My Titleist TSi3: Will it be True Love?... or a Toxic Relationship?...

[brutal brutus]

(Moving this from the driver sub-forum)

Figured I'd go ahead and document my journey with my most expensive purchase to date. Though it's not my first "top of the line" driver. Bought a new Hawkeye VFT back in the early 2000's and got it at a discount. But even at full price, i think they were something like $399. Though i did pay more for that one... Stay tuned for that story.

Let's start with the specs:

Titleist TSi3 10°

HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX  60g 6.5(extra stiff)

Standard length. Sure-fit set to D2 and at present, the adjustable weight is at neutral. 

 

Aesthetics:

I mean... Dayuum. She reminds of that song Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by The Hollies 

If you like a "blacked-out" color scheme(which i obviously do, LOL), then you will probably like the looks of this thing. I also like how the weight track is hiding in the back and not interrupting the body lines on the sole. It is also very pleasing to the eye at address.

The sound this thing makes is very satisfying. The 915D3 i was using for a month sounded like a decent little league bat. My old TS3 was more like a loud cracking noise. The TSi3 is somewhere in between.

 

Now to the story behind my purchase. I will keep it brief as i went into more detail in my WITB thread... 

 

To make a long story short, my TS3's weight cartridge broke loose and was rattling around inside the head. I had built a relationship with the owner of a small shop near my house and had him contact Titleist even though he's not an "official" Titleist dealer. Even though it was well out of warranty, he was able to get me $100 off if i did get another Titleist. I couldn't really justify spending that much on a new driver, especially after i had just purchased a barely used TSi2 3w, so i told Greg I would take the 915D3 he had and call it even and would be there the next day to get it... That night i won $300 on a scratcher and then another $150 the next morning. I took that as a sign and placed my order.

For those of you thinking about placing an order with Titleist, that was Dec 2nd. Since he isn't an official dealer, it worked the same as if i had ordered it off their website myself. Even if he hadn't gotten me the rebate, i would have ordered it thru him anyway so i got the free fitting session. It finally showed up the first week of this month after 9ish weeks. It also didn't have the correct shaft. I ordered a 6.0 stiff but they sent it with a 6.5 extra stiff and said they could give me the correct one when they got back in stock. Not sure what I will do yet. I kinda like the ES but I can feel a day not too far down the road when i won't have the swing speed to properly load the shaft.

During my fitting session, i tried a couple different shafts for comparison. My old Adila NV, Tensei Blue,  Proforce V2 and another I can't remember the name of. The HZRDUS was clearly the better of the three and we settled on D2 for the hosel setting. I may tinker with the weight at some point but I'm content for now.

Got a good range session in this past Monday. Took me a few to get loosened up and dialed in but once i did, i was killing them. It's amazing how far a ball can travel at that low a trajectory with a 15-20mph tailwind. My "at or near 300yds by late spring" prediction might be a bit underestimated. I'm pretty sure I hit multiple over 300, though it's hard to tell at this particular range. It has a hill out around 280-290ish and while my eyesight isn't the greatest, I'm pretty sure i hit half a dozen over it.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by brutal brutus

[brutal brutus]

I finally got to go out and play today. Hit a small bucket and then played whites on the little 2500yd 9holer(Little Miami Golf Center Regulation 9). Took me a half a dozen shots to get in a groove on the range but when I finally did...  Was hitting tight draws and power fades on command. Since my return I've had trouble with the intentional draw without snap hooking it but this driver seems to be more attuned to my swing than the old TS3. Not sure why, maybe it's the hosel being set more upright?...

During the round, I hit it 3 times. On the 500yd (ish) par5 second, I pulled it a bit but made solid contact, 270ish. On #4, I hit a towering draw that just barely ran thru the fairway where the hole kinks to the right towards the green, 290ish.

Then I got to #8... I was a bit mad about 3 putting for dubogey on the par3 7th, so I went full on rage mode for my teeshot on the 325yd par4... Hit one of the best drives of my life. Was about 25yds short and left of the green on a beautiful tight draw. On a normal summer day, when it's drier(and also not blowing 15mph right in my face, lol), that shot probably winds up pin high left.

It's gonna take me some time to get used to it but True Love is looking like a winner for now...

 

 

Though, MLT is a close second... ahead of Toxicity, lol.

[brutal brutus]

Played the front 9 holes at The Vineyard today and used the TSi3 on 3 holes...

Smashed my drive on 1's tee but pushed it right. Twas a pretty flight/trajectory(no slice, just didn't quite finish my first swing of the day). Had an 80ish yard flop shot over a pine but caught it fat. I then tried to get cute from under the pine and partially bladed a LW over the back edge.  Chipped up and made a 10fter for bogey.

On the 500ish yd par5 8th, I picked my head up and hit a 100yd worm burner. Then I crushed my 19* hybrid up to about 165 before yanking my 7i left of the green. Flopped one over a trap and then 3 putted for dubogey, ugh.

Hit a tasty draw center cut on 9 but pulled the wrong iron(still working out distances with my AP2s and it's not easy this time of year with distances down a tick across the board) and left it short and right. Chipped up and lipped out from 8-10ft for a bogey finish.

I'm getting off the tee really well to start the season, with both woods and hybrids. Hopefully a little tip from one of the gents I was playing with today continues to help my iron/wedge game shape up like it did for the last few holes.

Edited March 3, 2022 by brutal brutus

[brutal brutus]

Played the front 9 at The Vineyard again today and it was like night and day. When i was there Wednesday, I shot 50. Like I mentioned above, I was driving the ball great with the Driver, 3w and Hybrids. Couldn't hit an approach shot to save my life, chipping was off and 3 putted a couple holes...

Today I started off a bit slow off the tee but my irons were working as well or maybe even better than my Tee game the other day. I chipped in for birdie on #5, had zero three putts and one putted two holes... and shot 41 with two OB strokes, lol.

 

I can't wait for warmer days to see what this driver can really do in my hands. I smashed my drive on hole 8 and it only went like 270yds. It is slightly uphill and was into a mild headwind but it felt like I hit that shot a lot better than the distance would indicate. Of course there was little or no runout with the soft fairways, so that likely contributed to it.

 

Quote

Hopefully a little tip from one of the gents I was playing with today continues to help my iron/wedge game shape up like it did for the last few holes.

It most certainly did help. I was hitting some beautiful iron shots today. Stuck 3 greens within 15ft. Thanks Tom, lol

[brutal brutus]

Got a couple more "sessions" in with my TSi3 this week. Played 18 on Sunday at Legendary Run in some pretty high winds. The first six or seven holes it wasn't too bad and I ripped 3 really good drives on the 1, 2 and 7. All three were pretty much dead straight ranging from 260-280yds. Hit a bomb on the par5 9th but I blocked it way right. I'm guessing it was pushing 300 but it was also sitting in hole 1s fairway,  lol. I absolutely killed my round on the two par3s and then holes 8 and 9. Played those four holes a combined +11...

Took a crowd pleasing 54 on the pretty much flat and wide open front.

The back nine was pretty rough for driving but I did hit a decent one on #10 just off the fairway left and then nearly drove the green with the tee on #13 moved way up. On the par 5, 14th, I tried to hit a low liner under the strong headwind but flighted it too low and hit a bullet right into one of the rolling hills <200yds from the tee i did hit a pretty decent 2nd shot with my TSi2 3w to help salvage a bogey. Knuckled one on #15 with a ripping tailwind but got some decent rollout.

Standing on 18's tee, we had a strong R->L headwind with OB left and plenty of space to the right. I tried to hit a sweeping draw out over the rough on the right side but I rolled my wrist a bit and hit a towering draw OB left... Laying 3 about 280yds from the green, and with more of a headwind, I pulled my 3w and hit maybe the best fairway wood shots of my life. Was on a bit of a down slope, so I figured it should help keep the ball low with a normal swing and hit it dead pure. I'm guessing it carried 240ish yards and then careened off the mounds short and left and nearly chased onto the green. Hit a beautiful little spinning pitch shot with my 58° and I damn near holed it out for a birdie but it checked up six inches short.

So, on the very hilly and tighter back nine... in 15-25mph winds... I shot 45... Go figure.

Well... at least I kept it under triple digits with those last two shots. LOL

I went to the range and hit a small bucket on Thursday but it was fairly windy. So, I treated it as a "build up swing muscles" session. I wasn't really trying to work any specific shot shapes, just trying to put good swings on the ball.  

Played a quick nine Friday afternoon before the weather kicked up and it was... again... pretty windy. Hit a decent drive on the par5 2nd but didn't carry very well with that L->R crosswind. I fanned my only other shot with the driver on 8 into the woods. First really bad slice I've hit with it on the course(The one I pushed way right on #9 last Sunday was more of an alignment issue. It flew pretty straight, just in the wrong direction, lol). Nothing to worry about though, I think it was just a combination of falling temps and a lack of concentration.

All in all, I think I chose the right club. As well as I have been hitting the TSi2 3w, I was afraid that I should have chosen that model for my driver. But I think the lower spin and flight the TSi3 driver produces will better suit my game in the long run. I just can't wait for a nice warm spring day, with little or no wind, so I can take this thing to the range, tinker with the weight system and see what this thing is really capable of...

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by brutal brutus

[brutal brutus]

Played four 9 hole rounds since I last updated.

First two were at Little Miami Golf Center. Your basic flat, mostly open, but does have a couple holes with trees and/or OB running down one side, "muni" par 35 type of course. First round was from the blue tees and the second was from the whites. Even on the blues, all but one of the par4s are <400 but it does include a 592yd par5 and a 210yd par3.  Hit three really good drives with my TSi3. 

On the par5 2nd, I hit a tight draw starting down the right side. I didn't quite get all of it but it still ran out to 275ish. Fanned my 3w out near the OB line on the right side with my second shot but got on the green in 3 and two putted for a par.

On the 400yd par4 4th, I bombed a nice little power fade out to around 280 that was pretty much all carry. Caught my approach a bit fat and came up 30yds short but I made a nice flop shot that left me just outside gimmie range for a 4.

Hole 8 was pretty much the same shot as #2 but I caught it cleaner and if it hadn't been for the soggy fairway on that hole, it would have been my first 300yder of the season. Hit an ok approach shot and got the par.

Birdied hole 5 but took dubogey's on 6 and 7 to shoot +3 38.

 

The next round was a bit different, a tad chilly and windy. I think it was something like 15-20 with gusts up to 30. Didn't play well at all. Blocked my drive on #2 OB right. Hit a decent drive on hole 4 but didn't carry very well with the cross wind. Then I snapped hooked the TSi3 on no8 trying to hit a low screamer into the wind.

I didn't count up my score but it was probably a 46 or 47.

 

The last two days I played at Legendary Run. It was a bit windy but I smoked all four of my driver shots the first round, holes 1,2,3 and 9. They were like carbon copies of themselves. Dead straight up the right side in the 265-280 range. Didn't play very well otherwise and shot 50.

 

This morning was a bit chilly and overcast but little to no wind on most holes. Once again, I hit 3 really good drives on the first 3 holes.

#1 was a tight draw finishing just barely on the first cut down the left side, 270ish. Pulled my approach and short sided myself. Had a nasty downhill chip shot that I hit as good as I could have but it never had a chance to stop near the hole on that green. Comebacker came up just short and took a 5.

#2 was pretty much dead straight and center cut but didn't quite catch all of it and it went about 250. That left me about 185 to the flag. I pulled my 23° and took a nice easy swing... and of course, I hit it dead pure and nuked it over the green LOL. Made a nice little flop off the nob on the backside and then lipped out a 10-12fter for the par.

Smoked a draw on the par5 3rd out to about 290 but I then pulled my 19° into a tree short and left of the creek that runs in front of the green. Hit a nice flop over the tree to the backside of the green but it was above the hole and these greens are really fast right now. I wound up 3 putting for a 6.  

With the wind more or less calm, I decided to hit the driver on the shortish par4 6th. I ripped it but pulled it slightly down the left side and it came down right where the cart path kinks a bit to the right around a hill next to 5's tee... I hit the path and took a big bounce that wound up nearly back on the fairway... BUT... It was my first "legitimate" 300yd drive of the year!...

... if "legitimate" includes an aid of 25 30yds from the cart path HAHA 

Pushed my approach right and then overcooked my chip a bit and wound up taking a 5.

On hole 9, I made the "legitimate" debate a moot point. After getting a bit screwed over by a greenside sprinkler box lid on #8, I was a bit mad and just laid into my teeshot on the 500yd ish par5. Hit a beautiful draw that wasn't quite aimed correctly down the skinny dogleg and wound up running thru the fairway. When I got to my ball, I pulled the rangefinder out and took my reading... 195yds it read... I thought, "Hmm..." and then turned around and aimed it at the tee sign... It read 503yds... I then looked over at my buddy Brook and said, "I'll be damned. 308." Hit a pretty good 4hybrid up to pin high right, chipped on and 2 putted for par.

Had a couple rough holes in there though and shot 48.

 

I really, really like the way this thing feels... and the confidence I feel when I'm standing on the tee with it. It's set at D2 right now, which is 1.5° upright and tuned down to 9.25° loft. The Sure-Fit track is set to neutral atm and I'll probably keep it there for now. I may mess around with it at the range once it gets a bit warmer and my swing muscles are in better shape but i really like the workability it has in this set up. The slightly closed face is offset by the loft adjustment and sits pretty square now...

 

...and the sounds this thing makes when you catch it clean... Music to this man's ear, LOL.

 

I am very satisfied with my purchase.

 

 

 

 

[brutal brutus]

Played several times in the last 2wks and I'm in a really good groove with this driver, atm... not to mention my game is grooving also.

Shot 37 and 41 at the "muni" last week and 43, 43+47=90 Sunday and Tuesday at Legendary in high winds. Then topped it off with a 42 on the front at The Vineyard yesterday. 

I've been mashing drives with both the TSi2 3w and my Tsi3. Pretty much anything I hit with the 3w is just stripped down the middle or somewhere close. Still struggling with it off the deck but it's more than impressive off the tee. I think that club and I were meant for each other and I am so glad that I, half-jokingly, asked what kind of deal they could give me on it. Had no idea they would knock it down as much as they did and basically forced me to buy it. With my normal swing, it has the tightest little draw on it but I can still open it up a bit and hit some nice cut shots. Haven't messed with the settings or the shaft and it even had my favorite grip on it.

That one truly is a love affair.

On to the Big Dawg and man has it been eating. While I'm still getting the occasional block to the right and snap hook(the torment of the amateur, LOL), for the most part, I've been hitting it really well. It's been fairly windy here lately, so the distances have been up and down, but I've been in the 280-300 range on many drives over those five rounds. 

I had a bad case of the "Keep your head down stupid"s on the tee box when I started playing again last year. I was topping drives all over the place and, tbh, there were many days I seriously thought about quitting again. It was very frustrating and especially so when I would get grouped up with people I didn't know. I think it was around the time I got the TSi2 that I started turning a corner. After not really liking the 915D3 the shop loaned me, I used it sparingly in December, mostly on holes I needed to have more distance to have a realistic shot into the green. So I used the 3w off the tee most of the time until it finally got cold. Like I said above, that club and I pretty much instantly clicked with one another and I finally stopped thinking about it and started to loosen up on the tee.

Then I took all of Jan thru mid Feb off.

My driver finally arrived and I did my fitting on Valentine's Day. We had another mild weather spell a week or so later and I went to the range. I think I first noticed it that day. After I warmed up, I was swinging  a lot more freely and with more speed than I've had since my return. I'd been so focused on making smooth controlled swings to help keep from lifting my head, that I rarely ripped into a drive. But slowly over the last month+, I've been leaning into it more and more. Strangely, I think I make more consistent solid contact on the drives I really try to rip one on. I think I'm not quite clearing my hips thru sometimes when I'm just using the "fairway finder" swing.

Over the last three rounds, I've hit several quality drives and have even beaten my golfing buddy, who is typically hitting a iron or two less into the green than I, a couple times when we both hit good drives. This culminated in my longest drive of the year on the ~400yd par4 9th hole at The Vineyard yesterday.

A lot of the time on at that hole, I just hit my 3w. There is a pinch point between a big tree and a fairway bunker right around where my drives hit on an "ok" swing. Pulling the TSi2 leaves me short it but still only 140-150ish to the center. Being in a good mood, and having a decent tailwind, I was feeling frisky and pulled the lumber. Put an aggressive, but not out of control, swing on it and ripped a tight draw right down the center cut. I knew instantly I had hit it really well but couldn't quite see it land in the fading light. I rolled up to it and pulled my rangefinder... I had 75yds to the middle with a front pin location and I estimated the drive rolled out to 315 or so, maybe 320. I was actually a bit shocked as I took relief from the sprinkler head marking the center of the fairway.

 

Needless to say, I no longer have any lingering worry that I should have gotten the Tsi2 driver to go with my 3w.

Edited April 21, 2022 by brutal brutus

[knightsofnii]

I had a lightning fast driver fitting w/ the local Titleist fitter and he put me in the Tsi3 10° D4 setting, so 10.75°, w a PX Evenflow Riptide 6.5.   It did what my current driver does, but way more often  I just had issue with the looks of the face at address.  The rounds along the face edges are huge, it's almost like a 440 face inside a 460 head.   But, the golf ball didn't seem to care. 

[KC Golf]

I am always amazed how hot the face is on a TSi3 driver.  Even mishits seem to go pretty far and fairly straight.  Love the sound on the TSi3 driver. Its just a great driver in so many ways.

I like how the guy next to me on the range says the sound off it is pretty sweet.  Don't worry, I still hit some pretty horrible drives once or twice a round.  Its definitely user error.

After adding a slightly heavier weight (to compensate for my Arccos Plus 4 grip), a bit of additional loft through a D4 setting and adding bit of draw bias at a Titleist fitting day (2 weeks ago), I was able to tweak my trajectory from last year with a Trackman,

My drives are going far and straight for me again.  Thank you to the Titleist rep that helped me at our club's pop up fitting day refine my TSi3 adjustments from my original LM fitting.  Weights were like $25 each, but totally worth it...

[brutal brutus]

Been awhile since I posted in here and figured it was about time...

 

It's still a love affair, lol. I have been hitting some great drives recently including one that I estimate went close to 340... but I had a ripping tail wind and a tight draw that hit a sloping fairway just right. I was also raging mad after making my 7th 3-putt of the round on the previous hole. It was the last hole and I just swung as hard as I could to relieve some anger and caught it dead center. Had a PW into a shortish par5 at 477. Skied it just a hair and found the greenside bunker. Played a beautiful low spinner out of it and just missed the eagle by an inch but a gimmie bird was a welcomed sight after my trials and tribulations on the greens that round...

What a wasted opportunity though. I shot 44+44=88 at Legendary Run outside Cincy with that horrible display of putting. Ironically, a couple days later, I shot 43+45=88 on a day I couldn't hit an approach shot but was chipping like a beast, lol...

As far as the TSi3 goes, I've been averaging in the 270-290 range and for the most part, have been shaping both fades and that tight draw on command... though, there aren't really a lot of places I need to hit a fade with my driver on that course. Usually, I hit that shot when there is a R->L crosswind and I'm just using it to ride the wind down the middle of the fairway.

In other news... I got to mess around with a TSr3 at a local shop the other day...  

In all seriousness though, I can't see myself getting one of those anytime soon. Financially, it doesn't make a lot of sense and performance wise, a couple mph more isn't really going to do much for my game.