Gear: Titleist GT280 mini driver
Price: $499 with Mitsubishi Tensei 1K shaft and Titleist Universal 360 grip
Specs: 280cc head with 13 degrees of loft, titanium body and face, polymer crown, interchangeable weights and adjustable hosel. 13 degrees of loft, 43.75 inches in length
Available: April 1 (pre-sale) / April 18 (in-stores)
Who it’s for: Fast-swinging golfers who want an off-the-tee club that delivers slightly less distance than a driver, but with more stability than a 3-wood.
What you need to know: Titleist GT280 mini driver blends the technologies found in the GT driver family with a smaller head, movable weights and slightly-shorter shaft to create a powerful club that thrives off the tee and can be used from the fairway.
The deep dive: Starting with the PGA Tour debut of the GT2, GT3 and GT4 drivers last season at The Memorial, Titleist established renewed momentum in the driver category, but quietly, away from the clubs sold in pro shops and golf specialty stores, there was another club that was creating a buzz among Titleist staffers. The TSR 2-wood stood out from other fairway woods in Titleist’s lineup because it was significantly larger, and while Titleist had offered strong-lofted 3-woods in the past, it appeared to be the first true mini driver from the brand, and several players added them to their bag at select courses.
That club morphed into the mini driver Titleist released today, the GT280, and it is designed to be an alternative club that shines off the tee and that can be used from the fairway as well.
As the name implies, the 13-degree GT280 has a volume of 280 cubic-centimeters, which is 40 percent larger than the 13.5-degree GT2 3-wood and 58 percent larger than the 15-degree GT3 3-wood. It will also come standard at 43.5 inches in length, which is 0.5 inches longer than the GT2 and GT3 3-woods. That massive size difference means the GT280 should be significantly more stable on mishits than the strongest-lofted GT2 and GT3 fairway woods, and it’s added length means players should swing it faster and generate more ball speed with the GT280 than they would with either a GT2 or GT3 3-wood.
Plus, while the GT2 and GT3 fairway woods have stainless steel faces, the GT280 has a titanium chassis and ATI 425 titanium cup face that is shaped like an L and wraps under the leading edge. That should help to improve performance is low-struck shots.
Like the GT drivers, the GT280 mini driver has a crown made from a thermoform polymer matrix that is lighter titanium. That helped designers and engineers lower the center of gravity (CG) location and created discretionary weight that could be repurposed and moved to other areas of the head.
Some of the mass savings were used to create 11-gram and 3-gram weights that come standard in the sole. With the heavier weight in the back, the GT280 generates slightly more spin and produces a higher launch angle while moving the 11-gram weight to the forward port lowers the launch angle and spin rate. That adjustability, along with the SureFit adjustable hosel mechanism, should allow players and fitters to tweak the GT280 and create a carry distance that gaps shorter than a player’s driver and longer than the 3-wood it likely replaces.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Titleist GT280 mini driver blends distance, accuracy, forgiveness
