Titleist 917 d2 still relevant in 2021?

[toddyc]

Just getting opinions...I play a 917d2 I wasn’t fit for but I like it pretty good. I seem to remember it not exactly being a fan favorite on wrx when it came out and was thought to be lacking some speed.
 

Am I actually giving up some performance if I forgo the new 21 drivers and keep playing it? has everybody that used a 917 pretty much abandoned it by now?

[launcher]

Definitely not me. I think the 917 line was the best of Titleist. I have a D3, along with an F3 and H2 hybrid. I did acquire a TS3 driver, and while it's a great driver, I actually prefer my 917d3. 

[hagimihale]

I went from a 917D2 to TS4 and then TS3.  The 917D2 and TS3 are very similar in size and head shape.  I picked up some ball speed with the TS3, but not significantly.  While I am happy with the TS3, I would have no issue gaming my 917 for a while if I had to.

 

It doesn't hurt to take a look at new(er) models and see if anything works.  But the 917 was a solid model and I still think it is relevant.

 

Manufacturers use all sorts of marketing strategies to sell us on the latest and greatest, but sometimes that give us at best 5-10yds.  Not really worth $500+.

[Aviador Naval]

Many moons ago, I owned the 913D3.  Driving was the strongest point of my game after literally decades of it being the weakest.  I traded it in looking for the next great thing.  After all, who couldn’t use better ball speed retention 1/2mm further from center and a 17rpm reduction in spin.  I wandered in the wilderness with a few different OEMs until hitting the 917D2 at a Titleist Thursday.  Numbers were ideal for my swing speed, I love the feel, the look is fine, and driving is again a strength.

 

Therefore, until my swingspeed changes more than 5mph in either direction I’m not looking at drivers again until they produce a model that makes me a gin and tonic after the round...

Edited February 15, 2021 by Aviador Naval

[Titleist_PT23]

I have a 915D4 that is within 5 yards of a TS4.  The 915D4 was a wash for me with the 917D3.

 

I general, the newer stuff is better.  But the more you hit the centre and the closer you are to ideal launch conditions the less it matters.

 

For people that picked up 10-20 yards with a new club just means they weren't properly fit or matched up with their existing club.  Ie all the people that said X, Y, and Z about their gear, swing, and performance were doing it wrong.  Most fail to realize this.

 

Of course, people's swing and needs do change over time and newer stuff could be a better match for this reason.

 

 

[Tommy56]

I moved from a 917D2 to the TS2, and it's definitely been an upgrade (for me).  The 917D2 was solid, but it seemed like I really had to work to achieve good results, whereas the TS2 is just so easy by comparison.  Fairly similar shafts as well ... Diamana Blue in the 917 and the Tensei Blue in the TS2.  Just shows how certain clubs performed better/worse for a given player.

[Nixhex524]

My buddy still plays one and when he hits it, it keeps up with anything any of us have that's newer but it's definitely not as often.  I really like the looks of the 917D2 but found the 917D3 to be longer.  I liked that one.

[2bGood]

played the 910, 913 917 and now with the TS3. The biggest jump in performance for me was the 917-TS3 - TS3 is longer for me. TS3 to TSi3 saw very little difference. 

[setter02]

Anything that works is still relevant.  Have to try adn figure out if it's worth chasing a few extra yards for the cost of new gear.  With the price that some stuff has dropped, I can't see it.  Up here, the TS line has dropped more than any other line I've ever seen from Titleist, for no reason.

[MattyO1984]

Definitely still relevant.

 

I was in 917D2 before moving to TS3. I found the TS3 that bit longer and just as forgiving as the D2 but really, finding it longer and faster on trackman is different to how it works out on the course. 

 

This is perhaps too basic a comparison but Justin Thomas used the 917D2 in 2017 and average - 309 yards off the tee. In 2020, he used the TS3 and averaged 304 yards. Now sure, there are other factors, etc which come in to it but at a basic level that certainly shows that JT was not losing anything by using the 917D2.

[dropkicked]

I retired my gamer 917d3, after being fitted for my TSi2. ATI, face was the initial draw, then I was fitted outdoors on trackman and the gains were real. Accuracy sold me on the TSi2.

Get fitted and see how it works out for you, 🙂

[setter02]

3 hours ago, MattyO1984 said:

This is perhaps too basic a comparison but Justin Thomas used the 917D2 in 2017 and average - 309 yards off the tee. In 2020, he used the TS3 and averaged 304 yards. Now sure, there are other factors, etc which come in to it but at a basic level that certainly shows that JT was not losing anything by using the 917D2.

 

Not a shot, but have never understood why PGA Tour stats for driving distance are ever brought up, it's way too small a sample size and varies in club choice.  It's 100% irrelevant to basically any discussion.

 

That said, a better way to measure (tho no metric on how) would be measuring the length of the young guys on Tour and how the fitness and nutrition generation are changing things.  Today's golfers are athletes, not just golfers.  That is where the gains are now along with shafts and balls for final tuning.  Club heads are just for off center strikes and maintaining speeds across it as COR was reached long ago.

[MattyO1984]

Just now, gwelfgulfer said:

 

Not a shot, but have never understood why PGA Tour stats for driving distance are ever brought up, it's way too small a sample size and varies in club choice.  It's 100% irrelevant to basically any discussion.

 

That said, a better way to measure (tho no metric on how) would be measuring the length of the young guys on Tour and how the fitness and nutrition generation are changing things.  Today's golfers are athletes, not just golfers.  That is where the gains are now along with shafts and balls for final tuning.  Club heads are just for off center strikes and maintaining speeds across it as COR was reached long ago.

 

Totally a basic comparison, accepted that at the outset and if I am honest, the variables are so numerous that even if we were to delve much much deeper into it, you are unlikely to get any certainty.

[setter02]

Just now, MattyO1984 said:

 

Totally a basic comparison, accepted that at the outset and if I am honest, the variables are so numerous that even if we were to delve much much deeper into it, you are unlikely to get any certainty.

 

For sure.  What I would like to see is slower fairways for those guys.  They are nicer than many courses greens...

[setter02]

Save your money for a golf trip and keep the 917.

Edited February 15, 2021 by setter02

[MattyO1984]

Just now, gwelfgulfer said:

 

For sure.  What I would like to see is slower fairways for those guys.  They are nicer than many courses greens...

 

Completely agree! 

[timmekang]

I grew up loving everything Titleist starting with the 975D driver all the way to 913 and 915.  917 was the year I lost interest in Titleist, admittingly not to their fault entirely, but that was the year where I distinctly remember every other OEM having their breakout year or certainly going above and beyond what we're used to seeing where the traditionalist status quo Titleist approach no longer resonated with me.  long story short it was the year the original EPIC driver came out (which became my most impulse buy at the time as I never cared for Callaway woods), then followed by 2 years later with my most impulse buy to date with the Apex CF19 irons (yes, I also never cared for Callaway irons either til then).  coming back full circle, happy to report that I am back with Titleist with a TSi3 driver which I highly recommend!

[uglande]

Driver, no. Other than the look and feel, which are amazing, the driver underperforms relative to every driver on the market today.

 

Fairway, yes! This is still my all-time favorite fairway wood. Shape and feel are amazing. They are not super long. They spin more than most. But really nice and I would absolutely still put one in the bag (esp. the 7 wood!)

Edited February 15, 2021 by uglande

[SpacklersEdge]

The only way to really answer this question is to be on a proper launch monitor.  If the 917 D2 has proper loft and proper shaft for your swing, it will be better than any new club which doesn't have those things.  If the smash is 1.48 or above with proper launch angle for your speed, you won't find more in anything new IMO.  You may be able to get a tad more ball speed to get that smash closer to 1.50, but now you're talking $$$ per yard.

[cthetree]

I play a 917 D2 10.5 at C1 with the stock Diamana D+ 70 S and absolutely hate it. My swing has come a long way since I first got it, and currently no matter what I do I can't get spin #s below 3k rpm, even with 4-5* up AoA. I also feel like the club has very little oomph high in the face.

 

That said... I'm sure it's just a terrible fit for me, and the club is perfectly fine for someone it's designed for

[setter02]

9 minutes ago, cthetree said:

I play a 917 D2 10.5 at C1 with the stock Diamana D+ 70 S and absolutely hate it. My swing has come a long way since I first got it, and currently no matter what I do I can't get spin #s below 3k rpm, even with 4-5* up AoA. I also feel like the club has very little oomph high in the face.

 

That said... I'm sure it's just a terrible fit for me, and the club is perfectly fine for someone it's designed for

 

 

I'm sure the loft isn't helping the case with a +5 AOA.  I'm sure with that AOA and the 8.5* head or a D3 you would see a difference.

[2bGood]

Hopefully the OP got his answer and it the same answer for all clubs made in the last 10 years. If they work for you - no reason to change.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by 2bGood

[bodhi555]

I enjoyed my 917 D3 for a couple of seasons, but the biggest issue with it for me was the 917 F3 I bought at the same time, both with the same shaft. If I caught both of them out of the screws there was around 10 yards between them unless I got some good rollout with the Driver, and given how much easier it was to catch the F3 properly, I ended up using that most of the time instead.

 

Replaced it with a TS4 late last season and saw an instant bump - gained 15-20 yards in the fitting, and an extra 10 mph ball speed on Top Tracer, albeit with range balls. So I'd say if you get a chance to have a go of a TS model then go for it, seems a lot of people have had similar distance bumps with the move, and they're down under £250 now, so won't break the bank.

[toddyc]

Thanks for humoring me and for all the thoughts. I know this kind of subject has been raised plenty of times. 
 

I’d imagine with a proper fitting I could see some gains considering I wasn’t fit for the 917 to begin with. I just feel confident and comfortable with it. Suppose it’s ok to sacrifice some distance for that. 

Fittings aren’t readily available where I am so I’ve been debating on whether it’s worth the trouble to drive to and pay for a proper fitting.

 

 It’s also just easy to get caught up in the hype of new releases. The tsi would be fantastic but I balk at 550$. May keep a lookout for old ts models like y’all mentioned

 

[cthetree]

On 2/15/2021 at 11:50 AM, toddyc said:

I just feel confident and comfortable with it. Suppose it’s ok to sacrifice some distance for that. 

 

I think you'd be surprised what a bit of confidence can do for your clubhead speed! That said, I can't recommend a fitting enough, especially if you've never tried it before. Keep in mind that a fitting is just a service to provide a recommendation, you are in no way obligated to drop $550+ on a new big stick. Maybe a weight/hosel/shaft tweak for your existing head could give you even more out of what you already love!

[Titleist_PT23]

On 2/15/2021 at 11:15 PM, setter02 said:

 

Not a shot, but have never understood why PGA Tour stats for driving distance are ever brought up, it's way too small a sample size and varies in club choice.  It's 100% irrelevant to basically any discussion.

 

That said, a better way to measure (tho no metric on how) would be measuring the length of the young guys on Tour and how the fitness and nutrition generation are changing things.  Today's golfers are athletes, not just golfers.  That is where the gains are now along with shafts and balls for final tuning.  Club heads are just for off center strikes and maintaining speeds across it as COR was reached long ago.

I see it the other way.  We are talking about one player in a relatively short timeframe - change in fitness/ is roughly constant (i.e. not looking at 1990 average driver distance vs. 2019 average driver distance).

 

The pros have reasonably consistent strike patterns and they are very close to maxing everything out with shaft/balls for launch and spin.  Hence, when their distance year to year (or so) doesn't change much it's because the clubheads are really no better or worse.  It's entirely relevant.

 

Again, it all comes back to how close to optimal you are to begin with.  And I'm not someone that believes everything from 10 years ago is the same for your average non-pro.  New clubs may be materially longer for you.  But it just means your existing club wasn't close to optimized.

[Hawkeye77]

I finally ditched my 913D2 after seven seasons late late summer for a Mavrik SZ. 
 

The gains were real but not crazy different. The Titleist was a great driver for me. 

[toddyc]

1 hour ago, cthetree said:

 

I think you'd be surprised what a bit of confidence can do for your clubhead speed! That said, I can't recommend a fitting enough, especially if you've never tried it before. Keep in mind that a fitting is just a service to provide a recommendation, you are in no way obligated to drop $550+ on a new big stick. Maybe a weight/hosel/shaft tweak for your existing head could give you even more out of what you already love!

Yeah the fact I wasn’t fitted for it to begin with is the real problem. Also I’ve done a lot of speed work and gained about 10 mph this winter so I have no idea what set up I really need