50 Words or Less
The Titleist GT3 driver has more forgiveness than should be allowed in a driver this good looking. Mid launch and mid-low spin. Excellent, impactful adjustability.
Introduction
Matt Meeker and I share a first name, but our golf games don’t have much in common. Meeker rarely leaves the fairway; I rarely find one. Meeker’s club head speed is around 80 MPH; mine can go north of 110 MPH. Meeker is a model of consistency; I can look like an aspiring pro and a rank beginner, often in the same hole.
You wouldn’t think that we would get fit into the same club – and certainly not the same driver – but that’s exactly what happened with the new Titleist GT3 driver. In this review, we’ll dig into how one club is able to cover such a wide range of players.
Looks
The Titleist GT3 driver might be the best looking driver on the planet right now. And while, yes, looks are subjective, I don’t think too many people would argue with my assertion.
Starting at address, the GT3 has a tall face that contrasts beautifully with a compact front-to-back depth. It’s just slightly pear shaped, leaning toward the toe like old school players drivers did. The gloss black crown has a subtle “GT” alignment aid. Also noteworthy is something you can’t see: seams. My fitter explained that Tour players asked Titleist to keep the seams invisible from address, an impressive feat of engineering.
In the bag, the Titleist GT3 driver is very sleek. The sole is predominantly gloss black with a slash of silver bearing the “GT3” branding. Titleist remains at the head of the class for keeping their adjustability low key. If you’re not a gear head, you could miss the CG Track entirely.
Sound & Feel
I rely on a handful of words to describe the sound and feel of golf clubs. This is useful because it creates a common language that can be used for comparing different clubs. The downside is that sometimes I encounter a club and wish I had reserved certain words just for it. In the case of the Titleist GT3 driver, I wish I had never called another driver’s feel “solid.” On center – and even a bit off – this club feels incredibly strong behind the ball.
This stout, traditional feel pairs well with the quiet impact sound. I got to hit the GT3 head to head with some other drivers, which made it clear just how discrete the GT3 is. There’s still a satisfying “crack” to good strikes, but the volume is dialed way down.
Finally, as you would expect from a players driver, the feedback is excellent. You won’t hear a shocking difference between pure and poor strikes, but your hands will tell you everything you need to know about impact location.
Performance
Here’s a quick peak into how good the Titleist GT3 driver is: Matt Meeker and I – people who know equipment – both went into our fittings fully expecting to come out with the GT2. We both left with the GT3.
My fitter told me that he begins every session with the GT3 because of the adjustability and because, I’m paraphrasing, “The GT3 is so forgiving, not too many people need the GT2.” I started with a fantastic series of shots that gave me visions of putting this right into the bag. I saw mid launch with lower spin, and the adjustability was huge. Once my fitter understood my tendencies, he used both the CG Track and the SureFit Hosel to optimize my distance and keep my shots on track.
Matt Meeker went into his fitting expecting that the GT2 would be a fit because he needs more launch and spin. Instead, his fitter found that by simply adding loft to the GT3. Meeker didn’t need the additional forgiveness of the GT2, and the adjustability of the GT3 allowed him to dial in his shot shape with greater precision.
Comparing the Titleist GT3 driver to the TSR3 [review HERE], the biggest innovation is the Seamless Thermoform Crown. This ultra-light material freed up more weight and fueled Split Mass Construction. That saved weight was split – some forward, some back – to achieve a balance of speed, launch, spin, and forgiveness. The result is that the GT3 has much more forgiveness without sacrificing high end performance.
Another thing that pushed me toward the GT3 is the improvement to the CG Track. Though Titleist is famously short on specific performance claims, they state that moving the CG Track to the front of the club makes it “more dynamic.” I found that it has a bigger impact on ball flight. In previous generations, I felt that Titleist’s adjustable weight was only for small tweaks, but in the GT3 driver, it can significantly reduce a hook or slice.
Conclusion
In the last few years, a lot has changed at the top end of my bag. I starting gaming a non-PING driver, and now I’m thinking seriously about putting a players driver in full time. It’s a testament to just how good the Titleist GT3 driver is, and how much you can gain when you go into a fitting with an open mind. If you’re looking for better performance off the tee, the Titleist GT drivers need to be on your demo list, regardless of your handicap.