Titleist to Release ARC-Filled 915?

Titleist Bringing ARC to the Next Driver

Assuming Titleist stays true to its playbook, the world will get its first look at what can reasonably assume will be called the 915 driver at the John Deere Classic in approximately 3 weeks.

As is very often the case with Titleist, the actual details of the upcoming release (or even the existence of an upcoming release) are well protected, but when you pair an interesting patent application with a recently filed (and apparently related) Trademark (credit to Dave Dawsey at Golf-Patents.com for tracking it down), a clearer picture of what could prove to be the next Titleist driver begins to emerge.

That Trademark is for ARC, which is fairly safe to assume refers to Active Recoil Channel, because well, that  was covered by a previously filed Titleist Trademark.

Looking at The Patent, and reading through the details, it would appear that all of this ARC stuff is about optimizing face flex (within the confines of USGA rules) to increase ball speed, particularly on below center strikes.

The drawings suggest that ARC is a bit like Compression Channel meets Speed Slot meets Standing Wave. And while we won’t know until we see what this possible 915 actually looks like, it’s reasonable to assume that Titleist will need to mask the technology a bit in order to stay true to their brand identity.

Basically, we might know it’s there, but I’d be shocked if we’ll be able to see any of this arc-related stuff at address.

Has Titleist Fallen Behind?

While the survey’s we’ve conducted suggest that the Titleist brand remains strong (in no small part to a consistent use of Quality and Performance in any and all branding), there are some…and I supposed I’d count myself among them, that believe that Titleist needs to evolve if they hope to remain competitive with their golf club business.

In one form or another, we basically hear this:

If Titleist doesn’t ___________, they’re screwed.

What do you think? Has Titleist actually fallen behind? Are two year release cycles still viable in a marketplace where even mostly-traditional PING makes sure they have at least 1 new driver on the shelf every season?

Titleist isn’t one to make boastful performance claims. Even the use of the ARC acronym could be considered bold by Titleist standards, but even without adopting a more…let’s call it a TaylorMade-like approach, many still believe they’re clubs, particularly their drivers perform as well or better than anyone else’s.

Even if ARC stays hidden, it certainly suggests that Titleist isn’t opposed to taking a stab at innovation.

And yet, despite continuing, steady, and predictable success, many also believe Titleist needs to change. They must adapted to an evolved marketplace in order to survive (or at least sell a lot of something other than a golf ball).

So we ask you, what do you want to see in a 915 series driver? What does Titleist need to do differently? Where do they need to improve?

And for you Titleist loyalists… you guys who believe the promise of quality and performance. What doesn’t Titleist need to do differently? What must remain unchanged in both terms of design and marketing for you to remain loyal to the brand?