Titleist 915D2 Driver Review Thread

[JB]

Yea that's makes more sense. It must be a D2 and D3 thing bc it sounded very nice.

I will get a new thread on the D3 tomorrow, but think Cleveland Monster meets Nike Sumo. Glass shattering.

 

[Hawk]

Yikes. Good thing I'd probably be a poor fit for it anyway.

 

[MWard]

If you are addressing me, then I will admit I have never tried the 910 series. However, Mward was right there with me while hitting it and it is an audible nightmare. My G30 sounded tame in comparison.

D3 was worse than the G30, and I thought that was harsh sounding as hell. The flight and such was pretty nice out of it but the sound was something way unexpected from Titleist sounding drivers.

 

[Hawk]

Some early thoughts from yesterday's outing with the D2. Planned on the range, but it's a long story and I decided to play. Played 10 holes. Hit a ball off the tee that I played and then hit at least one or two more that I picked up.

Course conditions were cool and fairly soft for this time of year. The fairways are what I'd call fluffy, so didn't get a ton of rollout, but I wasn't hopping and stopping. Early next week I'll get it on the monitor with a couple others for some comparison as well.

Look at address is great. I'm a fan of glossy black, though I know matte is in vogue right now. Conventional shape and I didn't get any impressions it was too big or too small. Face depth seems middle of the road to me.

The ARC collects dirt/debris. I didn't dropkick it btw. In practice swings I try to brush the ground.

The headcover is hard to get on. Enough that it annoyed me.

I know we've got some feedback on the D3 sound, but I'll say I didn't get any hint of that with this one. Solid in the center - almost reminds me of the X Hot - and more 910'ish away from the center. Some sound degredation high up on the face - more tinny I guess? I hate sound adjectives. Certainly has some pitch to it, but no R1 high notes. No echo like the Cleveland Black or PING G30, both of which I've hit in the last week.

I guess I let the internet convince me I'd never be able to swing the Rogue, but I should have known better. It felt good to me and I got a very nice ball flight with it in the 10.5° head. Mid-high if I had my draw working and high if I left the face open a little and pushed it. Typical for me these days. I'd say it's a pretty standard Aldila feeling shaft. I can feel a little pop at impact and it wasn't boardy or overly stiff that I noticed. Much higher than I hit the G30 and pretty close to what I saw with the 545.

Will reserve most distance talk for launch monitor numbers and I didn't have a GPS with me, but I was happy with what I saw on-course. I had a PW in on a 360 yard par 4 with what I'd call one of my better swings of the day, so appx 230's total distance based on years of past experience testing on this course. For me, that's good distance.

Noticed pretty quickly I needed to lower my tee height a bit due to higher-face contact.

I was definitely curious about the forgiveness. Guessing this one will be more forgiving than the D3 based not only on size, but on CG location. I saw good results on misses and often was able to compare directly since I was hitting 2 or more balls off the tee. My misses typically find the toe or the higher parts of the face and that was the case for all but one miss that I caught lower and a bit heel-side.

Pictures below show difference I saw with a middle toe miss and high face miss.

High face showed a tendency for higher flight and less appealing sound - distance loss wasn't too bad at all, but it was obviously shorter than middle shots. Middle toe was probably the best miss, retaining both normal trajectory and distance well. High toe didn't hook bad on me, which as a miss that I do get from some drivers is one of my personal litmus tests. I did get a slightly lower flight and a little left movement on this one, but no dive bombs. Yesterday at least. The one low/heel miss had a lower fading ball flight that went farther than I expected it to, but I did hit it relatively hard.

I'll impact tape and record on a monitor next week to get more info there b/c I think forgiveness can be a little prone to varying factors, but initial impressions were good in my books. I hit all but one fairway and certainly didn't hit the dead-center even 50% of the time.

That's it for now. Will do some head to head to head testing this weekend or early next week.

 

[mikeg_74]

Thanks for the update Hawk.
What is the shaft flex for the rogue you are swinging?

 

[Hawk]

60S sir.

 

[Golf Ghost]

Great initial thoughts Hawk. Really need to hit this thing.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[mikeg_74]

60S sir.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that is a low/mid on spin & launch right?

Also I noticed the shape was bigger (again I know aesthetics are all relative to each player) but could you measure the face from sole to crown and provide that? Thanks!

 

[Hawk]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that is a low/mid on spin & launch right?

Also I noticed the shape was bigger (again I know aesthetics are all relative to each player) but could you measure the face from sole to crown and provide that? Thanks!

That's how Titleist describes it, though Aldila lists the version they have in the aftermarket as a mid bend shaft. I certainly wasn't hitting the ball low and based on my misses I wasn't seeing really low spin.

Yep I can definitely do that this weekend brother.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Great thoughts Hawk. So weird that the D2 sounds that much better than the D3, but like you said, I wouldn't be a fit for the D3 anyways so it's a moot point for me. This driver would have to do some pretty miraculous things to outdo my current stable of drivers though, and ESPECIALLY at that price tag (that isn't likely to drop too quickly since it's Titleist).

 

[Hawk]

I dunno. Now I'm questioning myself, but I didn't once think anything sideways about the sound and I've tested some really bad sounding drivers in the last two years. I was on the course though, so it was open air. I'll pay attention next time I'm on the range.

As for price - yea that's going to be a sticking point for many I assume, similar to a few others coming out. I struggle at the concept of $300, let alone $4-500

 

[ArmyGolf]

I'm baffled by the sound thing. I've heard both the D2 and the D3 being hit right next to me and I thought they sounded:
A) like a louder Titleist
B) similar to each other
C) pretty good

Ill wait until I hit them myself before making a final judgement.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

I dunno. Now I'm questioning myself, but I didn't once think anything sideways about the sound and I've tested some really bad sounding drivers in the last two years. I was on the course though, so it was open air. I'll pay attention next time I'm on the range.

As for price - yea that's going to be a sticking point for many I assume, similar to a few others coming out. I struggle at the concept of $300, let alone $4-500

Me too - I've never paid more than $200 for a driver, so this one would have to be a total game changer for me to start.

 

[Jman]

Hawk, good update brotha.

Also, on the headcover thing, it isn't just with the driver. The fairway is a pain too.

 

[Golf Ghost]

Not shocked by the head cover. When my 913 was new I took the cover off and put a Taylormade one on it it was so annoying. Stretches a little over time at least.

 

[Hawk]

Yea, it would get the Seamus treatment anyway normally. I haven't used an OEM headcover in a long time b/c they all pretty much suck. This one just a little worse.

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

Some early thoughts from yesterday's outing with the D2. Planned on the range, but it's a long story and I decided to play. Played 10 holes. Hit a ball off the tee that I played and then hit at least one or two more that I picked up.

Course conditions were cool and fairly soft for this time of year. The fairways are what I'd call fluffy, so didn't get a ton of rollout, but I wasn't hopping and stopping. Early next week I'll get it on the monitor with a couple others for some comparison as well.

Look at address is great. I'm a fan of glossy black, though I know matte is in vogue right now. Conventional shape and I didn't get any impressions it was too big or too small. Face depth seems middle of the road to me.

The ARC collects dirt/debris. I didn't dropkick it btw. In practice swings I try to brush the ground.

The headcover is hard to get on. Enough that it annoyed me.

I know we've got some feedback on the D3 sound, but I'll say I didn't get any hint of that with this one. Solid in the center - almost reminds me of the X Hot - and more 910'ish away from the center. Some sound degredation high up on the face - more tinny I guess? I hate sound adjectives. Certainly has some pitch to it, but no R1 high notes. No echo like the Cleveland Black or PING G30, both of which I've hit in the last week.

I guess I let the internet convince me I'd never be able to swing the Rogue, but I should have known better. It felt good to me and I got a very nice ball flight with it in the 10.5° head. Mid-high if I had my draw working and high if I left the face open a little and pushed it. Typical for me these days. I'd say it's a pretty standard Aldila feeling shaft. I can feel a little pop at impact and it wasn't boardy or overly stiff that I noticed. Much higher than I hit the G30 and pretty close to what I saw with the 545.

Will reserve most distance talk for launch monitor numbers and I didn't have a GPS with me, but I was happy with what I saw on-course. I had a PW in on a 360 yard par 4 with what I'd call one of my better swings of the day, so appx 230's total distance based on years of past experience testing on this course. For me, that's good distance.

Noticed pretty quickly I needed to lower my tee height a bit due to higher-face contact.

I was definitely curious about the forgiveness. Guessing this one will be more forgiving than the D3 based not only on size, but on CG location. I saw good results on misses and often was able to compare directly since I was hitting 2 or more balls off the tee. My misses typically find the toe or the higher parts of the face and that was the case for all but one miss that I caught lower and a bit heel-side.

Pictures below show difference I saw with a middle toe miss and high face miss.

High face showed a tendency for higher flight and less appealing sound - distance loss wasn't too bad at all, but it was obviously shorter than middle shots. Middle toe was probably the best miss, retaining both normal trajectory and distance well. High toe didn't hook bad on me, which as a miss that I do get from some drivers is one of my personal litmus tests. I did get a slightly lower flight and a little left movement on this one, but no dive bombs. Yesterday at least. The one low/heel miss had a lower fading ball flight that went farther than I expected it to, but I did hit it relatively hard.

I'll impact tape and record on a monitor next week to get more info there b/c I think forgiveness can be a little prone to varying factors, but initial impressions were good in my books. I hit all but one fairway and certainly didn't hit the dead-center even 50% of the time.

That's it for now. Will do some head to head to head testing this weekend or early next week.

Thanks man! Good thoughts.

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

I'm baffled by the sound thing. I've heard both the D2 and the D3 being hit right next to me and I thought they sounded:
A) like a louder Titleist
B) similar to each other
C) pretty good

Ill wait until I hit them myself before making a final judgement.

I'm with you dude. But even so, sound personally is a non factor. Heck I gamed the hibore for 2 seasons. That might have been the loudest and worst sounding driver of all time. It sounded like whiffle ball bat hitting a tennis ball.

 

[JB]

I'm baffled by the sound thing. I've heard both the D2 and the D3 being hit right next to me and I thought they sounded:
A) like a louder Titleist
B) similar to each other
C) pretty good

Ill wait until I hit them myself before making a final judgement.

Its why personally I didnt even want to say anything. It wasnt until I had two other THPers with me that said the exact same thing as me about the sound that I bothered to point it out. FWIW, I have hit the D2 and it sounds fine.

I have learned quite quickly (or not so quickly) that some things are left unsaid by me personally in regards to equipment.

 

[Jman]

Its why personally I didnt even want to say anything. It wasnt until I had two other THPers with me that said the exact same thing as me about the sound that I bothered to point it out. FWIW, I have hit the D2 and it sounds fine.

I have learned quite quickly (or not so quickly) that some things are left unsaid by me personally in regards to equipment.

For what it's worth, I like the feedback you bring on gear. When you've hit as much stuff as you have, you're able to draw comparisons in things like sound feel etc that some of us don't have as deep of memory banks to lean on. Seriously.

 

[mikeg_74]

I think it's great that the previews & reviews give all the information needed for us to make our own decisions & get out to hit the clubs ourselves. While many of us trust the unbiased reviews, we still need to swing these clubs to see how the setup, feel & sound.

The OEM's rely on this community to provide honest feedback & the sound topic has generated that. It's gotten guys to go hit this & that's great IMO.

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

Its why personally I didnt even want to say anything. It wasnt until I had two other THPers with me that said the exact same thing as me about the sound that I bothered to point it out. FWIW, I have hit the D2 and it sounds fine.

I have learned quite quickly (or not so quickly) that some things are left unsaid by me personally in regards to equipment.

And JB as we have said before - it is subjective. I think it's great you mentioned it. What doesn't bother some might cause others to go in a different direction. All info is good info.

 

[JFlores]

I hit it today and it was a noticeable sound, other than that it was ok. The G30 got me on ponder mode, demo day I attended did not have the big Bertha 815.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Some early thoughts from yesterday's outing with the D2. Planned on the range, but it's a long story and I decided to play. Played 10 holes. Hit a ball off the tee that I played and then hit at least one or two more that I picked up.

Course conditions were cool and fairly soft for this time of year. The fairways are what I'd call fluffy, so didn't get a ton of rollout, but I wasn't hopping and stopping. Early next week I'll get it on the monitor with a couple others for some comparison as well.

Look at address is great. I'm a fan of glossy black, though I know matte is in vogue right now. Conventional shape and I didn't get any impressions it was too big or too small. Face depth seems middle of the road to me.

The ARC collects dirt/debris. I didn't dropkick it btw. In practice swings I try to brush the ground.

The headcover is hard to get on. Enough that it annoyed me.

I know we've got some feedback on the D3 sound, but I'll say I didn't get any hint of that with this one. Solid in the center - almost reminds me of the X Hot - and more 910'ish away from the center. Some sound degredation high up on the face - more tinny I guess? I hate sound adjectives. Certainly has some pitch to it, but no R1 high notes. No echo like the Cleveland Black or PING G30, both of which I've hit in the last week.

I guess I let the internet convince me I'd never be able to swing the Rogue, but I should have known better. It felt good to me and I got a very nice ball flight with it in the 10.5° head. Mid-high if I had my draw working and high if I left the face open a little and pushed it. Typical for me these days. I'd say it's a pretty standard Aldila feeling shaft. I can feel a little pop at impact and it wasn't boardy or overly stiff that I noticed. Much higher than I hit the G30 and pretty close to what I saw with the 545.

Will reserve most distance talk for launch monitor numbers and I didn't have a GPS with me, but I was happy with what I saw on-course. I had a PW in on a 360 yard par 4 with what I'd call one of my better swings of the day, so appx 230's total distance based on years of past experience testing on this course. For me, that's good distance.

Noticed pretty quickly I needed to lower my tee height a bit due to higher-face contact.

I was definitely curious about the forgiveness. Guessing this one will be more forgiving than the D3 based not only on size, but on CG location. I saw good results on misses and often was able to compare directly since I was hitting 2 or more balls off the tee. My misses typically find the toe or the higher parts of the face and that was the case for all but one miss that I caught lower and a bit heel-side.

Pictures below show difference I saw with a middle toe miss and high face miss.

High face showed a tendency for higher flight and less appealing sound - distance loss wasn't too bad at all, but it was obviously shorter than middle shots. Middle toe was probably the best miss, retaining both normal trajectory and distance well. High toe didn't hook bad on me, which as a miss that I do get from some drivers is one of my personal litmus tests. I did get a slightly lower flight and a little left movement on this one, but no dive bombs. Yesterday at least. The one low/heel miss had a lower fading ball flight that went farther than I expected it to, but I did hit it relatively hard.

I'll impact tape and record on a monitor next week to get more info there b/c I think forgiveness can be a little prone to varying factors, but initial impressions were good in my books. I hit all but one fairway and certainly didn't hit the dead-center even 50% of the time.

That's it for now. Will do some head to head to head testing this weekend or early next week.

Ryan, I keep reading and hearing that the D2 has a draw bias. Is this true? I am assuming you played it at neutral settings.

 

[Hawk]

Sorry for the delay SF.

Here's what Titleist says:

915D2 delivers higher trajectory and more dynamic face closure versus D3.

I'm sure some folks, especially the awesome ones that play their golf online, will construe that as draw biased. Personally, as a person that draws the ball I'd say that is plays relatively neutral for me. I move it a little left with the occasional push in the standard setting.