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Where The Grove and Alloa Golf Club
When September/October 2016
Conditions Damp, soft ground
TITLEIST 917: WHAT I TRIED
Titleist 917 driver
Length Standard
Loft 12˚
Shaft Fujikura Speeder Pro 64g, stiff flex
Grip Golf Pride MCC Plus4 White/Black – two tapes
Weight 12g in fade position
Titleist 917 fairway wood
Length 42.5″ (1/2 inch shorter than standard)
Loft 16.5˚
Shaft Fujikura Speeder Pro 84g
Grip Golf Pride MCC Plus4 White/Black – two tapes
Weight 12g in fade position
KEY FEATURE
Titleist has included a moveable sole weight in its metalwoods for the first time. Called SureFit CG, It’s BIG news and it’s the key feature in the new Titleist 917 range.
I won’t hide my thoughts on it any longer. I think it’s brilliant. Not only is it easy to use, the difference it can make to your shot shape is remarkable.
Read more – Titleist 917 release signals MAJOR move
I first got my hands on it during a fitting session at The Grove. I started with the Titleist 917 driver and, as a fan of the 915, I was looking forward to seeing how it would compare.
The new SureFit CG can be seen on the sole of both the Titleist 917 driver and fairway woods and it is really easy to navigate. Simply unscrew the holding using the supplied wrench and the weight will fall out. Then it’s time to get swapping, turning and switching.
The full theory behind the tech is outlined here and I’m a prime example of how well the SureFit CG can work.
My first few shots were diving low and left. I have a naturally low ball flight off the tee and it’s something I regularly struggle with. To begin with, the fitter tried to raise my launch angle by putting in the heaviest weight (16g). It didn’t make as much of a difference as he had hoped.
He then upped the loft from 10.5˚ to 12˚ to combat that low ball flight. My ego took a bit of a hit but it worked so I couldn’t argue with it.
With the ball still going left, he suggested putting the 12g weight in the fade position to try and counteract it. It worked and then some.
Read more – Inside the Titleist Tour Truck
Within 20 minutes and around 25 shots, I had a higher ball flight and, more importantly for me, a straighter end result. That straighter result was all down to the SureFit CG and I’ve been grateful ever since.
A similar process in the fairway wood saw me up the loft again from my regular 15˚ to 16.5˚, switch to a slightly shorter 42.5” shaft and set the SureFit CG to the fade setting with the 12g weight. It gave a similar result with a higher and straighter flight.
Read more – Tour pros show love to Titleist 917 driver
IN-HAND PICS
WHAT I LIKED MOST
During the first hits with the Titleist 917 woods, I was more focussed on the results I could get from moving the SureFit CG weight around. It wasn’t until I had put it in the bag for a few more rounds that I really started to appreciate the amount of forgiveness on offer.
I was finding more fairways more often with the driver. Yes, the SureFit CG contributed to that, but I’m by no means consistent enough to find the middle of the face all the time. The consistent ball speed across the face helped to keep my results consistent.
The fairway woods were doing the job, too, and the results I was getting from them were much more predictable. Forgiveness at the top end of the bag is always an important factor for me and the 917 gave it by the bucket load.
Read more – Titleist :: The story behind the logo
OTHER FEATURES I LIKED
The crown colour has been changed from black in the 915 to ‘Liquid Slate’ in the 917. It’s darker than the grey in the 816 hybrids but it quickly became the norm and I had no issues with it.
The sound from the 917 is noticeably different to that of the 915. Titleist has said it worked hard on the sound because some of its tour pros didn’t like it. It’s much nicer this time around and adds to the good feeling when you catch it sweet out the middle.
Read more – Titleist Vokey SM6 wedges :: Gleneagles Trial Day
CONCLUSION
The Titleist 917 driver and fairway wood have landed straight in my bag. The introduction of the SureFit CG made a big difference to my results off the tee and ultimately, when combined with the extra forgiveness, made the game more enjoyable to play as I was finding more fairways.
It looks and sounds great. The Titleist 917 metalwoods have the full package and I’m sure I won’t be the only one to see such a big difference in results.
Read more – Titleist ‘4UP against the competition’
FIND OUT MORE
For prices and specs, click here.
To find your nearest Titleist club stockist and fitter, visit Titleist’s official locator here.
For more information about the Titleist 917 woods, read our launch story here.
Titleist 917 metalwoods: Your thoughts
Do you like the look of the new Titleist 917 metalwoods? Are you desperate to try the new SureFit CG? Let us know your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.
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