Shot Powerfully With Titleist 905R Driver

Nov. 15, 2010 - PRLog -- Late last year, PGA Tour pros began playing the rumored “905R” in significant numbers. Ernie Els and Adam Scott were playing the driver as early as one year ago, and “spy shots” were showing up on Internet forums. Speculation ran rampant, as it is wont to do, and the public was interested, to say the least.
In March, Titleist formally introduced the 905R. Considered by many a “bigger” version of the 905T, nearly every Titleist staff member playing a 905T switched, as did some playing Titleist’s 905S.
Until earlier this year, I was one of those 905S users. I had a chance to give the 905R a spin, and here are my thoughts.
Much like the 905S and the 905T, the Titleist Pro Titanium 905R is an all-titanium, pear-shaped driver. Described by many as “a bigger 905T,” the description is largely accurate. The R, like the T, is a shallower-faced driver that delivers a little more spin and a little more cut correction than the 905S.
Like the previous 905 models, the 905R incorporates a variety of materials. (Titleist 905R Driver) The main portion of the head is 6-4 titanium. A lightweight aluminum hosel tube guides the shaft through the clubface in a traditional bore-through design, but also saves weight. A thin beta titanium (SP7000 Ti) plasma-welded face insert creates a hot sweet spot. An acoustic multi-material sole plug completes the head.
The hosel tube, made of CNC milled 6061-T6 aluminum, upset some golfers when it was introduced in the S and T because Titleist recommends that only Titleist reshaft the 905 drivers, but the weight savings and stability gains necessitated its inclusion in the 905R. And, truth be told, those originally upset by Titleist’s recommendation have calmed down quite a bit.
The 905R’s 460cc head is 15% larger and offers 10% higher moment of inertia (MOI) for forgiveness on off-center hits. According to Titleist, the sweet spot is 35% larger than the S/T. The center of gravity (CG) has also moved further back from the face than in the T, resulting in slightly more spin and a more stable, higher launch. Some of that CG movement came from moving the acoustic sole plug, a multi-material plug that, in the S and T, is located closer to the center of the sole. (Titleist 907 D1 Driver) In addition to moving the weight back just a bit, the plug helps to fine tune the sound of impact.
The 905R features a square face and a gently rounded sole designed to keep the face square at address. The metallic grey finish doesn’t extend to the sole, but two “pie slice” accents accentuate a sole that is both uncluttered and immediately recognizable. Though I’ve become accustomed to driver heads of all shapes and sizes this year (including the r7 425, the HiBore, the FT-3, and others), my eyes still favor a pear shape, and the 905R is as attractive a driver as exists.
The 905S is a lower-spinning, lower-launching head without the heel weight (and thus leftward bias) of the T. As the T’s bigger brother, the R shares the same characteristics: higher spin, higher launch, and a little heel weighting to help close the face. I chose a UST ProForce V2 75 to try to minimize the spin, lower the ball flight, and keep the face open just a tiny bit longer.
Though I tend to prefer a deeper face, a simple adjustment of my tee height allowed me to swing the 905R confidently.
Though I’m a big fan of proper driver fitting, and while I believe some drivers are much better suited for your swing than some others, I also know that nearly every modern driver hits the ball as far as equipment rules allow. If you’ve been properly fitted for loft, lie, and shaft, a signification portion of the decision between driver A and driver B comes down to esthetics and personal feel. (Titleist 909 F3 Fairway Wood) Given the choice between another driver with similar performance and the traditional, classy 905R, I’d take the Titleist every time.
If you’re a Titleist 905T user, the upgrade to the 905R is nearly a no-brainer: it provides more forgiveness, a larger sweet spot, and the confidence that comes with a 460cc head. If you’re one of the few 905S owners, approach upgrading to the 905R with caution, as the performance characteristics and face shape are different than you’re used to. Golfers coming from any other driver would do well to give the 905R a spin, if for no other reason than to see what a pear-shaped driver looks like.
Titleist Pro Titanium 905R is a traditionally shaped driver that packs a powerful punch for the better player. Though the 905R isn’t my gamer due to the heel weight and the extra RPM, I sometimes take it with me in practice rounds to check my contact and to feel that awesome “springy” feeling. It’s a feeling unlike any other, and if you find the center of the face often enough with your driver, the feeling alone may be worth the cost.

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