Best Muscleback? Wilson Staff Model Blade 2024 Review
Last updated:
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At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
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Pros
- Feel and impact sensation are sensational.
- For an iron of this quality, the cost is very reasonable.
- Head shapes and profiles don't come any more traditional.
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Cons
- These are amongst the least forgiving irons on the market.
What we say...
The Wilson Staff Model Blade has a traditional muscleback design for great ball strikers and golfers who demand ultimate feel and workability.
Wilson has more heritage than most when it comes to making brilliant forged blades and tour cavity irons. The company started out back in 1917, and legends like Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, and Arnold Palmer have all played versions of the Wilson Staff Model blades since. Wilson irons have been used to win more majors than any other brand. With the current trophy count standing at 62. Impressively at least one major has been bagged in every decade since the company was first founded. Any reveal of a new Wilson Staff Model Blade then is a huge deal to those in the know.
Wilson’s last major victory came at the 2019 US Open. An event played at Pebble Beach Links with Gary Woodland lifting the trophy. Woodland’s win while playing the brand’s previous Staff Model blades has come to mark a serious renaissance for the company. Once again Wilson has become well known for making quality forged irons for serious golfers. Part of this switch at least comes down to the prices of most of the best irons available rising to well over £1K a set. While Wilson models continue to hover around £800, so despite their lofty reputation they represent excellent value for money.
Everything you need to know about the Wilson Staff Model Blade
Designed as a family
Forged iron families are all the rage right now within the arena of the best players’ iron models. Not wanting to be left behind Wilson has taken great care to design the new blade and Wilson Staff Model CB iron to fit together as one seamless family. The idea gives golfers the option of playing either iron individually or creating their very own personal combo set using both models.
Fluid feel with extreme toe weighting
Fluid feel technology has been part of Wilson’s best-forged irons for many decades. The idea removes inefficient mass between the hosel and heel of the iron and redistributes it to the toe. The new Staff Model muscleback area is extremely biased towards the toe which Wilson insists helps the very best ball strikers hold the face square through impact, which will prevent smothered shots left of the target.
With so much weight located in the toe, the center of gravity is also placed more accurately behind the center of the face, so expect an increase in feel and improved sound too.
CNC Milled
Precision and accuracy are absolutely paramount to the best ball strikers and shot-shapers and the best way to manage tolerances when making irons is to precision CNC Mill. The Staff Model blade like the Callaway Apex 24 MB and TaylorMade P7MC has a CNC-milled face and grooves which ensures shot-to-shot consistency.
The muscleback shaping also has a CNC Milled double-step design to free up additional mass. For a more modern look in the play position the face diamonds from the previous model have also been removed.
Muted sound with a softer feel
Feel and sound are paramount to very good players. Even though this version is created from the same 8620 carbon steel as its predecessor Wilson’s research shows thanks to the new shaping impact vibration and sound are deadened by 8 decibels. Essentially delivering golfers a softer more pure feel sensation.
Details: Wilson Staff Model Blade
RRP: $1199.99 / £1,050
Availability: 4 – PW (Custom Order 2 and 3 iron)
Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 115
Stock grip: Golf Pride Z Grip
7-iron loft: 34°
Category: Muscleback blade
Forgiveness rating: 1/5
Verdict: Wilson Staff Model Blade
I sat through an hour’s presentation with Wilson learning about how they reckon they’ve optimized feel in the new 2024 Staff Model blade. They explained how lots of work has been poured into additional toe weighting to hold the blade open and eliminate the smothered left shot (for right-handers) that seriously good golfers hate. As impressive as their dedication to the cause may be my bet is many golfers will barely be able to tell this model apart from the previous generation. Proof if you need it of how hard it is to update muscleback blades without turning off the intended audience.
Just like its predecessor the Staff Model is a great-looking blade, it comes with a high-polished chrome finish that’s as traditional as iron finishes get. Compared to the PXG 0317 ST the Wilson does have a more intimidating look at address, which is down to the topline thickness and sole widths being so wafer thin, but bear in mind Wilson’s staff players have fed directly into this design.
Obviously, there’s an audience out there who like and favor the look just beware, even if you’re looking to combo blade short irons with Wilson’s brilliant new Staff Model CB (Players’ Iron) mid and long irons, I would not describe the model in any way as being confidence-inspiring.
From a standard 34° 7-iron loft in the blade category the Staff Model produced a fraction more ball speed, more launch and shot height than our test averages, it also tied 2nd for carry distance. If your game happens to be good enough to consider employing a set of blades this year the Staff Model is one of my three best-performing blades of 2024.
Data comparison: How does the Wilson Staff Model compare to leading competitor muscleback blades?
| Iron | 7-Iron Loft | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Backspin | Peak Height | Descent Angle | Carry Distance | Carry Distance Drop Off | Shot Area |
| Ping Blueprint T | 33° | 120.7 MPH (1) | 16.6° | 5630 RPM | 30 YDS | 44.1° | 178 YDS (1) | 8 YDS (T3) | 98.4 SQ YDS (3) |
| PXG 0317 ST | 33° | 118.9 MPH | 15.4° | 5619 RPM | 27 YDS | 42° | 174 YDS (T2) | 9 YDS | 184.5 SQ YDS |
| Wilson Staff Model Blade | 34° | 118.7 MPH | 16.9° | 5661 RPM | 30 YDS | 43.9° | 174 YDS (T2) | 14 YDS | 312.2 SQ YDS |
| Sub 70 639 MB | 32° | 119.3 MPH (3) | 14.8° | 5844 RPM | 26 YDS | 41.6° | 174 YDS (T2) | 9 YDS | 235.8 SQ YDS |
| Cobra King MB | 34° | 118.9 MPH | 17.1° | 6225 RPM | 31 YDS | 45° | 172 YDS | 8 YDS (T3) | 224 SQ YDS |
| Mizuno Pro 241 | 34° | 117.3 MPH | 17.6° | 5547 RPM | 30 YDS | 44.3° | 171 YDS | 11 YDS | 218.9 SQ YDS |
| Vega VMB | 31° | 119.5 MPH (2) | 15.3° | 6177 RPM | 28 YDS | 43.4° | 171 YDS | 5 YDS (1) | 50.5 SQ YDS (1) |
| TaylorMade P7MB | 34° | 118.5 MPH | 16.2° | 6490 RPM | 29 YDS | 44.1° | 170 YDS | 12 YDS | 235.2 SQ YDS |
| Callaway Apex 24 MB | 34° | 115.9 MPH | 17° | 6029 RPM | 29 YDS | 43.8° | 167 YDS | 18 YDS | 433.8 SQ YDS |
| Srixon Z-Forged | 33° | 116.7 MPH | 16.5° | 6123 RPM | 28 YDS | 43.6° | 167 YDS | 21 YDS | 588 SQ YDS |
| Titleist 620 MB | 35° | 115.6 MPH | 17.5° | 6362 RPM | 29 YDS | 44.7° | 165 YDS | 13 YDS | 318.5 SQ YDS |
| Takomo 301 MB | 34° | 115.9 MPH | 16.7° | 6637 RPM | 29 YDS | 44.7° | 163 YDS | 7 YDS (2) | 90.3 SQ YDS (2) |
| Average | 118 MPH | 16.5° | 6028.7 RPM | 28.8 YDS | 43.8° | 170.5 YDS | 11.25 YDS | 249.2 SQ YDS |
About the author
Simon Daddow – Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor
Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what Simon doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.
He’s a specialist in all things metal having spent a large part of his career as a golf club maker and product development manager, and has worked in the golf industry for more than 30 years.
He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.
You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.
Product Information
Details: Wilson Staff Model Blade
RRP: $1199.99 / £1,050
Availability: 4 – PW (Custom Order 2 and 3 iron)
Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 115
Stock grip: Golf Pride Z Grip
7-iron loft: 34°
Category: Muscleback blade
Forgiveness rating: 1/5
Visit the Wilson website here
