Hi Team Titleist,
As one of the fitters on the Titleist Performance Club Fitting Van, I get to work with golfers of all skill levels across the nation helping them optimize their potential through finely tuned equipment. One of the best parts of my job is seeing a player walk away after a fitting with even more confidence in their clubs after we’re able to dial-in a new setup.
I thought it would be fun to share some of these fitting success stories from the different stops along the way. So first up, here’s a story about a recent fit I conducted just outside of Boston with a golfer named Tony.
MISSION: OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE
Tony was looking to optimize the performance of his driver, so the session began with him hitting his current driver to obtain baseline launch conditions. Tony’s current gamer was a Titleist 910 D3 10.5º with a RIP Alpha 60 S shaft playing at 45” and a SureFit Tour Hosel setting of A•1.
Sometimes players have a club that is maximizing in all categories, but, in this case, we had room for improvement. Looking at the Trackman data (shown below) we can see that Tony’s steep angle of attack and the high loft of his current driver was greatly influencing launch and spin conditions.
Noticing this, I talked to Tony about his attack angle and how it is affecting his ball flight. I always like to stress with players that this is not a golf lesson, but it’s important for us to talk about how their swing is affecting ball flight, whether it’s positively or negatively. We also want to educate the player on how the club is engineered to be played optimally.
TRIAL AND RESEARCH
Based on the specs of Tony’s current gamer, we are starting with a 915 D3 9.5º and Rogue Silver 60 S shaft at 45” with the SureFit Tour Hosel setting at A•1. Although shaft is a very important component in the driver, my preference is to focus on head style (D2, D3, D4) and loft before moving into the shaft fitting.
Launch conditions did not change with the initial setup so we continued to lower the loft. When we got to a 7.5º D3 a significant jump in ball speed occurred; this is when we know we are making progress. I have found that ball speed is the most influential aspect to a player’s overall potential for distance.
By lowering the loft of the driver Tony’s average ball speed increased from 136.1 to 139.5 mph, his spin reduced dramatically from 3,700 to 2,600rpms, and his launch angle increased from 8.3º to 13.3º.
It is also important to note Tony’s attack angle has changed from -2.8º to +0.5º. In my opinion, the reduction in loft has enabled the player to have a positive impact on his attack angle. It’s not accurate to assume the launch angle will decrease because of lower loft, so we always test and verify.
FINDING A SOLUTION
Tony’s shaft selection was derived mainly from feel. When we put the Mitsubishi Rayon D+ 60 S into the 7.5º head we achieved the best numbers and feel. I encouraged him to try a few more different combinations of weight, length, and profile. In the end, no other option provided better feel or performance than this setup, so it was confirmed as the right choice.
Tony walked away ecstatic and could not wait to put the driver in play. We are grateful he came out to work with us and experience firsthand why club fitting is so important.
Here are the spec’s on Tony’s new gamer:
Driver: Titleist 915 D3 7.5º
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon D+ 60 S
Length: 45”
SureFit Tour Hosel Setting: A•1
Hope you enjoyed,
Lucas B.
Custom Club Fitter
Titleist Performance Club Fitting Van
East Coast Team