Wilson Staff D9 Driver, Fairways and Hybrids
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Wilson Staff D9 Driver, Fairways and Hybrids

Wilson Staff D9 Driver, Fairways and Hybrids

Key Takeaways

  • Wilson Staff D9 driver features computer-designed Peak Kinetic Response (PKR) variable-thickness face.
  •  Fairways and hybrids are Wilson’s first to combine variable-face thickness and 455 maraging steel.
  • All are non-adjustable, fixed-hosel metalwoods.
  • Real-deal Tensei CK Blue (driver, fairways), Tensei AV Silver (hybrids) are stock.
  • Driver ($349.99), fairways ($219.99), hybrids ($199.99) for sale starting Jan. 26.

The new Wilson Staff D9 driver, fairway woods and hybrids probably won’t lead the pack in innovation, technology or style. But it would be wrong to presume they’re lacking in innovation, technology or style.

Specifically, Wilson shifted its supercomputer into overdrive to design the new D9 driver. The new D9 fairway woods and hybrids didn’t get the full UNIVAC treatment but they are the first Wilson metalwoods to combine variable-face technology with 455 maraging steel.

For a company fighting for metalwood relevance, it’s a step in the right direction. And while the D9 probably won’t be causing the Big Five any sleepless nights, there’s plenty here for your average golfer to ponder. Especially if he or she doesn’t want to ante up the five bills for a new TaylorMade, PING, et al.

Wilson Staff D9 Driver – Fire Up The Computer

The Wilson D7 was a sneaky-good driver. It didn’t get much fanfare but it was a solid performer for us in both 2019 and 2020 Most Wanted testing. In fact, the D7 copped Best Value for Mid-Swing Speed last year.

To make a sneaky-good driver a sneaky-better driver, Wilson is firing up its computer.

Wilson is one of a growing cadre of OEMs making use of computerized intelligent design. Wilson is using its own supercomputer and iterative software to design, test and optimize components faster. The software can ultimately come up with an optimal design over a single weekend that an entire team of engineers might never find on their own.

Wilson Staff D9 driver

Callaway first made hay with its AI-designed Flash Face. Wilson’s Golf Club Innovation Manager, Jon Pergande, says what his team is doing is similar but not exactly the same.

“Our technology and how we use it might be a little different (than Callaway’s),” he says. “We have about 150 CPUs of power dedicated to running simulations and evaluations to yield better products. With this generative design process, we can get 80 to 90 percent down the road with a new technology that we probably would have never thought of in the first place.”

In the old days, R&D would come up with an idea, make prototypes and put them in play for several weeks. They’d gather feedback, make changes and do it all over again. Now that process goes quite a bit faster and allows for more feedback, especially from an OEM’s Tour staff.

Wilson Staff D9 driver

PKR Power

For the Wilson Staff D9 driver, the computers came up with something called Peak Kinetic Response or PKR.

“PKR is face technology,” says Pergande. “I call it ‘Packer face’ because I’m from Wisconsin.”

This weekend’s NFC championship game aside, PKR is about maximizing ball speed across a wider swath of the face. You’ve probably read something like that here before since every OEM on the planet is working toward that same goal. Traditionally, growing the sweet spot meant moving around a raised oval area in the center of the clubface to change overall performance. Pergande says the computer allows them to venture outside that box, so to speak.

“We divided the face into a bunch of different zones and then had the computer manipulate the size and thickness of those zones and the transitions between those zones,” says Pergande. “That led to some non-uniform thinking. We have thicker and thinner areas across the face. There are no flat or parallel surfaces or even any concentric design on the back of the face.

“It’s very organic in appearance but that’s what the computer decided would give us the best overall face from a heel-toe, high-low and center performance perspective.”

The PKR face itself is form-pressed and made of 6-4 titanium.

Crowns and Weights

Aside from the PKR Face, the Wilson Staff D9 driver departs from D7 in a couple of other ways. First off, Wilson is moving away from its tradition of lightweight drivers. Going all the way back to D100, the “D” driver in Wilson’s lineup was always its lightweight version. D9, however, is more traditionally weighted from grip to tip.

“Our goal is to attack a broader consumer base and not limit ourselves to just lightweight,” says Pergande. “One of the challenges with lightweight clubs was getting it into the hands of better, higher swing speed players.”

Actually, Wilson is giving it to you two ways. The standard Wilson Staff D9 driver will come in what can be considered more traditional weighting. The D9 features a 10-gram sole weight that’s ever-so-slightly heel biased to move CG low and back. The stock Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue shaft comes in lighter versions for both the A- and R-flexes while the S-flex is much heavier at 67 grams. In addition, the A-flex model comes with a three-gram heel weight instead of the 10-gram weight.

One D7 holdover is the composite (Wilson calls it [K]composite) carbon fiber-Kevlar crown. The lightweight crown not only helps with CG placement but also helps improve sound and feel.

“The sound of the driver comes from three surfaces,” says Pergande. “You have face impact which is high frequency and not usually a concern. Then there’s the sole which provides the largest feedback. That’s the noise that makes everyone look at the driving range. And, finally, there’s the crown. That’s what you as the golfer experience most directly. And we try to dampen those vibrations as much as possible.”

Wilson Staff D9 driver

Specs, Price and Availability

The Wilson Staff D9 is a fixed-hosel driver, meaning it’s not adjustable. It comes in three lofts: nine, 10.5 and 13 degrees. As mentioned, the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue is the stock shaft in A-flex (53 grams), R-flex (54-grams) and S-flex (67 grams). The CK stands for the carbon fiber-Kevlar weave used in the shaft to promote a smooth bend profile. Mitsubishi categorizes the CK Blue is mid-launch, mid-spin.

The Lamkin Crossline Genesis grip is also stock.

Pricewise, the D9 should make you smile just a little. It will retail for $349.99 and it goes on sale Jan. 26 at retail and at Wilson.com.

Wilson Staff D9 Fairways and Hybrids

OEMs throw around terms like “maraging steel” and “Carpenter Custom 455 steel.” Maraging steel is a strong, low-carbon alloy containing nickel, small amounts of titanium and chromium to prevent corrosion.  Golf club designers love it because it delivers their Holy Trinity: superior strength, durability and lasting ductility.

The 455 represents the specific grade of the maraging steel. 455 is soft and formable in the annealed condition. After heat treatment, however, it becomes golf club strong and ductile. “Carpenter Custom” is actually a brand name of Carpenter Technologies, a $2-billion worldwide steel manufacturer.

Now that we’ve had our metallurgy lesson, let’s look at the Wilson Staff D9 fairways and hybrids.

“This is the first time we’ve used variable-face technology and Carpenter Custom 455,” says Pergande. “Prior to using variable-face technology, it was just the Carpenter Custom steel. We’d make it as thin as possible to get the best response we could.”

Variable-face thickness in the smaller fairway and hybrid heads has a couple of benefits. First, obviously, is better ball speed across a bigger face area. The other is that the variable-face thickness can take a few grams out of the face and be used elsewhere in the head. It’s not a lot but with heads that small, any little bit helps.

Sized For Distance

The Wilson Staff D9 fairway metals aren’t what you’d call petite but you can’t really call them oversized, either.

“The fairway woods serve a purpose. They were designed with our Tour staff for performance,” says Pergande. “If your goal is distance, bigger is better and more forgiving. Even ‘better player’ fairway woods are getting bigger. It’s a race for ball speed and distance, similar to where drivers were a few years ago.”

Like the fairway metals, the D9 hybrids fill that space between smaller, better player iron-replacement hybrids and the ultra-forgiving mini-fairway wood type hybrids.

“You do have to consider that you do have to hit the ball off the ground most of the time,” explains Pergande. “We do have to be conscious of overall size. If you want a little bit larger face, you have to pay extra attention to where the weighting is so you can get the club to the ball and make sure the ball gets up in the air.”

In our limited testing, we found the 15-degree 3-wood – with a 10-gram weight low, back and a touch to the heel – easy to launch. The hybrids don’t have any added weight but those, too, were easy to launch high and land soft.

Specs, Pricing and Availability

As with the Wilson Staff D9 driver, the fairways and hybrids are both fixed hosel so there’s no adjustability. The D9 fairways will be available in three loft options – 15-degree 3-wood, 18-degree 5-wood and 21-degree 7-wood. The Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue shaft is stock in the same flexes and weights as the D9 driver.

The D9 hybrid line features six lofts – 17, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 degrees. The stock shaft is the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Silver in A-flex (61 grams), R-flex (64 grams) and S-flex (77 grams). AV stands for the Aluminum Vapor coated fiber coating that Mitsubishi says adds stability to what it considers a mid-launch, mid-spin shaft.

The Lamkin Genesis grip is stock.

The Wilson Staff D9 fairways will retail for $219.99 and the hybrids for $199.99.

Both will be available in stores and online on Jan. 26.

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For You

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John Barba

John Barba

John Barba

John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 6-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” - BenHogan

John Barba

John Barba

John Barba





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      David Tomsett

      3 years ago

      I use the D9 fairway wood and k love it. It sits so well at address and has a very flat wide sole so tact any off centre strike had optimum ball contact.

      Reply

      scott

      4 years ago

      The only problem with the drive is it’s not adjustable it’s a big of a gap between 10.5 and 13 degrees . .

      Reply

      Zola

      4 years ago

      Will Wilson make a LEFT handed D9 7wood? I’ve been on the website and can not tell.

      Reply

      Raymond Norris

      4 years ago

      always played (a lot of) the major brands until last season picked up a set of the D7 Forged irons. Put oversized but light weight grips for my one plane swing and am incredibly happy with their performance, regardless of price point reference. Since the D9 hybrid seems to have a straight face, versus the draw bias of most, I’ll give it a try when available.

      Reply

      Raymond Norris

      4 years ago

      always played (a lot of) the major brands until last season picked up a set of the D7 Forged irons. Put oversized but light weight grips for my one plane swing and am incredibly happy with their performance, regardless of price point reference. Since the D9 hybrid seems to have a straight face, versus the draw bias of most, I’ll give it a try when available. Why can’t the industry make more straight faced clubs for reasonable level players.

      Reply

      Ben

      4 years ago

      All the manufacturers now make high quality products. However, Wilson marketing should be fired. Intelligent Design is not only completely uninspiring, but it also has links to “creationism” – ie the total opposite of science. Now if that was intentional, then I tip my cap and they are clearly going for a specific demographic. I’ll just wait until one of the other brands releases their new model and I’ll buy the previous year’s version.

      Reply

      John

      4 years ago

      Wow, you had to go there? It is obviously meant to make you think of AI, not creationism.

      Reply

      Russ

      4 years ago

      Wilson/Staff marketing definitely needs to step up their game, and that’s been a concern for years, not just recently.

      However, that take on “Intelligent Design” is completely out of left field and quite frankly, a little bit weird…

      Reply

      Bobby

      4 years ago

      Driver w/o adapter terrible especially for fitting!
      What are the size of the fairways in cc?

      Reply

      THOMAS

      4 years ago

      I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL OF THE TOP MANUFACTURES DRIVERS AT DEMO DAYS. I m presently playing an eight year old driver, and now after all the years of R&D, computer design intelligence, special materials / allows, I have experienced little to very little improvements, except in price.
      Last year, I almost bought a Wilson D7, no adjustable hosel with added weight, chunks of metal sliding around just a keep it simple 10.5 degrees. It felt good, looked good, reasonably priced
      Next demo day I’ll give the D9 a good go. After 8 years It could be time to replace. And by the way the D7 irons are excellent
      Keep it going Wilson!!!!!!!!!

      Reply

      Brandon

      4 years ago

      Any word on the Staff Model driver prototype that Woodland gamed for like one round of a tournament last year?

      Reply

      John Barba

      4 years ago

      Well, he played it for more than like a week, and had it in and out of the bag while recovering from an injury. He apparently did like the flight and launch, but it more right tendency than he had requested, and he wanted some weight changes. Wilson says they have the new iteration ready to go – they’ll most likely do as Pergande says in the article and give a few more iterations and get more feedback before it goes to market,.

      On the other hand, that driver Woodland did demo did feature the PKR face.

      Reply

      Brian

      4 years ago

      Did anyone else notice the chrome strip on the driver seems like it’s not fit very well? What about the nicks on the seam between the crown and body of the driver? I understand and appreciate a lower price point – but don’t leave out Quality Assurance to get there.

      Reply

      Dave

      4 years ago

      I think you’re seeing things that aren’t there

      Reply

      Mike

      4 years ago

      Very good review. I may be looking at a new driver this year, currently game the G410 LST with an aftermarket shaft. So something’s going to have to really beat that & not just by a yard or 2.. That’s not worth dropping big bills on. The Wilson driver’s really nice looking, I’ll definitely give it a try. Though I play a Ping driver, I’m not married to any brand. Just tried the new Ping G425 and it did nothing for me vs what I’m playing now. So I’m all ears.

      Reply

      Tim

      4 years ago

      Why no cut away section of the club to see this PKR tech, like what Cally and TM do? I think people (like myself) want to actually put eyes on this or any new face tech.

      Reply

      McaseyM

      4 years ago

      Love the design, the deep face and overall look. the price point is right on. X-flex options?

      Reply

      Peter

      4 years ago

      The D9 driver, fairways, hybrids and irons all are the best looking clubs I’ve seen from Wilson. They have quality looks, the driver, in particular looks as good as a Callaway product

      Reply

      alex

      4 years ago

      I have the D7 driver– I put a normal weight grip– and have hit some of the longest drives I’ve ever hit. Unfortunately, when I don’t hit close to the center, it’s playable but much shorter. Hopefully the increased weight will work with the misses.

      When a demo day comes at the local shop– I will give it a whirl.

      Reply

      PMD53

      4 years ago

      I have the D7 driver. Love it. 9 handicap and hit 80% fairways even on bad rounds. Good rounds 90+%.. Got the D7 3 wood. Nearly as good and sneaky long when I get it all.. Interested in the hybrids and may take a look at the driver. Would strongly suggest trying these next time you get fitted.

      Reply

      Tommas

      4 years ago

      Wow, these actually look pretty good, and the price point is perfect. Add this one to the list of drivers i want to test.

      Reply

      Regis

      4 years ago

      I turned 70 this week
      Been playing since I was 9
      I came to realize after 10 years of experiment that I just don’t fit well with lightweight or carbon crown “metal” woods. Oddly my best romance was the SLDR line. I currently play the TS driver and fairways. So maybe Wilson is on to something

      Reply

      Art Springsteen

      4 years ago

      Interesting your comment on the SLDR. I’m an 8 index and last year I went through about 4 drivers looking for the right one. At the end of the year, out of frustration, I put the TM SLDR 460 back in the bag, gave it a very minor draw bias and just hit the hell out of it! Not much different in length, but just didn’t miss many fairways. I’ll start the year with it in my bag-it’s certainly heavier than anything else I tried- and keep it there until I find something better. I used the SLDR when it came out (5-6 yrs ago) back when I was a 3-point something, but I’m 72 now and the swing speed is down about 10 mph.

      Reply

      Milton Taylor

      4 years ago

      Very interesting Callaway look in the top, TSI2 look on the bottom.

      I like it.

      Reply

      Joe P

      4 years ago

      I thought the same thing. And it works! I’ve never swung a Wilson Driver (besides cortex) but I am very interested in this one.

      Reply

      Russ

      4 years ago

      OK seeing that the driver weighting is heading back into “normal” territory has me excited. W/S drivers have almost been too light for me, the D7 is in my closet right now because I just spray it everywhere. This line has me looking forward to trying it out.

      Reply

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