The TSR metal range is the third and final generation of Titleist’s Speed Project... and the feedback that came from their Tour Players when this latest collection was in development was "It's so good already... Just don’t mess it up!"
There are three fairway woods available in the TSR range, in this review I’ll be looking at the TSR3. It’s a wood aimed at better players wanting more precision and adjustability, and has already notched up a couple of victories on the PGA Tour since it made its way into the players' bags.
The Tech
The '3' model has always provided added adjustability in Titleist metals and is designed with a new, easy to adjust five position SureFit CG Track to fine tune performance. This is two more than in the previous TSi3 and dials in your weighting to put more purchase behind your strikes and aid the shot you want to see.
The same Open Hosel Construction as the TSR2 fairways has shifted weight from higher on the heel to deeper and lower in the head, helping with launch and forgiveness levels in a shallower faced club.
Player-tuned performance sees optimised shaping with extreme feel, feedback and a powerful flight. The TSR3 is said to encourage players to 'hit it square and long with total precision'.
The TSR3 is available between 13.5 and 18 degrees in right-handed, and 15 and 16.5 degrees only in left-handed.
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Titleist TSR3 Fairway Review
Looks and Feel
The TSR3 features a classic black shine finish with nothing on the crown other than the TSR logo to help centre the ball in the face, and white paint on the grooves to help add definition at address. I loved the look of this fairway wood - there is nothing not to like.
The face is shallower and looks longer than the TSR2 at address. Just like the TSi3, there is a SureFit track on the sole and just like the driver, has a smoother undercarriage for a more streamlined sole, said to make the club more aerodynamic.
The ball felt very quick off the face, and came off like a bullet. As soon as I hit it I thought 'wow'. This felt strong, solid and still provided a good amount of forgiveness.
The toe strikes were much better in the consistency of the ball flight and in the results, it felt just as forgiving as my current TSi2 did - the smash factor was particularly impressive throughout testing which is always nice to see during testing.
Performance
During my testing I managed to get my carry distance up to a maximum of 198 yards, this is brilliant for me at the moment with my current club head speed, and it generated a couple of yards extra distance on good strikes compared to the TSR2 thanks to a 600rpm average drop in the spin rate.
What was also important was that my worst strike gave me a carry number that was down at 180 yards, with everything else within a just a few yards of the overall average.
This kind of consistency is a big improvement from the TSi3 which gave bigger drop-offs when you don't quite catch it right and this is what put me off using it during my original testing two years ago.
Titleist TSR3 Fairway Verdict
I honestly didn't think that I would be suited to Titleist's '3' models, especially due to the fact that I now play less golf these days since retiring from professional golf. However with the refined TSR3 head, giving higher launch and more forgiveness, this is now a club that I want to play. When combined with the lower spin, my yardages were awesome.
The ball speeds that brands can generate on their fairway woods these days are outrageously fast. Just like when I tested the new Callaway and TaylorMade fairways the TSR3 produced ball speed numbers that were nearly the same as my driver.
I was carrying the ball similar distances to my 3 wood from my Tour days. Anything over 205 yards was ideal back then and a few shots came close to that. But more importantly the launch was great, with very few low bottomed strikes.
I think I may be changing my TSi2 for a TSR3...
Who Is It Aimed At?
Better players who want to dial in their launch and shot shape. It certainly appeals to more players than ever though. We used to see the TSi3 driver and TSi2 fairways in tour bags. I think we will see TSR3 only now, which is what Cam Smith did as he went on to win the 149th Open Championship.
Would I Use It?
Yes, I’d change right away to the TSR3.
If you enjoyed this, you may also like:
Titleist TSR3 Driver Review
TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Review