Titleist’s 915 Series metalwoods are coming. You’ve seen the pictures. You’ve heard a few things about ARC (the slot), and you’ve probably made some reasonable guesses about what the Titleist story will eventually be.
Wouldn’t it be great to have some actual information? We’ve got your back.
Whatever you think about Titleist, I can tell you one thing with reasonable certainty. Much like PING, the company doesn’t trade in bullshit.
They don’t oversell innovation – steady progress is fine. And while that has perhaps caused us to question their innovative fortitude more than we probably should, even we’ll concede that the next thing is always measurably better than what came before it.
Will that be the case with the 915 series?
Titleist staffer Ben Crane showed off his 915 toys on Twitter earlier this week.
Everything we know so far suggests that not only will the upcoming clubs be everything Titleist fans have come to expect from the brand, we could be looking at a legitimate performance break-through.
It’s good stuff.
If you’re not already a Titleist guy, it’s the kind of thing that might cause you to think about joining #TeamTitleist.
Here’s everything you want to know.
Same Slot, Different Company?
Before we get into specific details of the various products and models themselves, lets briefly cover the Active Recoil Channel, or as most would call it, the slot.
As is the case just about any time one company does something we think we’ve seen before, there will be plenty of discussion around who Titleist stole the idea from (and who that company stole the idea from before that).
Stop it. Stop it now.
Here’s the deal, Titleist isn’t going to get sued. There are some pretty substantial differences between their channel and the slots we’ve seen in clubs from other manufacturers.
Most noticeable (to even the “they stole it from Adams who stole it from Nike” guy) is that Titleist’s Active Recoil Channel is significantly deeper than those found on other slotted models.
The Active Recoil Channel is also positioned closer to the face than other’s companies implementations.
Finally, and pay attention because we’re going to come back to this…unlike competitor models where a slot was implemented to improve ball speed, Titleist’s Active Recoil Channel is primarily designed to lower spin; most significantly in the driver.
If ball speed happens to increase as well, so be it.
915 D2 and D3 Drivers
As with previous Titleist Driver releases, the D2 will offer a 460cc head while the D3 will be slightly smaller (the 913 was 445cc, so I expect that will be the case this time around as well).
In terms of MOI/Forgivness, the D2 will be in the ballpark of PING’s G25/G30. The D3 will offer among the highest, if not the highest MOI of any sub-460cc driver on the market.
Whether or not it carries over into the marketing remains to be seen, but what we’re talking about are a pair of exceptionally forgiving designs from a company that’s not generally (and probably unfairly so) associated with forgiveness in the driver category.
Apparently some inside of Titleist believe that the additional MOI is substantial enough to entice some D2 players into a new D3 setup.
A D4 or D5 Too?
You may have heard about a couple of additional D-series models (D4 and D5 – the D5 is already on the USGA’s Conforming Clubs list). Both models are smaller still. The D4 is a 400cc model designed specifically for Adam Scott, so the probability is that the D5 is the one most likely to eventually make it to retail.
Over the Limit
Photo Credit: Cool Clubs Australia
While it’s a common element to most driver design stories, early iterations of the 915 series drivers exceeded USGA limits for COR/CT.
As most do when that occurs, Titleist thickened the center of the face, but also thinned out lower stress areas towards the perimeter. The result should be improved ball speed on off-center hits. Our source tells us that the driver is particularly hot on high, slightly toe-biased strikes.
The 915 SureFit hosel is compatible with both the 913 and 910. The alignment aid has been updated as well.
The key takeaway from a design perspective is that Active Recoil Channel lowers spin while still allowing Titleist to actually increase MOI.
Photo Credit: Cool Clubs Australia
While I’m sure Titleist won’t phrase it this way, think SLDR spin reduction with G25 forgiveness.
We haven’t been able to confirm stock shafts with 100% certainty, but given past offerings, the Next-Generation Mitsubishi Diamana +PLUS series is possible if not probable. It has also been suggested that a version of Aldila’s Rogue shaft will be among the offerings.
No word as to whether or not Titleist will be offering its own version of the Loft Up message. I’m guessing…NO.
915 F/Fd Fairways
As they have done in the past, Titleist will offer two distinct variations of their 915 fairway wood. The lower spin Fd has a noticeably smaller footprint than the larger, more forgiving F model.
Both models have what would generally be regarded as a forward CG placement.
Like the 915 driver the fairways feature an updated alignment aid. The fairway version of the SureFit hosel is compatible with the 913, but will not work with the 910 version.
915 H/Hd hybrids
With their upcoming hybrids, Titleist will be drawing distinctions between sweepers (guys who sweep the ball with their hybrids), and diggers (those of us who hit down on them).
The standard H model is designed for the sweeper, while the smaller/deeper Hd has a bit more offset and is designed for guys with a steeper angle of attack.
The new hybrids will launch lower than the previous model and the shape has been updated. There’s a little less bulk on the toe. We’re told it’s not totally unlike some Adams models.
As with the fairways, the weight is located forward on both models.
There is no alignment aid on the hybrids. Adapters are also compatible with the 913, but not the 910.
Miscellaneous Notes
SureFit hosels have been updated with white coloring to make it easier to read the various settings.
Unlike previous years where Titleist has launched drivers in the fall and fairways/hybrids in the following spring, the entire lineup will hit store shelves this November.
Finally, while we have no additional details, a new utility iron (presumably a 915u or 916u) will be released sometime next year.
Photo Credit: Cool Clubs Australia
BRAE
9 years ago
70 yesr old senior 12 handicap who purchased the new 915d driver and hybrids. They are perhaps the best clubs Titleist has ever designed. Easy to hit, incredibly accurate, grest distance and feel…..played about 6 rounds with them and continue to be amazed with their accuracy and distance……
Scott
9 years ago
Can anyone explain the difference between the 915 F 3 wood, and the 915 F 3+ wood ? Am I correct in assuming the 915 F is a 15* 3 wood, and the 3+ is a 13.5* 3 wood ?