In For Review! - Wilson Ci11 Irons

[Tony Covey MGS]

Ci11 IRONS

 

Wilson Says: The new sleek, black PVD Ci11 delivers maximum playability for the aspirational golfer and the power and forgiveness for those wanting additional technology. Its optimal headsize and shape continues the award-winning tradition while maintaining a thin topline and moderately progressive offset, perfect for that crossover player.

 

These arrived a few weeks ago, and I've basically been dragging my feet on putting up pictures. The review should actually post sometime during the first week of April.

 

Some notes on the irons:

• The black PVD finish looks sharp, and while it will wear over time, I suspect the irons will age gracefully.
• Wilson claims a thin topline. I'd be more inclined to call it mid-sized.
• Feel is pretty good, but the bar was set pretty high by the FG Tour V2
• Stock shaft (TrueTemper Flighted) is one of the higher launching shafts in Wilson's lineup. It's a mid-weight shaft that proved a good fit for some of our testers, but launches too high and spins too much for me.
• The stock set is 4-PW. While it's probably fine for shorter hitters, guys who hit average to above average distances are going to want (NEED) the gap wedge.
• Slotted in the Wilson lineup between the FG Tour and the Di11s, with the offset and thicker topline, my take is that it's a transitional iron that leans towards the GI side.

 

 

[GolfSpy WD]

They do look really nice. Who knows, maybe Wilson will become the new Adams as choice alternative to the big names? (despite that Wilson is a LOT bigger company)

 

Any super models approach you to play golf with you yet after bagging these?

[Matt Saternus]

Those are some fine looking clubs. I like the black on black. I'll be curious to see what you find out about how they age.

[ninjacobra]

wow they look fricking nice. jst dont like the white wilson font, but nthg some paintfill cant fix

[Addicted2Golf]

Note to the OEM's. Stop with the black color scheme for irons. Enough already. Anybody who has owned a set knows they age badly and irons are the clubs that tend to stay in the bag the longest. These are meant to be tools - not safe queens.

[Tony Covey MGS]

Note to the OEM's. Stop with the black color scheme for irons. Enough already. Anybody who has owned a set knows they age badly and irons are the clubs that tend to stay in the bag the longest. These are meant to be tools - not safe queens.

 

First...good to see you back here and posting again.

 

As far as black finishes are concerned, I'm inclined to agree, but with the understanding that it's the cosmetics that sell game-improvement clubs (though for what's supposed to be a transitional iron, it's not the route I'd go).

 

The Cobra S3 have a black PVD finish as well. One of our testers ended up bagging those, and the wear patterns don't look fantastic (though Cobra mitigated the ground wear a bit by leaving the sole satin).

 

As a middle-of-the-road alternative Adams uses a dark finish that's somewhere between black and satin. It seems to look better (comparatively) with age. The raw finish (like the MB2) looks great over time, but the rust isn't for everyone, and probably isn't what higher HC players want.

 

For better or worse it sells.

[JMiller]

I love the look of them hate the lofts... can't we just go back to a 47* PW standard and not have egos, hit a 9 iron instead of a PW

[Tony Covey MGS]

I love the look of them hate the lofts... can't we just go back to a 47* PW standard and not have egos, hit a 9 iron instead of a PW

 

While I won't go so far as to say that I'm necessarily in favor of standard lofts for everybody (actually, maybe I am), for a club that's not being billed as Game Improvement, the 44 degree pitching wedge is a little bit obscene.

 

Problem is, distance sells, so you can't blame the OEMs. Unless they all stop doing it, everybody has to in order to compete for the dollars of the geniuses that haven't figured out that 1) distance is inconsequential for irons 2) Even if it's not, you're not really getting any real distance gains since really all we're doing is changing the number on the sole.

 

Interestingly, several OEMs that offer jacked-up lofts talk about how even if it's spec'd out like a traditional 6 iron, ball flight is true to what you'd expect from a 7 iron (higher softer landing), it just goes farther.

 

Wouldn't it be sweet if there were universal standards for loft, length, and flex? Until then, I think maybe i'll put a 46" shaft in my 42 degree pitching wedge, and talk about how much longer my custom irons are.

[JMiller]

While I won't go so far as to say that I'm necessarily in favor of standard lofts for everybody (actually, maybe I am), for a club that's not being billed as Game Improvement, the 44 degree pitching wedge is a little bit obscene.

 

Problem is, distance sells, so you can't blame the OEMs. Unless they all stop doing it, everybody has to in order to compete for the dollars of the geniuses that haven't figured out that 1) distance is inconsequential for irons 2) Even if it's not, you're not really getting any real distance gains since really all we're doing is changing the number on the sole.

 

Interestingly, several OEMs that offer jacked-up lofts talk about how even if it's spec'd out like a traditional 6 iron, ball flight is true to what you'd expect from a 7 iron (higher softer landing), it just goes farther.

 

Wouldn't it be sweet if there were universal standards for loft, length, and flex? Until then, I think maybe i'll put a 46" shaft in my 42 degree pitching wedge, and talk about how much longer my custom irons are.

 

Yea that is why I was making the silly comment that I know and you obviously know that distance means nothing in irons accuracy does, it was more a joke then anything for the people that know better reading this forum.

 

I don't blame the OEMs for selling to the typical male ego to hit it longer at all heck I think it is a great tool. You really have to sell them to compete otherwise only one company would get all the business for that type of club.

 

As for the launch angle and ball flight of jacked up lofts this could be true based on a couple things

--> low center of gravity compared to a traditional club, slightly higher moi then a traditional club, assuming there is not a swing flaw in the player using the club.

--> the player adds loft 'helping' the ball in the air instead of lagging the head and hitting down on the ball delofting the club where the 44* effective loft at impact is 45-47* depending.

--> the player picks the ball off the turf again not lagging the club behind hitting down on the ball delofting the head where the 44* effective loft is 44*.

--> You stick the 45*, 44* PW in the hands of a 'player' it would go as long as a 43* 9iron both get delofted to around 41* at impact.

 

LOL, good luck hitting the 46" 42* PW straight and achieving proper swing weight with the traditional weight of a PW head. Would be hilarious to watch someone try to swing that however.

[ninjacobra]

never considered how the look w age. now i thk abt it im kinda happy w my satin or the matt gray on my pings they look fresh tho theyre couple years old,

 

i thoughtthese are mid capper irons? wld they really put in a

 

44deg Pw? that wld really turn them off. these look lk sensible clubs thinnish topline n sole. whts the target market for these irons?

[GolfSpy WD]

LOL, good luck hitting the 46" 42* PW straight and achieving proper swing weight with the traditional weight of a PW head. Would be hilarious to watch someone try to swing that however.

 

Watch Feherty's interview of Bill Russel if you want to see a 46" PW . On Bill, it looks normal, on Feherty, not so much...

[Addicted2Golf]

While I won't go so far as to say that I'm necessarily in favor of standard lofts for everybody (actually, maybe I am), for a club that's not being billed as Game Improvement, the 44 degree pitching wedge is a little bit obscene.

 

Problem is, distance sells, so you can't blame the OEMs. Unless they all stop doing it, everybody has to in order to compete for the dollars of the geniuses that haven't figured out that 1) distance is inconsequential for irons 2) Even if it's not, you're not really getting any real distance gains since really all we're doing is changing the number on the sole.

 

Interestingly, several OEMs that offer jacked-up lofts talk about how even if it's spec'd out like a traditional 6 iron, ball flight is true to what you'd expect from a 7 iron (higher softer landing), it just goes farther.

 

Wouldn't it be sweet if there were universal standards for loft, length, and flex? Until then, I think maybe i'll put a 46" shaft in my 42 degree pitching wedge, and talk about how much longer my custom irons are.

 

Thanks for the welcome T. I do appreciate it.

 

I have another theory on the whole loft trend. I think it's a conspiracy by the manufacturers to cross sell clubs in other categories.

 

For instance, I think a fair number of consumers still purchase sets with 4 irons and end up not being able to hit them because of the reduced lofts. So they put the long iron(s) in the closet and go out and spend more $$$ on hybrids to augment their set, driving up sales in that category.

 

Also, the huge gap between the 44* pitching wedges and most sand wedges dictate a gap wedge, which really was less of a need when PW lofts were 47* or even 46*. That adds another club to a standard set, which drives up the price. Or it requires the purchase of a separate gap wedge.

 

Now, pardon me while I go make my tin foil hat...

[JMiller]

Watch Feherty's interview of Bill Russel if you want to see a 46" PW . On Bill, it looks normal, on Feherty, not so much...

 

I can see it maybe working from someone that is 7' or taller, but lets see the person that is 5' 10" try it heck majority of people can't hit a driver straight at 45" let alone a PW at 46"

[The Artful Duffer]

Are you guys going to get a chance to review the Wilson 888 Series putters as well? Look a lot better than their Harmonized line but still at a very reasonable $99

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Demo'd these along with the FG V2's -- crushed the 6 iron a good 10-15 yards further than the V2 and even though I know better, I started grinning, thinking I'd turned back the clock about 20 yrs. The feeling was nice while it lasted...

 

Despite the loft, I liked these quite a bit - felt nice, liked the ball flight. And dead sexy!

[GolfSpy_X]

You mean you crushed the 5 iron the same distance as the V2 5 iron

Demo'd these along with the FG V2's -- crushed the 6 iron a good 10-15 yards further than the V2 and even though I know better, I started grinning, thinking I'd turned back the clock about 20 yrs. The feeling was nice while it lasted...

 

Despite the loft, I liked these quite a bit - felt nice, liked the ball flight. And dead sexy!

[JMiller]

Demo'd these along with the FG V2's -- crushed the 6 iron a good 10-15 yards further than the V2 and even though I know better, I started grinning, thinking I'd turned back the clock about 20 yrs. The feeling was nice while it lasted...

 

Despite the loft, I liked these quite a bit - felt nice, liked the ball flight. And dead sexy!

 

FG V2 6 iron ~ 31.0* loft, 37.75" length (traditional loft, longer then traditional shaft 1/4" over to 39.00" 3 iron, 1/2" over to builder standard at 38.75" 3 iron)

Ci11 6 iron ~ 29.0* left, 38.00" length (2* strong loft, longer then traditional shaft 1/2" over to 39.00" 3 iron, 3/4" over to builder standard at 38.75" 3 iron)

 

I would say at 3/4" over builder standard and the 2* if hit on sweet spot would translate to 10-15 yards easily, can you still hit them to less than 30 feet of the pin that's what is more important then anything. The closer the better, obviously gives better opportunities.

 

The Ci11 is closer to the 5iron loft of the FG v2 then anything as MGS just said

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

You mean you crushed the 5 iron the same distance as the V2 5 iron

 

Bingo!

 

Still and all - they seemed liked pretty nice sticks, especially in the GI category. That and the price made them very tempting. Rockbottomgolf.com had them listed for less than $500...

[Tony Covey MGS]

I'm working on the review right now, which means I'm spending a lot of time eyeballing the irons. After a closer inspection, and some thinking about it, I'm less convinced the Ci11s will age gracefully. There is PVD in places that I just don't think it was wise to put it (topline, back cavity).

 

Point is, bag chatter *might* leave these things looking much the worse for wear.

[bandwagon]

I really like the looks of these. The black finish kind of has a piano black look to them. While I don't think they will wear well over time, I think out of the box they are sleek looking.

[Tony Covey MGS]

I really like the looks of these. The black finish kind of has a piano black look to them. While I don't think they will wear well over time, I think out of the box they are sleek looking.

 

Piano black is the perfect way to describe it. The other black is a really flat, matte black. I'm really partial to it, and do wonder what the club would look like if Wilson had done the entire iron in that finish instead.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I'm working on the review right now, which means I'm spending a lot of time eyeballing the irons. After a closer inspection, and some thinking about it, I'm less convinced the Ci11s will age gracefully. There is PVD in places that I just don't think it was wise to put it (topline, back cavity).

 

Point is, bag chatter *might* leave these things looking much the worse for wear.

 

I have the Tw9 wedges in black -- it's not "piano-black" though. I kinda like they way they've aged -- looks like the have a few battle scars, but it's a different finish than what's on these.

[JohnBarry]

Love them look of them, and hope and pray Wilson take's over Adam's niche!