After much anticipation and early success on the PGA Tour, the new Titleist TSR drivers are officially here, and we have all the details to help you get the inside scoop at what’s under the hood.
As a quick synopsis, the TSR drivers build on the continued success that the TSi and TS series before had with golfers of all skill levels. For the engineering team at Titleist, the message from the top down was clear: “Don’t mess up a great thing!”
When I say “from the top down,” I’m not talking about the board of directors, I’m talking about golfers. Titleist knows the TS series has a reputation to maintain as the number one driver brand on the PGA Tour and they have no intention of giving that up anytime soon.
Titleist TSR2
The TSR2 has been re-engineered from the inside out to deliver more ball speed, stability and a look that fits more in line with the rest of the TSR series.
If there ever was one tweak from players, it was that the TSi2 was “a little angular” around the toe, but the new TSR2 has adopted a more natural pear shape, like its TSR3 brother, which checks boxes for looks and also helps with aerodynamics.
Aerodynamics? Yes! The biggest external upgrade to the TSR2 is a mini-diffuser to smooth out airflow and allow the driver to be swung up to 0.5 mph faster at 100 mph swing speed — that might not seem like much, but when you’re pushing up against the USGA limits, it’s a nice bonus. The diffuser is designed to work the same way as a diffuser on a Formula 1 car, by stabilizing airflow behind the head and allowing it to move faster.
In the back of the club, the adjustable sure-fit weight has been moved from the sole to the rear skirt so even with the slightly smaller front-to-back shape, the driver’s MOI still has been increased over the previous model.
Another improvement to the TSR2 is something you can’t see: a newly designed variable thickness face structure. This new face design expands the COR area away from the middle of the face and helps the driver transfer more energy, leading to more ball speed on mishits.
LOFTS: 8°, 9°, 10°, 11° in right and left-handed (8° LH available through custom order only)
ATI materials
Before going any further, we need to touch on the face material, because it is unique to Titleist drivers: ATI-425 titanium.
ATI-425 is manufactured in the United States by Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), in Pittsburgh, and offers distinct advantages to conventional titanium used in golf. This proprietary material offers 30 percent higher ductility, along with higher yield and tensile strength, which is a complicated way of saying it allows engineers to push manufacturing to higher tolerances for face thickness.
With two more years of refinement and testing since the launch of the TSi, engineers have again saved more weight from the face to be positioned around the head to create stability without ever sacrificing durability.
Titleist TSR3
With the TSi3 being Titleist’s most popular model with professionals, it was challenging to make the club better, but it’s also easy to see why the uptick with players was immediate once the TSR3 was released.
The TSR3 follows a similar path of the improvements to the TSR2, thanks to a newly designed face insert and a subtly reshaped skirt and sole for better aerodynamics.
The biggest challenge for Titleist was to increase MOI without increasing the dimensions of the head. To accomplish this, the rear weight of the sure fit track has been adjusted to move it more to the perimeter — same shape, higher MOI, more stability, more consistent ball speeds means improvements in every category.
LOFTS: 8°, 9°, 10°, 11° in right and left-handed (8°, 10°, 11° LH available through custom order only)
Titleist TSR4
This is where things get really interesting, because the TSR4 is a true specialty club in the fitting space designed to offer reduced spin for players that have swing dynamics that make it harder to create ideal launch conditions. The TSR4 also offers a smaller head profile. At 430cc, it’s one of few sub-460cc drivers on the market.
Although targeted to a small segment, Titleist and outside fitters found there were golfers who really liked the smaller profile of the TSi4 but needed MORE spin, so the engineers designed a best-of-both-worlds option for the new TSR4. The interchangeable forward and rear weights allow the driver to offer the lowest spin head in the forward position, and when reversed the TSR4 becomes a smaller and slightly more workable version of the TSR3: still low spin but not too low that mishits become unmanageable.
Paired with an updated face design, and rear skirt for improved aerodynamics like the other new drivers in the line, the TSR4 is a great option for players who want to get everything they can out of a smaller-headed driver.
LOFTS: 8°, 9°, 10° in right and left-handed (8° & 10° LH available through custom order only)
Shaft offerings
Titleist doesn’t do “stock” shafts — they offer featured shafts, meaning each and every shaft is available in the aftermarket. Nothing here is watered down or “made for.”
The featured shafts for the TSR cover a variety of launch, spin and feel options, and the Premium Featured shafts from Graphite Design continues their strong partnership with the Japanese shaft manufacturer.
Featured:
Project X HZRDUS Black 4G: Weight: 60g (70/80g options available). Launch & Spin – Low/Mid with a firmer feel for high-speed players.
Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei AV Blue: Weight: 55g (65/75g option available). Launch & Spin – Mid/Mid with a smooth yet firm feel for players with smooth transition.
Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Black: Weight: 65g (75/85g option available). Launch & Spin – Low/Low with a firm and stable feel for higher speed players.
Project X HZRDUS Red CB: Weight: 50g (60g option available along with 40g version is ladies flex). Launch & Spin – Mid/High with a smooth stable feel for those looking to add distance.
Premium Featured from Graphite Design:
Tour AD DI: Weight: 60g (50/70/80g also available). Launch Mid/Hi with lower spin
Tour AD IZ: Weight: 60g (50/70/80g also available). Launch High with lower spin
Tour AD UB: Weight: 60g (50/70/80g also available). Launch Mid with lower to mid spin
Price, specs and availability
Each TSR Series driver is priced at $599 with featured shaft options and $799 with premium featured shafts options from Graphite Design
The Titleist TSR drivers will be available for custom fitting and orders at Titleist accounts starting Sept. 8. You will be able to find them on retail shelves beginning Sept. 30.
Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.
