Equipment
Titleist’s Concept Clubs are its best ever, but you won’t see them on tour or in stores
They’re the best performing clubs the company has ever made. Golfers are used to hearing that, but not this. You won’t see Titleist’s new Concept Clubs on the PGA Tour, and they won’t be in stores. Only a few thousand golfers in the world will hit them, and even fewer golfers will own them.
“We think we’ve got something here, but we’d like to get a little more experience with it,” said Steve Pelisek, Titleist’s General Manager of Golf Clubs.
That experience will come in the way of the most restricted new club launch from a major equipment manufacturer in recent memory. Titleist has made only 1,500 of its new C16 drivers, and just 1,000 sets of C16 irons. There’s no question that the clubs will sell quickly, despite their high cost and limited availability. But selling $1,000 drivers and $3,000 sets of irons isn’t the focus for Titleist, Pelisek said.
“You can do the math,” Pelisek said. “This clearly isn’t a revenue play.”
In golf equipment design, there are theoretical results based on computer modeling, and then there’s what happens when real golfers test the clubs. Because of manufacturing tolerances and limitations, clubs can’t always be made exactly as they were designed. And of course, golfers don’t always react as expected to new equipment. Concept Club launches give Titleist an opportunity improve its ability to manufacture cutting-edge equipment, and also learn more about what its doing in the hands of real golfers prior to a full-scale equipment launch.
From a design standpoint, Titleist’s C16 driver uses an extremely thin crown (0.35 millimeters). It’s made from a rolled sheet of titanium called ATI-425, which is laser welded to the club head to remove as much weight as possible from the top of the club. According to Dan Stone, Titleist’s Vice President of R&D Dan Stone, the welding process is key, as the crown is so thin that it can be deformed easily by heat.
“We basically had to invent [the welding process],” he said.
The driver’s club face is made from SP-700 titanium, which isn’t new to the industry, but Titleist’s application is. The company forged the material into the form of a cup face, which Stone said creates faster ball speeds.
The C16 driver also debuts an adjustable-weight technology that loyalists have been anticipating from Titleist for years. It’s called SureFit CG, and uses a weighted bar that is installed diagonally through the club head to give golfers three different weighting options: neutral, draw and fade. Each driver comes with a pair of weights, one of which is evenly weighted and creates a neutral trajectory. The other is heavier on one end, and depending on how it’s installed can create either a draw bias with a slightly more rearward center of gravity (CG), or a fade bias with a slightly more forward CG.
To accommodate different driver builds, the C16 driver weights will be offered in pairs of 8, 10 or 12 grams. They are secured to the driver head using Titleist’s SureFit torque wrench.
“The C16 driver is about 6 yards longer than [the 915] driver,” Pelisek said. “When you go through the fitting process, that 6 yards goes to 10 yards.”
Despite the improved performance, Pelisek said the C16 drivers won’t be played on the PGA Tour due to their limited availability. He’s “pretty sure” that one of the design concepts will be used in the company’s 917 drivers, however, which are expected to be released to PGA Tour players in July.
The C16 irons buck the general rule in the industry, which says that as irons get smaller, they fly shorter and become less forgiving than larger models. In Titleist’s testing, the C16 irons carried an average of 8 yards farther than the company’s AP1 irons in head-to-head testing of 4 irons, which is impressive since they use the same lofts. The added distance can be mostly attributed to their forged K301 cup faces, a construction as thin as 2 millimeters that supplies ball speeds at the USGA’s Coefficient of Restitution (COR) limit, according to Stone.
Just as intriguing is the starting point of the iron construction, which uses a friction-welded, bi-metal bar that’s part K301 and part 1025 steel. When hammered into shape, the K301 becomes the face, while the 1025 carbon steel becomes the hosel, as the softer metal improves the feel of the irons and allows them to be bent to custom lofts and lie angles. The irons also have a lightweight chassis that allowed Titleist to use twice the amount of tungsten in the design, compared to the AP1 irons, which boosts their forgiveness.
The need to be fit for each C16 product means that golfers can essentially get any shaft the company offers installed in the clubs, but Titleist did partner with Mitsubishi Rayon and Nippon to create two new shafts that Pelisek said should pair nicely with the irons. The graphite option is a 50-gram Kuro Kage shaft, while the steel option is made by Nippon. Called “AMC,” the shafts are roughly 20 grams lighter than the True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT shafts that are currently available in the 716 iron line.
“These clubs are previews of what’s to come,” Pelisek said. “Maybe not in the next generation. Maybe in two generations.”
Or maybe not at all, in the case of the C16 irons’ SureFit grips, which have an adjustable counter-weighting feature. The grips allow 20 grams of weight to be added above the shaft or below the grip, depending on a golfer’s needs.
“It causes you to activate the hands in a different way and rotate the hands though the ball in a different way,” Stone said.
How many golfers will be asking for these new technologies in Titleist’s next iron launch? One-thousand sets of irons later, the company will have a better idea.
Starting April 28, golfers interested in Titleist’s C16 driver and irons can purchase the clubs after a fitting at Titleist’s Performance Institute (Oceanside, California), Titleist’s Manchester Lane Test Facility (Acushnet, Massachusetts) or Titleist’s Thursdays, which are held at locations across the country.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
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Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
J.T. Poston’s winning WITB: 2026 Memorial Tournament
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Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
Details on Jason Day’s latest prototype Avoda iron setup
Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black...
Ryan Palmer WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
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Http://suppliesgymnastics77.tumblr.Com/
May 18, 2016 at 7:04 am
I just like the helpful info you provide for your articles.
I’ll bookmark your blog and take a look
at once more here regularly. I’m somewhat sure I’ll be told plenty of
new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the next!
Tony P
Apr 22, 2016 at 4:09 pm
nobody cares
George Hanson
Apr 25, 2016 at 11:53 pm
Tour players will care if the can pick up 6, and they will demand that these drivers go into the bag — this just might be counterproductive from Titleist’s perspective.
Kingdom Hearts Unchained X Cheats Android
Apr 21, 2016 at 2:44 pm
I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and
amusing, and without a doubt, you’ve hit the nail
on the head. The issue is an issue that too few folks are speaking
intelligently about. I am very happy that I came across this in my hunt for something relating to this.
rayarcade
Apr 20, 2016 at 10:22 am
Will they have a single length set?
tlmck
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:55 am
$4.5 million is not a payday?
tlmck
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:58 am
BTW that averages to $529.41 per club.
Gubment Cheeze
Apr 19, 2016 at 7:51 pm
Break your fingers please
Rich
Apr 19, 2016 at 6:38 pm
Don’t for a second forget that Acushnet is a business like all others. Their main focus is to make a profit. I’m not saying that all their launches need to make a profit individually but this venture in the long run is supposed to make money, simple. Secondly, if they are saying they are doing this to get real feedback from players, how exactly are they going to do that? No mention of the method of collection of that feedback from said buyers. Would seem to me like that process alone would be unmanageable, let a alone possible to do in a large enough scale to be meaningful. Nice try Acushnet, but it sounds an awful lot like marketing hype to me.
I get it....
Apr 19, 2016 at 1:07 pm
I respect what Titleist is doing, and truly think it’s actually a good thing. AS LONG AS they stick to the script. Maybe it will benefit the players, similar to what WRX is doing by putting out a product, getting true, non-robot feedback to produce a better product when released. Now if that’s their intentions, it will only be better for us the consumer/player in the end.
Now my issues are, these clubs getting in the wrong hands, huge price tags on black market, and when i.e.917’s are released and they have no resemblance of this product, I and I’m sure many others would have issues as well. So this could actually be a good thing if what I mentioned above doesn’t happen. Economically I don’t know if it hurts or helps R&D from a financial standpoint once 917’s hit shelves.
As for the clubs themselves, I don’t like the very TM/non-Titleist alignment aid on driver. The irons do not look like a Titleist product to me in the least bit. But, if they perform, and after refining “916’s” we get an even better product I say bravo to Titleist.
All of that being said, IMO, they shouldn’t label a proto if you will, limited edition. Also, a proto shouldn’t be sold by a manufacture. I know it’s vague on what exactly this is, but from what I gather, they are trying to make a future product better. I know that’s essentially what it is, but I believe if they are trying to perfect a product, and not generate a hype “mmproto-style”, these clubs should maybe be made in less quantity or the same, because I’m sure a acushnets pockets run deep, and these clubs should be dispersed to players of all levels particular to targeted player skill level, and give them to each player with an option to buy at the end, when Titleist releases their “official product” to the masses. I apologize for the novel, but it please Titleist stay where you are. Don’t try to be TM, or other end of spectrum PXG. You are perfect right where you are.
Jesse R
Apr 19, 2016 at 11:19 am
Instead of these, why doesn’t Titleist make the AP1 Forged they released in Japan more available? Seems like the same club to me.
Adam
Apr 20, 2016 at 9:40 am
the current AP1 forged irons are for the korea market, they are not JDMs,
Dylan
Apr 18, 2016 at 11:40 pm
They still fail to tell us exactly how the driver is 6 yards longer than the 915. I feel like if you were properly fit, any driver that’s maxed out in legal tolerances should be able to beat any other. How can you make a driver longer than another when it’s all the same! Stop with the marketing and focus on making good, quality products.
john
Apr 18, 2016 at 9:42 pm
I thought speed slots, adjustable weight ports and cup faces were just gimmicks titleist?
:-p
Apr 18, 2016 at 10:39 pm
They’ve been behind in clubs for so long they had to catch up somewhere
jgpl001
Apr 19, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Behind who and how???
Absolute nonsense
Seems like the AP2’s are pretty much up there to me
Titleist make quality clubs that perform from AP1 to MB – period
:-p
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:47 am
Dopey, Titleist is number one in BALLS only, nothing else. And way behind in everything else, except may be wedges, but in woods and irons definitely far behind
R&A
Apr 20, 2016 at 7:16 pm
Clubs in the same category pretty much do the same thing. If one was way better don’t you think all pros would use it since they play for millions
Mike M
Apr 27, 2017 at 8:37 am
Because they don’t succumb to putting out a “new model every other month there behind?
Seems their products do pretty well on tour, week in week out, again, I don’t think it so much the sticks, as it’s the artist wielding the play.
Their Vokey Wedges, Cameron Putters, lead the field week in, week out.
Chuck
Apr 18, 2016 at 8:35 pm
I’d like to see the offset on those irons. Are there specs/better pictures anywhere?
Chuck
Apr 18, 2016 at 8:44 pm
Answered my own question, here:
http://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/c16
Steve
Apr 18, 2016 at 6:57 pm
I played Titleist almost exclusively for the past 10-12 years. This year I ventured out and I’ve found Titleist, Callaway, TM, and Ping all make great products. However, if the C16 Drivers gives an additional 6 yards, I’ll pass, the M1 already gave me 12 more than the 915d3. I’m a +2 handicap and swing the driver 108. This article makes me dislike Titleist a bit….
cgasucks
Apr 18, 2016 at 10:14 pm
You should give it a try…you might be impressed…
stephenf
Apr 19, 2016 at 1:11 am
Plus-2 here too, and I know what you mean. At some point it starts seeming a little slimy and unnecessary. There’s such a thing as being long enough to play any given course, and once you’re well past that threshold, it really stops mattering very much. Since for a ball to cover a certain distance at a certain height and approximate spin, it’s going to take about the same amount of force applied to that ball regardless of what the number on the club is, I’m not sure why it matters whether you hit your 5-iron 200 or your 4-iron. That’s in addition to the fact that the USGA’s stats show 185 as the average 5-iron carry on tour anyway, so a lot of this distance saga-telling has to do with ideal max-out kinds of stuff that doesn’t happen much in the real world. If the ball has X forces on it, it’s not going to matter whether your club has a 4 or a 5 on the sole. Or even a 6. It’s going to have about the same miss potential regardless.
I mean, I understand that people who are too short or who are marginal love this sort of thing, and that’s fine. But if you’re a decent striker, especially at a plus-handicap level, all this seems like much ado about not very much, and there’s particularly something about Titleist doing this “let’s chase the industry gimmicks” thing that is a little eye-roll-inducing.
Tom Duckworth
Apr 18, 2016 at 5:10 pm
I think the driver and the irons look fine. It’s an interesting idea to sell a short run like that and I would guess Titleist will follow up with lots of questions about how they feel and preform.
I noticed the they kept comparing the irons to AP1 irons so if they are some kind of GI iron I don’t think I would want them anyway.
Jimmy Dean
Apr 18, 2016 at 4:51 pm
The driver is the ugliest I have ever seen!! The irons are nice, and I would love to buy them, but I will pass on the stupid pricing?
Rod Clarke
Apr 18, 2016 at 8:05 pm
Its the underside of the driver in the photo Jimmy. Try as one might its pretty difficult to see the underside of the club when it is addressing the ball on the tee so unlikely to be distracting. Just a thought!
Jimmy Dean
Apr 19, 2016 at 9:52 am
Have you seen the top view? I’m fine with the bottom, but the top view is pathetic!
Jon
Apr 19, 2016 at 1:36 pm
I would have to agree with the top view. Very un-Titleist-like. http://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/drivers/c16
Rwj
Apr 18, 2016 at 4:16 pm
Who proof reads the articles for GolfWRX? The site needs to proof before uploading.
Scooter McGavin
Apr 18, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Looks like Callaway’s 2014-2015 lineup. BB Alpha bar weight and BB Irons cup faces, anyone?
michael johnson
Apr 18, 2016 at 1:17 pm
irons look sweet. i will buy a couple of sets.
chris b
Apr 18, 2016 at 1:00 pm
why tease us if they are only going to release a certain number of them? hopefully they incorporate a lot of the technology into the 917 line when it comes out
gdb99
Apr 18, 2016 at 9:33 pm
I’m guessing he’s talking about movable weights and thin crown on the driver and cup faces and more tungsten to make a slimmer, more forgiving iron. Keep up.
Bob Zinna
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:47 pm
I think the customer has earned the right to be cynical given the way companies have withheld their hosel adapters for drivers and fairway woods making the new technology just as inconvenient as the old (you either buy a full shaft pre-cut with grip and adapter from the company or stew asking yourself why you can’t just buy a shaft, adapter, grip and do it yourself).
Even if you want to have them do it you’re sort of at the mercy of what they’re willing to do. I prefer +!/2″ 2-6 irons and then 1/4 inch decrements from 7 to PW. I put a Mitchell 8 gram brass weight in the tip and a 11/4″ inch clevis pin in the butt. Use Lamkin oversize with 3 wraps on the down portion of the grip. Could only imagine what the upcharge would be or if they’d even do it for me. Surely the clevis pins would become some overpriced OEM purchase and the Mitchell brass weights probably not even stocked by the “custom” departments. The thing is I am a feel player and don’t even care what they finally swing weight to … but what seems to happen is custom departments take a big brother knows best attitude towards what the customer wants and only offer options that can easily be (over)priced.
Eric
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:42 pm
May not be a revenue play for the limited edition, but it does sort of set the stage for the mystique of the next generations. “Technology from our $3, 000 double-secret phantom clubs bow available to the public.” Good lifecycle marketing really.
Beggroll
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:36 pm
They now have a captive audience for the 917 that is salivating. Good marketing. The collectors and gullible ones will be financing the move.
Leon
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Similar to Google’s glass, high price to prevent big amount of demands and facilitate the intention to distribute (or test) in a small group, while makes lots of marketing buzz. Smart strategy.
And limited edition makes it good for a gift or self proud. All the performance benefits (if any) will transfer to the 917 series so that the PGA pros won’t cry for it (Probably they already start testing the 917 series with similar features as the C16)
Well played, Titleist.
sumsum
Apr 22, 2016 at 10:47 pm
Except then everyone who spent 3000$ will be pissed because they spent $3000 and then titleist launched same technology in a $1000 after. They either discredit EVERYTHING the AP2’s are doing right now by saying that tech sucks and isn’t as good as our new $3000, OR the immediately discredit their $3000 when they use the same tech for their new AP’s at 1200$. Very TM of them and stupid.
farmer
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:15 pm
A grand for a driver that might get you 10 yards? Three grand for irons that might gain you a club? Equipment junkies, rejoice! Everyone else, meh.
Desmond
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:13 pm
So the irons are cupface and Callaway is delivering that tech at $800-1200, and at its upper end, the heel to toe length of the Callaway also says “player irons with forgiveness.”
I think what it means is that Titleist is not ready to abandon its current lineup.
farmer
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:13 pm
So you can spend a grand on a new, base model driver, and maybe gain 10 yards? Or 3 grand on irons and maybe gain a club? Equipment junkies rejoice! Everyone else, meh.
PXG
Apr 18, 2016 at 11:27 am
What they meant to say is PXG changed the game and we are trying to catch up
Desmond
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:15 pm
PXG is not cupfaced. But their irons do deliver a thin face, higher launch with spin that is more traditionally acceptable, instead of the low spin, higher launch cup face irons
prime21
Apr 19, 2016 at 1:08 am
With a higher launch and a land angle of 50°, nothing is rolling off the back due to reduced spin. 90% of amateur players spin they’re irons too much anyway, so you’re 0-2 with your commentary. You could probably snag a job with Titleist tho, they’re 0-5 with their last releases.
Tom
Apr 18, 2016 at 11:26 am
Form forged?
Brandon
Apr 18, 2016 at 11:21 am
I don’t understand the hate going around in the comments. People complain about tour players’ equipments not being available to the public (not immediately at least), but now, when the general public is being given a chance to purchase a limited run set, people go back to saying “oh this is overpriced nonsense”? You guys need to stop complaining every chance you get.
Oskars P.
Apr 18, 2016 at 10:36 am
God they just look plain ugly though, at a time when almost all golf clubs perform similar to every other brand looks matter and those irons and driver just look like something designed in 2005.
Jnak97
Apr 18, 2016 at 11:59 am
How can you say they look ugly when you cant even see a top line view?
Jim H
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:40 pm
Honestly, I had the exact opposite opinion. I loved the design before even reading the article. If I had an extra $4K I’d buy them as soon as they became available.
Joey
Apr 18, 2016 at 1:14 pm
The irons in particular are busy as hell, and I agree just plain UGLY. Glad I’m not the only one…
Brian
Apr 18, 2016 at 10:23 am
More overpriced nonsense from Titleist…
ca1879
Apr 18, 2016 at 9:37 am
Every other manufacturer has managed to deliver clubs that use adjustable exotic multi-material constructions that are hot-faced and forgiving – without doubling the entry fee. This has everything to do with the sales tropes that move Rolexes and Mercedes, and little to do with the nominal performance story. We’ve chuckled at the Honma and Maruman customers for being gullible and elitist, and now we’ve got PXG and Titleist trying the same thing.
alexdub
Apr 18, 2016 at 10:11 am
You think this launch is designed to generate revenue? At the prices and quantities given—$1000×1500 and $3000×1000—this launch would only generate hard dollars of $4.5 million. I bet they blew past that 4.5 before R&D was completed. Granted, they will get some soft dollars through the press generation, but I’m sure the debits will rule the credits on this specific launch. It will be interesting to see how much of the tech and press of this launch can be rolled into the 17 line.
sumsum
Apr 22, 2016 at 10:41 pm
Alexdub… you are an idiot… ~” Only 4.5 million$$…they probably spent that in R&D”….??!?!? are you serious?! they don’t spend that much in R&D, and in a declining golf market, 4.5 million dollars is a TON of money…. so YOU do the math: A.) They aren’t inventing ANY new technologies – meaning same tech as other OEM’s who only charge 1000$ and probably make their product for 300$. so they will make 2700$ PER set GM (that’s take home dollars- real profit). That’s $2.7 million straight to the bottom line; raw profit… go ask Taylormade and it’s shareholders how much they would love to have an extra $2.7 million in profit. B.) Do you think that MAYBE, Titleist is feeling a little pressure from PXG, that the TItleist guy is a status guy and likes the statement of expensive elitist irons and therefore has ventured toward PXG and that this MAY just be a scared ‘me-too’ play? C.) BOTTOM LINE – IF they were that good, the Tour pros would play them. There are COR and MOI limits, they aren’t that good, they are probably jacked up lofts and therefore tour pro’s don’t want them.
Emb
Apr 18, 2016 at 9:09 am
“The driver’s clubface is made from SP-700 titanium, which isn’t new to the industry, but Titleist’s application is. The company forged the material into the form of a cup face”
That’s a bold statement considering Callaways driver face tech is literally called forged cup face technology.
M
Apr 18, 2016 at 11:53 am
Callaway has not done this with Beta-Ti’s like SP-700. Perhaps that’s what the writer meant?
sumsum
Apr 22, 2016 at 10:44 pm
oh and EVERY other OEM uses SP-700 for their Tour line… nothing new.
Nor
Apr 18, 2016 at 8:58 am
These will probably showup in Japan first. It’s not like the VG series clubs they are selling over there are much cheaper than these protos. T-MBs have been on sale in Japan for almost a year before Titleist released them in USA.
tony
Apr 18, 2016 at 8:54 am
wait wait wait. huh?
Ian
Apr 18, 2016 at 8:39 am
Surely if they were that good they would be in tour players hands first?
Ian
Apr 18, 2016 at 8:42 am
Even tour players would go for more distance – especially the shorter hitters.
Matt
Apr 19, 2016 at 8:30 am
I still don’t think people are understanding the concept of this C16 series. They mention early in the article that this is a new way of testing some technology and getting actual player feedback, without having to publicly release new clubs and then wait for the feedback. So they can see what works, and what doesn’t for the upcoming line. Sure some pros might be testing it, but I could almost guarantee you won’t see any of them game the clubs since there is no plan on them being mass produced to the public.
Ian
Apr 19, 2016 at 1:21 pm
Straight out the gate they say these are the best performing clubs Titleist has ever made… Do you think they would make the best Pro V1 ever and not give it to their tour players?