Tough decision Chris. I guess the question you need to answer for yourself is the cost of the 917 worth 8 - 10 yards added distance? Good luck with making your decision!

I'm waiting until sometime next spring/summer to try the 917, because I want to get a lot more rounds in with my 915 just in case I love the 917 and can't resist switching.

How many other shafts/flexes did you try? I bet with a bit more work you could find a few more yards with a different shaft setup....

I too went to a titleist Thursday yesterday in Nashville tn. And I was also impressed with the new 917D2 I was able to gain 15 yards of carry over my 915 gamer. Went thru 5 different shafts and 2 heads. Was very impressed

Thanks for the great write up Chris. As usual , I'm excited and scared to go try this new 917. Excited because I haven't been disappointed in quite some time with new released, but scared it going to cost me another $500... Oh well. I'm not a long hitter either , though I ave 270 it's not enough to keep me from being a little greedy. Hey, another 12-15 yards is a full iron difference and I'll gladly pay for that.

I gained 10 yards over my 915D3. I bought the 917D3, for me 10 yards is worth it, that is one less iron into most greens.

I also had a great experience. I went in with an open mind and so glad I did. I used to be a picker of the ball but have been working hard with my pro to get in better impact postion with my irons. This swing change has carried over to my driver as my angle of attack has gotten much steeper. Two years ago when fit to 915d2 the 9.5 with Diamana blue was perfect. With track man showing I was lauching this now at 9 degrees we experimented with some different lofts and ended up seeing best results with 12 degree head with Adilia Rouge Max 65. Launch went to 13 degrees with spin at 2400! Ended up with carry about 230 and total 260. I would have not thought about that combination of loft and shaft but the numbers don't lie. Can not wait to get that in the bag!

I was fit by a Titleist rep and I really really wanted to get the 917 D2 or D3. But I was spinning both of them off the charts 3k plus on solid strikes with the Diamana D+ Limited 70X. I tried every head and loft but the lowest I could get was 2600 without sacrificing my launch angle. So i hate to say it but the M2 was just a bomber for me and I ordered a M2 Tour Issue 9.5 w/ Diamana D+ Limited 70TX.

On the other hand I loved the 917F2 fairway and that is on order. Went with the Diamana D+80X at 15 degrees. It just felt awesome and was so easy to hit off the deck and in the rough.

Christopher : Did you try the new shaft in the old 915 club head ? New shaft, 1/2 inch longer with different specs, would like to see if the shaft is responsible for distance gain or whether it was the club head.

Ok here's the deal.

One, I'm seeing a golf pro and I've been seeing him for most of the year. During one of our sessions, we dedicated the whole time to my driving. I had 3 shafts with me and we tested each one to see which would be better for me. The one that was best was the 60g Rogue stiff shaft, 44". I had the standard before which was the Red 50g Diamana shaft but it was too long, 45". Playing around with the 44" the last few weeks felt a little bit short BUT was driving the ball better than the Diamana. I care more about accuracy than distance...

That being said, I was lucky enough to be at the Team Titleist invitational a few weeks ago at Pinehurst. During that time, they had the 917s out for everyone to test. I checked out a few shafts and came across the one I was fitted for last Thursday. Keeping in mind with what my instructor told me and recommended for me, I found the 44.5" 60g Diamana shaft. Put the 917 D3 head on and off I went testing it. To me, I was driving the ball well and loved the feel of it and the length. Why did I test the D3? Well it was by accident. I thought it was the D2 the whole time.. I need glasses.. anyways...

Went to the Titleist Thursday and mind you it's only a 45 minute sessions, not a lot of time between talking with the fitter and hitting balls. So i got right to the point with my fitter; wanted to compare my old to the new one. Told the fitter about my Pinehurst experience and off we want. I tried both the 917 D2 and D3. Tried only the shaft I found at Pinehurst. I've swung the 50g, too light, swung the 70g to much for me. 60g is perfect for my swing w/ 44.5"

Yes the driver is a lot of money so I definitely wanted to make sure I was getting my monies worth. When I was done the fitter on Thursday, I was very happy with the way things went..

IMO and i'm not a golf expert, I really like to think the shaft is responsible for most of the distance. I only say this b/c i was fitted earlier this year at Manchester Lane for the 716 irons. I tried 7-9 different shafts w/ the same head and was getting different numbers. I absolutely LOVE the setup I ended up with. But I will say this about the 917 driver head, it's a MUCH different feel than the 915 in a very good way...

Sounds like you had a good session Christopher H.!
In early September, at TPI Oceanside, I was also able to hit the 917 side by side with my 915 gamer. In that fitting session, I was able to gain 15 yards and were also tighter/closer together to my target. I'm also excited with the increase in carry distance.

I was able to try the 917 drivers yesterday, and it might have just been the day, but I was smoking the D3 10.5 which surprised me - I expected the 9.5 D2 to work well as that's what I play in the 915. Great sound, feel and flight - hope to try it on the course sometime.

Was your fitting in Cambridge, I am impressed with my 917 irons and now considering upgrading my driver and woods.

Which fitting? 716 or the 917 driver?

716 irons was done at Manchester Lane

917 driver was done in NH, at Pease golf course