Wilson Staff Model RB Utility

Wilson’s new driving iron will bridge the gap between your metalwoods and irons

By Tony Dear

Gapping started to become a thing, at least for most retail/mainstream golfers, about a decade ago. With ever-improving analysis of how best to form the make-up of your iron set and wedges, however, it has become a bigger and bigger deal, especially for players with single-digit handicaps who regularly shoot in the 70s.

Those players know their distances and hit them consistently. The distances (in loft, and literally when the ball is in the air) between the collection of wedges in your bag have a significant impact on how precise you can be within 120 yards or so of the green. And of course, gaps between clubs at the other end of your bag have an even greater effect. With improper or ineffective set make-up, the difference between how far you hit the shortest metalwood in your bag and the longest iron can be as much as 50 yards. Faced with an important shot of around 200 yards, you might find yourself in two (or more) minds about which club to hit.

Hybrids have certainly helped bridge the gap between metalwoods and irons for large numbers of golfers, and the emergence of driving/utility irons has added to your options. Driving irons have been around since the early days of golf but have enjoyed a rebirth this century with improved tech that has taken the fear out of hitting an 18˚-24˚-lofted iron from the tee, or even off the fairway.

That’s overstating it, perhaps. An iron with so little loft will always strike fear into the hearts of many. But some golfers just prefer the shape of driving/utility irons to that of hybrids and, though it may sound crazy to a lot of readers, much prefer hitting a modern 18˚ 2-iron to a 3 or 4 Hybrid.

They may still be popular on the LPGA and Champions Tours, but hybrids have become something of a rarity on the PGA Tour. You still see them, certainly, but better players in general will perform better with the driving iron than they will with a hybrid.

All the major OEMs offer them and Wilson has released its latest – the Staff Model RB Utility iron. The Chicago company, founded in 1914, launched its stylist Staff Model Blades in January. The longest iron in the set was the 23˚˚ 4-iron. The equally handsome Staff Model RB Utility iron(s) fill the gap between metalwoods and the 4-iron with style and have the tech you want to give you an option besides choking down on a driver, or taking a little off your 3-wood.

The clubs have a hollow body which allows the C300 stainless steel (a light but very strong maraging steel) face to flex at impact, meaning greater ballspeeds. As you’d expect/hope, the sole of the Utility irons is significantly wider than that of the Staff Model Blades and, though a little bigger, overall the head is similarly compact. The weight in the sole lowers the Center of Gravity (CG) which helps you get the ball in the air, and an internal rib structure helps to improve the sound of impact.

$250
Lofts – 18˚, 21˚, 24˚
Shafts – True Temper HZRDUS Gen 4 Black
Available – July 9th

 

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