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The 2022 Wilson Launch Pad irons tout their ease of launch and forgiving soles, but that’s far from the whole story. Sensible spin creates smart gaps between clubs and makes long irons playable.
Introduction
Whether you’re a new “COVID golfer” or a seasoned player in search of more help, Wilson’s Launch Pad family is designed for you. This super game improvement iron set is built to launch the ball high and provide ample distance, even when your swing isn’t perfect. I tested a set to see how this second version of Launch Pad fits into the SGI landscape.
Want to make your tee shots easier? Check out the Wilson Launch Pad driver HERE
Looks
The 2022 Wilson Launch Pad irons are a set clearly targeted at the players who want the clubs to do their share of the work. These irons have a substantial amount of offset and very thick top lines. The blade length is also large, creating a big, reassuring hitting area.
Though these irons aren’t billed as a combo or progressive set, but they do look the part. As you can see, the 5I (left) could almost pass as a hybrid. There’s a lot of “back” sticking out beyond the top line. The black paint somewhat disguises the bulk, but it’s still there. In the mid irons, there’s only a sliver of black behind the top line. When you get to the wedges, that “extra” disappears. There’s still a lot of offset in the wedges, but the top line slims down a bit.
In the bag, the Launch Pad irons look sharp relative to their peers. The focus goes to the brushed steel section near the sole that has the Wilson Staff shield on the toe. A second look will find modest “Launch Pad” branding on the black section. There’s also an “LP” marking on the generous sole.
Sound & Feel
Just as with the looks, the sound of the Wilson Launch Pad irons changes noticeably from the long irons to the scoring clubs. I started my testing with the wedges, and was shocked at how solid and quiet they were. Given the large, hollow heads, I was expecting more volume. Instead, I found a solid feel and a pleasant “snap” at impact.
As I moved into the mid and long irons, the feel remained fairly solid, but the sound shifted. The 7I was noticeably louder than the PW, though the sound stayed out of the high pitched, “clicky” area. When I got to the 5I – the longest iron offered – it was louder still. With the 5I, the sound of impact is not problematic, but it is quite different than the wedges.
Throughout the set, the feedback on strike quality is fairly minimal. Unless you miss the grooves, the sound is very consistent. You can feel mishits in your hands if you’re paying attention, but the Launch Pad irons want to make you feel good about every swing.
Performance
Wilson aims to keep things simple in their talking points about the Launch Pad irons. Forgiving sole, easy launch, plenty of distance. There’s a lot more to love about the Launch Pad irons, but we’ll start with those highlights.
First, the soles on these irons are massive. You have to actively try to get them to dig. Even if you have a very steep swing and hit the big ball before the little one, these soles will work up and out of the turf. They absolutely deliver on the promise of fewer embarrassing fat shots.
Those large soles also bring more of the weight down which makes the Launch Pad irons easy to hit. Again, you have to really try to hit a bad, thin shot. Hitting the ball a couple grooves low makes virtually no difference.
Now we’re going to get into the weeds a bit, because something about this set surprised me. When I started my launch monitor testing, I fully expected another uber-long, low spin set. I was wrong. The spin that the Launch Pad irons produce is, to me, perfect.
Starting with the wedges, I saw spin that was high enough to stop a shot but still controlled. You won’t be backing balls up, but you won’t see shots balloon either. In the mid irons, where spin often goes through the floor to chase distance, I saw the same thing. Shots had plenty of spin to hold the green and appropriate landing angles. This even continued to the 5I, which shocked me.
I love seeing this smart use of spin not only because it will help shots stay on the green but because it creates meaningful distance gaps throughout the set. Thanks to the slightly elevated spin, the 5I will be playable for more golfers. They also won’t have a clump of irons that all go the same distance. I saw sensible gaps all the way from 5I to SW. Major kudos to Wilson for engineering a set that’s long but also very playable and consistent.
Conclusion
Distance is good, but distance with brains is even better. The 2022 Wilson Launch Pad irons have the latter. These irons are easy to hit and forgiving through the turf, but their real appeal comes from smart gaps between clubs and playable long irons. If you want get your game off the ground, give these a shot.
Visit Wilson Golf HERE
2022 Wilson Launch Pad Driver Price & Specs
Matt Saternus
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You pricing is incorrect.
Also noteworthy is… you can order a ton of custom shafts/build options on Wilson’s website.
In your opinion, how do these compare to Cleveland Halo XL irons?
We have a review of the Halo XL irons here: https://pluggedingolf.com/cleveland-launcher-xl-halo-irons-review/
-Matt
Would you say that these irons would be ideal for sweepers/someone who takes minimal divots?
Bradley,
Yes, they do well with thin misses and the wide sole also prevents digging.
-Matt
If your pricing is correct, these are twice the cost of the 2021 Halo’s. Is the performance that much superior in them to justify the cost difference?
Steve,
There was an error in the pricing sheet, it’s fixed now.
-Matt
I have the LP original irons and and I love them.. They have given me confidence in the mid and low irons. I wish a 3 iron and even a 2 were available..
They stole the whole concept of forgiving irons right out of Cleveland’s Launcher XL Halo.
Cleveland did not invent large, forgiving irons.
-Matt
This will be strange but here goes. First, I am 100 years old. Really–I’m a WW11 and Korean War vet. I don’t play
like I used to but I still play. My problem is every iron I try feels like it weighs 10 lb. I have read the launch pads are
very light. My question is, do you think I could play with a women’s set of launch pads? I’m really not much bigger
than some of those pretty little Korean and Thai players, so maybe?
Sandy,
There’s no reason not to give it a try. I’d also recommend a fitting with a top tier fitting like Club Champion who could get you into a set that was built around the exact weight that you want.
Best,
Matt
I have been playing a set of Nike Sq 4-p. How do these compare
My handicap has slipped from a 14 to a 17 plus in the past three seasons, and the most obvious problem has been deteriorating iron play. Poor ball contact led me to replace my 5 and 6 irons with hybrids. I continued to lose yardage with the remaining irons, which delivered a hit to my overall confidence.
After reading your review, I thought that it was worth trying out the Launch Pad 2 irons. On the Trackman at my local golf store, I found the irons easy to hit and the boost in yardage impressive. This did not translate immediately to the course. But after a couple of rounds, I found my groove with these clubs. Over the past month I have regained my old distances and shots began launching high and dropping soft on the greens, leading to more GIRs and more birdies. Perhaps most satisfying is the fact that I’m once again carrying the 5 and 6 irons and enjoy – rather than dread – putting them into play.
What is the bounce for the wedges? Also would you not recommend having a wedge from a brand that’s different from your other irons? I have a set of irons from a different brand, but it doesn’t have a gap wedge and I’m looking to get one. My pitching wedge is 43 degrees and the next club down is a sand wedge at 56 degrees. I would be nice to have something in between there.
I don’t know the bounce specs; I don’t believe Wilson publishes them.
With regard to mixing brands, I think it’s fine to do so as long as the distance gaps work well. I’d also favor matching the shafts throughout the set, but that’s something of a personal preference.
Best,
Matt
I want to buy the launch pad irons but I can’t find them in left handed. Also do you know if they come in longer shafts for someone who is 6′ 3?
Ray,
I would suggest contacting Wilson. You can customize your order through them.
-Matt
Tried out the Wilson ;Launchpad Found them very easy to hip well without to much difficulty .Good high launch and accuracy Distance is still a little short Perhaps that is down to me as a senior Overall good recommended