Titleist Introduces New Tour-Proven 909 Series Drivers

Three Different Models to Satisfy Performance Preferences of Better Players and Aspiring Golfers

Fairhaven, MA (October 7, 2008) - Adding another chapter to its successful history of creating high performance drivers for players competing across the worldwide professional tours, club professionals, better players and aspiring golfers, Titleist introduces the new 909 line of drivers. A three driver family, the 909 DComp, 909D2 and 909D3 models feature a modern high performance chassis with tour approved profiles engineered to meet and exceed the performance requirements of skilled players. Each 909 driver is engineered with its own precisely positioned center of gravity to produce distinct launch conditions and ball flights. The result gives Titleist the ability to offer a new level of precision driver fitting to maximize distance potential and improve overall driving performance.

"Prior to the 909 driver development project, we conducted extensive testing with tour and club professionals, and better playing amateur golfers," said Dan Stone, Vice President, Research and Development, Titleist Golf Clubs. "The research showed there is a significant variation in swing speeds and angles of attack when delivering the club to impact. It was clear from this research that different players require different performance characteristics from their driver head in order to maximize distance. Ultimately, we designed three distinct drivers to meet the launch requirements and ball flight preferences across all better player swing variations."

Titleist 909 drivers deliver superior looks, feel and sound along with the core performance requirements that have made Titleist titanium drivers one of the top choices of tour players, PGA club professionals, and top competitive amateurs for more than a decade. Titleist 909 drivers are designed with center of gravity locations that are deeper and lower than those of any previous generation Titleist driver models. This evolution results in greater club head stability through impact, solid feel, improved initial launch conditions and superior downrange performance.

"Our mission is to provide products that will allow better players to play their best," said Steve Pelisek, General Manager Titleist Golf Clubs. "In terms of performance, the new 909s are our most technologically advanced for launch, ball flight, sound and solid feel. When you also consider the advancements we continue to make in club fitting expertise with the new SureFit Interchangeable Fitting System, we have the ability to optimize driving performance for virtually every golfer in our target audience."

TITLEIST 909 DRIVERS DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
MODERN CHASSIS WITH A DEEPER, LOWER CG: Titleist 909 drivers unite three distinct club head shapes with center of gravity locations that are deeper and lower than the CG locations of previous generation Titleist drivers, resulting in greater club head stability through impact, improved launch conditions and superior downrange performance.

INTERNALLY MILLED FACE INSERT: The 909's feature an internally milled face insert that incorporates variable thickness design. A thicker, centrally located trapezoidal shape is surrounded by a thinner perimeter area, which maximizes ball speed across the face of the club.

ACOUSTICALLY TUNED STRUCTURE: A crucial component of feel is sound. Through acoustic research and testing, the soles of the 909 drivers were curved to exact specifications and incorporate reinforcing pockets as well as an internal rib to produce the solid, tuned auditory feedback that better players desire.

TITANIUM BLIND BORE HOSEL: The new blind bore hosel design of the 909 drivers saves internal weight allowing it to be placed low and deep in the swingweight screw to optimize the CG location. The all titanium blind bore hosel provides solid feel and allows for more custom shaft options.

SUREFIT SWINGWEIGHT SCREW: The factory installed SureFit swingweight screw allows precise head to shaft matching improving the balance of the product and aids in positioning the CG low and deep in the 909 club head. The Surefit Swingweight Screw options in the SureFit System and allows the fitter to better match the headweight to the club length and shaft balance point during the fitting process.

909 HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVERS
TITLEIST 909 DCOMP: The 909 DComp is a full pear profile, 460cc composite driver that has been tour validated for looks, sound and feel. The low density composite crown positions the CG low, providing a higher launch ball flight without increased spin. The 909 DComp has the largest profile, deepest and lowest CG location and the highest MOI in the 909 series. The 909 DComp produces high launch with low to mid spin performance.

TITLEIST 909D2: The 909D2 features a tour validated 460cc head design. Its full pear profile creates a mid-depth CG for stability and improved distance on off-center hits while maintaining workability. The 909D2's mid face depth provides launch confidence and preferred set up appearance for many players and produces mid launch, low-mid spin performance.

TITLEIST 909D3: The 909D3 features a deep face, 440cc head design with a classic pear shape profile and traditional set up appearance. The 909D3 possesses the most forward CG position in the 909 series, producing mid launch, low spin performance. The 909D3 offers the greatest degree of workability, shot and trajectory control.

TITLEIST 909 STOCK SHAFTS:
The stock shafts in the 909 DComp are the Titleist Matrix Ozik XCon-5 (62g) and XCon-6 (66g) featuring X axis control technology to provide a bending stiffness profile that encourages high launch without excess spin. The XCon-5 features a medium-soft tip and mid-low flex point for medium-high trajectory. The XCon-6 is tip stiff, with a mid-high flex point and medium trajectory.

The stock shafts in the 909D2 and 909D3 are the Titleist Aldila Voodoo and Titleist Diamana Blue 65. The Titleist Aldila Voodoo is 72g, has 3.3 degrees of torque, medium-stiff tip, with a mid-high flex point and medium trajectory. It features an internal spiral rib technology for added stability and solid feel. The Titleist Diamana Blue is a 65g shaft, with a medium tip, mid flex point and medium trajectory. The Diamana design utilizes 20 unique types of graphite material.

SUREFIT DRIVER FITTING SYSTEM: In the Fall of 2008, Titleist will expand its SureFit Fitting System to include the new 909 drivers. The SureFit driver fitting system features interchangeable heads, shafts and swingweight screws to provide a large number of fitting club combinations that can be assembled during the fitting process to closely duplicate what will be built in manufacturing. The standard SureFit Driver System includes seven driver heads and 16 shafts, resulting in 112 potential fitting club combinations. The standard SureFit Driver System includes 909DComp, 909D2 and 909D3 driver heads and the following shafts: Aldila DVS, Aldila Voodoo, Diamana Blue 65, Mitsubishi Bassara 45, GDI YSQ6, Grafalloy Prolaunch Red, Mitsubishi Javlnfx M7, Ozik XCon-5, Ozik XCon-6, and UST Proforce V2.
ON TOUR: Like all high performance Titleist-branded golf clubs, the new 909 drivers are not introduced to the marketplace until they are thoroughly player tested at Titleist's state-of-the art Oceanside Test Facility. Further, they must be successfully seeded and performance-validated with the world's most discerning and influential golfers, those who play for a living on the worldwide professional tours, those who teach and grow the game of golf, and better-playing amateurs. It is among this group of elite golfers that the Titleist 909 drivers have already begun to prove their metal. Titleist 909 drivers were officially introduced on the PGA Tour in June, at the U.S. Open. Titleist brand ambassadors Chez Reavie and Parker McLachlin were the first to win with the new drivers when they captured the RBC Canadian Open and Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, respectively, in consecutive weeks playing the new 909D2 model. Reavie won in wire-to-wire fashion, thanks in large part to his consistent driving, hitting 79% of the fairways for the week. McLachlin won by a seven-shot margin, tying the course record with a 10-under 62 in the second round and establishing a new 54-hole record at 20-under par. It was the first career victory for both players. Most recently, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano captured the prestigious British Masters on the PGA European Tour in a playoff, the first time he played the 909D3 in competition.

Since seeding began with PGA TOUR players in June, 909 has become the most played Titleist driver in competition. Inclusive of Reavie and McLachlin, more than 20 players have chosen to play the 909D2, including Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, Ryuji Imada, Arron Oberholser, Dudley Hart, John Merrick, Troy Matteson, Brett Quigley and Bill Haas. Steve Stricker, Davis Love III, Tom Pernice, Jr., Tommy Armour III, Johnson Wagner, Robert Gamez and Greg Kraft are among those who have opted for the 909D3, while Nicholas Thompson was the first to play the 909 DComp in competition at the BMW Championship.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The new Titleist Pro Titanium 909 drivers will begin shipping to golf shops in early November and are available in multiple loft and shaft combinations both right and left hand.

 

The suggested retail price for the 909D2 and 909D3 is $499. The suggested retail price for the 909 DComp is $549.

 

For more information about the family of Titleist 909 drivers, shaft matrices and performance comparisons, please visit the Titleist 909 Drivers page at Titleist.com.