Early reports of the speed slot or “active recoil channel” in the head described them as golf’s new speed machine,
We were eager to see if this big move from Titleist to bring out distance products was in fact true, or would this bold move benefit the loyal Titleist fan of old ?
We’ve been anxiously waiting on the latest range of Woods and Hybrids to arrive for testing, here’s our thoughts when we put the new range through their paces in the ClubRoom. The Driver comes in two heads:
First off, fair play to Titleist who have right hand and left hand heads available in all lofts and heads except for 7.5°.
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The standard shaft offering is not bad with Mitsushiba Diamana White, Blue and Red and Aldila Rogue available this year.
The standard shaft selection works quite well with the head, although I would have preferred to see some lighter weight shafts as standard with this faster, longer mantra. They would allow lower torque and better tip stability to really harness the speed story but there are plenty in the custom shaft section – albeit at a very hefty Titleist upcharge.
The adjustable hosel is exactly the same as last season which is a little boring to be honest, I mean it does work to a certain extent but it promotes more of an open faced setup. So if you need to close the head for more of a draw, this isn’t so good for you.
The first thing you will notice this time round is the sound off the face.
Gone is the low, “thump”, muted smooth sound of the old line up of 975, 904, 907 and 909. The same, now infamous teardrop shape is still there but the trade-off for this new speed slot in the head is the acoustic. It’s loud and rings out like some of the other faster faced models in the market place. So, if you are a fan of the low thud sound of your current Titleist model – don’t change.
Next question is does it go faster with this active speed channel ?
The answer is YES and for the first time the Titleist Driver feels fast off the face. It launches higher and for sure it spins less than models of old.
As far as we can see and from testing the D2 and D3 heads spin, feel and fly almost the same.
In our opinion, the D2 (larger 460cc) head is the better of the heads as it spins and fly’s the same as the smaller D3 but is definitely more forgiving on off centre strikes. In fact the best Titleist driver we’ve ever tested on off-centre hits.
For the first time, this Titleist Driver is actually very good, it feels fast and does what a lot of older Titleist Drivers claimed to do and just didn’t deliver on. The Drivers of yesteryear were designed and built for the lower handicapper who hit the ball hard and it was aimed specifically at the “better player”. The clubs were inspirational, played by pros and superb amateur ball strikers alike, they were the clubs that everyone wanted to play.
This year’s Driver is so different, it’s more suited to the mid handicapper. With a performance and story aimed at more levels of golfer. If you dreamed of playing a Titleist Driver but didn’t think you were good enough, then this is the one you’ve been waiting for.
The only thing I am concerned about is that by trying to design and deliver a product that is definitively better and more for the masses – will Titleist run the risk of perhaps losing their loyal, core Titleist fan?
The only thing that might hold you back is the RRP of €499. Which when coupled with a shaft and grip upgrade (if required) could push it into the €590 mark so get fitted and get the right bang for your buck. Especially if you want to test some of the ForeGolf custom shafts that aren’t available elsewhere, we’ve tested and got some great results with shafts that Titleist have missed (or decided you shouldnt play with).
ForeGolf already have the full selection of heads in D2 and D3 in R/H and L/H in stock for you to be custom fitted. The official launch date is the middle of November but we can custom fit and order the drivers ahead of this date.
Book Your Custom Fit Online
1 Hour Custom Fit €100 (Full Bag)
30 Minute Custom Fit €50 (One Club/Driver Only)
Why do ForeGolf custom built clubs perform so well ? It’s simple, because we build your clubs in our WorkShop. The process is from custom fit to custom build, no misinterpretation of the specifications. We have a ClubRoom where we put together heads and shafts from all the major brands to figure out what suits. Then we build the best performing club in our WorkShop, measured and built just for you this is what happens at ForeGolf
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