First Impressions of Titleist 905R and 695MB

[iacas]

Today I played with the 695MB and the 905R. The specs are: standard length and lie on both. 45" driver, UST ProForce V2 shaft, stiff, 9.5° loft. The irons had Rifle 6.0 shafts.

The driver I knew was a lot like the T, which isn't the head for me. I had no problem turning the T over and I didn't care for (or need) the extra spin that the T gave me. The R is a super-sized T, basically, and as such I hit the first few right trying to make sure it didn't turn over on me. Then I hit a few good ones, then it started going left on me. It was a bit of a struggle, but the ball went far regardless of where I caught it on the face. I've been hitting them pretty solidly lately, so my misses weren't too bad, but the ball got out there pretty darn good. I didn't care for the sound - too "aluminum bat" for me - but I adjusted to it quickly when I saw the ball getting out there. A few times I did get too much spin - the ball (Pro V1x) would king of hang in the air and fall out of the sky a bit more than I'd like (too much coast, not enough cruise, if that makes any sense to you...).

The irons were great. I really like the Rifle shafts - I have them in the TM RAC TPs, too. These irons are about the same as the RACs, but they kept the ball flight down a little bit more, which I liked. The RACs get out there just as far as these irons, but they hit the ball higher. I have trouble hitting knockdowns as easily with the RACs, but today I blistered a 3-iron cut low and around some trees that went 210 or so into the wind (from the right trees on #6 for those who know my course). The hole normally plays driver, hybrid, 7-iron and even with the shot I had to play with a 3-iron I still only had a 7-iron in. With the RACs, the ball would have gotten up too quickly.

I think the RACs are, overall, easier to hit because even the long irons get in the air quickly and come down softly. As I said, they're both equally long (i.e. the distance I'd expect, no more, no less), but I do like that I can go lower with the 695MB.

Really, though, we're talking maybe a degree or two. They're very, very, very, very similar clubs. I like the style of both quite a bit in their own unique ways. The RACs may be better at getting down to a ball in a bad lie due to the more weight on the sole... I dunno.

Those are my thoughts. The 905R will work for me, but the slight leftward bias and the higher spin... I'll have to find ways around those. I wasn't missing left by a lot - 5 yards or so - but more than my swing should have done.

I'm going to try the HiBore tomorrow, I think.

[sungho_kr]

I demoed the 695 once, I played it for 9 holes at my home course. I think the 690.cbs are better just because the ball fits my eye and I don't hook as much with them. The cool things i noticed with the 695 is that working the ball was so easy, I mean every cut and draw was solid. I was stuck behind a tree/bush thingie, I aimed 30 yards left of the target, setting for a cut, Boom, it felt great, and landed 10 ft from the hole, then 3 putted for a bogie,lol. There good but I like the 690 better and also I don't have the cash.

[georgep]

Just hit the 905R 9.5* with V2 S while I was trying out replacements for the Hibore that was briefly in my possession (short version: great forgiveness, subpar distance).

I loved the feel of the 905R with the V2 (probably as much or more the shaft as the head) and it put up good numbers, but in the interest of hitting more fairways I opted for a Ping G5. Distance numbers on the sim were nearly identical with good contact, better with the Ping on off-center hits. Launch was better on average with the Ping. I could turn them both over, but the 905 definitely had a bit more waywardness to it. I think anyone interested in the 905 should save themselves $150 and go with the T over the R. There doesn't seem to be much difference at address or in ball flight.

[SheriffBooth]

I kind of agree with George. I demoed a 905 R head to head with my 905 T, same exact shaft and everything, and decided it wasn't worth it to upgrade. It was only a 30-ball test, but the 905R didn't do anything that made me jump and say I had to have one. No appreciable distance gain that I could tell. Probably with some more testing I could find an accuracy gain with the 905 R but my first impression is that it was wanting to leave the ball out to the right a little more often than my T.

[iacas]

I kind of agree with George. I demoed a 905 R head to head with my 905 T, same exact shaft and everything, and decided it wasn't worth it to upgrade. It was only a 30-ball test, but the 905R didn't do anything that made me jump and say I had to have one. No appreciable distance gain that I could tell. Probably with some more testing I could find an accuracy gain with the 905 R but my first impression is that it was wanting to leave the ball out to the right a little more often than my T.

Bigger head = tougher to close = ball stays right. For me, the R doesn't seem as "left-friendly" as the T. For that reason, It's tempting, but I'm coming from the more right-friendly S, so I don't care for the extra spin or shallower face, either.

[cameron Circle T]

Hope you dont mind since I know you guys are the "review guys" but I had written a review of the R kinda short trying to not bore people with it and just thought maybe I'd try to contribute here too:

Appearance:

Titleist has maintained their traditional appearance in driver shape, with the design of the new 905R. A classically pear-shaped driver, Titleist came out with a driver that fell in line with the other driver’s in the lineup. The 905R is a shallow faced driver with an elongated face. Somewhat like an enlarged 905T the R’s face is about medium height by today’s standards. The color is traditional Titleist as well. The somewhat metallic grey hue of the paint provides an aesthetically pleasing driver for most golfers.


Ball flight:

The 905R is a higher-flying driver than both their previous 905S and 905T. The flight is noticeably higher with the same shafts as the S and T that this reviewer used for comparison. When tested on a launch monitor the 905R’s higher ball flight was produced by a noticeably higher spin rate. For the golfer with a more aggressive swing and higher swing speed this driver may need to be purchased in a lower loft with a shaft that’s more tip stiff than one might otherwise use. The driver is perfect for the player who is looking to increase both their launch angle and their spin rates.

Feel:

The driver has Titleist’s standard feel. The feel is noticeably more muted than its newer counterparts (i.e. the R7 460, Hi Bore, etc.) This is in tradition with what Titleist drivers have been known for, a muted sound with a duller feel. The feel is much different than the drivers this reviewer is used to. Comparing to my Taylor Made R5 TP the feel is noticeably less lively. Though I am almost positive the COR on both drivers is pretty much identical the R5 seems to be livelier which is shown through the higher ballspeeds produced by the Taylor Made.


Overall:

Titleist has found a niche product in their 905R. The driver seems suited to a lower spinning crowd of golfers who needs the help getting the ball airborne as well as those who are looking to hit a higher launching driver overall. The drivers shape will be appealing to just about every golfer as will the color of the club. If you fit the profile of the golfer mentioned then this will definitely be a club to check out, otherwise, my advice would be to move onto something else. With the new Hi Bore, R7 425 TP, old R5 TP, and various Callaway drivers, this club seemed like Titleist just fell short of the mark.


Adam

[muskegman]

Great mini-review Circle T. I'd love to see more of that kind of thing around here... there are a lot great players who could offer insights just like yours at The Sand Trap in addition to what the staff offers.

[mediaguru]

I hit the 905r last week. It had some custom shaft on it that I can't remember. But it was SWEET. I crushed it and the flight was nice and high. It's tempting to give my G2 a competitor in my arsenal. Wait, I'll just use both!

[cameron Circle T]

Thanks Jeff,


anything I can do to help around here I'd love to do. Golf is my passion and I like helping people wherever I can since I get to try things sometimes ahead of other people etc.



Thanks,

Adam

[Seven Lakes]

I hit the 905R 9.5* with V2 S last week as well and found it not as comfortable as my 975J. I usually carry between 280 - 290 and found it about the same in terms of distance. The first five or so hits though were low severe draws or light hooks and I had to turn the face a degree or so open to hit it straight. When I hit it straight though it was sweet feeling but not $400 sweet by any means. I use a UST Proforce 75 X stiff that is tipped a half inch on my driver and love it and when I asked the pro dude at the driving range if they had an X shaft he said no and that 99% of people dont need that much so he doesnt stock it. Then he said when Tiger only uses a stiff shaft in his driver than chances are good I dont need an X either. Thats BS right? I checked and can only find his shaft type but not flex but that dude has 125+mph club head speed so I think he was blowin smoke....

[iacas]

I hit the 905R 9.5* with V2 S last week as well and found it not as comfortable as my 975J. I usually carry between 280 - 290 and found it about the same in terms of distance. The first five or so hits though were low severe draws or light hooks and I had to turn the face a degree or so open to hit it straight. When I hit it straight though it was sweet feeling but not $400 sweet by any means. I use a UST Proforce 75 X stiff that is tipped a half inch on my driver and love it and when I asked the pro dude at the driving range if they had an X shaft he said no and that 99% of people dont need that much so he doesnt stock it. Then he said when Tiger only uses a stiff shaft in his driver than chances are good I dont need an X either. Thats BS right? I checked and can only find his shaft type but not flex but that dude has 125+mph club head speed so I think he was blowin smoke....

Not to get off topic, but it's not just about swing speed. It also has to do with tempo and timing. People with a pause at the top and smooth acceleration can go with lighter flex shafts.

Anyway, back to topic: the 905R, like the HiBore, is closed, and for that reason I don't particularly care for it a whole lot. I don't like to have to lay my driver open to hit it straight. Unlike 90% of the golfers out there, I don't have problems slicing everything from here to Lorena Bobbitt.

[Seven Lakes]

Good point, it is closed, I was searching for that term. Why doesnt Titleist make the 905Rt? t for Tour and being a nuetral driver that when placed on the ground square and flat isnt self aiming 40 yards left. I honestly felt like I was having to hit the equivilent of a flop shot with a driver its so closed. However when you lay it open (square) it does fly quit nice, but how reliable can that really be? Not much....

[iacas]

Good point, it is closed, I was searching for that term. Why doesnt Titleist make the 905Rt? t for Tour and being a nuetral driver that when placed on the ground square and flat isnt self aiming 40 yards left. I honestly felt like I was having to hit the equivilent of a flop shot with a driver its so closed. However when you lay it open (square) it does fly quit nice, but how reliable can that really be? Not much....

Your experience parallels my own with the HiBore. I can't hit the 905T for the same reason(s). And like you, I won't "flop shot" my driver.

Titleist doesn't make "Tour" versions of any of its clubs. Well, except for the Tour of course. I mean for retail... It's a shame, too. Anyone want to buy a 905R with a UST ProForce v2 shaft? J/K... barely.

[Guest]

Hello to everybody,
Very interesting discussion ref the 905R. I'm still using the 983E with 8.5 and grafalloy stiff shaft. I recently went on a launch monitor and compared the 905T and 905S with my current driver - both came out more favourably in terms of spin rate and launch angle etc, BUT when I went onto the course and faced a moderate breeze (which is very common here in England !), both drivers could not get within 15 yards of my 983E.

Now, I'm considering looking at the new 905R and was wondering whether anyone could share their experience with drives into the wind and what thier specific shafts/loft configurations are, and what might help me. It may be the case of course that I'll be unable to beat the performance I currently enjoy from my 983E.

[iacas]

Hello to everybody,

The E is the lower-spin variant of the two. The evolutionary lines kind of go:

983K -> 905T -> 905R Higher spin, slightly more heel weighting 983E -> 905S Lower spin, slightly lower launch, neutral weighting. (I'm sure they go back into the 975 and others prior, but this is recent history.).

[iacas]

More on the 905R as I have a review coming up in a little over a week. I have a stock lie/length 905R, 9.5 degrees, with the stiff 75g UST ProForce V2. I swing at about 105-107 MPH and my miss is a quick hook.

I played a 905S with a YS-6 Stiff (all drivers 9.5 degrees) last year, and this year I've been using an r7 TP 425 with the stock stiff shaft. I hit the S pretty well and I hit the TP great.

Now, my thoughts on the 905R.

1) The sound takes some getting used to. It's a deader sound than the S, that's for sure, and not nearly as high-pitched as the r7.

2) Misses all over the face seem to travel reasonably straight, but lose distance more than off my r7. They work out better than off the S, though, particular the toe or heel hits. You can't miss as high or as low as with the S, though, given the shallower face.

3) I hit a few balls dead on the sweet spot and I swear I felt the trampoline, like "boy-oy-oy-oing" if that makes any sense. But misses not on the reasonably small sweet spot felt much deader (and the sound was duller too).

4) I opted for this shaft because the S is an easier-to-fade, lower-spinning head. The R launches about the same as my S (with the higher-launching YS-6+ shaft), wants to turn over a little more easily, and spins the ball way too much for my taste. I tried to counter the higher-spin nature of the head by using a stiffer-tipped shaft (higher kick point anyway), but it seems to have failed. Launch is about the same but the ball rides up a little with the spin.

5) My miss is to the left, so I have to watch the slightly heel-weighted drivers from Titleist. Another reason I went with the S over the T - I had a K before it that I spun too much and hooked more than I'd have liked. In the end, I really have to feel like I hold off the face from closing to hit a little cut that more often than not still goes straight (because if I hadn't held off the face, it'd be left of Hillary Clinton).

6) The looks, etc. are great. That's not up for debate - I've always liked the look of a pear-shaped driver.

Overall, I'm rather ho-hum about the driver - it's a tad more forgiving but at the expense of some distance over my 905S (due to the higher spin). Neither really beat the r7 TP for me.


Quick 695.MB Update
They're not nearly as forgiving as the RACs. They feel a tad lighter, too, but yeah: not nearly as forgiving. Super feedback, not much help. On a bad ballstriking day, these irons will eat your lunch and belch in your face.

[SheriffBooth]

Iacas - regarding the trampoline feeling, I sometimes get the feeling with my 905T that the ball is sitting on the face forever before it heads downrange. But those drives are not my best - it's the ones where the ball is gone immediately, that feel a little rougher, and that sound a little off, that fly the farthest.

My guess is that it has something to do with spin - that the sweet spot shots are putting more spin on the ball. Thoughts?

And I agree with your assessment on the R. Too much draw bias - I wonder if a small piece of lead tape on the toe would fix it? Would you be willing to test yours with some tape and report back?

[neudi]

I've hit the demo club at our course a few times and i hit a high fade every time...and when i say high i mean as in i get it about as high as my pitching wedge...its an amazing sight to see...