Titleist 915 Metals

Titleist launch their new metals with the release of the 915 family

By David Keywood, published on Sky Sports

For the eagle eyed among us, you may have noticed Titleist tour players with some new equipment in their bags over the past few months. In particular Geoff Ogilvy who claimed his first victory since 2010 at the Barracuda Championship using the new 915 D2 Driver.

"I just unscrewed my 913 shaft and put it in the 915, and after two shots I was sold"
Geoff Ogilvy

After he won Ogilvy said “I just unscrewed my 913 shaft and put it in the 915, and after two shots I was sold”. Nearly 100 players across worldwide professional tours have already switched to the new 915 driver since the tour seeding and validation process began in late June – including Adam Scott (915D3), Zach Johnson (915D2),Jimmy Walker (915D2), Brett Rumford (915D3), Bill Haas(915D2), and Bernd Wiesberger (915D3). 

It may have been two years since Titleist last launched a group of metals, but these clubs have been in production for a lot longer, and it shows. The main difference to this family, which you will notice straight away, is the patented Active Recoil Channel. The ARC, as it’s known, is a long, wide and deep sole channel that actively flexes at impact and recoils to launch the ball off the face with higher speed and lower spin.

Adam Scott is a big fan of the ARC and said, “Some things are gimmicks and Active Recoil Channel is not. The fact is it’s producing more miles per hour off the club for my ball speed. That’s massive. … Picking up 10 to 15 yards carry is a big deal. It makes a huge difference if I’m hitting a wedge in instead of maybe an 8-iron or if I’m hitting a 5-iron instead of a 3-iron.”

The big selling point for the 915 family is the improved ball speed created for shots which don’t quite find the middle of the club. It’s no secret that golfers of all abilities don’t find the middle of the club every time and Titleist have added a Radial Speed Face, which is a high-speed forged face insert which works with the ARC to increase ball speed on these off-centre hits. The 915’s also have a precise high-MOI design with a low and deep centre of gravity location; this delivers stability and forgiveness that preserves the ball speed for more distance, more often.

USA Ryder Cup player and three time PGA Tour winner Jimmy Walker said “The golf ball comes off more consistent. We don’t always hit it in the centre of the club, and I think mishits are coming off with a lot more control than they used to. When you mishit shots that the ball is still coming off with ample amount of speed whereas before in previous driver versions, if you hit one off the centre of the club face a little bit, you were seeing a dramatic drop in speeds and increases in spin

"Some things are gimmicks and Active Recoil Channel is not."
Adam Scott

Titleist are very thorough with their testing and the 915 D3 has gained an average of 9 yards extra carry compared to their 913 counterpart, in some cases, gaining an extra 15 yards onto drives!

The 915 driver comes in two different head choices, the 915 D2 and 915 D3. Like D2 models over the years, this is your more forgiving head and higher spinning due to its longer profile. The D3 has a deeper face and shorter profile, which makes this lower spinning. This produces a lower flight with no draw bias for tour-inspired workability.

915D2 is available in 7.5º, 8.5º, 9.5º, 10.5º and 12º lofts. 915D3 is available in 7.5º, 8.5º, 9.5º, and 10.5º. (7.5º lofts are RH only).

This high performance product wouldn’t be complete without a high performance stock shaft and Titleist are offering five different options to suit golfers of all abilities. The stock lineup includes the Aldila Rogue Black 70 (mid-launch) and Aldila Rogue Silver 60 (lower-mid launch); and the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 70 (low launch), Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Blue 60 (mid launch), and Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Red 50 (high launch).

The shaft and head can also be adjusted using the SureFit Tour hosel to offer 16 different settings to help your game.

It’s not just the drivers that are getting rave reviews either. The fairways and hybrids have been designed with the same technology. The new models made their debut in August at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where 15 new 915 fairway metals and nine new hybrids were immediately put in play. At the following week’s USPGA Championship, 29 new 915 fairways and 13 new 915 hybrids were in players’ bags including former World number 1 Adam Scott (915F 15º) and Ryder Cup players Jordan Spieth(915F 15º, 915 Hd 20.5º), Webb Simpson (915Fd 15º) and Victor Dubuission (915F 13.5º).

Jordan Spieth is a big fan of the 915 fairway woods and the SureFit Tour hosel, he had this to say “The Active Recoil Channel on the 915 really feels like the ball shoots forward even faster… You can see the ball jumping a little more and spinning less. … I’m able to adjust my 3-wood to an A•4 (SureFit Tour hosel) position to where it’s knocked up a degree in loft so when I’m hitting off the fairway it just looks like it’s easier to get it up in the air.”

"I’m able to adjust my 3-wood to an A•4 position to where it’s knocked up a degree in loft so when I’m hitting off the fairway it just looks like it’s easier to get it up in the air."
Jordan Spieth

I attended the launch day for the new 915 metals back in August at The Belfry, where I had a chance to be fitted for all the new 915 metals. Before the fitting, I spoke to Product and Fitting Manager Richard Temple about the fitting process and he explained how being custom fitted for any club is extremely beneficial to anyone’s game and that at Titleist they prefer to get everyone fitted for the right club, rather than give you what you think you need and hope!

I also had time to chat to five time European Tour winner Brett Rumford about the new metals, he too big fan, and has seen an extra 10 yard carry to his drives. He talked in depth about the head feeling faster and how forgiving the club was. Like Geoff Ogilvy, he kept the same shaft and just changed the head.

I have never been fitted for woods before so the process was new to me. After reviewing my results on the trackman I saw what I had been missing. At the end of the fitting I was launching the ball with a high consistent trajectory and had found an extra 20 yards carry from my previous driver, which, as Adam Scott says, is a two-club distance. I was really impressed with how solid the club felt and the sound it makes. You can really feel the ball fly off the face which made me feel more confident with the club in my hands. I did hit some shots out the heel and noticed I only lost a small amount of ball speed and gained little spin, which meant that I was still getting good distance. The trajectory didn’t change too much from my well-struck shots either.

In conclusion, the 915 metals can take anyone’s game to the next level. They look, feel and sound exceptional. Titleist have really revolutionised its metals with the 915 range and I recommend everyone to give them a try

Available from 14th November 2014.

Prices:

915 D2 & D3 Drivers RRP £379
915 F & F-d Fairway woods RRP £220
915 H & H-d Hybrids RRP £205

For more information on Titleist products visit www.titleist.co.uk

Titleist launch their new 714 irons

As you may have read in the Titleist seeding article, the new 714 irons are currently being used by tour professionals around the World and have been getting excellent reviews. Jason Dufner used 714 AP2 irons to win the US PGA Championship and Gregory Bourdy won the ISPS Handa Wales Open with a combination of 714 CB & MB irons.

For Titleist to improve the AP range of irons, they have removed weight from areas of the club head and replaced a high density tungsten weight into the heel of the mid and long irons. This has helped to improve ball flight, increase forgiveness and give maximum feel to each and every player

Gregory Bourdy with his 714 CB/MB irons

The longer irons create a higher launch angle for more carry and a flatter launch angle for shorter irons which give you outstanding control around the greens.

The new AP1 irons are the longest, most forgiving iron Titleist has ever made, with a multi-material, dual cavity design for players that want maximum distance, forgiveness and solid feel in a great looking progressive game improvement chassis. The new AP2 models are multi-material, forged irons that offer distance with trajectory control and forgiveness with workability in a solid feeling, great looking tour proven chassis.

Both AP1 and AP2 feature a satin polish playing position with bright polish cavity highlights for superior appearance at address.

The new Titleist CB and MB irons are designed for maximum shot control with improved address profiles and enhanced feel through the turf.

The CB and MB irons are forged from 1025 carbon steel and feature tour-preferred constant blade lengths with minimal progressive offset for maximum workability.

The new CB irons feature an optimised shallow cavity-back design with an inner cavity muscle behind the impact area for solid blade iron feel. MB is a classic muscle back forged iron, delivering great feel from muscle back weighting positioned behind the sweet spot.

I got a chance to speak to European Tour Professional Paul Waring at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in August. Paul, who uses the CB range, was very impressed with the subtle changes to the irons. He talked in depth about the new sole design which has added camber. This stops the clubs digging into the ground as much, therefore divot depth is improved for a better strike. His switch to the new irons saw him make his first cut in his past four attempts, while maybe conincidental, I'll be fascinated to follow his form as he continues to get to grips with the new technology.

The new 714 range are available in golf shops worldwide from November 8th, I cannot recommend these irons enough, I have hit shots with the AP2, CB and MB and the feel I get from each iron is better than any feeling I have had from any other iron I've hit. The trajectory of the ball is very consistent throughout the bag too.

But don't take my word for it, go to your nearest golf shop to try them out for yourself let me know how you get on.

For more information on Titleist products please visit www.titleist.co.uk

Titleist - An Excellent Fit

I visited the Titleist fitting centre in Brampton last month. Here's what he made of it: 

After the initial introductions with Titleist staff, I was assigned to Club Fitting Technician and professional Daniel Friend. 

Daniel started by asking me about my game, the clubs I currently used and the shape of shot I hit. He then took me through the ball fitting process which you can do for free online at www.titleist.co.uk/ballfitting. 

The ball fitting is a green-to-tee fitting which focuses on the shots that most affect players scores. After answering a few simple questions I was recommended the Titleist Pro V1 with the Pro V1x as an alternative. It is advised to take both recommended balls onto the course and evaluate which model you feel most comfortable with. 

I was then asked to hit a few balls to evaluate my shots. 

I used a Titleist CB 6-Iron which is similar to the irons I currently use. Once Daniel could see how I performed he decided that I would be better suited to the Titleist AP2 irons. I have to say I was very pleased to hear this, as these are the clubs I was interested in. The Titleist website explains that the AP2 irons take the design mission of "Advance Performance You Can Feel", and I completely agree. These clubs look attractive and because they are slightly larger then the CB you feel more confident that these will be a more forgiving iron. 

An iron was then 'taped' up and I was asked to hit shots off a lie board. After hitting half a dozen balls you could see what area of the face I was hitting and if the club's lie needed to be changed. I was told that standard length and lie would be perfect for me. 

A number of different shafts were attached to the club head to find a set up which would help me with a consistent 'rainbow' shaped shot. All my results were recorded onto the computer using a shot tracker, which measured the 'smash factor' and 'spin' generated from shots I hit. 

After evaluating the shots it was decided that the Dynamic Gold High Launch shaft performed the best, I got more height with this, which in turn generated more distance. 

Next up were the metal woods. I have been using a 9.5 degree driver for the past few months and have been hitting straight consistent drives; therefore it was going to take something special for me to turn my attention to Titleist.

The first wood I was given was a 909 D2 with 9.5 degree of loft with an Aldila Voodoo stiff flex shaft. In my opinion I didn't think the flex was right and felt too 'whippy' but I still gave it a go.

Perhaps the seed was planted but I just couldn't hit this club at all. My first shot was a pull left, the second a big high slice right and confidence was leaking out of me. 

Daniel decided after three shots that this wasn't the right club and changed to the 909 D3 with 10.5 degree of loft. Initially I was sceptical, I would never have dreamt of picking up a driver with that much loft but what I didn't know was that this club has a deep face which is why more loft is needed. 

This club was perfect for me. The head is larger, much larger then I have used before which again makes you feel that if you were to catch the ball out the heel or toe that you wouldn't lose any distance. After hitting my usual shape (a soft fade), I decided to try other shaped shots. I never managed a draw but what I could see was a ball flying through the air loaded with topspin which I thought would be perfect for hitting into a headwind. 

I tried a variety of shafts and it was decided that I should go for the Graffolly Pro Launch Red in stiff flex.

It may be worth pointing out that if you struggle with your driver, visiting a custom fitting centre such as Titleist could improve your game dramatically. All my shots were recorded onto a computer where I could see the distance and accuracy of every shot I hit, plus any poor shots such as tops or thins can be deleted, so your averages aren't affected. 

I then moved onto the fairway woods and it was decided that I should go for a 909 F3 with 15 degrees of loft. I currently use a Titleist 906F2 which I love. I can hit any shot with that club so it was going to take something special to make me change. 

I have to say that there isn't much difference at all between these two clubs.

Perhaps the new 909F3 looks more attractive and if I was in the market for a new 3 wood this club would be hard to overlook. I hit the 909 well and gained extra height, I just didn't get the same confidence as I did with my current club, which I have used for the past 18 months. 

I had already explained that I wasn't a huge fan of hybrid clubs, I currently own the Titleist 585H with 19 degree of loft and my mind wasn't changed after using the Titleist range. 

I was therefore advised that I may be better suited to something different. I was given an 18.5 degree 5-Wood with the same Proforce shaft and pretty much nailed every shot. The head is a lot larger then a hybrid therefore you get extra confidence that you will hit the ball cleaner and longer. My only concern is playing from longer grass as I would prefer to hit a hybrid from the semi rough. 

My final fitting was for a pair of Vokey Spin Milled wedges which are available in a number of loft and bounce options in either C-C or regular grooves. Amateur golfers can use these until 2024.

I currently use 54 and 60 degree, however I wanted to swap the 60 degree for a 58 degree as I only used the club for bunker shots and tended to hit shots heavy when going for more distance. 

Daniel explained that this could be something to do with the bounce of the club. Not for the first time on the day Daniel was proved right. I struggled with the 58 degree. It was decided that I should stick with a 60 degree wedge but flatten by one degree to stop my heavy shots. 

The Titleist wedges come in three different finishes, Carbon steel in Tour Chrome, Oil Can and Black Nickel. My current wedges are in gun metal black therefore I opted for the Black Nickel. I feel that wedges are a personal type of club like putters. I have never seen two the same so it is worth trying out a few different clubs with the same loft to get the one you feel most comfortable with. 

At the end of the fitting my grip size was measured and I had a variety of different grips to choose from. They really leave no stone un-turned. 

My final club specs were as follows:

Driver:
10.5 - 909D3 - Pro Launch Red - Stiff flex 

Fairway Woods:
15 - 909F3 - Pro Force V2 85 - Stiff flex
18.5 - 909F2 - Pro Force V2 85 - Stiff flex 

Irons:
3 - PW - AP2 - Standard Length / Lie - Dynamic Golf High Launch S300 

Wedges:
54 - 5414 Black Nickel
60 - 6010 Black Nickel (1 degree flat) 

Grips
Golf Pride Tour Velvet Round - Standard Size - Placed upside down (writing on back)