Titleist is on a mission to provide the speed and distance performance of their TS drivers to more golfers than ever before. The new TS1 and TS4 drivers are here to accomplish that goal. Both drivers have the look of the TS2 and TS3 drivers with all the speed of the TS family but with very different performance. With the TS1, you get a lightweight golf club that is easy to swing for golfers with moderate swing speeds to help those players hit farther and faster. The TS4 driver is a spin-killer, designed for golfers who produce a lot of spin off the tee while still being extremely fast to maximize your distance. See these new drivers in action with TGW exclusive videos and hear the story behind the designs in this Q & A session with Titleist’s Josh Talge.
Titleist TS1 Driver Review
Technology
The Titleist TS1 driver is born out of the Titleist Speed Project that product the previous TS2 and TS3 models. Focused on the idea that faster means farther, everything in this golf club is designed to make it faster. Part of the new Speed Chassis design, the TS1 driver has the thinnest titanium crown Titleist has made, allowing weight to be moved lower and deeper for a center of gravity that produces high launch and low spin. A thinner, variable thickness face is another crucial part of the Speed Chassis design. It provides faster ball speed and more forgiveness. Every club face is inspected to strict tolerances to maximize the allowable spring-like effect. Designed with the moderate swing speed golfer in mind, the TS1 driver is incredibly lightweight to help generate more speed and more distance. From the 275-gram club head (eight grams lighter than TS2), a 20-gram lighter grip, and 5-10 gram lighter shaft options, golfers with moderate swing speeds of 85 mph or below will see impressive new gains in distance.
Who It’s For
Titleist’s TS1 driver is made for the golfer who thought there was not a Titleist driver to fit them. TS1 is made for moderate swing speed players who need a lightweight golf club design to increase speed and distance. Golfers who swing at 85 miles per hour or less or hit their average driver 220 yards or less will benefit most from the TS1 driver.
Performance
When putting our tester in the Titleist TS1 driver, we immediately saw an increase in club head speed, up to around 80 miles per hour where his previous driver was around 75-76. The lightweight design of the TS1 golf club truly did its job in that department. We also noted a 5 miles per hour increase in ball speed and a reduction in spin. That all added up to an increase of nearly 14 yards more per drive.
Appearance
The Titleist TS1 driver looks great down the ball. It is a flat-black club that looks sleek at address. Our tester also noticed that the TS1 even looked a little smaller than the traditional game improvement drivers that are available today.
Feel & Sound
Our tester was impressed with the feel and sound of the Titleist TS1 driver when hitting it. The TS1 driver offered a pleasing, solid feel at impact and the total package felt lightweight so a moderate swing speed golfer and swing it with confidence.
Titleist TS4 Driver Review
Technology
The overall design of the Titleist TS4 is different than the rest of the TS golf clubs in order to promote lower spin. It features a 430cc, pear-shaped head with a more forward center of gravity that produces up to 400 RPM less than TS2 and TS3. It still includes the the thinnest titanium crown Titleist has made, so weight is moved lower and deeper for a center of gravity that produces high launch and low spin. The thinner, variable thickness face is included here to boost ball speed and forgiveness in a low-spin driver.
Who It’s For
The Titleist TS4 driver is made for the high-spin golfer. If you generate a lot spin, around 3,000 RPM or more, you will benefit the most from the TS4’s spin-reducing design. Reducing spin with the driver prevents the ball from ballooning in the air and losing distance. If that sounds like you, then the TS4 driver is designed with your needs in mind.
Performance
We tested a high-swing speed player in the Titleist TS4 driver. Our test golfer swings his driver consistently around 120 miles per hour. Not only did we see a reduction in spin of about 300 rpm, we also so major increases in ball speed. While we didn’t see a lot more distance, our tester did see that important reduction in spin and boost in ball speed.
Appearance
The Titlest TS4 driver is much smaller in shape than the other TS models. It is more compact and more rounded, designed to better fit the eye of the better golfer and place the center of gravity in the ideal location to reduce spin.
Feel & Sound
We were pleased with the solid sound and feel of the Titleist TS4 driver. Our test golfer noted that it was not too loud or high pitched. The TS4 driver both sounded and felt solid at impact.
TGW: Let’s begin with the TS1 driver. What features will we see in the TS1 driver that we haven’t seen in the rest of the TS line?
Josh Talge: TS1 is an all-new, ultra-lightweight design. Drivers usually weigh around 320 grams total when assembled. The TS1 is around 275 grams. The head is eight grams lighter, the grip (a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Super Light) is 20 grams lighter, and then it’s 5-10 grams lighter in the shaft, depending on which you choose (either a Fubuki Max Velocity or Fujikura Air Speeder). TS1 is also 45.75” in length.
This overall design provides an exceptionally deep center of gravity for extremely high launch. TS1 launches significantly higher than the TS2. It will also spin a little bit more than the TS2.
TGW: What golfer is the TS1 driver the best fit for?
JT: The TS1 driver is perfect for moderate swing speed players who want to boost speed and distance. We define moderate swing speed as 85 miles per hour or less. It’s also a great fit for golfers who hit their average drive 220 yards or less. Anyone who wants to get more distance off the tee but need to add speed to do so, this driver is for them.
TGW: Do you anticipate the TS1 reaching a much larger or new group of golfers for Titleist?
JT: I think we’re going to find a lot of golfers who don’t currently play a Titleist driver. They play the irons, they definitely play the golf balls, and they play Vokey wedges. TS1 is a Titleist driver for those golfers who maybe we haven’t had a driver that fit them best before. It still has the adjustable weight like the TS2 but being able to hit the ball two or three miles per hour faster is massive for this player. They will see significant distance gains with the Titleist TS1.
TGW: Let’s switch gears to the TS4. What’s new with the TS4 that we haven’t seen in the rest of the TS line?
JT: The overall size and shape are different. This is a 430cc pear-shaped driver. Weight is pushed more forward but it’s comparable in launch to the TS3. But it is ultra low spin and really fast with higher MOI. You could see up to 400 RPM less spin when compared to TS2 and TS3. TS4 beats all the other low spin drivers when it comes to speed. It’s just different than anything else.
There is also one new shaft option, the HZRDUS Smoke Yellow. It’s a counterbalance shaft that provides lower launch and lower spin.
TGW: What golfer is the TS4 the best fit for?
JT: TS4 was made with high-spin players in mind. We define a high-spin golfer as someone who generates a lot of spin, around 3,000 RPM with their driver. Now there are two ways golfers produce higher spin off the tee. They either come in really steep and hit across the ball, causing a severe left-to-right action or they hit down on the ball. So golfers that want to knock that spin down, maybe the golf ball balloons on them, which means they lose distance, this driver is for them.
TGW: Do you anticipate the TS4 being a popular driver among pro golfers?
JT: We think 10-15% of our pros will play it. TS3 is still the most prominent model on Tour, but there are some fast-swinging guys that can benefit from bringing their spin down that will play. We’ve seen guys changing into it, they really like it.
