Equipment

Titleist TS1 adds to company's focus on driver speed by subtracting—45 grams lighter but still forgiving and adjustable

June 04, 2019
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The Titleist TS1, the new addition to the TS family of drivers introduced last year, is something completely different for the brand and yet reflects precisely what the design mission of the line was from the beginning: a total emphasis on speed.

The TS1 emphasizes speed unlike the rest of the TS family by reducing the overall weight of the club to just 275 grams. That’s 45 grams lighter than the TS2, the current lightest club in the line. In addition to the TS2, the TS1 joins the multi-adjustable, movable weight TS3 and the recently introduced low-spin TS4 to complete the company’s broadest array of driver fitting options.

“The more moderate speed player is going to benefit more in terms of potential speed,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s director of metalwoods development. But Luttrell said while the lighter weight has helped golfers with driver swing speeds at 85 miles per hour or less deliver the club faster and produce consistently more ball speed as a result, the lighter weight also helps in another key way: “They also gain control from the lighter weight because it’s just easier for them to swing.”

While the TS1 features a clubhead that’s eight grams lighter than the TS2, it maintains an emphasis on off-center hit forgiveness. Luttrell said the TS1's moment of inertia, or the measurement of its stability on off-center hits, is in line with the TS3.

“It’s still an incredibly forgiving product despite taking mass out of the head,” Luttrell said, noting that the TS1 is designed to depart slightly from the push for lower and lower spin drivers by yielding both high launch and a little extra spin. “These players will get a higher launch and the extra spin helps the ball stay in the air longer for better carry distance.”

The Titleist TS1 head is powered by some of the lightest stock shafts Titleist or any mainstream manufacturer has used in the U.S. market, including a 40-gram Fujikura Air Speeder and a 45-gram Mitsubishi Fubuki MV. (The L flex shafts of both models check in at less than 40 grams.) It will be offered at a stock length of 45.75 inches, a quarter inch longer than the rest of the TS family of drivers.

The weight reduction is further helped by a specially formulated 32-gram Golf Pride Tour Velvet Lite grip (20 grams lighter than standard).

But the TS1, which features a draw bias, also maintains the same 16-way hosel adjustability (SureFit) that’s been a hallmark of Titleist drivers since it was first introduced in 2010.

“Having that flexibility available from a fitting standpoint is going to offer these golfers the best opportunity to maximize performance,” Luttrell said.

The Titleist TS1 is available now for pre-order at Golf Galaxy. Click here to shop the Titleist TS1. It will be offered in 9.5-, 10.5- and 12.5-degree lofts ($500).