Titleist GTS2 Driver Review

Titleist are well-established as the most popular driver brand on Tour, and their new GTS range has already made a great start to life too, topping equipment counts despite being introduced mid-way through the season.

The new drivers are looking to solve the age-old problem when it comes to drivers: combining optimum launch and high ball speeds with high MOI for better forgiveness and accuracy.

They’ve got a couple of new technologies which are helping with this, including an all-new proprietary material?

So does it work? And have Titleist managed to improve on the very popular GT range? I headed down to the Titleist Performance Centre at Woburn GC to find out.

Who’s It Aimed At?

Titleist describe the GTS2 as offering ‘speed with maximum stability’, for golfers who maybe aren’t quite as consistent with the driver and need better performance across the face. There are two other heads in the range too: the GTS3, which provides a combination of stability and speed and will probably be used by the majority of golfers, and the GTS4 which is the more compact, low-spinning model.

It has a 460cc head but Titleist have worked to improve the profile, and improve the aerodynamics of the head, which might encourage more speed too. It could also have the benefit of appealing to a wider range of golfers – this isn’t a big draw-biased Max head like you might get from some brands.

With an RRP of £629 this driver is for serious golfers, or those who don’t mind splashing out on the newest gear.

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The Tech

The new GTS Drivers are built with a ‘Split Mass Frame’ construction, which is Titleist’s strategy for where they position weight in the head to try and offer low spin, high ball speed and more forgiveness.

To help with this they’re introducing a thermoform body, using a Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP) material which covers a larger area of the head than in previous years. Compared to traditional titanium heads this helps to save weight, allowing weight to be repositioned in the optimal areas.

Titleist have also worked hard on their aerodynamics compared to the GT range. There’s a higher tail section, helping airflow stay attached to the clubhead during impact. This is said to increase clubhead speed, without negatively affecting launch or spin.

A new Speed Sync Face replaces the Speed Ring construction and now stretches further up towards the top of the head. This is said to encourage better ball speeds on strikes that are higher on the face. There’s also variable face technology, used across the face to keep up speeds even on mis-hit shots across the face.

The GTS2 features a new dual-weight system. There are interchangeable front and rear weights, allowing fitters to dial in your launch and spin characteristics.

Finally, the face graphics have also been updated as a result of tour feedback, with a high-contrast pattern designed to make the head sit squarer behind the ball and improve confidence at address.

Titleist GTS2 Driver Review

Looks

Over the last few generations of Titleist drivers it’s probably fair to say that there hasn’t been a huge amount of change in terms of overall design.

From the original TS Drivers all the way through to GT and now GTS, you get the same all-black gloss crown, with just small bits of white. grey and red detailing on the sole.

Critics might argue that this is lazy, but Titleist supporters know what they want and this is clean, traditional and uncluttered looks. The GTS Drivers provides this yet again.

On first inspection it looks pretty similar to the GT2, with slightly updated graphics and a silver cap to house the rear weight, along with a weight at the front of the head too.

Having tested all three models at the same time during my fitting, I was surprised by just how similar they were. It was actually quite hard to tell the three heads apart, which I think is a positive – it means that you can get the extra performance and forgiveness levels of a GTS2, but without the head being too big in comparison to the GTS3 or GTS4.

I like the face graphics that Titleist provide on their drivers too, as they really stand out which helps you to line the ball up more accurately at address, as well as giving the impression that you can see plenty of loft, which gives more confidence.

Feel

In recent years it feels like there has been a bit of a switch when it comes to drivers, with more golfers preferring more of a muted sound and feel at impact. This has only been enhanced with the use of carbon or proprietary materials in the face – such as the likes of TaylorMade’s Qi4D and the new Mizuno JPX One.

As a result I actually enjoyed hitting the GTS range as it felt a little bit more traditional in terms of the sound and feel. It’s not quite as tingy as a Ping driver, but it’s definitely noticeable when you hit shots.

The GTS2 is also geared slightly more towards the higher handicap golfer, or those who perhaps don’t generate the same club speeds, so this extra feedback might be reassuring too.

Across the GTS range the drivers feel really solid and forgiving, whilst I also felt like I could swing pretty quickly too – perhaps the new aerodynamics are doing their job…

Performance

During my fitting at Woburn I hit all three of the new GTS heads, in a variety of different shaft and head setups, to see which performed best for me.

With the GTS2 the overall numbers were good but I actually struggled with dispersion – I found the driver easy to hit, but the larger head size almost meant that I found it harder to really hit in the centre of the face so I actually saw shots missing further to the left and right than I did with the driver I was eventually fitted for – the GTS4.

I would say that I was impressed by the ball speed I generated from the GTS2, at 157mph, considering that this is the model which is more about forgiveness than out and out distance.

I also saw good distances too, with an average carry of over 260 yards which is pretty close to my optimum numbers.

All in all, the GTS2 really impressed me and I enjoyed using it. The only reason I didn’t end up getting fitted for it was that the GTS4 was just slightly tighter in terms of its overall performance, and I preferred the slightly more compact look down by the ball.

Titleist GTS2 Driver Verdict

So is the new GTS range a real improvement on GT? To be honest it’s hard to tell, and if you’ve got a GT driver I definitely wouldn’t suggest you need to go out and spend money on an upgrade.

However if you’ve had your driver in the bag for a few years, it’s definitely worth trying this range out. The three models are closer together than ever in my opinion, but there are still distinct options for different golfers and the performance was excellent across the board.

Overall the GTS2 is a great performing driver. It fills you with confidence, feels easy to hit, and I was surprised by just how impressive the numbers were.

With a whopping £629 price tag you’d expect good performance, and it certainly delivers. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether it’s good value for money though…