Potgieter, the PGA Tour’s leader in driving distance on the season, was first in the category again this week in Detroit, averaging an eye-popping 337 yards off the tee while finding 64 percent of his fairways. He was seventh in strokes gained: off-the-tee (3.7), and he set himself up to miss just 11 greens all week (66/77, including the playoff). He was 6th in strokes gained: approach (6.07).
In the past for Titleist driver players, you’d see speed demons like Potgieter, who averages nearly 126 mph clubhead speed and a gaudy 190 mph ball speed, play Titleist’s “3” or maybe even “4” heads, which were designed for low spin.
But this year, far more players have fit into the GT2 model than the previous TSR2 or TSi2.
GT2 — Speed & Forgiveness Across The Face
For players who don’t always find the center of the face and need the stability of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.
Speed & Forgiveness Across The Face
Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, GT2 extracts maximum performance through forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.
Seamless Thermoform Crown
A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence.
Split Mass Construction
GT2 delivers a powerful balance of forgiveness and speed thanks to a breakthrough in internal weighting. Mass is shifted to the back of the clubhead to increase MOI for better stability, while also pushing weight low and forward to optimize speed and spin. The result is a driver that frees you to swing with confidence.
The GT2’s shape has been refined to look a lot closer to the 3, to the point where Billy Horschel didn’t even know he was testing the GT2 when he was introduced to it. But also thanks to Titleist’s new Proprietary Matrix Polymer and Seamless Thermoform Crown, engineers were able to free up mass from the crown to help make the GT2 both more stable and lower spinning than before.
GT2 is still the higher spinning driver in Titleist’s lineup, although not as high as the GT1, but that’s actually something Potgieter needs despite his prolific speed.
The 20-year-old rookie also switched balls to the prototype Pro V1x+, which is a higher spinning version of the Pro V1x golf ball, this week to seek higher peak heights with his irons.
“We needed some more spin to keep the ball in the air a little bit,” Potgieter said about his gear changes this week. “You wouldn’t have thought that with the driving distance to add more spin, but it kind of keeps the ball in the air a little bit longer.”
Potgieter also made another change to his GT2 this week, which is outfitted with a beefy Fujikura Ventus Black 8-X, a shaft more commonly found in 5- and 7-woods on the PGA Tour. During a trip earlier this month to the Titleist Performance Center at Woburn in the UK, Titleist Director of Tour Promotions Liam MacDougall added weight to the head of Potgieter’s driver. According to MacDougall, the heavier setup gave Potgieter more stability and better clubface control, which helped him to one of his best driving accuracy weeks of the season.
While you probably don’t have the same game as Potgieter, the GT2 could be a great option for players seeking a forgiving low-spin option off the tee. Check it out today on Fairway Jockey, and while we don’t typically make shaft recommendations in this space, I think we can safely guess you can leave the Ventus Black 8-X out of your order.
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.
