Wilson 1200 Irons Review – Still Good And Forgiving For High Handicappers?

Wilson 1200 Irons Review – Still Good And Forgiving For High Handicappers?

“There have been many iterations of the Wilson 1200 irons over the decades. It is a very successful line and was once, very popular.”

In fact, you might have an old set of Wilson 1200 irons in your attic gathering dust right now.

The Wilson 1200 irons are over 20 years-old but believe it or not, I have actually seen golfers at my local club with these irons in their bags. It took me quite a while to find a used set in decent condition for this review but we finally got some.

For this particular review, we will be looking at the Wilson 1200 GE (Gear Effect) irons. Can an ancient set of irons really improve your game? Read on to find out.

Are Wilson 1200 Irons Still Good?

“The Wilson 1200 irons pretty much look like traditional cavity back irons.”

The cavity is in a somewhat triangular shape which actually lends a triangular profile to the whole club head. The toe is the off-center apex of the triangle (if you’re holding the club upside down). At address, you get a moderate top line and you can only see a bit of the toe and the undercut cavity sticking out from behind the club.

For what is clearly a game improvement club, the Wilson 1200 irons actually look pretty clean. You can tell they came from an era when companies were not yet ready to completely abandon the blade shape even when designing game improvement irons.

The Wilson 1200GE irons also feature the “Radius Sole.” The Radius Sole design essentially puts more mass low in the tow section. The sole itself also has a more rounded profile than other irons that were made in this era.

The offset is minimal so you get a closed-face look at address. Couple the face angle with the mass in the toe and you end up with an iron that wants to play straight or produce a slight fade.

The turf interaction in these irons was decent. The thinner leading edge did cause me to dig a bit but it wasn’t intolerable. Overall, the rounded sole does a good job of keeping me off the turf – especially in the mid irons.

The distance was also decent. With the 7-iron, I was averaging a carry distance of 152.5 yards. Spin rates were rather low which was a good and bad thing for me. It was good because it kept some of my mis-hits straighter than they should have flown. It was bad because it made working the ball a bit difficult. Overall, I would say that the Wilson 1200 irons are still good…for the right kind of player.

Are the Wilson 1200 Irons Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“After doing a bit of research on these irons, I found out that a lot of players actually learned on these irons.”

The Wilson 1200s seemed to have been the starter irons for a lot of players. They were usually handed down by relatives or found at garage sales for cheap. When I tested the Wilson 1200 irons, my first thought wasn’t that they were ideal for beginners. But hey, you learn on what you learn on.

The best thing about the Wilson 1200 irons for high handicappers though is that they keep the ball pretty straight. When you miss high on the toe, you are likely going to get a gentle fade – or a pull at most. When you’re able to find the sweet spot, the Wilson 1200 irons will send your ball straight as an arrow.

And it isn’t too hard to find the sweet spot either. I also found it easy to close up the face at impact. Are the Wilson 1200 irons as forgiving as modern game improvement irons? Certainly not. And I wouldn’t recommend them to pure beginners either. But if you’re looking for a moderately forgiving set of cavity backs for a great price, the Wilson 1200 irons should be on your radar.

Wilson 1200 Vs Wilson Dynapower Irons

“The Dynapower irons feature variable face thickness and have been designed with the help of artificial intelligence.”

The variable thickness face promotes consistency and forgiveness on all kinds of strikes. The Wilson Dynapower irons also have a cleaner look at address than the Wilson 1200 irons. You can see the difference time makes when you compare these irons. The modern cavity design of the Dynapower irons gives them a more balanced look and feel. The Dynapower irons are even more forgiving than the Wilson 1200’s.