Titleist have finally launched their successor to the the TSi series, the best product they have released since the 975 Driver twenty years ago, in my opinion. The TSR Metals are the third generation of Titleist’s Speed Project.
Titleist say that the 'R' has four core meanings:
- Refined - this is the conclusion of the Speed Project, so the looks and technology are only changing slightly.
- Repeatable - a club which performs over and over again on the range and on the golf course.
- Reputation - the TS drivers have been number one on tour in the last three seasons, and nearly 50% of elite amateur males use it.
- Right - the right product for a greater number of golfers.
There are three fairway woods available in the TSR range, in this article I’ll be looking at the TSR2 model. It’s a club for the masses which is said to be high in forgiveness, launch and distance.
The Tech
The TSR2 features the lowest CG levels ever in a Titleist fairway, which is designed to aid speed and launch without creating excess backspin.
A new Open Hosel Construction is designed to create space for more improvements to other areas of performance, removing unwanted weight high and towards the heel.
The head is engineered to produce a more powerful sounding strike with better feedback, and generates high launch with mid spin.
The TSR2 is available between 15 to 21 degrees for right-handed golfers, and 15 to 18 degrees for left-handed golfers.
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Titleist TSR2 Fairway Review
Looks and Feel
There is far less of a difference between the TSR2 and TSR3 compared to the equivalent models in the TSi Fairways. It is black and features a very simple design, with no grey on the sole like last time around which gives it a cleaner look.
Titleist have added white paint on to the grooves to provide a clearer outline. This has nothing to do with technology but it really does help to add definition to what is an otherwise pretty plain, classic head. The face is deeper and therefore looks shorter than the TSR3.
The crown features a classic black shine finish with nothing other than the TSR logo to help you centre the ball in the head. The sole weighting is pushed towards the front of the head, and just like the driver, there is a smoother undercarriage for more streamlined turf interaction.
The head and the sole are so clean and understated you'd struggle to know that it was a Titleist, as there is so little branding.
The TSR2 felt amazing in strike compared to my own TSi2, and made me realise that I was in fact giving something up with the older head.
Whilst the look was similar the feel was noticeably different due to the spin being easier to control. The strike felt fuller and more powerful. My shots 'stayed hit' for longer on the face and the head was extremely stable.
A word of warning however, I did find that the strikes were more left biased than with the TSR3, but there was still a real beefiness to the strike compared to more of a 'glancing' sound and feel from the TSi2 Fairway Wood.
Performance
I visited the Titleist Performance Centre at Woburn GC to undergo a full day of TSR testing, hitting shots with the Trackman launch monitor and Pro V1x balls to work out which of the new models was best for me and how they performed compared to my own TSi2 Fairway.
The Trackman data proved that the TSR2 spun a little too much for me on poorer strikes so I knew pretty quickly during my testing that it wasn't the ideal model for my game.
A bad shot spun at 4925 rpm, carried 183 yards and had a peak height of 75 feet, with a ball speed of 125.5 mph.
The better strikes were left-biased (slightly pulled) which did help me to achieve some pretty decent numbers, with a 193 yard carry, spin rates below 2800rpm and a peak height of 60 feet.
Titleist TSR2 Fairway Verdict
The TSR2 Fairway looks slightly better than the TSi, but it sounds a lot better. It is fuller and feels stronger in the strike than in previous models too which is a definite improvement.
I would say that this is easier to flight and spin than ever before. I loved the look of it, it was so sleek and easy to frame the golf ball but I actually felt it was too much of a game-improvement club on my strikes, whilst the spin was killing my distance too.
As a result, only a handful of my shots were carrying over 190 yards due to the spin rate averaging more than 3500 rpm.
Overall, this model is very good improvement, but wasn't for me and I think you might struggle to find any difference in numbers between it and the TSi2 Fairway.
Who Is It Aimed At?
You're going to see less pros on tour using the TSR2 compared to the TSi2, and players like Cam Smith have already switched from the TSi2 to the TSR3. I still think it could suit a wide range of golfers however, so I would encourage everyone to give it a go.
Would I Use It?
No - I've played the TSi2 for the last couple of years but now I am more suited to a TSR3 fairway wood thanks to the changes Titleist have made to the consistency of that club.
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Cobra LTDx Fairway Wood Review
Titleist TSR3 Fairway Wood Review