Surprising New Titleist Club Spotted At The Players Championship
An interesting new Titleist fairway wood has hit the USGA conforming list…
![Photo of the new Titleist TSR 2 wood](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/i5vuiDLDPCmxobBWG33u8R-415-80.jpg)
As someone who has traditionally struggled to find fairways with driver, my interest is always piqued when I see something that is designed to help with exactly that.
Spotted on the USGA conforming list today is a new offering from Titleist looking to sit amongst the best fairway woods, or should that be best drivers?! Early indications are that it is called the TSR 2 wood, and with a larger head and deeper face than the TSR2+ fairway wood, it seems that Titleist are very much in ‘mini-driver’ territory. There are two moveable weights on the sole and it looks to come with the SureFit hosel to enable players to dial in loft and lie angles exactly.
A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)
A photo posted by on
Titleist is not the first to the party with this style of club, however. TaylorMade has been having much success in recent years with various iterations of what it refers to as a mini-driver, from the SLDR Mini all the way up the current BRNR mini that is in the bags of a few top players including Tommy Fleetwood.
PXG has also been spotted on the USGA conforming list with a club of a similar ilk…
A post shared by Sporting Insights (@sms_on_tour)
A photo posted by on
So what is a ‘mini-driver’ and who could it benefit? Well, essentially what we are talking about here is a bit of a mutation between a driver and a 3 wood. They generally come between 11.5 and 14 degrees of loft with deeper faces than a ‘normal’ 3 wood but still more compact than a modern-day driver. Once again they generally sit between the driver and 3 wood in terms of length, with most clubs of this type measuring around 44 inches as standard. They have been designed predominantly for use off the tee as a driver alternative but in the case of the models I have tested, can still be used very effectively from the ground.
At the top level, Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson are among the most notable names to currently game this type of club. For each of these players, it has directly replaced their 3 wood, with all of them citing the larger head and lower spin profile of the ‘mini-driver’ style club as the reason for their switch.
So could a club like this help you? Well, quite possibly. If you struggle with confidence in your 3 wood, the significantly larger profile of this style of club could really help you. Furthermore, if you struggle to find the center of your driver face often enough, the shorter standard length of a ‘mini-driver’ could once again prove beneficial.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
With 3 wood so often being a really difficult club in the bag to get right, could this growing trend spell the end of the traditional 3 wood as we know it? Well, probably not, but it is certainly gaining momentum…
I for one am looking forward to testing out both the new Titleist TSR 2 wood and the PXG offering when they are released to market. As yet we have no details of when this will be for either company, but we will keep you posted as and when we find out.
Joe has worked in the golf industry for nearly 20 years in a variety of roles. After a successful amateur career being involved in England squads at every age group, Joe completed his PGA degree qualification in 2014 as one of the top ten graduates in his training year and subsequently went on to become Head PGA Professional at Ryder Cup venue The Celtic Manor Resort. Equipment has always been a huge passion of Joe’s, and during his time at Celtic Manor, he headed up the National Fitting Centres for both Titleist and Taylormade. He’s excited to bring his knowledge of hardware to Golf Monthly in the form of equipment reviews and buying advice.
Joe lives in North Devon and still plays sporadically on the PGA West region circuit. His best round in recent years came earlier in 2023 where he managed a 9 under par 63 at Trevose GC in a Devon & Cornwall PGA Tournament.
Joe's current What's In The Bag?
Driver: Switch between Ping G430 Max 10K & TaylorMade Qi10 - both with Fujikura Ventus Black 6-X
Fairway wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour - Fujikura Ventus Black 7-X
Irons: Callaway Apex CB 24' 3-11 - Project X LS 6.5 shafts
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 54D and 60M
Putter: Odyssey Toe Up #9
Ball: TaylorMade 2024 TP5x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 60R
Bag: Vessel Player IV Pro DXR Stand
-
'It's A Milestone For Us' - Adidas Reveals New Codechaos 25 Golf Shoe
Five years since it was first introduced, the third generation Codechaos shoe has finally been revealed
By Dan Parker Published
-
5 Benefits Of Having A Club Fitting... And It Won't Break The Bank!
Custom fittings are a popular way for golfers to upgrade their equipment... but what are the key benefits of this process?
By Barry Plummer Published
-
‘A Normal Glove Is Too Short’ - Ian Poulter Explains His Custom FootJoy Golf Gloves
You’ve heard of custom golf clubs but have you heard of custom gloves? Ian Poulter explains why he requires special changes to be made to his glove
By Sam De'Ath Published
-
5 Clubs Every High Handicapper Should Consider Using
We take a look at some specialist golf clubs that could really help high-handicap players lower their scores…
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
How To Choose A Golf Bag
There are lots of different types of bags on the market, here's how to choose the right one for you.
By David Usher Published
-
Cheap Vs Expensive Driver Test: Can Spending Less Pay Off In 2024?
Driver tester Joe Ferguson takes a look at what - if anything - you are compromising on by entering the ‘budget’ driver market in this cheap vs expensive driver test…
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
What Is Hard Stepping And Soft Stepping In Golf?
Hard and soft stepping is way to change the playing characteristics of your club shafts, but how is it achieved and what are the benefits?
By Conor Keenan Published
-
What Is Shaft Tipping In Golf?
It was a topic of discussion on the latest Kick Point gear podcast episode, but what is it and should you consider it for your golf clubs?
By Conor Keenan Published
-
What Is Hot Melt In Golf?
Most of the time it's a ‘tour only’ option, but what exactly is hot melt and how does it work?
By Conor Keenan Published
-
This Iconic Club From 2014 Can Still Hit All The Shots
In the latest Retro Review, Joe Ferguson revisits an iconic utility iron from 10 years ago that featured in his own bag for many years...
By Joe Ferguson Published