50 Words or Less
The Wilson Dynapower fairway wood is a solid performer but not a standout. Good forgiveness. Excellent impact sound.
Introduction
Wilson’s revival of the classic Dynapower name has come with a full line of long game clubs, from driver through irons. In previous reviews, we’ve seen the irons [review HERE] shine with some of the highest ball speed of any set we’ve tested this year. The Dynapower Carbon driver [review HERE] proved to be solid though less of a standout. In this review, I’ll discuss whether the Wilson Dynapower fairway wood has the potential to be a class leader or if it falls short of excellent.
Looks
At first glance, the Wilson Dynapower fairway wood has a very conventional, middle of the road address look. The footprint is average in size, and it’s not particularly large in any one dimension. A longer look reveals that the shape has an unusual asymmetry, with the toe being slightly bulbous but the overall mass tilting toward the heel. This lean is verified by the alignment aid, which is slightly off center. The Dynapower FW has a matte black crown with just a hint of texture at the trailing edge.
That matte finish wraps around to cover the majority of the sole, too. A script Wilson logo is tastefully sized in the middle of the head. As we’ve seen with many clubs this year, the model name and loft are positioned at the heel and toe on a darker background.
Sound & Feel
There have been a number of greatsounding fairway woods this year, and the Wilson Dynapower fairway wood is there among the best. Good strikes produce a sound that’s very full without being more than average in volume. It is metallic but, interestingly, not high pitched. The sound also provides a lot of feedback as it turns into a cranky “clank” when you’re more than a little bit off center.
The feel of the Dynapower FW is good, but it’s a clear second fiddle to the great sound. Quality strikes feel more solid than explosive. Where the feel does add a lot is in the feedback. The sound will tell you that you mishit the ball; your hands will tell you exactly where you missed it.
Performance
The performance of the Wilson Dynapower fairway wood is balanced, giving me no obvious place to start, so I’ll begin with everyone’s favorite: ball speed. On center, the Dynapower FW is very good but short of elite. To be clear, we’re only talking about a difference of 1 or 2 MPH, but you come here for the facts and the details, so there they are. Off center, the Dynapower is still good, but it does dump several MPH quite quickly. It does a good job with almost any strike, but only truly quality strikes get the top speed.
The forgiveness in this club is powered by a 12 gram rear weight and variable face thickness. Where this combination really shines is in the spin numbers. This is a mid spin club that keeps the spin rates very stable. In my testing, I never saw a ballooning shot or a knuckleball. Every shot had a medium trajectory with a good combination of roll out and control.
In terms of launch, the Wilson Dynapower fairway wood is good on quality strikes but not exceptionally forgiving on thin strikes. To be fair, I’m a low launching player whose miss with a FW tends to be thin. That said, I was seeing launch angles below eight degrees when I didn’t strike a shot pure. A launch angle that low steals a lot of distance from my shots, even when the ball speed is strong.
Finally, looking at dispersion, the Dynapower FW was good but not great in my testing. It’s always important to note that the shaft plays a significant role in this. The stock HZRDUS Smoke Red is not my top choice, but it may be an excellent fit for your swing. This head does feel stable on mishits, so, when fit with the right shaft, it should deliver predictable dispersion.
Conclusion
The Wilson Dynapower fairway wood is a solid offering but not a standout in any one area. In a year with a lot of great choices, the Dynapower will likely end up in the bag of Wilson fans, but may not have the horsepower to convert devotees of other brands.
Visit Wilson Golf HERE
Wilson Dynapower Fairway Wood Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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3 Comments
Hi Matt,
Why do you feel that Wilson keeps doing this… putting out equipment that looks like it is supposed to challenge the BIG guys… but, gets reviews like yours? What kind of golfer is their target market? Their pricing isn’t far from the big guns!
Jerry,
I think Wilson is putting out good equipment, it’s just often not exceptional. The margin between those two is very slim.
Best,
Matt
More of a comment on the above comment here.
The article just has a feel of negativity because he didn’t mention the cost difference. The Dynapower might be slightly less “top of the line” than taylormade Sim 2, but they are also 2/3s of the price brand new.