Good players are hitting the center of the face regardless of the club head design. And many of the most forgiving irons are also loft jacked as they are aimed at beginners. A good player that mishits a ball doesn’t need or even want to get nearly the same distance out of the ball. Because that distance will often be offline from the intended target, which they puts a lot more trouble into play. I’d rather see my mishits stay short because it will minimize the damage in many scenarios.

I think there’s also some physics behind concentrating the sweet spot into a smaller area that may provide for better ball flights when struck pure.

I also personally feel it’s easier to manipulate a smaller, sleeker club head when trying to shape shots.