Titleist 907D1/907D2 Driver First Impressions

[iacas]

I played today with the 907D1 and 907D2 (on the front nine and back nine at my home course). I figured I'd start with the more "helpful" driver and then play the tougher one on the back.

I have each with 9.5 degrees of loft, a MultiComp grip, and a UST ProForce v2 stiff (the 76 - not the 67).

I was pleasantly surprised, having hit the FT-i and the Sumo2 lately, of the workability of the 907D1. I shaped draws and cuts, absolutely obliterating a ball on the sixth hole, one of the longest par fives at my course, with a slight cut that fit the hole really well. The gentle triangle shape (I'm going to take to calling it "Big Vick" because it looks like a Vicks lozenge) isn't anywhere near as disconcerting as the square drivers - and not even as odd to look at as the HiBore. While it did seem true that the D1 did do a little to help keep the ball straight, it wasn't so much that I ever felt like I was fighting the club to get some shape like I have with the Sumo2 or FT-i.

The 907D2 may get me back to a Titleist driver. With a true 460cc and a lower-spinning head than the 905R, the 907D2 is a great looking 460cc driver. The first drive was spot on and dead in the middle of a tough fairway to hit, and subsequent shots were worked left and right with equal ease. The classic pear shape appeals to my eye, as does the deep face and the overall black look (especially when combined with the Steelers/Penguins/Pirates-friendly PFv2).

Both drivers sound more like drivers than some recent ones (including the FT-i and the Sumo2!), and both get the ball out there FAST. Both are incredibly forgiving for a club from Titleist. Well worth a demo if you're a decent golfer.

[hypergolf]

I played today with the 907D1 and 907D2 (on the front nine and back nine at my home course). I figured I'd start with the more "helpful" driver and then play the tougher one on the back.

Ahhh... Just the review I was waiting for!!! Did you prefer D1 or D2? Or was there much difference in terms of performance or distance? Or pretty much similar? Was D1 noticeably more forgiving? Tks.

[hypergolf]

I am planning to get a new 907D1 or D2 but was wondering which stock shaft and loft to get.

I was wondering if 8.5* with a GD YS 6+ shaft should give it a lower trajectory. I was satisfied with the trajectory of my previous 9.5* 905R with Speeder shaft but felt too harsh for me. But the trajectory was really good. How about the VS Proto? I heard that shaft is more for stronger players who are more of a hitter than a swinger...

Will getting a lower loft but a more smooth shaft like YS 6+ balance things out? Will 9.5* vs 8.5* be much of a noticeable difference? Tks.

[gas_can]

I am planning to get a new 907D1 or D2 but was wondering which stock shaft and loft to get.

hypergolf,

You're going about the fitting process the wrong way. All three components need to match perfectly to receive the proper fit, namely your swing, the shaft, and the clubhead. The shaft is there to deliver the clubhead in the proper geometry in relation to your swing, and the club head is there to dictate the initial launch conditions. Contrary to popular opinion, no single factor is more important than the other. Changes in a degree of loft and shaft bend profile can have profound effects on launch conditions. I can say that in the past three years I have never fit someone into an eight and a half degree driver with a YS-6. Take the time and spend the money to get properly fit, your game will be happier for it.

[hypergolf]

hypergolf,

Thanks for the great advise. The only problem is that there is no club fitter in this region where I am located right now so I have to pretty much blind pick my choices... Can't even do ebay here.... Speeder with 905R 9.5* had a perfect launch and distance for me... Which do you think would be similar to get that type of launch? Proto VS or YS 6+?

[Donald MacKenzie]

Erik: Thanks for the sneak peek. A friend of mine who is very conservative about equipment played a round with the 907 D2 and said he 30 yards past his normal drives on nearly every driving hole. He thought the D1 was good, too, but that the D2 was really outstanding. I've heard similar thoughts from club professionals who were not big fans of the 905R.

Good thing you got out to play before winter returned.

[iacas]

Ahhh... Just the review I was waiting for!!! Did you prefer D1 or D2? Or was there much difference in terms of performance or distance? Or pretty much similar? Was D1 noticeably more forgiving? Tks.

The D1 was "noticeably" more forgiving or "noticeably" straighter, but that may also not be what you want. It's also "noticeably" less forgiving (and thus "noticeably less workable") than the square drivers out there. If you want "straight" from an Acushnet company, buy a Cobra.

On a scale of 1-10, where we're loosely defining "forgiving" as "tries to fight curving the ball by helping you on off-center hits," I'd assign the following scores: Sumo2 = 8, FT-i = 8, 907D1 = 5, 907D2 = 3. That may look bad, but if you're looking for a little help, the D1 may be just the right blend for you. I personally don't like the Sumo2 or the FT-i, and it's got nothing to do with their looks - they just don't feel right, you have to work too hard to get proper curvature on your shots, etc. I did, as I said, get both with the ProForce v2. That shaft works pretty well with my swing tempo and speed and, when possible, that's the stock shaft I choose nowadays. It's a fairly low-torque shaft, but Gas_Can would better be able to tell you how much torque really matters. How much a clubhead twists on impact, I imagine, is about both shaft torque and clubhead MOI, though I suspect the latter has a lot more to do with it given the short amount of time the ball actually pushes on the clubhead (which must then get to the shaft in time to have any effect, and by then, I think the ball is probably gone). [QUOTE=Donald MacKenzie;44823]Erik: Thanks for the sneak peek. A friend of mine who is very conservative about equipment played a round with the 907 D2 and said he 30 yards past his normal drives on nearly every driving hole. He thought the D1 was good, too, but that the D2 was really outstanding. I've heard similar thoughts from club professionals who were not big fans of the 905R. I was not a big fan of the 905R. One of the paragraphs in the review says:

My first round with the 905R did not go very well. I hit two fairways, and both were a result of bad swings that blocked the ball to the right. The other twelve drives were pulls to the left: the heel weighting had nabbed me. For 95% of the golfers in the world, this is a good thing. Unlike most golfers, however, my bad misses are left, and I typically don't need any extra help closing the face of my driver through impact.

I eventually had to change my swing and grip to work well with the 905R, and even then I'd get balloons due to the higher spin. It wasn't a surprise, either - I favored the 905S over the 905T, and the R was just a "bigger T" basically.

The 907s are both very, very capable clubs. I like deeper drivers, as my misses tend to be up and down on the clubface rather than side to side, and a good-looking, traditional driver with 460cc is license to swing a little harder. Some of my drives with the D1 were good, but some of my drives with the D2 were great. It's still early in the year, so my swings aren't all that consistent, but of the good swings, I had some good results. On the 17th, a par 5 hole with a 17-yard wide fairway, I have taken to aiming at the left trees and cutting the ball back into the fairway, giving up a few yards for the accuracy. With the 907D2, on a cooler (but still humid) day than we'll find in the summer (i.e. ball won't travel quite as far), I overcut the ball yet still found myself about 10-15 yards further than my normal drives. Granted, I was in the right rough by a few yards, but the extra cut should have taken off more distance. Then on the 18th hole, I flushed one with a pretty little draw and had 40 yards in to the pin (the hole was playing about 330). Most of the rest of the back nine at my club feature holes where I'm more likely to "bunt" my driver, so those two drives were really the only ones where I gave it a full go. Oh, and on the 10th hole too, and I hit that one well too. In other words, I really need to try the D2 on the front nine and the D1 on the back nine. But yeah, based on what I can tell, I'd have to agree with what your friends have been telling you.

Good thing you got out to play before winter returned.

Indeed.

P.S. The headcovers are great. I love the zipper even more so than the magnetic enclosures I've liked on TM drivers. Finally those dumb socks are gone. BTW, here are some shots for our upcoming full review.

[hypergolf]

Hey iacas. How do they compare to FT5? Sound, feel, playability etc. Thanks.

[iacas]

Hey iacas. How do they compare to FT5? Sound, feel, playability etc. Thanks.

They don't compare, really. One's a titanium driver, the other is a composite. The FT-5 is a barely updated FT-3. I played with an FT-3 all of last year because my only "big" Titleist options were the 905R, and again, that club didn't suit me.

The sound is different. The playability/forgiveness is probably about the same (except the D2 will be a tad less forgiving and will sound differently on different parts of the clubface - a good thing in my book - and the D1 will sound differently but be about as forgiving). The feel is a lot better, especially since so much of feel is sound, of the Titleist drivers. But don't take too much of what I say for it - I'm basing my FT-5 opinions on a season with the FT-3 (same shaft, too) and hitting the FT-5 indoors.