Just to be clear, every major golf equipment manufacturer is using virtual, iterative prototyping to maximize golf-club performance. That means telling a machine what you want your design to do and then letting it get to work modeling the final output.
Of course, there are a whole lot of variable inputs that determine the virtual output, and each OEM has their own view of how a club should look and work. But, they're doing it.
Wilson Golf is showing off the fruits of that work with the introduction of their new D9 family of clubs, including a driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons.
Driver, fairway woods and hybrids
The driver features a new face, dubbed Peak Kinetic Response (PKR), which breaks the face down into zones and then designs each zone to deliver proper performance based on that zone. The reality is that material design and virtual prototyping have made this approach more viable than ever, and the end result is more advanced faces that can better correct for our flaws.
A three-layer composite crown gives discretionary weight while absorbing vibration from impact. With a weight port in the sole, golfers can pick from a 3- or 10-gram weight to dial in center of gravity position and moment of inertia.
The Wilson Golf D9 driver is available in 9-, 10.5- and 13-degree heads with the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue shaft as the stock offering for $350.
A similar zoned-face approach applies to the D9 fairway woods and hybrids, which have a maraging steel insert to deliver ball speeds and performance.
The Wilson Golf D9 fairway woods are available in 15-, 18- and 21-degree heads with the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue shaft as the stock offering for $220 each, while the D9 hybrids are available in 17-, 19-, 22-, 25-, 28- and 31-degree heads with the stock Mitsubishi Tensei AV Silver shaft for $200 each. The line is available Jan. 26.
Irons
The D9 irons represent an evolution for the D7 model, and they benefit from the rapid, virtual prototyping as well.
“The D9 irons represents a technological advancement showcasing Wilson’s future approach to iron design and development,” said Jon Pergande, Manager of Wilson Golf Club Innovation. “This software uses over 100 processor cores of computing power to analyze the sequential versions of each club design we worked through before arriving on the final D9 line.”
Power Holes, which have been a staple of Wilson's game-improvement-and-above irons for years now, have been positioned to improve energy transfer at impact and decrease deflection across the face. These irons feature Wilson's lowest-ever CG iron position for higher launch angles and more stopping power with shorter irons.
The overall look is cleaner compared to the D7, designed to welcome more golfers to feel more comfortable in a super-game-improvement iron without the irons looking the part.
The Wilson Golf D9 irons are available Jan. 26 as well, for $650 in a set featuring KBS Max Ultralite steel shafts or $750 in a set with MRC Tensei shafts.
