Product Reviews - Drivers


Titleist 975J

Information:
Club Reviewed: Titleist 975J 8.5° loft, True Temper EI-70 regular flex graphite shaft, Golf Pride Tour Wrap grip
Location: Course, Driving Range
Reviewer 1 Info: 5'10"/155 lbs, Age 35, Handicap 2
Comparison Club: Titleist 975D
Ball Used: Titleist 975D 9.5°, True Temper EI-70 regular flex graphite shaft

Titleist 975J Review:

Accuracy

Less-Avg-More
 
The 975J was found to be more accurate than the 975D. The ball seems to spin more off of the 975D which equates to less accuracy on shots that were not struck perfectly. The ball doesn't spin as much with the 975J therefore when a ball is not struck perfectly it doesn't stray off line nearly as much.
Distance

Short-Avg-Long
 
The 975J is longer than the 975D for two reasons. One is that less spin off the face produces a longer carry. Secondly, also due to the reduced spin, the ball has a tendancy to run more after it hits the ground. Although we could not quantify it, the ball seems to explode off the face of the 975J more than the 975D.
Trajectory

Low-Avg-High
 
Our tester played a 9.5 ° 975D and while demoing the 975J driver found that the ball seemed to have a higher trajectory with the 975J. He settled on a 8.5° 975J and can control the trajectory and flight easier with the 975J by adjusting the teeing height.
Feel

Less-Avg-More
 

In comparison between the two drivers, the 975D has a wood-like "thwack" sound when struck well while the 975J sounds more like a metal-like "ping" sound when struck. It was easier to tell where on the club face the ball was struck with the 975D although the sound and feel of the 975J seem to inspire more confidence.

Forgiveness

Less-Avg-More
 

The 975J, with its larger head and deeper face, provides more forgiveness than the 975D. We found that approximately 10 yards were sacrificed when not struck in the sweet spot. This was significantly less distance loss than similar off-center shots with the 975D.

Looks
Very traditional design and cosmetically identical to the 975D. The 975J is 312 cc in size compared to the 975D size of 260 cc. During a recent outing with our tester's regular playing partners, none of them noticed that our tester had a new driver in play. Only when the 975D and 975J are placed side by side can the change in head size really be seen.


Summary:
With the 975J, we think that Titleist has an improved product that will appeal to current 975D users as well as golfers looking for a traditional looking oversized driver with more than adequate forgiveness. We recommend that golfers making the switch from the 975D to the 975J demo several lofts and shafts to ensure that the proper club is chosen. We found that the 975J plays about 1 degree higher than the 975D. Golfers that get adequate distance, are good ball strikers, and prefer the wood-like sound of the 975D may not be impressed with the 975J. But golfers looking for additional forgiveness and increased distance off the tee should definitely consider this club. Additional information on Titleist and their entire product lineup can be found on their website at www.titleist.com.

 


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Titleist 975J
 
Titleist 975J
 
Titleist 975J
 
Titleist 975J
 
Titleist 975J
 
Titleist 975J
 
Titleist 975J
 


Additional information on
our review methods can
be found here.