Additional launch and spin. Those are characteristics that many golfers on the internet need but only sometimes seek. Throughout their many fittings, Titleist recognizes that not every player fits into the low spin heads seemingly everywhere, so even though they already offer three other TSR fairway models (TSR2+, TSR2, TSR3), the need is there for something that is going to be easier to launch for the moderate swing speed golfer. That is what we are talking about today as we take a closer look at the new Titleist TSR1 fairway wood.
TSR1 spans three different club segments, driver, fairway woods, and hybrids, each designed to help golfers achieve more launch, spin, and, thus, more success in a more forgiving and lighter build. Titleist’s target demographic for this line is golfers with a driver swing speed of under 90 MPH, roughly a third of the golfing population. Remember that this speed mark is not exactly a hard line, so if your swing has a little extra horsepower, this could be an option worth considering if launching a fairway wood off the turf is a struggle.
Before this release, the TSR2 held down the fort as the highest launching and most forgiving fairway wood in the TSR lineup. To remove those two titles from TSR2, Titleist needed to re-work some things for TSR1. For starters, TSR1 has a 180cc head, making it slightly more robust than the 175cc head of the TSR2. An interesting tidbit is that the larger TSR1 is also 20 grams lighter. Utilizing a new open hosel construction helped strip away some of that extra weight from the upper heel, which helped push that center of gravity lower and deeper within the head, resulting in a fairway that is bound to be both forgiving and higher launching.
“In designing TSR1 fairways, high launch was the top priority,” saidJosh Talge, Vice President of Titleist Golf Club Marketing. “We wanted to make the highest launching and most forgiving fairway we could. The result makes for a seamless transition from TSR1 driver through the top end of the bag.”
Hearing that this clubhead would be more oversized than other Titleist models, there was some initial concern that it would look a bit off behind the ball, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Titleist has a fantastic fairway wood head shape throughout their lineup, and when looking down at the TSR1, nothing seems out of place. This fairway wood still caters to a more traditional look, which sits cleanly behind the ball, continuing a Titleist tradition. No “lipstick” is around the back or other graphics on the top. It’s just a glossy top with a TSR alignment aide, clean and simple, paired with a dark face.
Flip the clubhead over, and it’s easy to see the changes that have taken place on the sole design. Gone is the Active Recoil Chamber that was front and center on the TSi1. Meanwhile, the rear weight has gone from its hexagonal shape to a narrower and broader version that positions more weight evenly across the back. As a result of moving weight around within the head, the TSR1 offers 15% higher MOI than TSi1. All told, the TSR1 looks more refined and oozes classy shelf appeal.
Not only does the TSR1 look the part, but perhaps more importantly to some, it sounds the part too. There are no excessive tones here that can make golfers think they are hitting the ball a country mile, but instead, a concise, succinct tink. This sound profile helps walk the line of a soft-feeling clubface but is still solid enough that it produces a fast golf shot. Anyone who has played a recent Titleist golf club will understand that feeling.
Taking the TSR1 out on the course opened my eyes to what it feels like to launch the golf ball effortlessly. Having played some high-launching fairway woods in the past, most of them tend to have a shallow face height, which isn’t the case here. With this medium face height and sole design, I experienced plenty of confidence hitting this three wood from various lies, off the tee, off the fairway, and even from the rough. It wasn’t proving to be longer than my usual three wood when talking about pure distance, but there was unquestionably a higher ball flight.
While the launch characteristics were impressively predictable, one other facet of the shot shape was prevalent; the tendency to produce a repeatable right-to-left ball flight. With the most internal draw weighting of the entire TSR fairway wood lineup, getting to turn the ball over was no difficult task. Knowing how the ball would react made this club a great option as a driver substitute on days when the big stick was wild. If the draw weighting is too much for your liking, the TSR1 has Titleist’s SureFit adapter, allowing 16 different lofts and lie combinations to help dial in your preferred flight.
Titleist’s TSR1 fairway wood is amongst the easiest to elevate fairway woods I’ve had in the bag in quite some time. By their target swing speed metric, this wouldn’t necessarily be a clubhead I historically would consider adding to the bag. Yet, here I am, giving it serious consideration after experiencing how easy the ball was to elevate with this clubhead. With consistency in launch, ball flight, and sound, all wrapped in an attractive shape, TSR1 fairway woods are worth a look for anyone who needs help finding success hitting fairway woods off the turf.
More details on the entire Titleist TSR1 lineup can be found at www.titleist.com.
The Details
Price: $349
Lofts: 15°, 18°, 20°, 23°
Dexterity: All lofts available in RH & LH
Shaft: MCA MMT SPEEDMESH 40 (Mens) & 30 (Ladies)
