Titleist 915 D3 Driver

The Titleist 915 D3 driver is a lower launching, deeper faced, more compact driver that has great feel and control.  Though this driver may not be the longest on the market, it’s a performer for those that can find the center of the face with good swing speed and launch angle.  You’ll also be easy to find on the range with the booming sounds.

First Impressions

As far as first impressions go, there’s not much to say about the Titleist 915 D3.  True to Titleist form, it has a classic simple look with a good shape.  The 915 D3 has a smaller pear shape (as opposed to the larger, more pancaked 915 D2) with a deep face behind the ball.  The small silver arrow alignment aid on a black crown with basic branding on the sole looks good, without going overboard trying to make a branding statement.  Similar to the previous versions of the D series drivers, Titleist produces yet another classic, clean looking club.

How Does it Feel?

I found the Titleist 915 D3 driver to have good balance during the swing.  You can definitely feel the club at the end of the shaft throughout the swing, but isn’t invasive or uncontrollable.  One thing I will say about these 915 drivers is that they have great feel.  At impact, you can really feel where you made contact, and the face feels hot on well struck shots.  In the case of the D3, there is a little forgiveness across the face feel-wise, but you will lose performance on mishits.

How Does it Sound?

In my experience, Titleist woods haven’t been all that loud.  I’m not a huge fan of the loud “crack” of some other OEM’s drivers, so I have always been drawn to Titleist. Something changed with the 915 series and they’re significantly louder than previous generations.  Not shockingly, the best sounds you’re going to get come from shots off the sweet spot.  It’s a very loud explosive, metallic crack and notably strong.  As you start to miss towards the heel and toe, the sound gets more tinny and sounds “off.” Moral of the story?  Find the center of the face.  This is very important with this driver (as with any really), as I’ll describe in the next section.

On-Course Performance

As mentioned plenty of times already, the Titleist 915 D3 driver is really good if you can find the center of the face repeatedly.  You also need every bit of your swing speed.  If you have the game and speed, you’ll get enough distance with the 915 D3, but it isn’t a driver that’s going to add the yards for you.  The Active Recoil Channel behind the face is geared for adding distance by providing flexibility in the face.  I don’t really feel that made a huge difference for me, and it wasn’t blowing the ball passed my current setup.

The 915 D3’s biggest plus is its playability.  I found it very easy to place my shots where I wanted them with the shape I wanted to hit.  Had I picked up a few more yards, I would have had this in the bag because of the accuracy.  If you put a premium on control and shaping, then the 915 D3 is a good option.  If you’re needing more forgiveness and spin, the D2 range is more in line for you.

Final Thoughts

Look, all golf clubs that an OEM produces aren’t made to fit everyone.  If they were, Titleist wouldn’t have a D3 and the more forgiving D2 options.  My experience with the Titleist 915 D3 driver was that it was very accurate with great feel.  I just couldn’t squeeze the yards out of it.  By no means is it not a good driver, because it is.  If you are looking for control, and playability over distance gains, the D3 will be a great option for you.  I do know of plenty of lower handicap players with higher swing speeds that had a lot of success with this driver, and don’t need any extra yards.  If you fit that bill, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Stock Titleist 915 D3 Driver Specs

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