Wilson D9 Irons upgrade your golf game in one fell swoop – review

As summer approaches, so does weekend golfing. I’m a 10-plus times a year golfer and have been relying on a set of economical $300 Callaway Stratas that I pulled off an Amazon Gold box a few years ago. This summer, I’m hoping to up my mid-range game and Wilson had the answer: The $649 Wilson D9 Irons (or Amazon) that increase range without sacrificing accuracy. Here’s how it went.

Wilson contacted us to see if we’d like to check out their highly touted set of Irons called the D9. I’m not sure if it’s implicit or not, but the “D” stands for distance. The D9 range has been optimized to provide up to 10% more distance than a regular set but without sacrificing accuracy. It gets there by combining a low center of gravity with a KBS Max Ultralite shaft with Lamkin Crossline Genesis grip.

There’s also a subtly oversized head and computer-generated face that makes hitting the ball that much easier. Wilson says shots will fly higher, which leads to a steeper landing angle – making it easier to hold a green from distance.

The *pitch*:

• Effortlessly Higher Speeds And Greater Distance – Strategically positioned, urethane-filled Power Holes enable maximum face flex for improved speeds and an expanded sweet spot you can’t miss.
• Consistency Equals Confidence – 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.
• Looks The Business. Handles The Course – The game improvement features you want, concealed in a player’s iron aesthetic you’ll love.

Test No. 1: the driving range

To shake out the cobwebs and get back into the *swing* of things, I headed to the driving range with both the Stratas and the D9s so I could compare the two sets of irons head to head. From a weight perspective, the Wilsons are about the same except for the extra weight located at the very bottom of the iron. This is naturally going to give the same speed swing more pop when it hits the golf ball. At the same time, the outward weight on the swing and the slightly larger hitting surface seemed to increase my accuracy, if only slightly.

A typical 7-iron shot on the Stratas would get me about 130-140 yards. With the Wilson D9s, I was getting close to 150 and they were dropping in rather than skipping across the surface. Not super important, but the ping sound was even a little more gratifying – the bounce off the club vibrated less.

After about an hour, I was done with the Stratas (probably for forever) and was placing 160-yard shots pretty close to where I wanted them.

The real test: on the greens

We have a nice little 9-hole outside of town that you can sneak into during a long lunch break. I was pretty pumped to give the Wilson D9s a try. First hole at 170 yards (after some warm-ups on the driving range): 4 iron had me just off the green. Easy Par.

Second hole I hit the green in the first swing. Glorious!

Sand traps with a great D9 wedge? OK, I’m still not great at this and my putting is erratic at best. But we’re talking about irons here, and I’m definitely seeing an improvement in my mid-range game.

There’s no looking back now! Overall I improved my handicap by three shots in my first outing of the year. I’m already excited for next weekend.

Conclusion

Of course a $650 set of irons is going to be better than a whole $300 golf set. That’s a given. But can they make a noticeable difference in your game, shaving numbers off your score and making you look like a better player? Dare I say more fun?

In my case, the answer is a resounding yes!

The D9s really amped up my short game, giving me a decided advantage over a friend with a similar skill set. The increased distance allowed me to keep my woods/drivers in the bag while retaining accuracy up to 200 yards. Dropping balls on the green was no longer a pipe dream. I no longer have to strain to reach the far edge of an iron’s range. Confidence boosted, and love the sound of the clubs hitting the ball.

If you are looking to up your golf game, the Wilson D9s are a huge step up from a basic club set and worth the significant price.

Note following this link will present a 10% coupon on Wilson.com or ($649.99 on Amazon).

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