]

10 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Probably too early to know but do you suspect that (lower ball flight) more the lofts/CG or shafts?

I think it's CG-related, but very possible that it's a compounding issue and a little of both. My i210s were DG S300 hard-stepped, so not exactly a high launch/high spin shaft but I still got it up there. (And for reference, I used this chart since I was unable to get in for a proper fitting for this particular set.)

I plan on bringing both sets out at the same time and hitting a shot from each set from the same lie. I can't promise, but I'd love to figure out how to overlay those videos so you can see just how much higher my i210s fly, because when I say the D7s are lower, I don't mean a couple of feet. They are yards lower.

[fixyurdivot]

45 minutes ago, greggarner said:

I think it's CG-related, but very possible that it's a compounding issue and a little of both. My i210s were DG S300 hard-stepped, so not exactly a high launch/high spin shaft but I still got it up there. (And for reference, I used this chart since I was unable to get in for a proper fitting for this particular set.)

I plan on bringing both sets out at the same time and hitting a shot from each set from the same lie. I can't promise, but I'd love to figure out how to overlay those videos so you can see just how much higher my i210s fly, because when I say the D7s are lower, I don't mean a couple of feet. They are yards lower.

Dang, that is quite a selection of shafts they offer!  Your tester reviews, combined with the #1 "most wanted" ranking by our MGS Hit Squad, may very well drive me to Club Champion for my full bag fitting (they carry Wilson).

To all the testers - what are your initial impressions of the "power slots"?  Aesthetically they aren't a plus for me... but if they are a big part of the "what makes em work" recipe, I can live with them.

[Thin2win]

13 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

To all the testers - what are your initial impressions of the "power slots"?  Aesthetically they aren't a plus for me... but if they are a big part of the "what makes em work" recipe, I can live with them.

I can't say that I really have an opinion. They make the sole of the club look busy, if the club performed the same without them, I wouldn't add them. 

But, without able to hit a version of the club(not counting the gap wedge) with them and without them I can't tell you of they are marketing magic or true engineering ingenuity. And even then, it might take a launch monitor to show the difference. 

But as a package, I have no issue with them. They don't show at address, they don't make the sound /feel bad.  I'm willing to accept them as they are. 

[fixyurdivot]

2 minutes ago, Thin2win said:

I can't say that I really have an opinion. They make the sole of the club look busy, if the club performed the same without them, I wouldn't add them. 

But, without able to hit a version of the club(not counting the gap wedge) with them and without them I can't tell you of they are marketing magic or true engineering ingenuity. And even then, it might take a launch monitor to show the difference. 

But as a package, I have no issue with them. They don't show at address, they don't make the sound /feel bad.  I'm willing to accept them as they are. 

Watching their YT videos with their principal design/market folks, they are more engineering than cosmetic.  That sort of makes sense - just another way to introduce magic goo into the clubface COR dynamics. They just make the bottom of club look busy when in the bag.

Going back to the Recoils, the chart @greggarnershared shows these as an upgrade?  Did they offer them as stock for the 7 set irons and only charge the upgrade if more than 7 irons... kind of confusing.  Thanks.

[MattF]

38 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

To all the testers - what are your initial impressions of the "power slots"?  Aesthetically they aren't a plus for me... but if they are a big part of the "what makes em work" recipe, I can live with them.

What @Thin2win said, verbatim.

[GregGarner]

45 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

They just make the bottom of club look busy when in the bag.

When walking with a push cart, it definitely doesn't inspire a lot of confidence to look down at all those power holes while traipsing to your next shot. Additionally, they are just ever-so-slightly recessed and do, unfortunately, collect a bit of dirt. Overall, my initial impression on the power holes specifically is pretty negative, but I fully admit it's vanity/ego on my part. In the bag, I think they look like GI clubs, but as others have noted, the designers have worked hard to hide the GI aspects at address, which I appreciate.

We'll see if I'm able to shelve my ego and just go on performance

[fixyurdivot]

1 minute ago, greggarner said:

Additionally, they are just ever-so-slightly recessed and do, unfortunately, collect a bit of dirt.

One of the guys in Yuma has the D7's and that is what we noted as well.  I am one of those guys who keeps a wet towel on the bag and often wipes off my clubs after the shot... these might require two wet towels .  He likes them but was coming from a really old set of McGregor's he purchased at a garage sale, so the reference point is a wee bit weak.  I would have given them a try but someone put the heads on backwards.

[Thin2win]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

Going back to the Recoils, the chart @greggarnershared shows these as an upgrade?  Did they offer them as stock for the 7 set irons and only charge the upgrade if more than 7 irons... kind of confusing.  Thanks.

yes, free for 7 irons,  ~$450 for 8 irons

[Thin2win]

41 minutes ago, greggarner said:

I think they look like GI clubs, but as others have noted, the designers have worked hard to hide the GI aspects at address, which I appreciate.

I'd agree with this, the rest of the club looks very clean and I'd even say classic with the chrome finish. The power holes don't help the look of a players club where technology is normally hidden. And do give them the look of a GI club. That said, I play a Ping driver and turbulators are a much more "in-your-face" technology and I don't mind them. 

They do have that small indention, and do collect dirt, if they could have gotten that transition smoother, that would have been better. But from the performance perspective, I would say the package that Wilson has put together, is very good. 

[fixyurdivot]

27 minutes ago, Thin2win said:

yes, free for 7 irons,  ~$450 for 8 irons

Looking for the head scratch emoji.

[chisag]

1 hour ago, greggarner said:

When walking with a push cart, it definitely doesn't inspire a lot of confidence to look down at all those power holes while traipsing to your next shot. Additionally, they are just ever-so-slightly recessed and do, unfortunately, collect a bit of dirt. Overall, my initial impression on the power holes specifically is pretty negative, but I fully admit it's vanity/ego on my part. In the bag, I think they look like GI clubs, but as others have noted, the designers have worked hard to hide the GI aspects at address, which I appreciate.

We'll see if I'm able to shelve my ego and just go on performance

 

... I don't think it is ego as much as an annoyance. With so many really good irons out there right now, I get Wilson might need to do something to separate themselves from others. Having a bunch of unseemly slots that also gather dirt is just a deal breaker for me and I imagine quite a few others. That said, it will be interesting if the performance over rides the distraction. I am a Wilson fan so I hope that is the case. 

[HardcoreLooper]

5 hours ago, greggarner said:

the D7s are a touch long and strong (and based on the spin I'm getting, they're definitely getting the friction on)

I see what you did there.  These babies definitely do have some back.

[fixyurdivot]

7 hours ago, MattF said:

What @Thin2win said, verbatim.

I'm having second thoughts now .

[fixyurdivot]

5 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... I don't think it is ego as much as an annoyance. With so many really good irons out there right now, I get Wilson might need to do something to separate themselves from others. Having a bunch of unseemly slots that also gather dirt is just a deal breaker for me and I imagine quite a few others. That said, it will be interesting if the performance over rides the distraction. I am a Wilson fan so I hope that is the case. 

Interesting point Sam.  In looking at the cross-section view, the bulk of the magic goo mimics that of many competing mfg's/models.  Further, the area that the "power slots" occupy is very low on the clubface and not where one would want to be striking the ball... on a routine basis anyway. That area is not offering any trampoline effect; certainly not to any significant degree.  So this kind of brings us full circle to the idea that it may indeed be more cosmetic and something Wilson did to "separate themselves from others"....hmmm   

[edingc]

10 hours ago, JohnSmalls said:

I am surprised at how wide the soles are on these irons. It seems to me that Wilson really made a GI club aimed at better players (little offset, forged goodies)

Wilson does a nice job in that department. I never thought the C300s were too big at all.

I did briefly have the regular D7s and they are definitely larger. These forged beauties look like the perfect size.

[JohnSmalls]

4 minutes ago, edingc said:

Wilson does a nice job in that department. I never thought the C300s were too big at all.

I did briefly have the regular D7s and they are definitely larger. These forged beauties look like the perfect size.

I've still got the D7s in the bag, but I think I am on the same line of thought you are with these. If Goldilocks were a set of irons.

[Thin2win]

19 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Interesting point Sam.  In looking at the cross-section view, the bulk of the magic goo mimics that of many competing mfg's/models.  Further, the area that the "power slots" occupy is very low on the clubface and not where one would want to be striking the ball... on a routine basis anyway. That area is not offering any trampoline effect; certainly not to any significant degree.  So this kind of brings us full circle to the idea that it may indeed be more cosmetic and something Wilson did to "separate themselves from others"....hmmm   

Taylormade has done a similar speed slot on a handful of irons going back almost a decade, I'm inclined to believe there is a real reason that manufacturers keep going back to it. If it is feel, or performance or both, there has to be a reason. 

[HardcoreLooper]

10 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Probably too early to know but do you suspect that (lower ball flight) more the lofts/CG or shafts?

I know you asked @greggarner and not me, but for me, my higher ball flight is most likely due to the shafts.  My fitter put the NS105 that I have in my F8s into the D7, and it performed almost identically to my F8.  Similar distance, similar height, similar dispersion.  The Recoils gave me more height and better dispersion with nearly the same distance in the fitting.  

[chisag]

3 minutes ago, Thin2win said:

Taylormade has done a similar speed slot on a handful of irons going back almost a decade, I'm inclined to believe there is a real reason that manufacturers keep going back to it. If it is feel, or performance or both, there has to be a reason. 

 

... We are not talking about one speed slot line that is also flush with the sole like the P790's or new P770's. They have proven to help shots hit low on the face. We are talking about 3 separate and individual slots across the front instead of one and 2 more additional slots behind those. Now there might be a technical reason for 3 instead of one and if they really work who cares what the sole looks like, although getting dirt in them is hard to over look. It just seems like a move to separate themselves on the shelf, which is a real problems that OEM's, especially the smaller piece of the pie guys have to fight for.