Titleist GT Driver: Speed is only the beginning
Having played TSR for almost two years, I was skeptical that they were going to make it better.-- Gordon Sargent, World No. 1 Ranked Amateur
Sargent's statement is understandable, given the popularity of the TSR lineup—Titleist's most successful driver ever—and especially given his persona driving performance, which has made him known for his prodigious length and accuracy. That's a pretty hefty one-two punch.
Yet Titleist ambassadors have quickly adopted the GT lineup on worldwide professional tours. Top amateurs who had the chance to be fit before the official launch at the beginning of August did the same thing. They made the switch. So what did Titleist get right?
Speed, feel, and sound are three of the hallmark characteristics Titleist has been known for -- one of the reasons the company hasn't deviated from the black glossy finish is that it's faster. And you'll seldom hear anyone say they don't like the feedback they get at impact, in their hands, and in their ears. GT had to excel in these areas.
Let's start with speed.
Titleist designers had to save some weight with the GT to be faster than TSR, and they did that by moving from an all-titanium construction. So Titleist engineers designed a crown that is 1/3 of the weight of titanium, at just 12 grams. Titleist used a proprietary matrix polymer to achieve a seamless thermoform crown, which closely mimics an all-titanium driver -- without sacrificing the feel and sound Titleist players are accustomed to,
You don't see what the new design resulted in. It's called split mass construction, and it allows for a more forward CG while still retaining backweight for forgiveness on off-center hits.
It's pretty technical, so this is a good point to suggest that you watch the short video and see how Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Gordon Sargent, and others responded to the new design. They love to know what goes into making their clubs, but ultimately, they only care about those three main things—speed, feel, and sound.