Name: Titleist 917 Driver
Brand: Titleist

Golf Monthly Verdict

The 917 driver is a significant investment, but by way of return you are getting a complete toolbox for custom fitting. Under the watchful eye of a qualified fitter, any golfer, regardless of age, handicap or how old his or her current driver is, will find extra distance and consistency.

Reasons to buy

+
A fully adjustable driver that allows you to customise performance in each individual area without compromising other aspects of your driving game.

Reasons to avoid

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This has been designed to be the ultimate custom fitting toolbox. If you want something to use straight off the shelf you are unlikely to unlock the full potential.

By Neil Tappin

published 8 September 16

In this Titleist 917 Driver Review, Neil Tappin casts his eye over what Titleist is billing as its most customisable driver ever.

Golf Monthly's Titleist 917 Driver Review

Looks

Titleist has retained the sleek, pear shape profile of recent previous generation drivers. However, what has changed is the colour of the crown. A grey finish replaces the black diamond look of the Titleist 915 driver. It harks back to some of the famous Titleist drivers of years gone by such as the 975 but it has been modernised and looks fantastic. The addition of the SureFit CG on the sole adds an extra element of technology and customisation that looks smart on the shelf and in the bag.

Performance

This driver might be an evolutionary product, yet the tools it offers the custom fitter means that any golfer willing to invest is likely to unlock significant performance gains. The changes to the head design make this more forgiving than the previous generation 915 and the Titleist 913 driver from two generations ago and anyone who hasn’t played a Titleist driver before may well be surprised by just how easy it is to hit. The introduction of the SureFit CG adds a crucial element to the fitting process and it is during this process where the biggest gains can be seen. Not only can you adjust the loft and lie independently but you can also set the weight in the back to help guard against your bad shot or accentuate your natural ball flight. When you add in the three different head options (D2, D3 & D4), four stock shaft options (Diamana Red & Blue, Aldila Rogue Max and Fulikura Speeder) as well as a host of other shaft options available at no extra up-charge, there really is everything you need here to find your ideal match.

Titleist 816 Hybrids Review

One area in this Titleist 917 driver review that is less quantifiable, of course, is feel. Titleist has worked hard at this through endless consumer testing which has enabled them to find a driver that sounds incredibly powerful and solid through impact. When you combine the sound with the strong ball flight on offer, it is clear this is a piece of engineering that shows Titleist is at the top of its’ game.

Neil Tappin

Neil has worked for Golf Monthly for over 15-years. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he is now the brand's Digital Editor and covers everything from Tour player interviews to gear reviews. Neil is currently a 3-handicap golfer who has played the game for as long as he can remember. In his role at Golf Monthly, he has covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.

In his current role, Neil is responsible for testing all new drivers and is part of a team testing golf balls. He is able to compare performance between models, brands and generations. For 2022 he thinks the main trend in drivers is: "In a word, consistency. Whilst all the brands talking about ball speed (and the new drivers are certainly long), my biggest finding has been how much more consistent the ball flights are. Mishits don't seem to be causing the same level of drop-off or increase in the spin numbers. This means that more shots seem to be flying the way you want them to!"

Neil is currently playing: Driver: Titleist TSi3 Fairway Wood: Titleist TSi2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons (4-9): Mizuno JPX 919 Forged Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X