Titleist has recently announced the launch of a new fairway wood to sit alongside the three other models in the GT family. The GT1 3Tour has been created on the back of tour-player feedback, with Titleist staff players looking for a combination of high-launch and low-spin with the forgiveness that the original GT1 fairway wood offers.
The GT1 3Tour fairway wood has already proven to be a hit on the PGA Tour, with players such as Doug Ghim and Cameron Davis having recently chosen to put it in play. While tour-inspired, the characteristics of this club certainly make us feel as though it could be a popular option among amateur golfers looking to increase their distance while not sacrificing the forgiveness that normally comes with a lower-launching product.
So how does the GT1 3Tour differ to the original GT1? To start, the GT1 3Tour comes in a ‘tour loft’ of 14.5° compared to the standard 15° option. The center of gravity is lowered, yet closer to the face, thanks to a dual adjustable weighting system which allows players to precisely dial in a preferred ball flight, alongside the SureFit adjustable hosel system.
The standard GT1 fairway wood is the brand's highest launching and most forgiving fairway wood option, made from a lighter construction than GT2 and GT3, and therefore is the go-to club for slower swingers to help gain more carry and ultimately more distance.
Combining this head design with a lowered loft and CG placement, the GT1 3Tour launches a little lower and with a more powerful ball flight, all while boasting the performance benefits of the lighter, more forgiving head.
The hosel has been redesigned internally to create even more weight savings, which can be redistributed to help increase the desired performance. The two weights that come as standard on the GT1 3Tour are 11g and 3g. To achieve a more penetrating flight, the 11g weight would be placed in the port towards the face and vice versa if you wanted to increase launch and forgiveness.
“Tour feedback is incredibly valuable, so we involve our players in testing for all products — even those that may be designed with a different player in mind,” said JJ Van Wezenbeeck, Titleist’s Senior Director of Club Promotions.
“During GT1 fairway testing, we found some tour players really loved the shaping and face height, but we knew that many of them would need a little less loft and lower CG for a stronger flight. Tom Bennett [Principal Product Manager, Titleist Metalwood R&D] and the R&D team were able to give us a product in GT1 3TOUR that gave us all the benefits of the GT1 shaping while lowering spin to a more optimal window for those players. Since bringing it out on tour, we’ve seen strong adoption from several players who like a shallow, easy-to-launch design, but need a little less spin.”
The GT1 3Tour boasts the same shallow head that is on offer with the GT1, helping create a confidence-inspiring look behind the head that will appeal to golfers who struggle to launch their fairway woods, particularly off the deck. However, because of its adjustability via the weight ports and hosel, the GT1 3Tour could easily be considered not only one of the best fairway woods for higher handicappers, but also one of the best fairway woods for high swing speed players looking to create a more penetrating flight.
The new Titleist GT1 3Tour fairway wood is now available to purchase and for fittings on the Titleist US website and select retailers in the UK. It is priced at $399/£349 with stock shaft options and $599 with premium shaft offerings.
