MEMBER REVIEWS: Titleist GT Driver & Fairway Wood Member Testing | See What Members Are Saying

[GolfWRX_Official]

We have five (5) of our forum members testing the brand new Titleist GT Driver and Fairway Wood! Titleist has been a long-time leader the driver category as the most played driver on the PGA TOUR for five years and counting and we are looking forward to our members putting these products through the ultimate test. Titleist surprised our members with an experience that makes this member testing opportunity that much more exciting, but we'll let our testers tell that story. Please feel free to ask any questions that you might have, as the testers will be happy to answer them!

 

The testers are:

 

• @ChrisATL
• @stryper
• @timbo08
• @AUTIGER07
• @bigdriveandy

 

About the Titleist GT Driver

Each driver in the GT line features an all-new Seamless Thermoform Crown comprised of a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. This unique, ultra-light material allowed Titleist engineers to place discretionary mass in the optimal locations for each model, providing exceptional speed and stability with GT’s Split Mass Construction. GT maintains the classic Titleist driver look at address with a clean transition between the crown and the club’s titanium body, and the acoustic properties of the Proprietary Matrix Polymer preserve a player-preferred sound and feel. Refined aerodynamics increase clubhead speed, and a new Speed Ring and VFT face design contribute to faster ball speed on on- and off-center strikes. The sum of these advancements creates an exceptionally fast driver that offers extremely consistent spin and launch conditions across the face.

 

The new GT line consists of three models. GT2 is designed for speed and forgiveness across the face with a higher-MOI setup. GT3 is designed for fine-tuned speed and control, maximizing distance and optimizing flight. GT4 is a low-spin, 430cc driver designed to eliminate excessive spin and deliver a fast, penetrating trajectory.

 

About the Titleist Fairway Wood

Both GT2 and GT3 fairway metals feature all-new constructions, beginning with their Seamless Thermoform Crown, made from Titleist’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The crown maintains the classic Titleist look while the acoustic properties of the Proprietary Matrix Polymer provide the classic Titleist sound and feel. Much like the GT driver line, the ultra-light crown on GT2 and GT3 fairways allows for the redistribution of discretionary mass, leading to optimized center of gravity positions in each model. The result is higher flight with similar or lower spin and fast speeds in both models. A new L-Cup Face improves performance on low impact shots, and refined shaping on each model gives players two distinct options to choose from.

 

Special thank you to Titleist for coming to us with this amazing member testing opportunity!

 

 

[CanFred]

Thanks so much to GolfWRX & Titleist for this incredible opportunity!  Looking forward to putting the new GT Driver & FWs to the test very soon!  I have my fitting scheduled for next Saturday, but please ask any initial questions / things you'd like me to tee up with the fitter. 

 

But first, about me:

I currently reside in Atlanta, GA (hence the name) and have been playing golf most of my life, although I didn't really "take it seriously" until COVID.  I recently joined GolfWRX as a member, although I've been a long time stalker of the site, and have found this community incredibly open & knowledgable on the sport. 

 

My current woods setup is all Callaway - Paradym at 10.5, along with a 3W (15) and 7W (21), all of which I'm pretty happy with currently.  In fact, the 7W has become one of my favorite clubs in the bag - I've never had much luck with longer irons and I love the flight of 7W on those long par 5s / tight tee shots that I typically play in GA.  

Edited September 4, 2024 by ChrisATL

[BraxtonFullerton]

Testers, give us the goods on what you're currently playing: model/loft/hosel settings/shaft (weight & flex). What your typical swing looks like for speed, distance, spin, draw/fade, etc.

[ColdOkieGolf]

Let's go!   Excited to see how these compare to the tester's current gamers.    I've hit my buddy's GT3 and it's darn nice, that's for sure.

[bigdriveandy]

First and foremost thank you so much  to GolfWRX and Titleist for this amazing opportunity to test and report back to the community here. I have been a member of this forum since 2006 and I have been so lucky to learn so much from everyone here during those nearly 2 decades. These opportunities are what make this site so great, and I truly cannot wait to see how these drivers and fairway woods stack up against the best of the best. I plan on testing in multiple phases involving indoor and outdoor ranges as well as on-course, and will bring you all of my findings in detail! My fitting is September 20th but I am happy to answer any questions you guys have in the mean time. If there are specific things you'd like me to talk to my fitter about please lmk as well!

[bigdriveandy]

15 minutes ago, BraxtonFullerton said:

Testers, give us the goods on what you're currently playing: model/loft/hosel settings/shaft (weight & flex). What your typical swing looks like for speed, distance, spin, draw/fade, etc.

My current setup is the GOAT PING G400 Max 10.5* set at big minus (9.5*) with a Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution X Flex at 45". My typical swing speed is 105-110 and my pattern is a draw that can hook at times. Typical carry distance is around 260. I definitely do not struggle to keep spin down. My drives are in the 2000-2300 range typically. 

 

Other drivers I have tried to unseat the GOAT with: Ping G410 Plus, Ping G425 LST, Callaway Rogue ST Max LS, Callaway Epic Speed, Taylormade Stealth 2, Cobra Aerojet LS, TEE C721

[Carolina Golfer 2]

Congrats Testers!   Having had the GT2 and a coujple FW in play myself for a couple months, you are in for some good stuff  

 

And @bigdriveandy  Did you really have to say nearly 2 decades, I've been a member since about the same time, and that just hit home how long it's been and how old I am...ha 

[fixurpitch]

Definitely looking forward to feedback from our WRX testers.  I’m a longtime Titleist fan. Current top of the bag is a mix of TSi and TSR.  Something may be due for an upgrade. 

[timbo08]

Thanks, GolfWrx, for the opportunity!! I've been a member here for a while and really appreciate the chance to give back a bit by offering my insight after enjoying the same from so many others over the years. I’m really excited to try out the new GT lineup! Titleist doesn’t usually make huge changes from release to release, so the new multi-material construction feels like a pretty big leap for them.

 

As for my own game, I’m currently playing a PING G400 Max, 9 degrees, in the “little +” setting with a stock Tour Chrome 65 Stiff Shaft. My miss is a slight ballooning fade that really kills my distance. I’ve also bounced back and forth with a Stealth 2+, which I liked but wanted a bit more forgiveness from, which is why I went back to the G400 Max. Ideally, I’m hoping I can find a happy medium with the GT line, something that offers the forgiveness of my G400 but the distance of the Stealth.

 

Regarding fairway woods, I’m playing a Stealth 2+ with a Kai'li Red shaft, the weight all the way back, and playing at 15.75 degrees. Then I jump to a Titleist TSR2 7 wood with a Tensei AV Blue shaft. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the 7 wood; sometimes I turn it over a bit too much and overcook a draw, but otherwise, it works well for me. The 3 wood, on the other hand, has been a long search for the "just right" club. I’ve dabbled with a lot of different brands over the last 5 years. The current one balloons a bit too much off the tee but is okay off the turf. On the flip side, the Stealth+ I had last year was just the opposite—great off the tee, but I hit low fading bullets from the fairway.

 

For context, I play about 20 rounds a year with some scrambles mixed in, and I’m playing off a 10-11 handicap. My swing tends to get a little steep/over-the-top, and I have a very late release (basically, no release at all 😁), with swing speeds somewhere around 103 to 106 mph with the driver.

 

The rest of my bag includes a Taylormade PDI 4 hybrid with a KBS hybrid shaft, Titleist T150 irons with PX LZ 6.0 shafts in 5-PW, Vokey SM10 wedges (50F, 56S, and 60M), and a Bettinardi BB1 Wide putter. Oh yeah, I should probably mention I’m a lefty, and I had all my gear stolen last summer along with my truck (don’t leave your sticks in the trunk!). So everything had to be replaced new this year. Needless to say, I’m still tinkering with a lot of my bag and really miss my Vokey LBK 60, which I still need to replace.

 

Anyway, feel free to ask any questions. I’m still trying to coordinate my fitting with Titleist but hoping to get it done either this weekend or next. Again, I can’t thank GolfWRX and Titleist enough for the opportunity—I’m super excited to be a part of it!!

 

 

[CanFred]

48 minutes ago, BraxtonFullerton said:

Testers, give us the goods on what you're currently playing: model/loft/hosel settings/shaft (weight & flex). What your typical swing looks like for speed, distance, spin, draw/fade, etc.

Current setup:

Paradym 10.5 (standard model & hosel setting) w/ Ventus Blue TR in 6S

Paradym 15 (standard model & hosel setting) w/ Hzrdus RDX Smoke Blue in 7S 

Paradym 21 (standard model & hosel setting) w/ Hzrdus RDX Smoke Blue in 7S

 

On setup, for some reason, I preferred the CB feel in my FWs, hence the shaft choice, but I wasn't thrilled with my past fittings - both driver & FWs were done at a big box and I felt rushed both times.  

 

My typical swing speed is 105-110, typically carrying 240 - 260 yards, and I'm usually hitting a baby fade.  Unfortunately, my miss is the duck hook, which typically happens when my path is too flat.  

 

[gavinski91]

1 hour ago, timbo08 said:

Thanks, GolfWrx, for the opportunity!! I've been a member here for a while and really appreciate the chance to give back a bit by offering my insight after enjoying the same from so many others over the years. I’m really excited to try out the new GT lineup! Titleist doesn’t usually make huge changes from release to release, so the new multi-material construction feels like a pretty big leap for them.

 

As for my own game, I’m currently playing a PING G400 Max, 9 degrees, in the “little +” setting with a stock Tour Chrome 65 Stiff Shaft. My miss is a slight ballooning fade that really kills my distance. I’ve also bounced back and forth with a Stealth 2+, which I liked but wanted a bit more forgiveness from, which is why I went back to the G400 Max. Ideally, I’m hoping I can find a happy medium with the GT line, something that offers the forgiveness of my G400 but the distance of the Stealth.

 

Regarding fairway woods, I’m playing a Stealth 2+ with a Kai'li Red shaft, the weight all the way back, and playing at 15.75 degrees. Then I jump to a Titleist TSR2 7 wood with a Tensei AV Blue shaft. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the 7 wood; sometimes I turn it over a bit too much and overcook a draw, but otherwise, it works well for me. The 3 wood, on the other hand, has been a long search for the "just right" club. I’ve dabbled with a lot of different brands over the last 5 years. The current one balloons a bit too much off the tee but is okay off the turf. On the flip side, the Stealth+ I had last year was just the opposite—great off the tee, but I hit low fading bullets from the fairway.

 

For context, I play about 20 rounds a year with some scrambles mixed in, and I’m playing off a 10-11 handicap. My swing tends to get a little steep/over-the-top, and I have a very late release (basically, no release at all 😁), with swing speeds somewhere around 103 to 106 mph with the driver.

 

The rest of my bag includes a Taylormade PDI 4 hybrid with a KBS hybrid shaft, Titleist T150 irons with PX LZ 6.0 shafts in 5-PW, Vokey SM10 wedges (50F, 56S, and 60M), and a Bettinardi BB1 Wide putter. Oh yeah, I should probably mention I’m a lefty, and I had all my gear stolen last summer along with my truck (don’t leave your sticks in the trunk!). So everything had to be replaced new this year. Needless to say, I’m still tinkering with a lot of my bag and really miss my Vokey LBK 60, which I still need to replace.

 

Anyway, feel free to ask any questions. I’m still trying to coordinate my fitting with Titleist but hoping to get it done either this weekend or next. Again, I can’t thank GolfWRX and Titleist enough for the opportunity—I’m super excited to be a part of it!!

 

 

Sounds a lot like my swing, interested to hear what GT model you get fit into.

[stryper]

10 hours ago, BraxtonFullerton said:

Testers, give us the goods on what you're currently playing: model/loft/hosel settings/shaft (weight & flex). What your typical swing looks like for speed, distance, spin, draw/fade, etc.

More about me later, as my fitting is scheduled for tomorrow. 
 

But for now, I’m playing a 10 degree TSR3, w/UST Mamiya Elements Chrome 7F4T, set at C4.  Fairway is a 915Fd, w/Aldila Rogue, set at B3.  Two TSR3 hybrids (Fuji ATMOS, A1) fill out the top of the bag.

Current driver swing speed is 95-100.  Swing path is generally 2-4 degrees out-in. Launch is 14-16 degrees. Shot pattern is a baby fade that can morph into either a little pull, or a push-fade that can sometimes get me in trouble.  I’m generally comfortable with this flight pattern, however, I’m sometimes afflicted with too much spin causing a ballooning effect, or the aforementioned overfade.

 

All appropriate gratitude goes to GolfWRX and Titleist for this amazing opportunity, with special appreciation to Jacquelyn at Titleist who was able to hook me up with one of the premier fitters in my area.

 

So the journey for me begins tomorrow…welcome along for the ride!!!

 

Edited September 5, 2024 by stryper

[QuigleyDU]

looking forward to the feedback here. 

[jrg75]

Great group of testers.... looking forward to this one.  Been playing TSR2 for some time but hear nothing but good things about the GT line, always looking for the next best gear change 

[mkidding]

Your data guy is here again 😁 It's impressive that they picked testers from page 15 and page 21 - that's a lot of applications to go through!

 

It looks like Titleist picked one tester per major brand (of their current driver). Looking forward to reading some head-to-head comparisons

 

On a side note, no one from the West Coast was picked this time 😭

 

[Pnwpingi210]

Look forward to hearing from the test group!   Love that the we will be hearing from a brand agnostic group of testers vs brand loyalist!

 

 

[GolfWRX_Official]

36 minutes ago, mkidding said:

Your data guy is here again 😁 It's impressive that they picked testers from page 15 and page 21 - that's a lot of applications to go through!

 

It looks like Titleist picked one tester per major brand (of their current driver). Looking forward to reading some head-to-head comparisons

 

On a side note, no one from the West Coast was picked this time 😭

 

No page goes overlooked 

[ColdOkieGolf]

10 minutes ago, GolfWRX_Official said:

No page goes overlooked 

Why does that sound so ominous?   😆

[adamwon84]

Really interested in hearing how the testing goes for you all selected, the GT line looks fantastic (as usual)!

[AUTIGER07]

I'll echo the other testers and start with a massive thanks to GolfWRX and Titleist for this opportunity. As I mentioned in the original posting, this is one I was really excited to put in for and to have been selected was a great start to a very unproductive day at the office. Instead of running our company financials that morning, I instead spent the next 3-4 hours looking at the new GT line, specs, etc. 

 

My fitting is scheduled for this coming Sunday and outside of the slightly cooler weather expected that morning I'm excited to see where the driver / fairway recommendations shake out. A huge THANK YOU to Jacquelyn from Titleist who has been nothing short of awesome to work with thus far. She has been amazing with getting the fitting setup and has been extremely timely with her communication. Thanks again, Jacquelyn!

 

About Me:

Been playing the game for almost 30 years now and I'm now in my early 40's, which I don't like that last part very much but oh well. I played competitively in high school and college, playing AJGA, Southeastern Junior, GA JPGA, and then state Amateur events. The handicap is currently at a 1.4 but sadly due to work, life, kids, honey 'do-list' items, and terrible Illinois weather, I typically only play 5-10 rounds a year anymore. I do still practice 3-4x per month with one of those being a 2-3 hour "grind" session but the back usually reminds me the next morning that I'm no longer 18 anymore.

 

Current Driver / Fairway Setup:

Driver - Cobra Aerojet LS - 9* (std L/L/L) - Kai'li White 60x

Fairway - Titleist TSR2 - 15* - (std L/L) - Surefit set at B1 - Tensei Black 1K 75x

 

The Cobra has been almost unbeatable the last 18 months. For a low-spin driver, nothing I've tried thus far has been able to beat the combination of distance / accuracy I get from it so I'm anxious to see how the GT compares and ultimately which model I fit best in. The TSR2 I actually picked up a few months back and it has been a great addition thus far. Significantly better than the Cobra LS version I picked up with the driver and miles better than the TSi2 I had bought ~18 months before the Cobra.

 

[Rory4Pres]

Ugh, very Jelly of you guys.

 

Hits like my annual Masters Lottery rejection email.

[bigdriveandy]

Me again. I also wanted to talk a little about my experience with fairway woods and WITB right now in that regard. So, the two spots in my bag right below driver have always been super challenging for me to fill. Partly, because I think I may have unreasonable expectations for my gear (more on that later).  Also, never been properly fitted for a fairway wood in my life (as weird as that sounds). 

 

This year I started with the G400 3 wood in the bag and a trusty Ping i25 5 wood in my bag that I have had for many years. To me, the G400 woods were never as good as the driver, but I hit them fine and it at least satisfied my OCD of having the same brand for driver and 3 wood (not something I always do, but it does make me happy). 

 

Then in June the unthinkable happened, my 5 wood head broke. So I found a cheap TaylorMade M5 head online and put it in the bag. I hit it ok, and I like the looks, but the feel is pretty uninspiring and the spin is not where it needs to be. I am too lazy to tinker with shafts and whatnot so that spot in the bag kind of is what it is. I like hitting my 5 wood off the tee on short par 4s or laying up for doglegs and what have you. But where I really need reliability is long par 3s and long approaches. Maybe it is the shaft, or the titanium construction of the head but I CANNOT hold greens to save my life with my 5 wood.

 

I am super duper excited to see if there is anything in the new in the GT fairways that will give me a more playable stock shot and something that could ostensibly hold greens when needed. I am a bit anxious because I usually play like an 85g or heavier shaft in a 5 wood and I hope Titleist has something heavy on offer that will fit the bill for me. I have heard nothing but awesome things about the TSi and TSr fairway woods so there is nothing that has me thinking GT will be any different! 

 

As for my 3 wood journey this year. I can't claim that finding a 3 wood has been as hard as some of our more famous strugglers on this forum (@mtljeff 😅). But I got super annoyed with not being able to hit the G400 off the deck as consistently as I want. So first, I tried a Callaway 17* UW. Spin was way too low. Reshafted it. Spin even lower. Immediately sold it. On a whim, I tried a Qi10 3 wood of my buddy's and it was easy to elevate, ballflight was flat, distance was awesome. Ended up buying one of those with the stock shaft in it. Hit that, hated the shaft so much that i pulled it after hitting literally 2 balls with it. Installed a fuji atmos red that i had hanging around. First day I had it, total honeymoon! Hit every one pure and straight. Next round, started hooking it. Literally ever since then I can't really do anything but draw or hook it unless I REALLY concentrate on holding the face open. I had read on here that some of the stock Qi10 heads sit pretty closed and so I checked mine. Lo and behold its like 2 degrees closed. So, I am super hype to try to find something in the GT range that can give me the distance, feel and confidence of the Qi10 without the insane hooks. 

 

I know most of you all will probably be more keen to hear my feedback on the driver...however, I am absolutely more stoked to improve my fairway play through a proper fitting and hopefully something that I can hit from the tee and the turf with ease. I haven't played a Titleist fairway wood since the 906f4, which is one of the greatest ever in my book (which is why mine is still sitting in my spare club bag in the garage, next to my HFS R7TP).

[CanFred]

1 hour ago, bigdriveandy said:

Me again. I also wanted to talk a little about my experience with fairway woods and WITB right now in that regard. So, the two spots in my bag right below driver have always been super challenging for me to fill. Partly, because I think I may have unreasonable expectations for my gear (more on that later).  Also, never been properly fitted for a fairway wood in my life (as weird as that sounds). 

 

This year I started with the G400 3 wood in the bag and a trusty Ping i25 5 wood in my bag that I have had for many years. To me, the G400 woods were never as good as the driver, but I hit them fine and it at least satisfied my OCD of having the same brand for driver and 3 wood (not something I always do, but it does make me happy). 

 

Then in June the unthinkable happened, my 5 wood head broke. So I found a cheap TaylorMade M5 head online and put it in the bag. I hit it ok, and I like the looks, but the feel is pretty uninspiring and the spin is not where it needs to be. I am too lazy to tinker with shafts and whatnot so that spot in the bag kind of is what it is. I like hitting my 5 wood off the tee on short par 4s or laying up for doglegs and what have you. But where I really need reliability is long par 3s and long approaches. Maybe it is the shaft, or the titanium construction of the head but I CANNOT hold greens to save my life with my 5 wood.

 

I am super duper excited to see if there is anything in the new in the GT fairways that will give me a more playable stock shot and something that could ostensibly hold greens when needed. I am a bit anxious because I usually play like an 85g or heavier shaft in a 5 wood and I hope Titleist has something heavy on offer that will fit the bill for me. I have heard nothing but awesome things about the TSi and TSr fairway woods so there is nothing that has me thinking GT will be any different! 

 

As for my 3 wood journey this year. I can't claim that finding a 3 wood has been as hard as some of our more famous strugglers on this forum (@mtljeff 😅). But I got super annoyed with not being able to hit the G400 off the deck as consistently as I want. So first, I tried a Callaway 17* UW. Spin was way too low. Reshafted it. Spin even lower. Immediately sold it. On a whim, I tried a Qi10 3 wood of my buddy's and it was easy to elevate, ballflight was flat, distance was awesome. Ended up buying one of those with the stock shaft in it. Hit that, hated the shaft so much that i pulled it after hitting literally 2 balls with it. Installed a fuji atmos red that i had hanging around. First day I had it, total honeymoon! Hit every one pure and straight. Next round, started hooking it. Literally ever since then I can't really do anything but draw or hook it unless I REALLY concentrate on holding the face open. I had read on here that some of the stock Qi10 heads sit pretty closed and so I checked mine. Lo and behold its like 2 degrees closed. So, I am super hype to try to find something in the GT range that can give me the distance, feel and confidence of the Qi10 without the insane hooks. 

 

I know most of you all will probably be more keen to hear my feedback on the driver...however, I am absolutely more stoked to improve my fairway play through a proper fitting and hopefully something that I can hit from the tee and the turf with ease. I haven't played a Titleist fairway wood since the 906f4, which is one of the greatest ever in my book (which is why mine is still sitting in my spare club bag in the garage, next to my HFS R7TP).

This is great @bigdriveandy and I think we may be polar opposites.  If I had to rank my confidence across the bag, my fairways would be near the top (both the 3W & 7W), while the Driver would probably be my lowest.  In fact, I've had multiple recent rounds that I've kept driver in bag and went solely 3W off the tee.  

 

I'm most excited about two things:

1) Getting properly fit for driver - my last fitting was done in a big box store and felt rushed, so I'm really curious to see the hard data and have Chris (my fitter) work through a couple options in real time.  Most importantly, I'm coming in with an open mind - I have an idea of what model / shaft configuration I'll end up with (I won't reveal that yet), but I'm going to try and remove those biases on fitting day.

2) Seeing if the new GT fairways can overtake my current setup - as I said, these are two of my favorite clubs, so its going to be interesting to see if Chris can squeeze a bit more performance here.

[stryper]

Had my fitting today, and I must say Titleist does it right.  The venue was Pevely Farms in the St. Louis area.  Didn’t have the opportunity to explore the course, but the driving range/fitting area was immaculate.  And my fitter, Matt, was an absolute pleasure to work with.  All the options were there—heads, shafts, weight kits, and Trackman to give us the data we needed.

 

After a brief warmup (didn’t need much, as it was as hot and humid as a St.Louis summer day should be), we started off with a baseline read on what I’m currently playing.  Swing felt great, and despite the nerves, I was able to give him a fairly accurate picture of my game off the tee.  Some of my nicer shots…and some of my most common misses.  Toe fades and dead left when I squared the face with my out-to-in path.

 

Then we tried the GT2 head with several different Project X HZRDUS and Denali shafts.  Throughout the process, I paid no attention to either weight or flex, preferring to let Matt work his magic there.  (I’m relatively insensitive to swing weight and shaft loading anyway, so I didn’t really care).  With the GT2, we did pick up a few yards, but dispersion wasn’t quite getting us where we need to be.

Then we moved to the GT3.  Repeated the process with the same various shafts and saw things come into focus a little more.  Still not quite there, but dispersion was tightening up.  Then we went to Tensei.  Gone was the hard left miss, and the weak heel and toe fades were much more in play.  A few more tweaks with Surefit track weights and we were set.  
 

So overall, on average, we found 8 more yards distance and, more importantly, much  tighter left to right dispersion.  We couldn’t completely get my spin numbers where we would have liked, but Matt was satisfied that that was more of a swing issue than anything about the driver setup.  
 

All in all I came away very satisfied with, and highly recommend, the Titleist driver fitting experience…I’ll address the fairway side of things in another post.

So these are the specs I came away with.  It’s worth noting that in both the driver and fairway the shafts are quite a bit lighter than I had been playing. And after today, I can’t wait to see what they do on course.  Absolute AWESOME experience!

[CanFred]

12 hours ago, stryper said:

Had my fitting today, and I must say Titleist does it right.  The venue was Pevely Farms in the St. Louis area.  Didn’t have the opportunity to explore the course, but the driving range/fitting area was immaculate.  And my fitter, Matt, was an absolute pleasure to work with.  All the options were there—heads, shafts, weight kits, and Trackman to give us the data we needed.

 

After a brief warmup (didn’t need much, as it was as hot and humid as a St.Louis summer day should be), we started off with a baseline read on what I’m currently playing.  Swing felt great, and despite the nerves, I was able to give him a fairly accurate picture of my game off the tee.  Some of my nicer shots…and some of my most common misses.  Toe fades and dead left when I squared the face with my out-to-in path.

 

Then we tried the GT2 head with several different Project X HZRDUS and Denali shafts.  Throughout the process, I paid no attention to either weight or flex, preferring to let Matt work his magic there.  (I’m relatively insensitive to swing weight and shaft loading anyway, so I didn’t really care).  With the GT2, we did pick up a few yards, but dispersion wasn’t quite getting us where we need to be.

Then we moved to the GT3.  Repeated the process with the same various shafts and saw things come into focus a little more.  Still not quite there, but dispersion was tightening up.  Then we went to Tensei.  Gone was the hard left miss, and the weak heel and toe fades were much more in play.  A few more tweaks with Surefit track weights and we were set.  
 

So overall, on average, we found 8 more yards distance and, more importantly, much  tighter left to right dispersion.  We couldn’t completely get my spin numbers where we would have liked, but Matt was satisfied that that was more of a swing issue than anything about the driver setup.  
 

All in all I came away very satisfied with, and highly recommend, the Titleist driver fitting experience…I’ll address the fairway side of things in another post.

So these are the specs I came away with.  It’s worth noting that in both the driver and fairway the shafts are quite a bit lighter than I had been playing. And after today, I can’t wait to see what they do on course.  Absolute AWESOME experience!

Great summary @stryper - curious on shaft options that you tried out. Did you go in pretty open in terms of brand / model / flex / weight, or did your fitter help you focus on specific options at the start. Glad to hear you were able to end up with a great option in the Tensei Blue. 
 

Also, looks like the picture got cut off, but did you end up with 3W / 5W combo in the fairways (assuming same shaft setup)?

[stryper]

2 hours ago, ChrisATL said:

Great summary @stryper - curious on shaft options that you tried out. Did you go in pretty open in terms of brand / model / flex / weight, or did your fitter help you focus on specific options at the start. Glad to hear you were able to end up with a great option in the Tensei Blue. 
 

Also, looks like the picture got cut off, but did you end up with 3W / 5W combo in the fairways (assuming same shaft setup)?

I went in with a completely open mind.  As much as possible I wanted to be fit without internal bias, as prior to this experience I had always been self-fit, basing my choices on published data. And prior to this I always felt I’d done a decent job of getting things in the ballpark.  In fact, I had always been a bit stubborn in my anti-fit stance, thinking it just wasn’t necessary for the average golfer. So it came as a very pleasant surprise when I learned a full, professional Titleist fitting was included in this member testing opportunity.

 

None of which was discussed at my fitting.

So I let Matt make all the shaft decisions based on his observations.  I was aware, of course, when he handed me a Denali, and when he switched that for a HZRDUS, but I purposely didn’t pay attention to any weight or flex designations on any of the different models.  Nor did I ask about the different  weights he switched in and out, or the hosel settings he changed along the way.  All I knew was that we started with  a GT2 head of unknown loft with some sort of Denali shaft, and we ended up with a 10 degree GT3 head and 55 gram stiff Tensei shaft and a different weight and hosel configuration than I currently play in my TSR3.  When we finished,  he did explain the how and the why of where we finally landed, and I was satisfied with his logic.  Again, it was a very pleasant experience.

 

As for the fairway, I wasn’t offered anything other than the 3 wood, and to be honest, by the time we finished with the driver/3 wood fitting, I was so gassed I doubt I could have put together enough meaningful swings to make a difference.  I suspect we would have ended up with the same basic setup if we did go to a 5 wood, but we never got there.  

[CanFred]

Good stuff @stryper - candidly, it’s going to be hard to fight some biases I’ve already developed. For example, while I feel I have work to do on my driver as a whole, I LOVE the feel of the Ventus TR. Again, I want to be very open minded, but it’s going to be hard to shake. 
 

When you moved to FWs, I’m curious if your fitter probed you on current setup and how you use each wood. Candidly, I’m very interested in the 13.5 GT2 - I’ve been toying with the idea of going with a mini driver, but I also would like the flexibility of hitting my strong FW off the deck. Regardless, I’m excited to try out the fairways - it’s going to be hard to top my current setup. 

[stryper]

28 minutes ago, ChrisATL said:

Good stuff @stryper - candidly, it’s going to be hard to fight some biases I’ve already developed. For example, while I feel I have work to do on my driver as a whole, I LOVE the feel of the Ventus TR. Again, I want to be very open minded, but it’s going to be hard to shake. 
 

When you moved to FWs, I’m curious if your fitter probed you on current setup and how you use each wood. Candidly, I’m very interested in the 13.5 GT2 - I’ve been toying with the idea of going with a mini driver, but I also would like the flexibility of hitting my strong FW off the deck. Regardless, I’m excited to try out the fairways - it’s going to be hard to top my current setup. 

Yep, when we moved to the fairway part of our day, Matt ripped the headcover off of mine, and we had a laugh when I said, not much competition here, when he saw the 915Fd that’s currently in my bag.  I told him then that the fairway was my own personal kryptonite, and proved it as soon as he handed me the GT3 and cold topped my first shot.  Still he was able to rig the GT3 to get me going in the right direction.  Oddly, to my way of thinking, he went with a lighter SureFit weight to raise the center of gravity, whereas I would have thought a lower  COG would have helped improve the launch conditions—proving that so much of golf is counter intuitive.

 

Honestly, at this point, a strong three or mini driver doesn’t make much sense for me, as there aren’t many fairways that I play regularly that I’m worried about running through with a driver into trouble.  So a strong three isn’t really going to help me out much there.  Of course, YMMV, but we didn’t discuss that as an option.  
 

As a word of encouragement, I would strongly suggest you do go into it with an open mind.  Given the level of service I received, I think you’ll find your fitter quite receptive to your own ideas and what would work best for.  
 

Good luck…I’m very interested to hear how your experience compares with mine (and others).  

[CanFred]

26 minutes ago, stryper said:

Yep, when we moved to the fairway part of our day, Matt ripped the headcover off of mine, and we had a laugh when I said, not much competition here, when he saw the 915Fd that’s currently in my bag.  I told him then that the fairway was my own personal kryptonite, and proved it as soon as he handed me the GT3 and cold topped my first shot.  Still he was able to rig the GT3 to get me going in the right direction.  Oddly, to my way of thinking, he went with a lighter SureFit weight to raise the center of gravity, whereas I would have thought a lower  COG would have helped improve the launch conditions—proving that so much of golf is counter intuitive.

 

Honestly, at this point, a strong three or mini driver doesn’t make much sense for me, as there aren’t many fairways that I play regularly that I’m worried about running through with a driver into trouble.  So a strong three isn’t really going to help me out much there.  Of course, YMMV, but we didn’t discuss that as an option.  
 

As a word of encouragement, I would strongly suggest you do go into it with an open mind.  Given the level of service I received, I think you’ll find your fitter quite receptive to your own ideas and what would work best for.  
 

Good luck…I’m very interested to hear how your experience compares with mine (and others).  

Appreciate it @stryper - especially that last part. Regardless, I’m ecstatic for this fitting, given the level of expertise it seems like you received in yours. Can’t wait to read the other testers as well!

[stryper]

18 minutes ago, ChrisATL said:

Appreciate it @stryper - especially that last part. Regardless, I’m ecstatic for this fitting, given the level of expertise it seems like you received in yours. Can’t wait to read the other testers as well!

I think you’re going to enjoy it. 😉

 

This GolfWRX/Titleist experience has been way over the top!!!

Edited September 7, 2024 by stryper