So it’s that time of year again, Titleist have released their new line of drivers and fairway woods. The TSi line was the most used driver on the PGA Tour in 2021 so it’s a case of improving on an already very strong product, so what have they actually done to upgrade it?
The first difference is the models that are readily available, same as the last model, you can get the 2 & 3 model. But one of the big improvements in the TSr line is the TSr4. From experience, the previous iterations of this (the TS4 & TSi4) have been extremely hot when you catch it, but also quite unstable when you don’t hit the middle of the clubface. This year the TSr4 is much more stable and has a variable face thickness (the same face as in the TSr2) to help support off centre strikes, alongside adjustable weights this makes this version a lot more stable than it’s predecessors. The other noticeable change is the shape of the TSr2 head. Last year’s version of the more forgiving option in the Titleist stable was a visibly longer head which does allow more stability and forgiveness but can look a bit clunky to some people’s eye. This has been remedied by a larger weight in the back of the head, allowing the head to look smaller but keep the forgiveness. The third head in the line is the TSr3, which hasn’t been hugely changed from the TSi, with the same shape and weight adjustments. Across the line my notes would be a noticeably duller feel compared to TSi, other than that they still look like a classic Titleist driver, clean and classic.
The big claims from the conversations that I’ve personally had with Titleist are actually revolving around the fairway woods. The internal design has been adjusted to make them easier to launch consistently, so without huge visual changes they’ve been able to strongly improve the performance off the deck. One of the main feedback points that they had with the last line was that the fairways would sit very closed which they’ve also remedied along with reintroducing the white score marks on the face. TSr3 now has 5 adjustable weight placements compared to the TSi3’s 3 making the 3 the most adjustable head by a long way. One of the coolest additions is the TSr2+, a 13 degree option with a 10% larger footprint, this head plays like a “mini-driver”, a great option especially off the tee.
From my personal experience having a hit of these clubs I definitely saw the launch increase with the fairways, they felt incredibly easy to get airborne without excess spin making it a great option from the fairways. Compared to my current TSi3 my first response was definitely a noticeably duller feel through impact where the TSi line was higher pitched. The interesting this from a selfish perspective is how much more the TSr2 suits my eye than the TSi2 did, a smaller head with all of the extra forgiveness it may well be a contender to replace the older model.
The demo heads and new stock shafts are all in place in the bay ready for fitting so if you’re curious about what will work best for you come down, get fitted and find out for yourself!
Jim Mitchell
Custom Fitting Specialist
