The soon-to-be released drivers have earned overwhelming validation and success with players across all professional tours with the likes of Adam Scott (917D2 9.5º), Jimmy Walker (917D2 8.5º), Bill Haas (917D2 9.5º), Byeong Hun An (917D3 8.5º), Justin Thomas (917D3 9.5º) and Greg Chalmers (917D2 8.5º) using the club for the past few months.

Walker, who first began testing early 917 prototypes in January at the Titleist Performance Institute in California, put the Titleist 917D2 (8.5º) in play at the World Golf Championships event at Firestone and less than a month later he won PGA Championship at Baltusrol for his first major title.

 “I put the 917D2 straight into play. It was definitely faster, had a better sound and feel, and I really loved the shape,” Walker said. “Performance-wise, we found a lower sweetspot and I was able to lower my spin rate to exactly where I wanted. The ball flight was also what I liked to see, which is not super high.

“I can fly the ball on a rope anywhere from 295-310 and then it just rolls out far and straight. I’ve also picked up a lot of confidence hitting it into the wind.”

JImmy Walker used the Titleist 917D2 in winning the PGA Championship. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Also at the PGA Championship, An won the event’s Long Drive Contest, using his new Titleist 917D3 (8.5º) to hit a 347-yard drive off Baltusrol’s 1st tee.

The 917D2 driver played a major role in breaking one of the longest victory droughts on the PGA Tour. In just his second start with his new 8.5º driver, Chalmers won the Barracuda Championship for his first PGA Tour win in 386 starts. “Thanks to Titleist, I’ve got that new driver they’ve got, that 917, and I gained some yardage and started driving it straighter and I drove it beautifully…”


Greg Chalmers relied on the Titleist 917D2 to win the Barracuda Championship. PHOTO: Getty Images.

So what makes the new Titleist 917 drivers so good?

Titleist 917D2 and 917D3 models – engineered with proprietary ‘Active Recoil Channel 2.0’ and ‘SureFit CG technology’ – are the result of an uncompromising “complete performance” design strategy employed by Titleist Golf Club R&D to develop the industry’s most comprehensive and efficient driver designs.

“When we talk to golfers about driver performance, distance and forgiveness are always paramount. But they aren’t the only attributes that players look for in a driver,” Vice President, Titleist Golf Club R&D, Dan Stone said. “They also want a repeatable trajectory, a shot shape they can count on for better accuracy. And they need it to look, sound and feel great.

“The meticulous nature of our R&D process guarantees that any new innovation ultimately complements the overall package, and we’re confident that 917 delivers on golfers’ each and every requirement.

“There may be other adjustable drivers in the market, but none are able to maximise the total driving performance for golfers of all abilities like 917.”

Available through Titleist authorised golf shops from October 21, Titleist 917 drivers offer increased ball speed for more distance with superior forgiveness, industry-leading adjustability with optimised trajectory control, as well as Tour-inspired sound and feel.

The drivers deliver these benefits through the following key technologies:

• Active Recoil Channel (ARC) 2.0, a long, wide, deep sole channel, actively flexes and recoils at impact to launch the ball off the face with higher speed and lower spin for more distance. Refined thickness areas throughout the channel, including thinner heel and toe regions, produce greater face flexibility for a more consistent deflection that reduces spin and increases speed across the face.

• Radial Speed Face 2.0, a high-speed forged face insert, is tuned with ARC 2.0 to promote greater off-centre ball speed for more overall distance.

• A precise, high moment of inertia design, with a low and deep center of gravity location, delivers stability and forgiveness by preserving off-centre ball speed for more distance, more often.

• Titleist’s industry-leading SureFit Hosel and new SureFit CG weight system deliver the ultimate in precision fitting for every player. The proprietary 16-setting SureFit Hosel allows golfers to set loft and lie independently to optimise ball flight for improved shot control and maximum distance.


New SureFit CG provides precise customisation through a highly efficient interchangeable weight system, optimising spin and launch conditions for a more consistent trajectory and tighter shot dispersion.

The unique orientation of SureFit CG, positioned at an angle deep on the sole, enables the center of gravity to be moved from neutral to a back, heel position (Draw) or forward, toe position (Fade). Each SureFit CG position affects dynamic face closure and gear-effect sidespin, enabling golfers to enhance their preferred ball flight and shot shape through more consistent impact and spin.

The adjustable technologies of the 917 drivers offer the type of customisation previously available only on the Titleist Tour Van. A Titleist authorised fitter will utilise the SureFit Hosel and SureFit CG, coupled with interchangeable shafts, to determine a player’s optimal setup so they are playing a 917 driver that is fit precisely to their swing.

• Two models (917D2 and 917D3) provide distinct performance choices, particularly in spin and trajectory, for greater fitting flexibility and precise flight and shot shape optimisation. The 917D2 provides distance and forgiveness in a large 460cc full pear profile. 917D2 offers more forgiveness and produces a higher peak trajectory with 250rpm more spin versus 917D3.

The 917D3 provides distance with workability in a traditional, tour-inspired 440cc pear profile. 917D3 offers more workability and 250rpm less spin versus 917D2.

HOW THEY PLAY: In player testing, golfers properly fit for a 917D2 or 917D3 driver experienced an average of 0.5-1 mph additional ball speed and 100-200 rpm lower spin with the new model as compared to 915D2 or 915D3 – for an average of three to five yards more carry distance.

With both 917 models, players experienced more consistent speeds and lower spin across the face than their 915 drivers. Players’ SureFit CG position preferences were similarly distributed between Neutral, Draw and Fade.


“If you purchase a 917 driver off the rack in its neutral settings, you’ll be getting exceptional all-around performance, the best driver we’ve ever made,” Vice President, Titleist Golf Club Marketing, Josh Talge said.

“But if you give us about 30 minutes and 30 swings to get properly fit into 917’s adjustable technologies, you’ll also be getting a driver that is essentially designed for you, a driver that is built to get the absolute most out of your golf swing.

“You’ll be blown away by the performance gains.”

SHAFT OPTIONS: The 917’s high-performance stock shaft matrix features five new aftermarket options from the three most played driver shaft families on the PGA Tour to fit a wide range of players and swing speeds. Each of these shafts will be making their market debut with 917 drivers.


The stock lineup, each with a stock length of 45 inches, includes the Aldila Rogue M*AX 65 (low-mid launch); Fujikura Speeder Pro TS 74 (low-mid launch); Mitsubishi Diamana Limited D+ White 70 (low launch), Mitsubishi Diamana Limited S+ Blue 60 (mid launch), and Mitsubishi Diamana Limited M+ Red 50 (high launch).


In addition, Titleist offers an industry-leading number of custom shaft choices.



SPECS: Titleist 917D2 available in 8.5º, 9.5º, 10.5º and 12º lofts; Titleist 917D3 available in 8.5º, 9.5º, and 10.5º lofts.

SRP: $749.

For more information about the Titleist 917D2 and 917D3 drivers, visit www.titleist.com.au