WHAT IT DOES: Often club design is about making compromises, and like a good negotiation, you don’t get everything you want, but you get enough of the things that are important to you. For Wilson’s D9 iron, the thought was more singular: Get every yard of distance possible. Most noticeable in this endeavor is the latest iteration of Wilson’s “power holes” technology, which feature polymer-filled cutouts along the sole that contribute to the flexing of the face at impact. The new approach to D9, however, wasn’t simply to increase the number of power holes. Instead, it was to examine the number of slots per row, the width of the slots, the height of slots, the spacing between slots and the toe-heel bias.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Like the D7, the face is still a stamped stainless steel, but how it is connected to the body is significantly different. Instead of being welded entirely on the perimeter of the face, the face of the D9 iron is welded to the outside surfaces of the topline and toe areas. This leads to a more flexible face. Combined with the power holes, the result is an increase of more than 25 percent in unsupported face area for more face flex at impact. Read more >>