The Wilson D9 irons have some crazy high standards to meet. The previous model (D7) was Wilson’s highest performing and most popular irons for as long as I can remember. Very high reviews, very high test results from MyGolfSpy, very high sales numbers.
Truthfully, I don’t think the D9 irons are going to be quite as popular. There simply aren’t any significant improvements worth the huge price difference between the two. However, you do you!
Here’s what I recommend: go ahead and schedule a professional club fitting. Find someone that carries Wilson clubs and will allow you to hit both the D7 and D9 irons to compare head to head. You’ll also get to tinker with different shafts and shaft flexes.
Without further ado, here’s my honest review of the Wilson D9 irons after testing them out last weekend.
Appearance
What Wilson Says: “The game improvement features you want, concealed in a player’s iron aesthetic you’ll love.” Lol, I have no idea who thought this would just slide by. I’m not exactly sure whoever wrote this knows what a players iron is and how the overall appearance is different than a very-much game improvement design like this one.
The Truth: The Wilson D9 irons look like the average game improvement iron on the market. Lots of offset, which largely takes away from the overall aesthetics compared to a true players iron. Also, the toplines and soles are pretty oversized, which again diminishes any chance that the Wilson D9 irons had at having a “player’s iron aesthetic”.
In my honest opinion, the Wilson D9 irons look dirt cheap. The power holes and relatively boring design make these look like $50 off-brand irons truthfully.
Performance
What Wilson Says:
- “DESIGNED UNLIKE ANYTHING TO OUTPERFORM EVERYTHING”
- “Strategically positioned, urethane-filled Power Holes enable maximum face flex for improved speeds and an expanded sweet spot you can’t miss.”
- “Wilson’s lowest-ever center of gravity in an iron increases launch angles and delivers a steeper angle of descent for increased green-side control.”
The Truth:
- Well, that’s kinda silly. Obviously this is just filler for the website, so don’t read into this too much. It’s designed pretty much just like any other game improvement iron on the market, except they threw on some hideous “power holes” as gimmicks. These will not outperform everything. Not by a long shot. There are far better options on the market for game improvement irons, but these do offer a great value option.
- The power holes are hideous, practically don’t do anything, and are just to make you think the Wilson D9 irons are revolutionary some how.
- OK, this may be true. But keep in mind that the difference is minimal at best. Wilson irons have always had very low centers of gravity, so I’m sure the difference is equivalent to ~1% or less.
In general, these are very long & forgiving irons. However, don’t expect much in any other category (like feel, distance control, workability, etc.).
Also, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Wilson D9 irons are Wilson’s STRONGEST LOFTED irons ever. That’s why they are the longest iron that Wilson has ever released. The Wilson D9 7 iron has a loft of 27 degrees, while the average is around 32 degrees. The Wilson D7 irons were strong lofted too, but they decreased lofts by another degree with the D9 irons.
I’ll admit that these are incredibly forgiving, high launching irons. Even on poor shots on my part, the ball still traveled very high and relatively straight. I can definitely see slower swing speeds loving the extra height on their iron shots. The same goes for those that struggle with consistency with their irons – the added forgiveness will definitely help you hit more greens even on your mishits.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- the longest irons that Wilson has ever released. Remember, though: that’s due to stronger lofts than ever before, not because of the power holes
- very high launching ball flights, which would be perfect for those with slower swing speeds (who typically struggle with getting enough height on their irons shots)
- extremely forgiving on mishits
- Very fair price compared to other iron sets on the market (Steel set for $649, or graphite set for $749.99.)
Cons:
- Difficult to flight the ball down when needed (into a headwind)
- Poor feel and sound at impact compared to a more expensive forged iron
- Distance control won’t be as consistent as a players iron, but that’s not a huge concern for higher handicaps
- Not a very appealing look at address due to the oversized design
- Not an iron set that I’d recommend if you want to grow into a better golfer quickly
Who Should Buy the Wilson D9 Irons?
The Wilson D9 irons are a great option for seniors and slow swing speeds in general that are always going to want a long, forgiving, oversized iron set. If you want to grow into a great ball striker as quickly as possible, then this isn’t the set for you. The focus on forgiveness will allow you to continue to play good golf even when you miss the center of the face, which doesn’t encourage you to improve any time soon.
If money is not a concern, then I’d highly recommend that you wait for the D9 Forged irons to come out. Like the D7 clubs, the D7 Forged irons are far superior. Better appearance, better feel, better sound, and better distance control than the standard D7 irons. I’d expect the D9 Forged irons to come out before June of 2021, but that’s just my best guess.
My Better Value Recommendation
The previous model (Wilson D7 irons) are simply too good to pass up. With the new Wilson D9 irons being released, the price of the older D7 irons have seen a small drop. Now is definitely a good time to pick up the older set.
The D7 irons will perform practically just as well as the D9 irons. The D7 irons are 1 degree weaker in loft and don’t have quite the low center of gravity as the D9, but that means practically nothing.
You can pick up a set of Wilson D7 irons for around $500, while the D9 irons will set you back $750 (assuming you want graphite shafts).
Appreciate the advice & info.