Titleist 905R and my driver testing session

Well my obsession with this game and the especially the driver drove me to London, Ontario yesterday, where I hit about 500 balls and tested drivers for nearly 4 hours.

Here is what I found for anyone interested.

My drivers at time of testing were a Titleist 905T and TaylorMade r7 tp. My swing speed is 107 mph and I usually carry the ball 235-245.

[B]Callaway fusion FT3 (neutral)[/B] - I am not sure if this thing has a closed face or not, but it sure looked like it did and for me that is trouble. I tended to hit a high draw with but just didnt seem to get much distance out of it. It felt like crap to hit and sounded even worse. After a dozen balls it fell to the "NO" pile.

[B]Ping G5[/B] - Set up real nice and square and went very high and very straight, even on obviously poor swings. Distance was very good. The big problem I found was it was to light, and could feel the club head at all. Went on to the "maybe" pile.

[B]Cleveland High bore[/B] - Man is this thing ugly. It is honestly hard to take seriously and took a few swings to get use to. Seemed to set up a little closed for my taste but hit the ball a mile with a very nice trajectory. I didnt like the sound it made and could never tell if I hit it flush or not. It also went to the maybe pile.

[B]Taylor R7 425[/B] - they had no tp version so I hit the normal one. Again it was way to closed faced, and I hooked the crap out of it. Felt to better than the original R7 imo. Off to the NO pile.

[B]Titleist 905R[/B] - Being a big fan of the 905T I wasnt expecting much of an improvement. What a pleasant suprise. At 60 cc's bigger, it looked nearly identical to its 905 brother. Was the only 460 cc driver that didnt look big. Was very easy to feel the club throughout the swing. Sounded a lot differant than the 905T, much more tingy, especially on off center hits. This was easily the longest club I hit all day, and I talking by a good 10-15 yards. It also had a much higher trajectory than any Titleist I have ever hit. It was all day straight.

[B]Nike Sasquatch tour[/B] - Probably the worst club I hit all day. Way to light, no feel at all. Hit the ball way to high and everything was a fade. Why this thing is getting such good reviews is beyond me.

I also hit 4 other I would consider to be junk, they were imediately discarded. Cobra 454 comp, Adams (redline I think), mac tec, Cobra speed,

So after hitting and hitting, I went with the Titleist 905R with a siff Fuji speeder shaft
Best driver I have ever hit IMO.

Great post. I ended up buying a G5 because i didnt want to drop $400 on the Titleist. Sounds like it is worth every penny though. I do like my G5 very much though.

I agree with your assessment of Cobra drivers too, complete junk. Just my opinion though!

Thanks for the post LyleG. I just picked up a 905R the other day, didn't get a chance to hit it yet. From what everyone is saying, I shouldn't have any problems. I was using a 983K for the longest time, which was working very well for me, but I wanted a change. I tried the Cleveland Hibore but didn't like that too much. I don't know why I went away from Titleist in the first place. Thanks:thumbsup:

Thank you both,

I really wish the sound of this club stayed the same as the 905T. I know the sound doesnt mean jack as far as performance, but man did I love the WHACK that the 905T made.
I had the club shortened 1/2 an inch and a new decade multi compound grip installed.
I hit a small bucket this morning and am in love with this things accuracy and distance. The 905R really is a great improvement to what was a great club (905T) in its own right.

"I don't know why I went away from Titleist in the first place"

Me neither, they are truly the best golf company out there IMO.

We got 3 Titleist R drivers through to our shop today, in fact. I friggin' love 'em, I tell ya !

Never been a huge fan of Titleist gear, but I must say that this year that most of their stuff is nothing short of awesome ! I love the look of this driver, and if their is a nicer feel/sound off it, I may just be interested in getting one !!

We got one with a Speeder shaft and the other came with what must be the new UST shaft in yellow & Purple (forget name)

I have an R7 with (Pured) Speeder 757, but I am seriously considering pulling the shaft and ordering a head of the Titleist and fitting it into that. That is how much I am impressed with this thing...:)

That UST shaft would be the pro force V2, plays nearly the same as a speeder just a little lighter.

Keep in mind that only Titleist can replace shafts on Titleist clubs because of the aluminum bore through hosel design. It is damaged in the removal process through conventional means.

Try the one with the speeder in it already, they are spine aligned from Titleist.

"I don't know why I went away from Titleist in the first place"

"Me neither, they are truly the best golf company out there IMO.[/QUOTE]"

When I first started to really get into the sport, I was looking for irons. Everyone receommended Titleist, said they are the best, build the best clubs, etc. I took their word for it and havent looked back. Love Titleist stuff, it killed me to buy a Ping driver.

I have been trying for the longest time to find a replacement for my 983K, something that will give me a little more distance. I would love to demo a 905R, S, or T, but there is no place that I can find around here that has a place to demo on a range. I will NOT drop that kind of cash again without being absolutely sure.

Well I have now played 5 full rounds (2 today) with this driver, and honestly believe it is the best club I have ever hit. Why this driver isnt the biggest discussion item on this site is beyond me.

I dont know why many people dont get results out of the Nike SQ. That being said, I cannot tell you why it gets good reviews. I have had the SQ for a few months now and I agree that when i mishit the club it tends to fade...Come to think of it, i dont think I have ever hit anything remotely left with the club. I hit the Titelist and I must admit, I have a better feel for the club than I do with the SQ. The problem is that with the SQ I get about 30-35 extra yds with it. I have an outside-in swing so any mishit for me is going to go right. I do the same with any other driver I just get the most distance with the SQ. Someone once told me that if I was going to be in trouble, I wanna be in trouble as close to the green as possible. LOL Sounds like the Titelist is a good choice of club, but when I am hitting 65-70% of fairways with a 320 yds carry with the SQ, I dont see myself changing.

" I am hitting 65-70% of fairways with a [B]320 yds carry[/B] with the SQ, I dont see myself changing."

congrats, you are now the longest hitter on tour and one of the most accurate as well.

Honestly, what are you smoking? Do you not see the lunacy of your post?

[QUOTE=LyleG]" I am hitting 65-70% of fairways with a [B]320 yds carry[/B] with the SQ, I dont see myself changing."

conragts, you are now the longest hitter on tour and one of the most accurate as well.

Honestly, what are you smoking? Do you not see the lunacy of your post?[/QUOTE]

Don't worry Lyle. You're not the only one who almost spit out his coffee laughing at that.

If I've learned anything playing golf, I've learned that people have NO conception of how far they hit the ball. Often those who think they hit it 250 in reality only hit it about 225. Also, those who think they hit it 300 usually only hit it around 270.

I apologize...I meant to say 320 total. Now saying that I am assuming that the yardage markers on the course are somewhat correct. I admit a typo in 320 CARRY. But if I am teeing off on a 566yrd Par 5 and my second shot is from 230-240...then you do the math...that equals 320-330 yrd drive.

"I apologize...I meant to say 320 total."

So in other words you still have the highest driving distance average on the PGA tour.
And are still top 10 in accuracy.
Say hello to bigfoot for me.


PS - I drive the ball about 255- 260 on average (total distace, carry and roll), and am longer than about 80% people I have ever played with.

Well then I guess the yardage makers on my course and every other course I play on are wrong.

Of course not, your just superman.

I just noticed you have all your club distances listed in the photo thread. I actually needed a tissue to wipe the tears from my eyes after reading it.
With your accuracy and power you should be breaking 65 on a regular basis.
How about a vid of your swing, so we can all marvel at its beauty.

hahaha well as much as I would like to shoot that well...it seems as if I still have a few kinks to figure out (go figure). I may hit those clubs that far but no where on that posting does it say nor even hint that I hit them with pinpoint accuracy or shape them as I think that I am going to while standing over the ball. As far as my distances and your marvel of them...I dont know what to tell you. I dont have a camcorder, dont intend to buy one and I dont know how to get it onto the net if i did. that being said, you are just going to have to keep marveling at how far I hit my irons.

My drives are what save my game most of the time. It seems that when I need to hit a tight fairway I do and when I can go left or right thats when I do it.

I was using a 983K with a Graphite Design YS-6 Stiff for the past 1 1/2 years and could hit a solid slight draw like all of my normal shots. I just bought a 905T with a Aldila NV 65S and I'm hitting a slight fade or push fade on mishits. I'm hoping that I'm not used to the club yet and my normal ball flight will come back. The Aldila shaft seems a tiny bit stiffer than my old 983 and I was thinking that that might have something to do with my different ball flight with this club. I'm also hitting it about 1/2 a ball off center toward the heel on my new 905T. I keep wondering why I can't hit the 905 as I did with the 983 and I keep thinking up different reasons. In the end, I told myself that I'm just not used to the new driver and it would only be a matter of time before I start hitting the 905 the way I did the 983.

983 K = 1 degree closed face and draw bias
905 T = square face and neutral bias

problem solved

[QUOTE=cfr_pratt]Come to think of it, i dont think I have ever hit anything remotely left with the club..... with the SQ I get about 30-35 extra yds with it. I have an outside-in swing so any mishit for me is going to go right. .[/QUOTE]


[QUOTE=cfr_pratt] It seems that when I need to hit a tight fairway I do and when I can go left or right thats when I do it.[/QUOTE]

I hate to sound like a prick, but how can you go 'left when you need to' when you've never hit anything 'remotely left with the club'?

I think another reason why people find these extreme PGA like distances so hard to swallow is:

a. On mishits, it is impossible to get insane distances like that unless you had some ungodly swing speed in the 130-140+ range. On less than perfect contact you cannot achieve Tiger like distances unless you have a greater s.s. Simple physics. The best on tour get these distances on great swings with great contact, not on mishits.

b. It's pretty tough to avg PGA best distances off the tee. Maybe a drive or 2 here and there provided you have the mechanics and physical skill to do so, but those mishits that go 220 into the woods count as well.

Swing speed is swing speed, ball speed is ball speed. It takes certain 'numbers' to be able to achieve such distances. Certainly you can benefit from wind, elevated tees, rock hard fairways, etc but those are not what you judge your average distance on.

Heck if that were the case, Stuart Appleby should have quit after Hawaii and Bridgestone should simply use his stats from there to sell their drivers as '400 yd rocket launchers'.

What I meant by the comment is my home course has a few holes that have room left and to the right. I never said that I hit the ball that way...all I was saying is that there is room over there. As far as my distances, the only thing I can tell you is that the yardage markers on the course are wrong. This is very possible due to the fact that it is a city owned course. In Yuma (where I play) the temp is about 95 to 100 so walking is hazardous to your health. If I would walk the course I am sure I could figure it out.

It's pretty pointless to get all bent out of shape about another guy's claims of distance and accuracy. I've only played with 2 guys that could outdrive me hands down and they were a 2some my dad and I got joined up with.At 6'2" 240 each respectively they had great flexiblity and complete weight shift. On a good day I'll hit 50% fairways, that's fairways not 1st cut or worse. At least 2 of those will be with a 3w. There are only 3 holes on the course I play where I will attempt a 95% driver swing (2 are par 5's) and the "trouble" is managable. Anyway I'd love to see how the distance stacks up yd. for yd. on the Titleist vs. the R7425 and 460. Those are/were my 2 considerations for next driver. I'm just up in the air about the forgiveness vs. workability factors. My attempts at hitting driver draws are way too inconsistent for real play, I'll take the 20- 30yd. loss with 3w every time. I like to hit the fade though and have good control with it.

[QUOTE=19handicap]i completely agree. i must admit that unknowingly i did this. i used to think that i averaged 250 off the tee but definitly do not. i can hit the ball 265 or so thats with a hard,perfect swing. i counted my drives up for the last few rounds and found i average around 225-230, since a can hit it over 260, i also do mishit and only get 200-210 once in a while. so it may not sounds to impressive but i am happy with my driving now as i hit around 10 fws a round, and have been scoring well. I shot my best round from the back tees today (83), with a 44 on the front, and a birdie on 18 for a 39 on the back. i did this by using good course management, and swinging easily when i needed the accuracy.[/QUOTE]
Hey guys lets be honest here.....I for one would gladly take a shot of 220-230 down the middle every time than a 260-280 rocket into the woods....little easier game from the short grass....at least I find it that way........Paul

Right now I play a course with only a few trees. Therfore my mentality is if I am going to be in trouble, I wanna be as close to the green as possible. LOL I cant hit a 3 wood to save my damn life so I have no choice but to play the driver. Plus, for what I paid for it...you cannot talk me out of it. I dont usually play for money so only my pride is on the line. LOL gotta keep it fun

[QUOTE=cfr_pratt]Right now I play a course with only a few trees. Therfore my mentality is if I am going to be in trouble, I wanna be as close to the green as possible. LOL I cant hit a 3 wood to save my damn life so I have no choice but to play the driver. Plus, for what I paid for it...you cannot talk me out of it. I dont usually play for money so only my pride is on the line. LOL gotta keep it fun[/QUOTE]

You must be pretty darn consistent to maintain that handicap. Mine shot up after I started playing a much more difficult course than I did last year. I never played a 3w at my old course, it was pretty wide open and doglegs are almost all right. This one you just can't drive off every tee unless you can work a 40yd. draw and fade or only hit a driver 230. I am in my 3rd yr. playing now and the course management thing is finally starting to kick in. Yardage and fairways aside, if you are playing off 6.8 you'd beat me no matter what the slope.

I dont know. I cannot say that I have played a course with alot of trees for awhile. The last time I was home I played Firestone CC and shot mid 80's. Thats a year or so ago. I honestly think that my HCP would go up if I was forced to play a 3 wood off the tee as you do. I am definately not very good with it. My strength in my game is the driver so it is possible for my HCP to increase wildly if i was forced to play that type of game.

What is that smell in here?

your upper lip

oooh, good one

I am sorry, but I can help but think you are totally full of sh!t

Lyle, you mentioned the following on a post...
983 K = 1 degree closed face and draw bias
905 T = square face and neutral bias

What is the degree or bias on the 905R? You have definitely piqued my interest in this club. Thanks!

"What is the degree or bias on the 905R?"

The 905R has a neutral bias and a square face. It has a slightly higher center of gravity than the 905T, is 55 cc's bigger and according to Titleist has a 33% larger sweetspot.

I love mine, and hit it 450 yards on average into the wind.... oh wait, thats not me, thats cfr pratt.

Lyle, thanks for the information. The neutral info is especially great to hear. The 983k I used for a long time was great but the draw bias was not good at times.