Traditionally, irons stamped with Wilson’s “Staff Model” have represented Wilson’s most traditional iron offerings targeted at the world’s best ball strikers. Models like the Staff blades and CB’s, gamed by Padraig Harrington, came in compact shapes, felt buttery soft, and delivered Tour-level feedback on every strike location. Exactly what the best ballers in the world demand. For their 2026 lineup, Wilson has updated and maintained the Staff Model principles but added a third model, expanding the lineup.
All three new Staff Model irons were designed to fit together in a seamless blend for combo sets which the brand anticipates will be popular with golfers around the world.
“Wilson has a long history of great performing irons, and we’ve taken part of that heritage and combined it with modern craftsmanship to produce what I believe to be the best iron family the brand has ever produced,” said Ben Hanser, CAD Engineer at Wilson Golf. “Adding a Players Performance iron in the XB to the Staff Model family allows more people to fit into the range. When you sit the irons side-by-side, you’ll notice the consistent design across all models, whilst each model has individual nuances to differentiate between each iron,” he added.
Crafted from Forged 8620 carbon steel – one of the softest materials on the market – the new Staff Model irons have been designed to provide workability and instant feedback at impact. The precision-milled face and scoreline pattern ensures longer ball-to-face contact to provide golfers with more consistent spin and increased stopping power, whilst the Fluid Feel Technology redistributes mass towards the centre of the face. Additionally, the centre of gravity is precisely located – traditional irons have the centre of gravity towards the heel of the head – to elevate the overall performance.
Staff Model XB
The Staff Model XB is for a wide range of golfers. This is a forgiving players’ distance iron with minimal offset and a thin top line, so it appeals to golfers of all abilities. The all-new Players Performance iron features a forged hollow-body construction that enhances face flexion for increased ball speed, while also delivering higher MOI and precise centre of gravity placement. With minimal offset and a thin top line, the XB provides modern power without compromising its sharp, tour-inspired appearance at address.
The clubhead’s hollow body is filled with urethane to dampen vibrations and create a crisp, clean sound at impact, while maintaining a seamless look across both the back and toe. A unique design allows the vent port to be hidden beneath the shield medallion, providing a clean look.
Central to the development process was advanced simulations and topology optimisation. Using computer-based simulation, Wilson engineers analysed both the body and the face to produce a hollow-body player’s iron that delivers exceptional feel, sound, and performance.
“Topology optimisation is an incredible tool that effectively tells us where to position mass internally to maximise performance and from this, we developed unique rib configurations for each loft in the XB” said Hanser. “Another major focus for us was ensuring we had the best sound and feel in a hollow-body design and we’re confident golfers around the world will appreciate the end result.”
The optimised body construction enhances sound and feel by strategically placing internal mass to fine tune acoustics, dampen vibrations, and maximise energy transfer. The resulting structure incorporates engineered rib supports, a parabolic mass pad, and precisely located tungsten weighting to achieve an ideal CG while maximising MOI in a slim profile.
The optimised face on the XB is engineered to maximise performance across the entire hitting area. The simulations emphasised consistency of ball speed, spin rate, and launch angle over a variety of strike locations. The simulations help to raise the performance of centre strikes and mishits alike, minimising dispersion from shot to shot.
Hanser continued: “We ran thousands of simulations at multiple different impact locations to prioritise ball speed, spin consistency and an ideal launch angle. The resulting variable face design combined with the precise internal geometry, built from topology optimisation, drive the overall performance and premium impact experience of the Staff Model XB.”
Staff Model Blade
Quality ball strikers will love the Staff Model Blade. It’s crafted for the world’s most precise ball strikers. The timeless Staff Model Blade design stands as the flagship iron in the Wilson lineup and remains a trusted favourite among the brand’s global Tour professionals.
The 2026 model introduces refined, contemporary shaping engineered for exceptional control. A variable hosel length enables more accurate mass distribution and ensures seamless visual alignment with the CB and XB models.
The blade length has been shortened and offset reduced, delivering a more compact profile and minimising the area beyond the scoreline – resulting in a distinctly modern, tour-inspired aesthetic.
Staff Model CB
The CB isn’t exclusive to professionals; better ball strikers will enjoy the performance while also benefiting from the extra forgiveness over the Staff Model Blade. Featuring a modern cavity-back construction that delivers an ideal balance of forgiveness and feel, the Staff Model CB has been shaped to closely mirror the Staff Model Blade, reflecting extensive input from Tour professionals. Building on the previous generation, the Wilson R&D team refined the head by shortening it and softening its edges to better align with the Staff Model Blade’s premium profile.
Delivering a traditional, tour-refined profile, the new Staff Model CB hosel length also matches the Blade for visual consistency, complemented by an improved hosel-to-face transition for a cleaner, more seamless look.
Reduced offset and a straighter, narrower sole improve turf interaction and enhance control through impact. The design also features a slightly longer blade length and a thinner topline, offering a blend of subtle forgiveness and classic, confidence-inspiring aesthetics.
Our Take
I love how unified this iron family is. The Blade, CB and the new XB were designed together, not as separate projects. That is obvious as you can see in the below image at address. Hosel length, topline thickness and overall proportions are intentionally aligned so that golfers can blend models without seeing abrupt changes from one iron to the next. Wilson knows players looking at this category are likely to look at combo sets and the flow from head to head supports that idea. The new brushed satin finish moves away from the brighter chrome look of past generations, another welcome update. It reduces glare, softens the appearance at address and leans into the heritage cues Wilson wants to highlight.
If you are looking to get fit, Wilson continues to offer a custom-fit experience via the Wilson Custom club website, aiming to build the perfect set for each individual in as few as 4 easy steps. The digital experience takes golfers through the full build of each club, from loft and grip to special adjustments made specifically to each golfer’s request. It’s a great tool to get you looking at the right head and will even let you know if a combo set is for you.
Bottom line, if you are in the market for a new iron in the players category, be that for a flusher or a better player still looking for a bit of help, the new Staff Model lineup has to be on your radar in 2026.
Price and Specs
All three models are now available for pre-order with McGuirks Golf and at Wilson stockists nationwide. The new Staff Model XB iron will be available next month with a Nippon Modus Tour 110 stock shaft option – R (110g), S (110g) – and a Golf Pride Z grip. The full set will have an RRP of £1,169 (£167 per stick) / €1,330 (€190 per stick) (4-PW).
A 2 & 3-iron, plus GW are available through custom fit purchases along with additional stock and premium shaft offerings.
The new Staff Model Blade and CB irons will be available next month with a True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 115 stock shaft option – R (114g) and S (115g) – and a Golf Pride Z grip. X (116g) is available through custom fit only.
Staff Model Blade – RRP £1,169 (£167 per stick) / €1,330 (€190 per stick) (4-PW).
Staff Model CB – RRP £1,169 (£167 per stick) / €1,330 (€190 per stick) (4-PW).
A 3-iron is available through custom fit purchases, along with additional stock and premium shaft offerings. A GW is also available in the CB line-up.
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