GOLF.com’s ClubTest Proving Ground, where Managing Equipment Editor Jonathan Wall and Senior Equipment Editor Ryan Barath — along with a cast of GOLF writers and editors — put the latest designs and groundbreaking technology in the equipment space to the test on the range and the course.
For 2024 ClubTest, we paired members of our staff with the latest gear from manufacturers to give you, the potential club buyer, real insights from real golfers and their firsthand experience testing new clubs.
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TESTER: Zephyr Melton, Assistant Editor | 5 HCP
GOAL: Find clubs more suited to my increased swing speed
THE LOWDOWN: This wasn’t my first trip to the Titleist Performance Institute. Almost exactly a year prior, I made the long trip out west to one of the grandest club-fitting properties in the world for my first glimpse at TPI. Safe to say, I was wide-eyed and awed throughout the experience.
A couple of months ago I was headed back for another appointment with the brains at TPI to get fitted for a new set of clubs, and although I largely knew what to expect — which faces I’d see, what the club-fitting process entails, how to speak “gearhead” — I wondered how my second trip would be different.
I might work for a golf publication, but that doesn’t mean I’m the most gear-savvy individual. My first visit to TPI was my maiden voyage in the fitting process and an enlightening one. When I walked away from that experience I figured I’d be set with my new gear for years to come.
Well, I was wrong. You see, my goal over the past year has been to gain speed. I spent much of last winter dedicated to speed training and increasing my swing speed and ball speed numbers throughout the 2023 season. No one is going to mistake me for Cameron Young or Wyndham Clark, but I did see some gains in the speed department by year’s end.
This extra distance was great for my ego, but not so great for my golf game. I’ve always plodded my way around the golf course, but with the extra yards I packed on, I tried changing my strategy. That strategy change saw mixed results on the course and let’s just say 2023 wasn’t a banner year for my scores.
Another issue was my gear wasn’t optimized for my new faster and more aggressive swing. My spin rate would jump to untenable numbers on slight mishits, and I lost tons of clubface awareness with the light shafts. Sure, I was swinging faster and hitting the ball further, but it unearthed a new set of issues. I knew I needed some gear that better suited my new swing.
FITTING PROCESS: As a golf nerd, a trip to TPI evokes similar feelings as walking into Disneyland as a child. The 33-acre site has everything a golfer could dream of — and more. From beautifully manicured driving ranges, to perfectly kept bunkers and slick greens, the entire compound is a sight to behold.
When I walked through the doors, TPI Fitting Analyst Chris Baingo met me at the front desk. “Welcome back,” he said as he snapped a spiffy Titleist tag on my bag. “You still playing ProV1?” he asked. That’s right, they let you hit perfect balls of your choice while they fit you.
Next, we shuttled out to the vast expanse of greens, fairways, and bunkers nestled behind the main building at TPI. For the next few hours, I would be hitting the latest and greatest gear Titleist had to offer. It’s not a bad gig if you can get it.
My Fitted Gear
Driver
Titleist has always made great clubs, but they’re also pretty good at making clubs that look good too. When you see a Titleist club, it has a certain chicness that draws you in. They aren’t in your face flashy — they’re elegant.
Such is the case with the TSR1 driver I was fit into. The jet-black crown has a polish that you can see your reflection in, while the sole features a minimalist look that will make you swoon.
Here’s where it gets interesting. You see the TSR1 is marketed for slower swing players. Yes, I know my increased speed caused me to need new clubs, but even so, the TSR1 was perfect for my game. Why? Well, because even with slightly faster swing speeds, the model can do wonders for your driving thanks in part to its added level of stability.
With my previous driver, we opted for a model with more loft and a lighter shaft to help me get the ball up in the air. However, my increased swing speed made mishits super spinny and without much distance. This year, I was fit into a driver with a slightly lighter head with less loft (10 degrees), but with a heavier shaft to help me with club awareness in my swing — problem one solved!
Titleist TSR1 Custom Driver
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Fairway woods
This part of my setup needed an entire overhaul. In our first fitting, I opted for one fairway wood I could use for maximal distance, and two hybrids for attacking greens. But after a season of that setup, I needed a shakeup.
For whatever reason, I could not hit my hybrids with consistency, and it was hurting my ability to go for greens from farther distances. To supplement, Baingo fit me into two high-lofted (18 and 23 degrees) TSR1 fairway woods.
Not only did the higher loft help me get the ball up into the air more easily, but the technology packed into the TSR1 helped as well. Thanks to their hosel construction and rear sole weight, the center of gravity is pushed deeper, which promotes not only higher launch but also forgiveness on off-center hits.
After a few whacks with the TSR1, I knew I’d found my new fairway woods. I hit them more consistently than my old hybrids, while still getting the high launch necessary for attacking greens from longer distances all the while keeping spin right where it needed to be.
Irons
I loved the T200 irons from my first fitting, but much like the driver found it difficult to control the face with my light shafts. To make matters worse, I always found it a little difficult to cut through the turf on certain grasses with my shorter irons.
This is where the new T150s came in to help solve both of those problems. We opted for heavier shafts in my new irons, which helped with clubface awareness, and when I came through the impact zone, the new heads cut through the turf so much easier for me and my delivery.
Coming off the face shots just had a different feel, and one that makes me giddy when I get an iron in my hands from the fairways. In another boon for my confidence, these new models gave me a considerable jump in spin rate (nearly 500 rpms), which means I can hit the ball higher and with more stopping power.
With my old setup, I opted for a 5 hybrid instead of an iron, but after I struggled with the club last season, I wanted to stay away. Thanks to getting fit into the T150s, a blended set was an option. So after hitting the T150s through 6 iron, Baingo handed me a T200 5 iron.
Even after playing the T200s all last season, I felt like I was hitting an entirely new golf club. The feel of the new T200s was entirely different, and the sound was much better, too, especially when I missed higher on the face. Oh, and I could hit this year’s 5-iron with some serious height.
I’m not sure what exactly Titleist’s R&D team did over the past year, but I can say that their work paid off. The new clubs are quite tasty.
Titleist 2023 T150 Custom Irons
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Wedges
Getting a wedge fitting from Bob Vokey was my highlight of 2022. As a kid who grew up with a single Vokey wedge as his prized possession, getting a chance to pick his brain for an hour was bucket list stuff. But after rolling out the red carpet for me in 2022, I didn’t expect to see Vokey again my second time around.
Boy was I wrong. When the fitting process turned to wedges, there was my old pal with a smile on his face. “Ready to get to work?” he asked.
Going through a wedge fitting with Vokey is akin to Harry Potter testing wands at Ollivanders. Vokey will hand you a wedge and ask you to hit it, changing the grind and bounce each time. Sometimes you’ll make what you thought was a perfect swing and the ball will come out funky. Or you’ll make a pass at the ball and your club will get stuck in the ground. All the while, Vokey stays close by, muttering to himself and brainstorming how to make you the best wedge player you can be.
After a while, Vokey will start to get you dialed in — and the feeling is unlike anything else. Sometimes he’ll point at a flag and have you fire at it and your ball will stop on a dime. Other times he’ll put you in a bunker and coach you into the best sand shot you’ve ever hit. Once he gets you hitting the right set of wedges, you’ll feel like Seve Ballesteros around the greens.
Titleist Vokey SM10 Tour Chrome Custom Wedge
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The Results
Driver: TSR1, 10 degrees (65-gram shaft)
Fairway woods: TSR1, 18 and 23 degrees (65- and 75-gram shafts)
Irons: T150s (P-6), T200 (5)
Wedges: SM10 48.10 F grind, 54.12 D grind, 60.12 D grind
Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
