Equipment
Wunder: Titleist TSi driver first impressions
Three things I want to address before I kick this off.
- “Better, best” will not be addressed. It’s never about that these days only what works for me or you.
- I’m not adding TrackMan data to this for one simple reason: It doesn’t matter to me for a first impression. I can get lost in the data and ultimately it confuses my ability to just enjoy the sound feel and look of the driver. Obviously, the fitting was on TrackMan, but in the past, successful drivers for me started with the emotional part. Simply, do I like the thing? Can I look at it? Can I trust it? Can I hit shots with it? That’s it.
- When I say “spin this” and “spin that,” it’s always addressing a positive aspect.
On Tuesday of this week, I had the good fortune of visiting the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI in Oceanside, California) to do my TSi metal woods fitting. Won’t get too far into that, but essentially it’s golf heaven in every sense of the word. Like TaylorMade’s Kingdom or Callaway’s ECPC, TPI it’s a gearhead paradise.
Titleist Master Fitter Joey Saewitz (@thejoeysaewitz on IG) was my fitter and after hitting a few balls to warm up, we dug into my gamer driver that I adore.
Current Gamer Spec
TaylorMade SIM (9 degrees @ 8.5). Fujikura Ventus Black 6X (no tipping) 45 inches, D4, GolfPride BCT 58R
I have been constantly messing with my driver between new shafts, lofts, lie, etc. Since I’ve been playing a bit more this month, I’ve had the chance to work on my swing and the driver has been the last thing to come around. I’m working on decreasing dynamic loft through the bag and have not adjusted my driver to match. The point is, I’m hitting the driver solid but have lost a ton of height and spin to keep it in the air.
I’m saying this now because for key metrics I was at a deficiency because of the craftsman not his tools. The SIM I was fit into was/is excellent. So, as you read on, keep in mind that I knew that numbers-wise apples to apples my setup was vulnerable to getting beat out due to my tinkering.
Thoughts
My average numbers these days are are 105-108 mph swing speed, 155-160 mph ball speed, 14-degree launch, and 1,800-2,000 spin. At 43-years-old, when I’m hitting it solid I get a lot out of my driver. IF I’m swinging well, at my low spin, off days can be nauseating with the driver.
LOOKS
TSi3: If two of my favorite drivers 975D and R7 Superquad TP had a baby, the TSi3 would be it. Its flawless appearance-wise. The heel section gives it an onset look that the faders will love and the top line toe section is a bit rounded off to give it an open look without having to crank it open. Not the first time we have heard that but nonetheless, Titleist nailed it.
The face has a cool matte finish that I can’t get into yet, but it frames a white ball excellently.
TSi2: Like the TS2, it has that high-MOI shape, although I will say the top line and transitions are a bit softer on the eye. It’s a driver that looks like it just wants to go high and far. If I wanted to hit something as hard as I could that’s the shape I would look for.
Side note—the black shafts in the TSi3 are almost too cool to even look at—the closest thing to a Darth Vader golf club I have ever seen.
FEEL/SOUND
This is where they really figured it out. Titleist drivers in the past to my ear sounded good but not great. There was always an essence of ting that I couldn’t fall in love with. The TSi series fixed that in totality, like all the great drivers on the market in 2020 it has that hammerhead thud that I adore. When you crunch it, you literally hear crunch. At impact, however, it has a more compressiony (is that a word?) feel than its competitors. The comparison would be a one-piece forged feel vs a hollow body players iron. Both feel excellent but there is a difference. You can feel the ball squeeze into the face which I think most will notice and respond well to.
PERFORMANCE—Not going to compare it to my gamer as it’s not fair, I gear headed my gamer to the point of lunacy. I will only comment on what the TSi series did while testing.
TSi3: The biggest standout here was usable spin. I am not a high-spin player by any stretch, so if I can find a driver that gets me 2,100-2,200 consistently when I flush it, it’s a contender. For a player at my speed to sneak it out there with the big hitters, I have to launch it at 14 at 1,700 spin, and hope I’m aimed correctly. What I found with the TSi was I was getting that performance at 2,100-2,200, and if anything only giving up 2-3 yards all while doing it 5/10 times as opposed to 2/10.
What does all that jibberish add up to? Consistency and something I can play with. Is it longer than my gamer? I have no idea, but we will find out. What I know is I hit a bunch of really good shots with TSi3, and after I got going with it, it was point and shoot. Stable? Yes. Long? Yes. Forgiving? Yes. Playable? Yes.
TSi2: To be honest I only hit a few with the Tsi2 as its not my genre of music. What I can say is it feels apples to apples with the Tsi3, launches higher with a bit more spin, and goes really straight. No shocker there. The high MOI category has a bunch of contenders, and in my opinion, it’s a head weight game. Heavy is always better for stability.
The setup I landed on
I was fit into the (D4 SureFit setting 9 degrees @ 9.75, flat) however after testing a bit at home on course and range, I landed on the D1 setting, which I like. For whatever reason, I can play Tsi3 at 8.25 and still maintain height spin and it flew about five yards further.
Final setup
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9 degrees @8.25, D1 SureFit, 44.5 inches, D4 swing weight)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X (tipped 1)
Overall, the TSi Series drivers will be VERY popular but not for the reasons you would think. It’s playable, you can hit shots with it, that’s the mark of a GREAT golf club. It’s not all ball speeds and carry anymore in my opinion. This is a driver I can go out and play well with, that’s huge for a hack like me. In my experience, I can’t say that about a lot of drivers I’ve tried to make work in the last four to five years. That’s just me. Lots of great drivers every year but I’m a hard case and finding one that’s just right is a challenge.
Ultimately, for me, the best driver on the market is SIM hands down because it performs in the hitting bay and even better on the course—my hunch is Titleist has something that will do the same.
It’s a beautiful driver that I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
View this post on Instagram
OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Rich Douglas
Dec 12, 2020 at 11:59 am
The best driver I’ve ever had was the 917D3. Why? Because, after chasing the off-the-rack demon for 25 years (and about that many drivers), I finally got fitted. That broke the chain and I used it for 4 years.
Skipping a generation (usually a good idea), I recently upgraded to the TSi3. It’s longer, looks better, sounds better, and feels better. I can’t tell yet if it is more foregiving; I haven’t played it enough and settled on settings yet. (Started at A1 but will likely move to D1. Moved the heel weight to the second-from-the right setting immediately, though.) D5 swing weight, but it feels a bit light. Might have to take some weight off the grip.
mnw
Oct 1, 2020 at 4:39 pm
first sentence: “Better, best” will not be addressed. It’s never about that these days only what works for me or you.”
last paragraph:”Ultimately, for me, the best driver on the market is SIM hands down”
John Wunder
Oct 10, 2020 at 11:18 am
“On the market” opening sentence was to not get into comparing an unreleased driver to what’s out now. It confuses the issue and whats best is personal to each golfer for multiple reasons. Hence ”Ultimately, for ME, the best driver ON THE MARKET is SIM hands down”
Keith
Sep 28, 2020 at 8:34 am
Hey John,
Great stuff. I guess you still can’t get the TXG fitting for COVID/border concerns. Was really looking forward to it.
Keith
Paul Runyan
Sep 27, 2020 at 6:12 am
Gibberish is the key word.
John Wunder
Oct 10, 2020 at 11:20 am
Glad you enjoyed it
Paulo
Sep 26, 2020 at 2:49 pm
You say your hunch is the Titleist is better ? Yes or no , having hit both , is the Titleist better than the SIM ?
John Wunder
Sep 26, 2020 at 9:20 pm
Better is impossible to answer in my opinion. Both drivers are fanstastic and special to each company as far as their lineage. What I can say is hitting TSi3, im hitting quality shots, keeping it in front of me, plenty of speed and playability. If i was made to play either one id be happy.
Cosy
Sep 29, 2020 at 12:16 am
If nothing else. The shape is so good I want the performance to match.
alex Sans
Oct 5, 2020 at 6:55 am
Hello John nice comments. I follow this from Spain, I m 48 I changed my swing from hook to fade, and loss some power now only a 100 miles swing speed and max 240 carry, used to play the T2 and switched to ping 400 max, which was very forgiving. I found the TS2 not so consistent but the max has a lot of spin. Will be great you add amore info about the TSI2 in the future as probably most of us who follow are on 35 to 60 age and TS3 which I tried was great when hit in the center but had many misses on the left when I tried to push it. Here the fitters are scare and had to order Graphite design DI shafts as the previous T2 diamana was too soft.
In summary do you think the new shafts for TSI2 is good shaft, any comments if the TSI3 is a more forgiving than the TS3 which as said was harder for me to find consistency. By the way same happened with Sim, when striked well it was a bomb but not easy when tried to speed up to square the face, it also was a head a little strange in the upswing.
ViralGolf2020
Sep 25, 2020 at 10:24 pm
Long time Titleist Fan.
I do not understand the “TSi” as the alignment aid, and I do not understand why Titleist – along with many other manufacturers – still insist on super-shiny gloss finishes for driver crowns. Do their testers not play in the sun? (And please, don’t give me “rack appeal”… drivers are bottoms-up in the rack. Store lighting glares just like sunlight when you set them down. Who needs to see their reflection in their driver crown???)
matt
Sep 25, 2020 at 8:34 pm
really good piece… i think you harped on it about 47 times but commenters don’t get it. having a great driver is about comfortability – not blind obedience. If fact they’re quite opposites notions. who cares about 3 carry yards you gotta play what feels, looks, sounds right. After the numbers are in the ballpark I just want to hit it solid, accurate, and like everything about it
Scott Francis
Sep 26, 2020 at 2:40 am
So at a 105-108 SS you played it at 8.25 degrees with a Ventus X at 44.5 length? Did you hit it higher than 5 feet off ground?
John Wunder
Sep 26, 2020 at 2:45 am
I did. Closer to 10 feet
Jason C
Sep 25, 2020 at 6:07 pm
I will not do this and I will not do that….come on man! The whole point of these reviews is to get a glimpse at spin rate, distance, etc.
If I ever was lucky enough to get fit at this place I would tell you every last detail down to the way the grass was growing. The only thing this “review” did for me was make me Wunder.
Do better
John Wunder
Sep 25, 2020 at 6:53 pm
Understand your concern but there are more factors at play then just launch data. Without giving you tech data which I cant yet, whatever track man numbers are irrelevant without some context as to why.
Trust me come the day when everything’s public you will have more trackman numbers then you would ever want. Anyone with a cell phone can do that these days.
Paul
Sep 25, 2020 at 2:54 pm
You were professionally fit at Titleist, BY Titleist to the D4 setting, then adjusted it to D1 on your own. Kind of raises the question of ‘what was the point of the fitting”?. Just by the club and put it in whatever setting you THINK you need.
John Wunder
Sep 25, 2020 at 3:46 pm
I see your point but hitting into the fan at TPI and getting it out on the course is a different deal. I adjusted because at D4 I was starting it a little bit to the left and switching to D1 kept the flight but fixed my start line.
golfraven
Sep 25, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Wow, 1,800-2,000 spin is really low. You ain’t a hack if you can hit it past 105 speed. My only grudge with the TSi is the replacement of the triangle on the crown. That made a Titleist driver for me. Also the headcover design lacks the cool factor as the first iteration – not that I use those in my bag.
I’ll stick with my TS3 for the next 2-3 releases (this including). Was 44.5 not a bit short for you – believe mine is 45.5 and I am 5.75 high?
Beau
Sep 25, 2020 at 2:06 pm
I always end up coming back to Titleist drivers, for whatever reason they always “play” for me. I’ll get fit into a SIM or whatever Callaway has come out with this week and it’ll be a little longer and have more desirable numbers, I’lll play it for a couple months, then it all just goes bad and I lose my swing for a few weeks. Titleist goes in the bag and I hit 12 or 13 fairways. I don’t know why I continue to waste money elsewhere, I should just stay where I am and quit chasing 5 more yards.
Jeremy Stanger
Sep 25, 2020 at 1:50 pm
Great stuff JW. From the moment the pics came out I knew exactly where my pro shop credit was headed. Any insight as to why you went from the untipped Ventus to tipped 1″?
geohogan
Oct 12, 2020 at 4:34 pm
great question JS. One could make the argument that this
is more a comparison of one shaft with different setup.
Shorter length and tipping would make the same shaft play considerably stiffer.(cpm?)
Its no longer a comparison of two different driver heads.
LifeIsn'tRosy
Sep 25, 2020 at 12:54 pm
I feel your pain John. When the editor tells you to write a good story about a new driver, but you just cannot quantify it using the data. Then, it’s the beginning of the painful process of being creative. Good writing technique. When science fails rely on the feeling. Good paid commercial.
David Lee
Sep 25, 2020 at 11:26 am
I found the SIM very unstable, was a hook machine. Without a 10 stroke lead DJ wouldn’t have made top 10 at the Tour Championship, his SIM was wild. Rose hit one 130 yards left on a hole at Payne’s Valley. I will take stable and straight over 3-5 yards any day. Nice review Wunder.
geohogan
Oct 12, 2020 at 4:41 pm
DL, simply play the shaft 1/2 inch shorter and tip 1 inch, as JW did with the TSi.
The Sim will be very stable and fade at will.
gwelfgulfer
Oct 21, 2020 at 10:32 am
Actually, try it the other way around and not tipped. In my driver fitting this year, I hooked the crap out of everything they gave me in the Sim. Picked up a Ventus Black 6x that wasn’t tipped and have a much harder time turning it over.