PREVIEW: Wilson Staff C300 Irons

What makes a golf club look "good" to you? Do you prefer a thin topline, or something a little meatier? Do you prefer irons that are pure chrome, or do you like a splash of color on the clubhead? Whatever your preference, the new Wilson Staff C300 irons hit to multiple fields in terms of look, tech, and hopefully playability.

What's New in the Wilson Staff C300?

I'm frustrated with new golf equipment. I'll admit it.

The disturbing trend of jacked-up lofts and an over-focus on distance gains has hurt the playability and look of products from many of my favorite brands. Giving the majority of golfers what they want (distance) is different than what they need (accuracy) whether they admit it or not.

Hitting a 7-iron into a green from 180 yards means nothing if you can't hit a damn fairway first.

The new Wilson Staff C300 irons address this concern head-on by offering a product that gives as much weight to accuracy as it does distance.

As their tagline suggests, the C300's want to give you absolute power coupled with absolute playability. One way they hope to accomplish that is by way of something Wilson is calling "Power Holes."

Power Whats?

That's right: Power Holes.

Urethane-filled through holes strategically positioned around the face of the C300 series clubs, which minimize contact between the body and face while providing maximum flex and an expanded sweet spot.

These little suckers provide higher ball speeds across the face, which provides consistent distance output no matter how crappy a golfer you are. That's outstanding!

In addition, the double-layer of Power Holes across the sole and positioned on the club's toe and topline gives the C300 a massive sweet spot with evenly-distributed weight to help you hit the ball longer and straighter.

That sounds great! What's the catch?

You'll need to relearn your distances, bucko.

Straighter shots are often longer shots, and the C300's also jack their lofts up just a bit. The PW, for example, features 44-degrees of loft that is borderline 9-iron territory. That's a full three degrees stronger than my current PW, and only two degrees weaker than my current 9-iron.

Is that such a bad thing? No, I guess not... just as long as my clubs don't look like game improvement clubs.

Wilson thought of that too!

The C300 is an upgrade from last year's C200 series, which looked every bit like a game improvement iron.

While not over-the-top, the C200 irons features red, black, and silver coloring on the clubhead. I'm a big fan of traditional golf club designs: clean lines, minimal offset, and certainly no crazy distracting colors.

The C300 irons are a step in the right direction. All you see is a chrome finish with black lettering, punctuated by Wilson's awesome shield logo. Even with the addition of Power Holes, these irons look like a better player's clubs. This is especially apparent in the C300 Forged series, which are absolutely gorgeous.

We golfers are a fickle bunch, so anything that a company can do to make us feel special and better players than we are is a good move.

The Wilson Staff C300 irons are available in steel ($799) and graphite ($899) and can be pre-ordered here: http://www.wilson.com/en-us/golf/irons/crossover/staff-c300-irons-steel