Adam Scott's victory at the Shell Houston Open was great timing for the folks at Titleist. The new 907D1 and 907D2 drivers - Scott won with the latter - make their debuts in golf shops this week.
Scott went to No. 3 in the world rankings using a full bag of Titleist equipment, but the new 907D2 was a standout. With it, Scott averaged 306.5 yards in driving distance, fourth best in the field.
"The 907D2 driver set up really well for me. Just slightly brought my spin down but kept my launch angle up there where I was with the old driver," Scott said in a video on Titleist's web site. "So that should give me more distance. Hopefully with the new technology, with the moment of inertia, moving around and changing, I'll hit it straighter as well. It seems like a good deal to me."
The 907D2 driver puts weight in the back of the club, but not so much that it's impossible for better players to work the ball. There's little weight in the crown to keep the center of gravity lower and promote a higher trajectory. The club has a tapered face insert made of titanium that is stiffer lower on the face, allowing more launch and lower spin.
PGA Tour players have embraced the 907D2. In addition to Scott, a number of pros including Brad Faxon, Ben Crane, Arron Oberholser and Bill Haas have them in the bag. Rookie Johnson Wagner, who shared the Saturday lead at the Shell Houston Open, also uses one.
The 907D1 follows a trend of experimenting with different head shapes to reposition weight in the clubhead. In the 907D1, the team at Titleist came up with a triangular-shaped head that pulls some of the weight back for a lower center of gravity and less clubhead twisting. The design takes advantage of the maximum front-to-back dimensions allowed by the USGA on a 460cc clubhead.
Reduced twisting, often called "having a higher moment of inertia (MOI)" means that when the club makes impact with the ball on the heel or toe, or too low or high, the clubhead stays more true to the desired path and transfers more energy to the ball. The golfer gets more distance despite a less-than-perfect swing. The 907D1, with its more pointed back, provides this for the golfer who needs it.
"Players will benefit from the advanced design, engineering and construction technology we used to create the higher MOI, while delivering on the combination of looks, feel and ball flight that better players demand," said Scott Burnett, Vice President of Titleist Golf Club Research and Development. "In fact, the 5,000+ inertia value of the 907D1 is as high as any titanium driver currently in the marketplace."
The drivers became available for sale April 1 and have a suggested retail price of $500 - they'll likely sell for about $100 less. Visit www.titleist.com for more details.
