EQUIPMENT | DRIVER
Rory’s
Choice
Defending UBS Hong Kong Open champion Rory McIlroy has had the Titleist 913 driver in his bag for a few months now – and it clearly agrees with him. Equipment editor Charlie Schroeder decided it was worth taking a closer look at the club, which goes on retail sale in Hong Kong this month, that won the US PGA Championship.
I
n mid-August, I travelled to the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, California to test the company’s two new 913 drivers. After a two-hour debrief with Titleist engineers, I joined a few other eager golf writers on the company’s spacious practice facility where we “test-drove” models with different shaft and clubhead options. Later we hightailed it to nearby track for some on-course testing. It’s true, I’d had worse days.
The Name For the past decade or so Titleist has given their drivers odd-numbered names that reflect, much like the release of a new car, their year models. (For example the 905 series was released in 2005, the 907 in 2007, and so on). After the 909 series debuted in 2009, however, their next introduction, for 2011 was the even-numbered 910. This temporary blip was due to the fact that Titleist didn’t want a 911 club that conjured up memories of September 11th. Now, with 2013 on the horizon, they’ve returned to the odd numbered tradition.
Keeping it Simple Four years ago, the 909 series boasted three drivers, but Titleist scaled it back to two with the 68
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910 series. The 913 keeps things simple as well with two offerings, the 460cc D2 and 445cc D3. While the D2, a full pear-shaped head, is more forgiving and boasts a slight draw bias, the D3 is a traditional pear-shaped head that’s more workable with no draw bias. Both measure 45 inches.
The Cool Stuff A few key ingredients set this series apart. Like the 910 series, the 913 clubs are adjustable. Unlike most other adjustable drivers however, Titleist’s nifty SureFit Technology (SFT) allows users to change the loft and lie independent of one another. The 913 clubs also have a lower and more optimal center of gravity (thanks to a SureFit Tour weight at the back of the club’s sole) and a hot face insert that’s tapered outward from the centre and which minimizes distance loss on off-centre hits.
First Impressions The 913s look clean and sleek. There isn’t a huge difference in appearance between them and the 910 series, (you’ll notice the biggest distinction on the sole where red and silver racing stripes accent the heel and toe) and, as a lover of traditional looking clubs, I was happy Titleist “kept it real.” In other words, they haven’t jumped HKGOLFER.COM
on the white driver bandwagon. (When I asked them if they considered it, they answered with a polite, but definitive “no.”) The black PVD finish, while glossy, didn’t distract in any way. Thankfully both 913s have bucked the lighter/ longer shaft trend of the past few years. The 913 series measures a very manageable 45 inches. At this length Titleist has sent a strong message, namely that it’s easier to make consistent contact (and hit longer, straighter drives) with shorter drivers. It should be noted that Rory McIlroy plays a 45.5 inch driver and Tiger Woods has played one as short as 43.5 inches.
The Company Line Short clubs aside, Titleist knows that even Tour pros miss-hit tee shots. That’s why they’ve designed a forged titanium clubface that increases distance even on off-centre strikes. Compared to the 910 models, Titleist claims that players will see distance gains of up to four-to-six yards on off-centre strikes. When I first heard this I was worried that I’d notice a big yardage gain left and right (and shots that flew even longer into the rough), but I found the 913s that much easier to control, so my misses actually were minimized. Perhaps that’s one reason why Dan Stone, Vice President of Research and Development, called the 913 series “the highest performance of any adjustable drivers on the market, particularly when it comes to speed and forgiveness.” You heard the man, these new sticks are Titleist’s most forgiving ever.
The Test Drive Full disclosure, I’m an eight-handicap and in the past have had a hard time controlling Titleist clubs. I don’t swing all that fast (maybe 100mph when I’m feeling limber) and don’t play as much as a golf writer should. I need my clubs to be a little forgiving, which I’ve never really found Titleist clubs to be. I expected the 913s to be like past models, difficult for a weekend warrior like myself to control. Instead I found them to be very forgiving. In fact, misshits didn’t feel like misses at all. There were times I came out of a shot expecting to see the ball head right, but it stayed relatively straight despite one of my patented “swipe” swings. Was this the same company, I wondered? HKGOLFER.COM
The Titleist that’s attracted legions of low handicappers to their equipment? It was. And is. And it was that forgiveness that, despite all the technological wizardry mentioned above, impressed me the most. The company is clearly forging new ground with these offerings. The staff denied that anything has changed since their recent acquisition by Fila Korea, but something has changed and, I for one, think it’s for the better. I mean, shouldn’t more golfers have the chance to enjoy the game’s most prestigious brand?
In Conclusion So, what if you’re a devoted Titleist consumer with a low-handicap and you’re worried that you won’t be able to shape this more forgiving driver? Don’t fret. Titleist hasn’t sacrificed any quality whatsoever. If you have any doubts, just ask McIlroy, who used the new 913D3 during his end of the season winning streak. He seems pretty happy with how it’s performed.
SCORECARD 913D2 Head volume:
460cc (full pear-shaped)
Lofts:
8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 12°; 7.5° (RH only)
Standard Length: 45 inches
913D3 Head volume:
445cc (traditional pear-shaped)
Lofts:
8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°; 7.5° (RH only)
Standard Length: 45 inches Shaft options:
Five, including three from Mitsubishi (two Diamana, one Bassara) and two from Aldila. Bassara, it's worth noting, is the lightest shaft to win on the PGA Tour, tipping the scales at a mere 50 grams.
Comes with headcover, wrench and manual.
Suggested Retail Price: HK$5,400
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