January 24, 2004

By: Wayne Guest
Website: http://www.1st-in-golf.com

Titleist introduces new tour-proven Pro Titanium 975J Driver

With nine major victories and 68 wins on the PGA Tour to its credit, no driver has achieved the level of success among PGA Tour players, club professionals and competitive amateurs that the Titleist Titanium® 975D® has since its introduction in 1997. Adhering to its strict golf club product development blueprint and performance heritage, Titleist® expands upon the momentum of the highly successful Titleist Titanium 975D driver and high performance metalwood franchise with the new tour-proven Titleist Pro Titanium™ 975J™ driver.

The Pro Titanium 975J features a larger, thinner face construction that creates a higher Coefficient of Restitution (COR) to provide increased ball speed for greater distance. The variable face design provides a thicker face wall in the central impact region for strength and feel, with a thinner wall around the perimeter to increase the COR. An innovative patent pending interior bulge and roll design blends the regions of different face wall thickness for improved feel, performance and durability.

The larger 312cc head of the Pro Titanium 975J, compared to the 260cc volume of the Titleist Titanium 975D, provides confidence at address and added stability for straighter ball flight. It also provides for more dynamic loft to ensure a proper and higher launch angle, important in achieving longer drives. The thinner, more compliant (flexible) face design provides reduced spin for longer distance and straighter flight.

Terry McCabe, Sr. Vice President of Golf Club Research and Development, and the club's designer comments: "Our ultimate goal with the new Pro Titanium 975J is to provide the golfer with a more optimal driver launch condition. Through the combination of increased ball speed, higher launch angle and lower spin rate, we have created a driver that produces longer, straighter shots. The larger head helps provide more forgiveness and the internal weighting helps eliminate the 'high right' miss common to many larger headed drivers."

The new Titleist Pro Titanium 975J retains the highly praised traditional pear-shaped profile of the Titleist Titanium 975D, as well as its unique hosel and thru-bore shaft design that forms a stiff internal tube, stabilizing the head for maximum energy transfer from club to ball. Its traditional hosel length and internal bore-thru tube biases the center of gravity (CG) of the head closer to the shaft axis for better shot and trajectory control.

The Pro Titanium 975J is introduced in seven lofts ranging from 6.5º to 12.5º. The line also includes four left-hand drivers ranging from 7.5º to 10.5º. Adding to the technological superiority of the Pro Titanium 975J is a comprehensive selection of stock shaft options in a variety of weights and flexes, including the Titleist Ultralite 60, Titleist Airweight 50, True Temper® EI-70®, UST Proforce 75® and Grafalloy® ProLite®.

"The depth and breadth of the new driver line allows a wide range of golfers the opportunity to optimize their launch conditions with the Titleist Pro Titanium 975J," comments Chris McGinley, Titleist's Vice President of Marketing for Golf Clubs Worldwide. "The 975J provides an unmatched combination of high performance ball flight with great looks, and sweet, solid sound and feel, all the benefits that golfers have come to expect from a Titleist driver."

The creation of the Titleist Pro Titanium 975J occurred over a two-year period under the watchful eyes of master craftsman McCabe, who was also the designer of the acclaimed Titleist Titanium 975D. Thoroughly machine and player tested at Titleist's state-of-the art Oceanside Test Facility in California throughout 2000, seeding of the Pro Titanium 975J began with tour players late in the year with great success.

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About The Author:

Wayne Guest is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-golf.com.  A source of information on golf equipment, golf manufacturers, supplies, tips and more.