2017 Driver versus 2005 Driver

A valid question is how much better is today's equipment in comparison to equipment from a few years ago?

The average distance on the PGA Tour has changed very little from 2004 until now. The longest average was 2011 and the shortest average was 2013 with just 3.7 yards between the longest and shortest. When I ask people what do they think the difference in this average might be the answers tend to be in the 20-30 yard mark. Is marketing leading to these answers?

Equipment companies are always promising more distance e.g. 17 more yards and release new drivers every year or every second year. The PGA Tour driving distances suggest that drivers haven't improved noticeably in 13 years. Let's check this out.

I used a Titleist 905S for a number of years. It was launched in 2004 and I used it until 2008 when I changed to a Titleist 909D3. I am now currently playing with a Titleist 917D3 launched in 2016. How much different is the 917D3 in comparison to the 905S?

I've compared this 905S driver against a 913D3 driver before. The results are here http://0to300golf.blogspot.ie/2013/09/2005-driver-vs-2013-driver.html

On Sunday April 2nd I compared both using a Trackman Launch Monitor.

I hit 18 drives with each club. Alternating from one to the other after 3 shots so not to get used to swinging just the one driver. The ball was teed at the same height for both drivers. The ball that was used was the Titleist Pro V1. It was a nice April's day, temperatures around 12 degrees Celsius and a slight breeze (around 5mph).

The main performance numbers that we looked are were club head speed, ball speed, carry, total distance, accuracy, launch angle and spin rates. Ultimately the main one to be interested in ball speed, as this is the ultimate decider in distance. Launch and spin can be manipulated through fitting to give optimal flights so the longest driver should be the result of the highest ball speed.

Here are the results.

Club	Clubhead Speed(mph)	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Spin Rate	Carry (yards)	Total Distance	Height (feet)	Distance from target (ft)
917D3	102.9	149.4	13.2	2215	238.5	267.9	83.3	35.86
905S	101	148.3	12.6	2599	237.5	265.8	82.6	43.22

The specifications of each club are as follows

Titleist 913D3 - loft 9.5 degrees, Shaft Mitsubishi Diamana LTD Blue 70 S-Flex, length 45 inches, Shaft Frequency - 253 cpm, Total Weight - 325.8 grams, Swingweight - D2, head size 440 cc

Titleist 905S - loft 9.5 degrees, shaft Mitsubishi Diamana Blue 73 X-Flex, length 44 inches, Shaft Frequency - 275 cpm, Total Weight - 328.5 grams, Swingweight - D1, head size 400 cc

Clubs are quite similar with the main difference being a softer and longer shaft in the 917D3

The results are interesting.

Very little between the clubs with the 917 giving 1 yard more carry and 2.1 yards more overall distance as well as being slightly more accurate, 7.36 feet closer to the target on average. The 917 did perform better but not by a significant amount. An amount that wouldn't change golf scores by much.

The 917 did have a little more club head speed which could be attributed to the 1 inch longer shaft. But the ball speed from the 917 should be more then 1.1 mph faster due to the 1.9 mph club head difference and the 1 inch longer shaft might be leading to a bigger discrepancy in strike and as a result a lower then expected ball speed.

Also the shorter shaft in the 905S should lead to more accuracy but not in this case, possibly due to the stiffer shaft. 

Conclusion

 

Like the 2013 test there wasn't a great difference between the two drivers. It could be suggested that as there is a limit on the COR (coefficient of restitution) or springlike effect on drivers that most clubs manufactured since the limit was introduced are near this limit and are very similar in performance. 

If you have a driver that fits your game well, gives you a centered strike along with optimal launch conditions it's very unlikely that there's a new driver out there that will give you significantly more distance. But if you don't have a driver that fits your game gains of 15-25 yards are fairly common.

I would recommend you spend time finding a driver that fits your game and you feel comfortable with. This doesn't have to be the latest model, in fact any model from the last number of years could work exceptionally well. As second hand drivers are great value this means you don't have to spend a fortune on a new driver to get more distance, spend the money on getting good advice, this will save you in the long term.

If you have any questions, please comment.

Testing the Titleist 917 D3 Driver against the 915 D3 Driver

Titleist have just launched their latest driver, the 917. There are two models the D2 and the D3. Like every new driver the claim is that it's better, longer and straighter then the previous one. So, last week, to put these claims to the test we compared a 917D3 against a 915D3

 

According to Titleist the driver's benefits are;

• Faster ball speeds - Off-center provide more distance, more often, delivering superior forgiveness.

• Adjustability - Through industry leading SureFit® CG and SureFit® Hosel provide the best possible fit for every golfer of any skill level.

• Sound and acoustic - Frequencies have been Tour validated to inspire confidence and enhance feel.

• Trajectory and shot shape - Customization provide golfers a more consistent and repeatable shot from the tee.

Technology

• SureFit® CG - Allows the CG to be moved from a back, heel position to a forward, toe position through interchangeable weights, optimizing spin and launch conditions for every player.

• Active Recoil Channel™ 2.0 - Refined thickness through the channel reduces spin and increases speed.

• Radial Speed Face 2.0 - Enhanced with a thinner perimeter face width to promote a greater off-center ball speed for more overall distance across the face.

• SureFit® Hosel - 16 independent loft and lie settings, create a more consistent and optimized ball flight through precision fitting.

The Test

 

 

We had two players testing. While hitting, both players switched heads from 917 D3 9.5 degrees to 915 D3 9.5 degrees but used the same shaft. Player A used a Project X Handcrafted 6.0 and Player B used an Aldila Rogue Silver 60 S flex. Player A and Player B both used the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball. It was a beautiful day for testing with temperatures around 15 degrees C and little wind.

 

Both players hit 30 drives, 15 with each head, in the order of 5 with 915, 5 with 917, 5 with 915, 5 with 917, 5 with 915 and 5 with 917. Results were recorded on a Trackman launch monitor.

 

Initial Observations 

 

The 917 has a different look to the 915 almost going back to a similar look to the classic 975D driver. Also noticeable is the different sound from the 917 to the 915.

 

Results 

 

Player A 

Driver	Carry (yards)	Total	Dispersion (ft)	Club Speed	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Spin	Height (ft)
915	243.5	267.1	34.22	101.0	150.8	12.3	2783	91.3
917	241.6	267.0	43.07	102.2	151.3	12.5	2560	86.5

 

Player B

Driver	Carry (yards)	Total	Dispersion (ft)	Club Speed	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Spin	Height (ft)
915	215.5	235.6	53.78	93.3	139.2	14.0	3361	87.6
917	212.8	233.5	52.8	93.6	138.4	14.5	3400	86.2

 

Analysis

 

There really isn't a whole lot of difference between the two drivers. Player A got better dispersion with the 915, nearly 9 feet closer to the target and slightly more carry, 1.9 yards. Overall distance was the same. With the 917, there was a hint of more club head speed, 1.2 mph ball speed 0.5 mph and also less spin, 223 rpms less.

For player B, the 915 had a little more carry, 2.7 yards and more overall distance, 2.1 yards, everything else was similar.

 

What could help player B is changing the Sure Fit CG. The player was striking the ball towards the heel of the club, leading to higher spin and shots to the right, note the dispersion was 52-53 feet from target. Switching the weight more towards the heel and altering the centre of gravity as a result would lead to straighter and longer shots for this player. But as we were doing just a direct comparison of heads and keeping the parameters the same we didn't do this and left it for later testing.

 

 

Conclusion  

 

Should you run out and get a new Titleist 917? If you have a 915 and are getting good results and it's optimised for your swing, the answer is no. If you are in the market for a new driver the answer is yes, this is a driver you should look at. 

It performs well, is classical looking and sounds good. The Sure Fit CG is a good addition allowing for more customisation. Potentially giving players longer and straighter drives with an altered centre of gravity.

 

Ultimately, a player needs to test a driver before heading out to buy. The 917 is no different. Test everything and trust nothing is a good mantra when it comes to golf equipment.

Comments and questions are appreciated.