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In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Titleist TSR4 driver.
The TSR4 is the “low spin” model in Titleist’s TSR family of drivers. It offers two different spin settings along with a new face technology and a smaller 430CC footprint meant to appeal to better players with fast swing speeds.
How does the TSR4 perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the previous model TSi4? Who is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The Titleist TSR4 driver has been received well by critics, earning 4 or 5-star ratings from most publications. It currently has a 5/5 customer score on PGA TOUR Superstore.
What People Like
- smaller footprint is appealing to the eye
- more speed than the TSi4
- easy to hit
- fantastic looks
- spin adjustability is a nice added touch
What People Don’t Like
- results on mis-hits are rather inconsistent
- some may not like the more compact shape
The Features
Adjustable Spin Weights
The TSR4 driver has two removeable weights in the sole that enable additional flexibility in controlling spin. The stock configuration is 3 grams in the back and 11 grams in the front, which emphasizes the lowest spin.
Swapping the ports with different weights will influence the spin and stability of the driver. Putting the 3-gram weight in the front and 11-gram weight in the back will push the CG back, thus moderating spin and making it more like a TSR3.5.
Multi-Plateau VFT Face
The TSR4 driver features a new face design called Multi-Plateau VFT (Variable Face Thickness). This technology builds the face inward layer-by-layer so that CT across the face is nearly constant, thus significantly improving forgiveness.
CT, which stands for “characteristic time”, is the metric that the USGA and R&A currently use to measure energy transfer from the face to the ball at impact. It’s very similar to the concept of COR (coefficient of restitution) which is still used for fairway woods, hybrids and irons.
Players’ Performance
Both the aerodynamics and the acoustics of the TSR4 have been optimized to maximize clubhead speed through the air and produce a player-preferred feel and sound at impact.
Adjustable Hosel
The integrated SureFit hosel, which enables sixteen (16) unique loft and lie combinations, can be used to fine-tune your ball flight to best suit your swing.
Stock Info
The TSR4 driver is available in 8°, 9°, and 10° standard lofts at 430CC.
The stock shafts offered are:
- featured graphite shafts: Project X HZRDUS Red CB (mid-high launch), TENSEI AV Blue W/ Xlink Tech (mid launch), Project X HZRDUS Black 4G (low-mid launch), TENSEI 1K Black (low launch)
- premium graphite shafts: Tour AD UB, Tour AD DI, Tour AD IZ, Project X HZRDUS Red CB (Women)
The stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360. The Golf Pride Z-Grip is available as a premium option.
Below are the specs of the Titleist TSR drivers. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
At the end of the day, distance results will depend on your swing speed, strike consistency, and natural ball flight. Having said that, the TSR4 is truly a beast.
Generally speaking, my results indicate that the TSR4 launches ever so slightly lower than the TSi4 and generates a few more mph of clubhead speed and ball speed, leading to around 10-15 yards of added distance.
As I’ve said elsewhere, if you have a sufficiently high clubhead speed (100+ mph) and you normally generate a mid to high spin rate, the TSR4 is going to get that trajectory down, but the high ball speed will keep the ball in the air for maximum carry and rollout. This will lead to pretty incredible results.
On the other hand, if you tend to mis-hit your driver frequently or have a clubhead speed of less than 100 mph, distance will likely be less than other drivers in the TSR line.
Forgiveness
It would be misleading of me to claim that the TSR4 is a forgiving driver, especially with the TSR2 and even the TSR3 in the conversation.
The fact that the head size is smaller (430 CC) is a knock on forgiveness right off the bat — it’s more difficult to find the sweet spot, and when you don’t, distance and directional loss will be rather significant.
Another factor at play is the low/forward CG, which trades lower spin and more distance off the tee with worse performance in mis-hit regions. This includes spin rates, which become inconsistent as you move towards the heel and toe.
However, the VFT face technology helps to take some of the edge off, so as far as low-spin drivers go, the forgiveness is quite good. In addition, the forgiveness can be improved by putting the heavier sole weight in the back.
Playability/Trajectory
The typical trajectory of the TSR4 is a mid launch with low spin and a penetrating, straight flight. Descent angles are shallow and there’s plenty of rollout. Spin rates are very similar to the TSi4.
The great thing about the TSR4 is that you can try different sole weight configurations if you’re not happy with the ball flight. Putting the 11g sole weight in the aft location should increase spin and slightly increase launch.
You can also purchase a separate weight kit which will give you more configuration options.
The TSR4 is a highly workable driver, at least as much if not more so than the TSR3. Highs, lows, fades, draws, you name it — it’s all readily accommodated.
The Look
It quickly becomes obvious that the TSR4 driver has the smallest footprint in the TSR line. But aside from that, the lack of a SureFit CG track, and the addition of a weight port in the front, the sole aesthetic is the same as the TSR2 and the shape is nearly identical to the TSR3.
The TSR4 driver has a traditional pear shape, with a “bulge” that is focused a little more towards the toe than the TSi4. It sets up very square at address.
As with the other TSR drivers, the TSR4 has a unique face texture that offers a visual contrast with the crown at setup, as well as a glossy black crown with the “TSR” logo serving as an alignment aid.
This is just the look that will appeal to better players, and the fact that it looks a little smaller and sleeker in the bag will raise eyebrows in a good way.
The Sound & Feel
I couldn’t find any perceivable difference in the sound of the TSR4 at impact compared to the TSR3.
However, while the impact feel is very well balanced with elements of solidness, tightness, and percussiveness, it feels just a touch more solid than the TSR3. This isn’t surprising considering the mass of the club is concentrated more towards the face.
I was a little surprised at how consistent the feel was towards the heel and toe regions — it’s better than the TSR3 on that front (although ball flight is a different story!). That said, it’s still quite easy to discern where you make contact with the face; better players will be happy with the feedback provided.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
For new TSR4 drivers, you should check out Global Golf, PGA TOUR Superstore, the Titleist store, or eBay.
In addition to being able to input custom specs, Global Golf and PGA TOUR Superstore offer financing, performance guarantees, and club trade-in programs to help you minimize the financial hit. eBay is a fantastic source for golf equipment, both new and used.
Titleist gives you several different avenues to get fit or to understand which loft, length, shaft, etc. would be best for you.
Be aware that new driver models don’t stay new for long, and eventually the option for custom orders will disappear. At that point, you’ll have to look at an off-the-rack TSR4 or even a used one.
Conclusion
The Titleist TSR4 driver is an exceptional low-spin offering that is objectively faster and produces more ball speed than the previous-gen TSi4.
This is topped off with decent forgiveness, superb workability, a slim, compact look, and solid feel. In addition, the new adjustable spin weights give golfers valuable control over how much spin they produce.
If you can get past the high price tag and the lack of forgiveness relative to the TSR2 model, you end up with a driver that every golfer who needs to get their RPMs down off the tee or who seeks a lower ball flight with more rollout will want to try.
Are you interested in the TSR4 driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
Been using it since its conception. Interesting to see that to the best of my knowlege, no one the PGA tour with Titleist uses this club.
Thanks for the comment. I haven’t seen it much on Tour, but according to this, Byeong Hun An and Garrick Higgo have had it in their bags. It is a bit surprising considering it’s designed for fast swing speeds.