Your Brand Opinion: Wilson

[GolfSpy_APH]

Your Brand Opinion: Wilson Golf – The Underdog or The Hidden Gem?

When you hear the name Wilson, what comes to mind? ‍ For some, it’s a legacy brand with roots that stretch deep into golf history. For others, it’s a company fighting for relevance in a competitive market dominated by big-name players. But one thing is clear: Wilson is still here, and it’s making waves.

With a product line that spans everything from players’ irons like the Staff Model Blades to innovative DYNAPWR clubs, Wilson seems intent on proving it belongs in every golfer’s bag. But how do they stack up against the competition? Are they delivering underrated performance, or are they too often overshadowed by marketing giants?

Let’s hear your take!

Key Questions to Drive Discussion:

• What’s your impression of Wilson Golf’s current lineup? Have you gamed their gear?
• Do you think Wilson’s rich history is helping or hurting them in today’s golf market?
• What are your thoughts on their marketing efforts? Are they connecting with modern golfers?
• What would Wilson need to do to climb into your “must-try” list?

Whether you’ve hit a home run with a Wilson club or think they’re falling short, we want your opinion! Share your experiences, your critiques, and your thoughts on whether Wilson deserves a closer look in today’s golf scene.

[Mike Cochran]

Trying the dynapower forged. Excellent forged feeling.  Still a little thick on shape. Turf interaction good except on very tight turf. Overall, very good Club. Still own,  but cannot beat my Srixon MKII 5's.  

[RanMan]

Great stuff, golf balls do it all. Quality is there.

[Mac attack]

Great brand that doesn’t spend millions on advertising, which helps keep the retail prices down a little bit.

[Steve o]

I’ve played Wilson on and off since 1980. First set was a Sam Snead box set. If you’re around for a long time you’ll make some mistakes. They have. Based on right now, history, good or bad the current iron line is very nice, wedges are strong and balls are very playable for a variety of players. The driver and fairways/hybrid have been ehh. The pictures of the new DP Driver I’ve seen get me very excited. Additionally I see big things happening in other categories. Tennis, Baseball, Football and apparel. If Golf gets that type of love in the building then it will be the re-start of an iconic brand. 

[Max Thompson]

For me if I had tried them early on, I would have given them a chance. I don't feel there is enough of a brand push to be exciting and current. I haven't seen anything to make them stand out

[NJ Teacher]

Wilson's position in the Golf industry is a bit unusual in my opinion. Few brands have a more illustrious history dating back into over 70 years with tons of majors to their credit, but somewhere along the way they lost their mojo. The product category that has always stood out for them is their players irons in my opinion. Over the past 10 years the brand has had a strong resurgence with their woods and I am actually gaming their Wilson Dynapower Carbon Driver that I absolutely love. Oddly enough, it almost seems like the brand gets more traction in Europe than in the US. A lot of US retailers don't even stock their products. I believe their biggest problem has been how their products are marketed and not how good their products are. This may be the reason why their products are always priced considerably less than the other brands. If they ever found a way to sign the big name players it would probably help the brand gain some credibility in the market. The list of tour players gaming their products is very short compared to the other brands and, unfortunately, consumers look at that stuff.

[Kirk Schmidt]

I have a wilson dynapower 3 hybrid that is my go to club. It feels fantastic. Highly recommend.

[GolferRick118]

I'm in my late 70s. I played my best golf with 1960 Fluid feel Wilson Staff hand me down irons. Currently I game D7 irons, would like the D9 forged. The brand is good! I got fit at Club Champion for the D7s, as I hit them better than the others. I have good Fujikura shafts in them.

 

[Cfhandyman]

Wilson, a very large underdog that has hidden gems. Many many years ago Wilson was one of the best and then lost their way/fell off the face of the map.  One of my very first set of irons were Wilson. Several years, they started making a concerted effort to achieve relevance again without a large marketing push. Their Wilson Staff irons both look good and perform well. Similarly their Wilson staff golf ball is also good.  They are making strides every year.  Just check out most wanted testing. Will they get there with the big boys. Probably, not, but you at the very least have to consider them and try them. 

[MidHandiPat]

Recently purchased a used dynapower 5W and it’s already one of my favorite clubs in the bag. Feels hot off the face, easy to launch, and sounds great. Great option for the price point. 

[pgaejw]

Wilson over the past couple of decades has become a “me too” company.  They are an imitator, not an innovator.  The old big 3… Wilson, MacGregor and Spaulding are either gone or in Wilson’s case irrelevant in todays golf industry. 

[Mike2020]

Very surprised at how high the quality is. When I was purchasing irons this past spring the staffs blew away everything else, and, performance metric wise , (distance, spin, launch angle etc.), were the equal of the ping blueprint S set. I only went with the pings because of the hydrapearl finish; but it was really the only thing distinguishing the clubs, besides price, (where Wilson wins).

A golf season later, I'd probably make the same choice, but I don't think I'd be upset if I chose the Wilsons instead; they're that good. I think they're definitely worth a test drive if you're looking for new sticks. 

Edited November 20 by Mike2020
Correct spelling error

[JoshsGolfQuest]

2 minutes ago, pgaejw said:

Wilson over the past couple of decades has become a “me too” company.  They are an imitator, not an innovator.  The old big 3… Wilson, MacGregor and Spaulding are either gone or in Wilson’s case irrelevant in todays golf industry. 

Just got some MacGregor irons shipped to the house, but I can't speak to how they play until Dec 26 .... gotta keep them under the tree (even at the age of 40).

[pgaejw]

4 minutes ago, Cfhandyman said:

Wilson, a very large underdog that has hidden gems. Many many years ago Wilson was one of the best and then lost their way/fell off the face of the map.  One of my very first set of irons were Wilson. Several years, they started making a concerted effort to achieve relevance again without a large marketing push. Their Wilson Staff irons both look good and perform well. Similarly their Wilson staff golf ball is also good.  They are making strides every year.  Just check out most wanted testing. Will they get there with the big boys. Probably, not, but you at the very least have to consider them and try them. 

 

6 minutes ago, Cfhandyman said:

Wilson, a very large underdog that has hidden gems. Many many years ago Wilson was one of the best and then lost their way/fell off the face of the map.  One of my very first set of irons were Wilson. Several years, they started making a concerted effort to achieve relevance again without a large marketing push. Their Wilson Staff irons both look good and perform well. Similarly their Wilson staff golf ball is also good.  They are making strides every year.  Just check out most wanted testing. Will they get there with the big boys. Probably, not, but you at the very least have to consider them and try them. 

Tour Edge produces better engineered more innovative products than does Wilson. They will always be an afterthought in golf. 

[IplayD7]

I've played Wilson irons for years now and have found them to work well for me. I have found them also to be very reasonably priced for the quality of the club. My latest fitting had me shift from graphite shafts to the lighweight steel shafts and my distance became more consistant while my dispersion became tighter. At one point this summer I dropped to a 14 handicap. I am 70, and playing from the white tees. The ower of the golf store where I shop games Wilsons as does his main instructor and they both have access to multiple club brands at a reasonable price so that tells you something. I have not had the same luck with Wilson drivers or fairway woods, they seem to play OK but nothing to write home about. The new drivers this year look interesting but the cost is now at about the same as most of the other major players so they would have to wow me with distance and dispersion to get my attention. Wilson staff balls are also excellent, but once again the price increase this year put them at the same level as a Pro-V, a touch pricey. Might as well buy the Pro-V. Wilson it trying to get out of the box stores and into golf  and pro shops, removing themselves from the "inexpensive/lower quality" image and I think that's probably a good idea. For me, the irons are the best bang for the buck and they have treated me well in warranty work. I'll keep buying them as long as the quality and price are competative.

[dhosford11]

I game Ping irons, driver and hybrid, but Wilson Fairway wood. I think the brand is pretty great, but just doesn’t get the respect as of yet. I think that if they make a big splash with their upcoming clubs, they could really rejoin the conversation with the bigger brands.

I think Wilson’s history almost hurts them because they are viewed as in my opinion just a general sporting goods company

I don’t really recognize Wilson’s marketing efforts within the Golf community. The only reason I have an understanding of Wilson’s products is because of the review sites like mygolfspy.

Wilson needs to gain the respect of players on tour to make the leap. At the end of the day, no matter what reviews a club or ball may get, if most of us don’t see it being played on Sunday we don’t want to buy it on Monday. I don’t know if they have the ability to climb that hill, but maybe if PXG can do it, Wilson can do it.

[Appleking88]

I bought a dynapower driver this fall.  I'm looking forward to seeing how I'll progress when it gets to spring. I'm really enjoying the feel so far. 

[wely324]

The new drivers look sweet, definitely a brand image thing that hurts them as their clubs, irons especially are solid choices compared to what’s out there.

[DPMGolfer]

Wilson has one of the best pedigrees in golf; back in the day Wilson Staff and MacGregor Tourney products dominated the golf scene.  Some of the biggest names in golf played Wilson, think of Snead, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo, Payne Stewart, John Daly, and Ben Crenshaw.  I caddied for Patty Berg, who was a long time Wilson ambassador and as a young caddie in the 70s, I saw a lot of golf bags and Wilson was right up there.  It's a bit sad to see that both names are not much more than a footnote in today's market.

For Wilson today, I think of Kevin Streelman and Pádraig Harrington but I'm sure there are many others.  I can't say I have tried any of the newer Wilson products but I'm sure they are pretty good otherwise you wouldn't see any touring pros playing them.  Now that I think of it, I still have a set of Wilson irons...they are hickory shafted from the 1920s!

[sodapopwilson]

i am biased for obvious reasons. i learned how to play on a set of hand-me-down 1970s vintage wilson clubs (with woods that were made of wood.) i now play with dynapower woods and irons aling with staff model wedges and an infinity putter. i am just a recreational golfer, but i do not detect any difference in performance between my clubs and other name brands that my friends use. the only difference is that i am not paying as dearly for my clubs.

wilson's prestige may have slipped with the rise of callaway, taylormade, etc in the 1990s. but it seems to me that wilson is making a strong comeback. their lineup of clubs is well-regarded, as are their lineup of balls. 

when it comes to tennis rackets, basketballs, footballs and baseball gloves, wilson is clearly the top quality brand. perhaps they will some day reclaim that mantle in golf. 

[Walt Butchko]

The Wilson Triad is my go-to golf ball. The quality and price can't be beat. I get the distance, spin and feel I'm looking for. Just wish it came in neon orange or yellow so I can track it.

[rangergolfco]

This is a no brainer. They make some of the best irons in the game right now. Plus their golf balls, drivers, and wedges are wildly underrated. Putters are milled and high end, however brand snobbery will have people look at competitors first. 

Dynapower forged - excellent for players distance

Wilson Staff CB’s are incredible, super soft, and not to mention gorgeous on bag appeal.

Wilson Staff MB’s- Always look good, for me this year they just look even better. (Need to offer MB/CB combo set)

Dynapower Carbon Driver- extremely impressive on performance, 2025 speculation looks even better for the Dynapower. 
 

Overall Wilson is a brand that cannot be slept on, they are quickly rising to notoriety in fittings and with the quality of what they are putting out I see them being much more common place in peoples bags over the next few years.  

[ColdOkieGolf]

I'll preface by saying I don't have a single Wilson club in my bag...

However, I absolutely adore Wilson golf.  They have a rich history as a top brand, and I have fond memories playing various Staff blades over the years, leading into their time with John Daly rocking the Ultra 45s and the Killer Whale driver.   I remember being obsessed with that set-up as a kid.

Fast forward to now:   The new drivers set for 2025 look fantastic, updated adjustable fairway woods, killer forged blades and CBs -  you could very well have an entire Wilson bag!

I appreciate that they are slightly an underdog.  I also appreciate that they seem to actually engage and interact on social media (looking at you Ping).
 

[Ben_Davis]

I haven’t tried the new lineup. Based on aesthetics only, the iron line up is attractive. I can’t say the same for the driver/metalwoods. To me, they look cheap and a bit lazy when it comes to design.  This would factor in to my purchase.
 

I do currently game a D7 hybrid, which is my favorite club in the bag. The D7 and D9 lineup looked more comparable to the big brands.  I’m interested in trying the new lineup based on my love for that hybrid. 
 

I understand that Wilson keeps their prices down by not overloading on marketing, but there’s a reason Taylormade and Callaway are the dominant brands. Wilson golf just seems antiquated and cheap. I think a serious modern look would attract younger golfers. 

[RTGOLF]

Currently gaming 3&4 dynapwr hybrids and they are super solid. The launch monitor stats were just behind the Ping G430…but they were half the price! I also hit the Dynapwr 3 wood it was incredibly long. The Dynapwr line was so good they have run the same clubs for two years…if it ain’t broke….and who didn’t want a set of wilson staff irons in the early 80’s? They also have made that classic blade putter the 8802 that companies are still copying that shape today.  Wilson is a legend in the golf world and I’m sure will always be there. 

[DAKDAK]

I have always thought that Wilson was underrated. I have one of their Launch Pad Drivers (LP2) that goes in the bag when I'm playing a very tight course as it might be the most accurate driver ever. I find it to be 10-15 yards shorter than my other drivers and as I am getting on in years, I need every yard I can get. I think that their golf balls are as good as anyone else's. They always made great forged irons although I haven't played any of their latest designs.

[Hoyoymac]

The golf component of Wilson Sporting Goods has a rich history but has struggled to distinguish itself in recent times despite making a number of quality products in the golf ball, irons, putter and woods categories.

As a company I would guess that Wilson must derive most of their revenue from other sports than golf.  They are big in Football, Basketball, Tennis and now pickle ball.

Does golf get lost in the shuffle?

They are strongly tied into sporting goods stores in the U.S. because of those other sports.  But their golf presence in those same stores has been somewhat limited.

Perhaps because of their long history and strength in the other sports they seem to have a higher awareness, better distribution of golf products and held in higher regard in the U.K. and Europe.

As far as golf goes I am very curious about their new AI fit process.  

Their irons are beautiful, their putters are extremely good, and their golf balls are pretty good too.  Have not had the chance to see, let alone try, most of their other newer metal wood products due to poor availability locally.

They kind of remind me of Srixon.

I wonder what the company would do if golf was it’s only business.

They are a company that I root for out of nostalgia and wish them the best.

 

 

[Cyclereport_Nate]

I think Wilson is a very underrated and overlooked brand in the market, and have some great offerings in most of the main categories.

They don't have the R&D budget of the bigger brands so I can imagine they don't have the ability to play the arms race with their drivers, woods, hybrids and even some more tech-laden irons. 

BUT

Wilson needs zero help making great forged irons and wedges with great feel, precision and quality.

I have heard good things about the dynapower driver recently, but it always comes with a "for the price" tag. The recent irons however, need no such moniker - they're just flat out great. It's good that wilson offers a full assortment of clubs (you can fill your whole bag) but I think they could/should lean more into this. It's kind of how Cleveland makes a whole array of clubs but we mostly just associate them with wedges and/or Mizuno Irons dominate their story even though the DO make a full array of club types. 

I don't think there's anything wrong with really leaning into one main area of the bag and owning it. There will always be some people who just NEED the entire bag in one brand and wouldn't be best served with Wilson in that respect, but that kind of buyer isn't buying wilson anyways. 

I absolutely considered their Staff Blades and Staff CB for a combo set when I was shopping my most recent set (I ended up with a Blend set of Cobra MB/CB this year instead) and am going to look at their wedges next time I am due to replace them too. 

Tl,DR, i'm rooting for Wilson - I think they could really re-write their 'story' or 'narrative' in the golf space and become a brand more people think of sooner.

[jeepjrn]

The Wilson name goes back 60 years in my memory. First thing that comes to mind for me is tennis rackets with the big red ‘W’ painted on the strings. I didn’t game any Wilson golf products in my 60 years of golfing except for a 60* Wilson Staff wedge that I gamed for many years. To answer your questions more specifically, my current impression from pictures online is that they’re producing some good looking high quality golf products. I’m neutral on their history as having an effect on their marketing as most younger golfers would really not know much about their golf history unless they were big fans of Padraig Harrington. Since I’m well into my senior years it’s hard to know if they are connecting with modern golfers, but I can say they’re not connecting with me nor anyone I golf with which are quite of few. I doubt much they could do to connect with me, I still have a vision of Wilson products as too diversified into many sports, like a “jack of all trades, master of none”.  I still think of  them in lower tier discount stores and on tennis courts not golf courses.