Wilson Staff Model CB 2021 Iron Review

The Wilson Staff Model CB 2021 is a traditional players’ iron designed for great ball strikers and golfers who demand ultimate feel.

Wilson have a heck of a track record when it comes to forged irons, with legends like Palmer, Hogan, Snead, Langer, Singh, Crenshaw, Daly, Stewart and Harrington all using them to win major championships.

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Yet speak to decent club players – the sort who are happy to drop £1,000 on the best forged irons – and many will say Wilson just hasn’t been on their radar over the last 20 years. Very recently, though, Wilson has started to rediscover its forged iron mojo.

When Wilson staffer Gary Woodland won the 2019 US Open using a set of the beautiful Staff Model musclebacks, it put them firmly back in the picture, and sales took off.

So with the brand back on forged iron form, now is the perfect time to introduce a new forged cavity back to compliment the growing reputation of the company’s blades.

The new Staff Model CB has been designed specifically to sit perfectly alongside the Staff Model muscleback.      

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What you need to know about the Wilson Staff Model CB iron

Tri-Brace stabiliser

Feel and sound are absolutely everything when it comes to true players’ irons. Wilson say a bar, which connects the CB’s topline to the sole and heel, not only maximises energy transfer but also drops impact sound (in terms of decibels) lower than Wilson’s most played tour iron, the FG Tour V6.   

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Forged and tungsten fuelled

The Staff Model CB, like its older blade brother (the Staff Model Blade), is forged from 8620 carbon steel to ensure excellent feel and feedback. Every face and groove is CNC milled to ensure precision, but unlike the blade there’s also 20g of tungsten toe weighting in the long and mid irons.

Wilson say it lowers the centre of gravity (increasing playability a fraction) and improves stability. 

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Verdict: Wilson Staff Model CB iron

Wilson have a long history when it comes to forged irons and the brand has had a real resurgence among ‘players’ over the last few years. If you truly are a consistent ball striker who doesn’t need to keep an eye on distance, Wilson should be factored into your buying plans in 2021.

The CBs are a very traditional lofted, tour-level cavity back which, thanks to
the likes of TaylorMade’s P7MCs and Callaway’s Apex TCB, are now the height of fashion. The glossy high-polished plating will split opinion, but there simply isn’t a more traditional iron finish available, and it definitely doesn’t take anything away from the lovely head shape.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking ‘players’ irons launch, spin, peak out and descend shots onto the green at better angles just because they have more loft. Our data (see our 2021 Players’ Iron Test here) shows it’s simply not the case. Designed to deliver a more penetrating, lower trajectory ball flight, the CB was great at protecting ball speed (third best) and carry (fifth), making it a very solid choice for 2021.

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Wilson Staff Model CB iron specs

What Wilson say about the Staff Model CB iron

“Wilson continues to strive to produce the best performing, most respected irons in the world of golf,” Jon Pergande Manager of Wilson Golf Club Innovation told us. “Having listened to feedback from our Tour professionals and worked closely with a number of them, the Staff Model CB irons combine the best of the popular V6 and Staff Model Blade models to create our most advanced forged irons ever.

“Aesthetically pleasing to the eye of the elite player, the Staff Model CB irons feature a new Tri-Brace stabilizer that provides a structural connection between the top line and the central impact mass to transfer more energy to the ball, while also providing improved sound and feel,” he added.

Where does the Staff Model CB sit within Wilson’s iron range?

Other irons in the Wilson line-up

Wilson Staff Model Blade

Forgiveness rating: 1 (Muscleback)   

7-iron loft: 34°

Construction: One piece forged from 8620 carbon steel

A beautiful classic muscleback iron with absolutely zero forgiveness built in. Created in conjunction with, and for the games best ball strikers (only 10% of Tour Pros use muscleback irons).

Brilliant for golfers who put a higher premium on shaping and working shots than forgiveness, we reckon you need to be low single figure or better to get the best out of them. 

Wilson Staff Model CB

Forgiveness rating: 2 (Players’ Iron)

7-iron loft: 34°

Construction: Forged from 8620 carbon steel, with tungsten toe weight 

A true players’ size and shape iron head with just a sniff of forgiveness thanks to a cavity back and 20g of tungsten toe weighting. Expect great feel and feedback. Even though there’s more loft (than the players distance D7 Forged iron) thanks to the Dynamic Gold shaft being heavy you can expect a lower ball flight.

Realistically you’re likley to need to be a sub 6 handicapper to get results with an iron of this calibre.  

Wilson D7 Forged

Forgiveness rating: 3 (Players’ Distance Iron)

7-iron loft: 30.5°

Construction: Forged 8620 carbon steel face with cast body

Combining a forged feel and sound with distance enhancing fast face tech really isn’t easy. The D7 Forged pulls it off though.

A players’ head shape and size work together with Wilson’s urethane filled Power Chamber tech plus stronger lofts to give golfers get a great blend of power, forgiveness and a forged feel.  

Wilson D7

Forgiveness rating: 4 (Game Improver/Mid Handicap Iron)

7-iron loft: 28°

Construction: One piece cast

The D7 is an oversized, lightweight and powerful game improving distance iron.

It’s got a heck of a lot going for it including seriously strong lofts, an extra row of power holes in the soles of the longer irons (to give extra pop where golfers need it most), and the thinnest faces Wilson have ever produced in an iron.

Wilson Launch Pad iron

Forgiveness rating: 5 (Hybrid Iron) 

7-iron loft: 30°

Construction: Cast hollow hybrid head

Designed specifically to make the game more enjoyable. Wilson say the Launch Pad reduce ‘fat shots’ by 73% and increase distance by 10 yards when shots are hit heavy (compared to other game improver irons).

Extra loft and lightweight shafts are perfect for flighting shots at lower swing speeds. 

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Wilson Staff Model CB Iron

RRP: £849

Availability: 4 - PW

Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold

7-iron loft: 34°

Forgiveness rating: 2/5

Visit the Wilson website here