Wilson
D9
Our Review:
The company that brought us the “Driver vs. Driver” reality TV show for amateur club designers has a little secret. Your clay models and napkin drawings and erector-set projects? They are nice, but if you want to really design a better driver, you need to think faster than any human possibly could, especially when you are trying to maximize ball speed across the face. The multiple-thickness-face design on the D9 was driven by artificial-intelligence algorithms that churned out more than 500 versions at a clip in search of the optimum pattern. Wilson’s process yielded a new face shape in which ball speed is faster not only for the best strikes but for the off-center hits, too. This performance improvement is good science, but the D9 works because it helps better players and slower swings alike. One design key is a weight-saving carbon-composite crown that helps lower the center of gravity while improving sound. The other difference-maker is a setup that converts the standard model to a 40-gram lighter version with a head that looks the same. Read more >>
Ratings
* Percentage of total score
Player Comments
Low-Handicapper
Feel off the face is almost like a forged iron, but the ball still jumps. I saw really good spin-to-launch ratios. Easy and fun to hit.
Mid-Handicapper
That carbon-fiber look has become popular, and this take is pleasing without going too far. The sound is deep and powerful. My performance was consistent on best and worst hits.
High-Handicapper
Pure confidence in the soft feel. Hot off the face but barely notice contact because it’s so smooth.
Club Specs
Lofts
9, 10.5, 13; non-adjustable
BEN WALTON
