What am I missing with this older Titleist driver in the bag?

[quine]

So,  always chasing my youthful game ( without much luck) and at 63 can still scrape it around par on a good day.    My favourite driver is getting up there , like me, and its the 915 D2.    It sits for my eye perfectly.   Even when I tinker with settings…still perfect. Can’t say the same for the tsi2 which I owned briefly which could look more closed then I liked and I’ve hit the newest Titleist driver tsr and although I liked it more visually then the tsi2  it still cant compare (at least for me) in appearance to my 915d2.   I know the newer models sound better and I’m sure if I looked at numbers it would be a vast improvement over my old 915.    BTW, I also have owned other drivers after the 915 by Callaway, Ping, Tmade etc.   but again for me looks tops the charts.   So, my long winded question is what am I missing realistically by playing a relic ( by this forums standards ).   How many yards am I leaving on the table when at my age I cant afford to give away much to Father Time.     I’m lucky in that normally I just sell clubs and often regret doing so ( in about a week) but I’ve been pretty faithful to the 915.    Any advice would be appreciated.   

[gdb99]

You’re loosing a little distance on mishits. How much? You would have to test that yourself. 
 

If you buy a new Titleist driver, you loose about $600. 

[phizzy30]

You're losing forgiveness on anything not hit on the sweet spot.  I'm talking ball speed loss and possibly more side spin with your older driver.  Modern drivers these days will give you more consistent ball speeds all across the face.  It's not just the heads, but modern shafts have better/different materials in them that increase stability therefore that 40 yard slice may turn into a 20 yard fade instead with less distance loss.  As @gdb99stated, your wallet will feel a lot lighter as well. 

[scotty_2987]

I’ve tried almost all the newer drivers and can hit them all pretty well. But this past weekend I put my tour ad IZ 6x in my old 910D2 and hit it just as good as any of the newer drivers. Even miss hits were good. I know confidence is huge and when I play the 910 I just feel like I can’t miss with it. 

[quine]

Sooo, early consensus is that the benefits of the newer drivers  is on off center  hits.?   Is that where the gains are for distance and forgiveness.    in theory, little difference on center or pure strikes?  and yes I realize that we always don’t find the center of the club face.     toe to toe on center strikes do the latest models always win out?   If so, ballpark on 915 d2 versus tsr2 in yards gained.  

 

 

[llewol007]

Not much really. Maybe 15 yards. 

[quine]

Really?  I thought with limits on cor etc it would be much less then that. 

[Cwebb]

3 hours ago, quine said:

So,  always chasing my youthful game ( without much luck) and at 63 can still scrape it around par on a good day.    My favourite driver is getting up there , like me, and its the 915 D2.    It sits for my eye perfectly.   Even when I tinker with settings…still perfect. Can’t say the same for the tsi2 which I owned briefly which could look more closed then I liked and I’ve hit the newest Titleist driver tsr and although I liked it more visually then the tsi2  it still cant compare (at least for me) in appearance to my 915d2.   I know the newer models sound better and I’m sure if I looked at numbers it would be a vast improvement over my old 915.    BTW, I also have owned other drivers after the 915 by Callaway, Ping, Tmade etc.   but again for me looks tops the charts.   So, my long winded question is what am I missing realistically by playing a relic ( by this forums standards ).   How many yards am I leaving on the table when at my age I cant afford to give away much to Father Time.     I’m lucky in that normally I just sell clubs and often regret doing so ( in about a week) but I’ve been pretty faithful to the 915.    Any advice would be appreciated.   

 

There's no certainty at all that you would produce better numbers with a newer release.  Never let go of a driver that looks great and fits you well. 

 

I'd keep playing it, unless you actually test something else that proves better on the course.  Even then, I'd always keep this one close by

[Bye]

The 915 range was really good all round IMO. From memory the driver was a little spinney but very playable. The newer drivers are much harder to work right to left. 

[gdb99]

7 hours ago, quine said:

Really?  I thought with limits on cor etc it would be much less then that. 

You swing the driver you have well because you are very comfortable with it. So, yes, it probably would be less than 15.

 

The new Titleist driver stock length is 1/2” longer than your driver, if yours is stock length. How do you swing 45.5” drivers? Do you like the look of a longer driver? Do you like the shape of the newer drivers? Shaft? Grip? 
 

So many variables. 

[braincramp52]

I've yet to find a driver that has made a huge (if any) difference in my scores. And scoring is where it's at right?

[me05501]

I watched a video where they compared the newest Titleist driver to a 975D, each with specifications typical for their era. 

 

Mid-speed players picked up 25 yards with the new club, which seems like a lot.

 

But then Titleist has released many generations of drivers over the last 20 years and everyone who has upgraded from one generation to the next has sworn they got an extra ten yards from the new club. 

 

If that was true we'd all be driving it 300y. 

 

Try the new releases, work with a fitter, but make sure you hit your gamer a few times during the session just so you know. 

[jholz]

I love these threads. I'm always expecting the OP to say they are currently playing a 905R or something.

 

Then they throw out a club like the 915, that to my mind, just came out yesterday.

 

Then I check and am forced to realize that the 915 is a decade old.

 

Time certainly gets weird as you get older.

 

In any event, my brother routinely out drives everyone with a 909 D3.

 

New clubs are cool, but I'd wager if you've got a good setup with the 915 and are putting a good swing on the ball, you aren't missing much.

[phizzy30]

16 hours ago, Bye said:

The 915 range was really good all round IMO. From memory the driver was a little spinney but very playable. The newer drivers are much harder to work right to left. 

I really don't understand how newer drivers are harder to hit a draw.  Yes, they are engineered to be fade biased because of MOI and weight placement, but I'd say that about 80% of my drives are a draw.  The rest are push fades but my swing is still in to out.  I don't find the newer stuff any harder to draw than the older models. 

[quine]

i guess the last post conveys my thoughts or question.   how old, other then years is the 915 with regards to tech.    geez, it is closing in on a decade i guess.    sometimes i wonder however whether changes are more about selling product rather then improving product.   like the g400 driver is quite a few generations ago but many argue better then many of the next gen models.   i don’t doubt that newer titleist gen models are better … just trying to guesstimate by how much .  thanks for all the input 

[phizzy30]

13 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

I've yet to find a driver that has made a huge (if any) difference in my scores. And scoring is where it's at right?

Chicks dig the long ball, lol. 

[WisconsinGolfer12]

I have such fond memories of a 917 D2. I loved the look, feel, and sound. I dont think the tsi or tsr are a huge amount hotter off the face, I definitely get more consistent spin rates across the face though.

[SwooshLT]

I'm 57 and around 90ish CHS .....normally low spin low launch guy but tsi2 was deadly accurate but super spinny and short comparatively for me. The tsr2 maintains ballspeed evenly across the face but doesn't spin up on said misses .....not sure what type of ball you use which is another factor. Value is in the eyes of the credit card holder. I believe the tsr2 is worth the upgrade. 

[phizzy30]

Just now, quine said:

i guess the last post conveys my thoughts or question.   how old, other then years is the 915 with regards to tech.    geez, it is closing in on a decade i guess.    sometimes i wonder however whether changes are more about selling product rather then improving product.   like the g400 driver is quite a few generations ago but many argue better then many of the next gen models.   i don’t doubt that newer titleist gen models are better … just trying to guesstimate by how much .  thanks for all the input 

You'd have to test them in order to find the answer.  I think you'll like that the newer stuff tends to be more forgiving on mishits.  Other than that, anything hit off the sweet spot is a wash between the newer drivers and older ones. 

[SoCalTitleist]

New drivers are mostly just lower spin 

[iNeedMoreGolf]

About 100 yards and 7 birdies 

[Bye]

5 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

I really don't understand how newer drivers are harder to hit a draw.  Yes, they are engineered to be fade biased because of MOI and weight placement, but I'd say that about 80% of my drives are a draw.  The rest are push fades but my swing is still in to out.  I don't find the newer stuff any harder to draw than the older models. 

Like you say they are mostly fade bias now and nearly all look to sit open to me.
 

Are you a high spin player? I struggle to spin the ball enough even with reasonable speed. My shot shape is naturally right to left, but with a driver it’s a struggle to hit a controlled draw.

[Valtiel]

On 10/17/2022 at 7:25 PM, quine said:

Really?  I thought with limits on cor etc it would be much less then that. 

Every single shot isn't likely to be 15y longer, but when you factor in a range of misses and add them together combined with a few other tech related advancements you start to see the gains. COR/CT is only one piece of the formula that goes into total distance and relates directly to ball speed. CG placement/optimization can influence launch conditions, specifically towards the goal of higher launch with lower spin which = more distance. Increasing the driver's MOI by moving weight rearward combined with advances in face tech (widening the area of max COR) creates better numbers on mishits, driving up your overall average. 

The 900 series drivers marked the end of an era for Titleist who were starting to fall behind in the driver arms race, with a big design shift coming in the TS line in where Titleist made its first proper "low CG" head in the TS3. Titleist's designs had long been mid/high CG, meaning that the sweetspot was higher on the face, comfortably above the visual center. This meant higher spin on average and less efficient for anyone that didn't strike consistently slightly above center. This is also meant that those high launch low spin bombs coming from striking slightly above the actual were starting to get prohibitively high on the face. The entire TS line is now more in line with what the other big guys are doing. Lower CG while also being equal to or often higher MOI then early designs (especially the "2" models). Objectively this means what you're missing from the 915 is the potential for hotter launch conditions, more ball speed across the face, horizontal CG adjustability (on the "3" models), and less curvature on mishits. 

[Davethegolfer]

This will give you an idea

 

 

[phizzy30]

6 hours ago, Bye said:

Like you say they are mostly fade bias now and nearly all look to sit open to me.
 

Are you a high spin player? I struggle to spin the ball enough even with reasonable speed. My shot shape is naturally right to left, but with a driver it’s a struggle to hit a controlled draw.

Yes, I'm high spin.  This is why I usually gravitate towards low spin heads and balls.  I'd love to hit fades off the tee all day as it's more controllable, but my swing dictates that the ball start out straight or slightly right and curve left anywhere from 10 to 50+ yards, lol. 

[me05501]

On 10/18/2022 at 10:22 PM, phizzy30 said:

I really don't understand how newer drivers are harder to hit a draw.  Yes, they are engineered to be fade biased because of MOI and weight placement, but I'd say that about 80% of my drives are a draw.  The rest are push fades but my swing is still in to out.  I don't find the newer stuff any harder to draw than the older models. 

 

 I agree. I think what people really mean is that the ball wants to go straighter in general. The "draw" of yesterday swept from the right side of the fairway all the way over to the left. Now a "draw" starts straight and ends slightly left of that line. 

 

It's *always* been easier to cut a driver due to the low loft and long shaft. Balls that used to be off the golf course are now playable in the right rough. 

[colesdad2]

I'm late to this party; been wanting to post for a couple days. OP, you are better than I am. My best rounds are 3-4 over, current index 11.5. I'm 61. Last time I was on a monitor my driver SS was 105-108. I carried a 913D3 until about 3 months ago. Can't recall original shaft, 2nd was a GD AD DI-6S, then a Smoke Black 60g 6.0 3 years ago. Earlier this year I went with a Mizuno STZ-220 9* with Motore X F-3.  I bought this because I put the 3-wood in the bag and loved it. The STZ is VASTLY more forgiving for me. I rarely miss a fairway with a stock swing. I do feel right now that its about 10 yards shorter - in the 250-260 range instead of 260-270 avg. This may be my SS continuing to drop off, which I don't want to admit. I never hit the 170 yard duck-hook with this club. I'm getting almost no roll most of the time, whereas I've played runners since the J's Professional Weapon days. I'm thinking my spin may be high and am considering going back to a HZRDUS.

 

The STZ feels great with good sound.  It isn't the distinctive Titleist crack, but it's good.

 

One thing I don't like...I always had another gear with the 913D3. I called it the red-Word not allowed swing (for after 3-putts). Little wider, little longer, load it up and bust one 20 yards longer.  I just can't do that with the current setup. Unfortunately, all I've played in the last month are 3 charity scrambles where I've been the long hitter in the foursome (I know; we don't win). When I really load up this STZ combo I can hit it 20 yards farther, bit it's 20-30 degrees right. Not a fade or slice, just dead right. Again, I'm hoping that's a shaft issue.

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, me05501 said:

 

 I agree. I think what people really mean is that the ball wants to go straighter in general. The "draw" of yesterday swept from the right side of the fairway all the way over to the left. Now a "draw" starts straight and ends slightly left of that line. 

 

It's *always* been easier to cut a driver due to the low loft and long shaft. Balls that used to be off the golf course are now playable in the right rough. 

I played at my home course yesterday and was hitting a mid trajectory draw(10-20 yards) on the front 9.  The wind was picking up in the late afternoon so I ended up playing a low strong draw/hook on the back 9.  It's really easy for me to hit them even with the fade biased heads.  I saw Camilo hit the same type low draw/hooks earlier this year on TV that ended up in the fairways so it can be done. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by phizzy30