50 Words or Less
The Titleist TSR3 fairway wood is a beautiful fairway wood that’s surprisingly friendly to a wide range of players. New, lower CG makes it easy to launch. Lots of adjustability with weight and hosel settings.
Check out the new Titleist GT3 fairway wood HERE
Introduction
When the Titleist TSR fairway woods hit retail, over 60 PGA Tour players had already put them into play. Tom Kim earned his first Tour win with the TSR3 FW in his bag, and the #1 and #4 ranked women in the world were bagging TSR FWs, too. Credentials like these are surely impressive, but how does this club work in the hands of a weekend golfer? Should recreational players stick to the TSR2 or is the TSR3 a realistic option? I’ll share my answers in this review.
Looks
If you were expecting the TSR3 fairway wood to be a massive departure from the TSi3, you don’t know Titleist. This club maintains the traditional, rounded shape with a slightly below-average head size. One standout change, however, is on the face. Where the TSi3 had scoring lines only on the heel and toe, the TSR3 has them across the entire face.
Setting the TSR3 fairway wood (above, left) next to the TSR2 [review HERE], you can see that the TSR3 has a smaller footprint. That said, the gap is not as big as in prior generations. Titleist did make the TSR3 fairway wood slightly larger than the TSi3 FW [review HERE]. Side by side, the 3 is clearly smaller than the 2, but on their own, the shape difference stands out more than the size difference. The TSR2 is more stretched from front-to-back and the shape favors the heel. In contrast, the TSR3 has a hint of the traditional pear shape, with less mass on the heel side.
If you hit your 3W primarily off the tee, check out the Titleist TSR2+ FW HERE
Sound & Feel
As much as I love the quiet impact sound of the Titleist TSR drivers, I like the sound of the TSR3 fairway wood even more. On center, this club produces the quiet, metallic “tink” that, to me, is exactly what a fairway wood should sound like. The sound does dull a bit on off-center strikes, providing a noticeable amount of feedback.
A trait that runs through the entire TSR family of woods is the ball feeling light on the club face. This matches well with the quiet impact sound. The TSR3 FW still feels solid behind the strike, but it’s more of an Ali-quick jab than Tyson-heavy hook. Even with this light impact sensation, you can easily feel where the ball met the face.
Performance
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the chance to be fit for and extensively test the entire Titleist TSR line. With the drivers, I found that the TSR2 [review HERE] is built for a huge range of players, but the TSR3 [review HERE] is geared toward the stronger ball strikers. After spending a lot of time with the TSR2 and TSR3 fairway woods, I’ve learned that they are much closer together than the drivers.
Titleist’s focus in designing the TSR fairway woods was optimizing the center of gravity. In the TSR2 FW, they created their lowest CG ever. The TSR3 FW also received a lower CG which makes it easier to launch high and consistently. Despite it being the “players” head, I had no difficulty launching the TSR3 similarly to the TSR2. I actually had a little more confidence with the smaller TSR3 because I prefer the smaller head for shots off the turf.
Another change from the TSi3 to the TSR3 is the SureFit Adjustable Track CG System. Where the TSi3 had three positions for the weight, the TSR3 FW has five positions. This gives players more choices and a wider range of CG options. This sliding weight is 13 grams, and it feels more impactful than the one in the TSR3 driver. It’s not going to straighten a brutal hook or slice, but it will visibly alter your ball flight if you’re near the center of club face. Players who need to make a bigger change can still lean on the excellent SureFit Hosel to open or close the face, add loft, and adjust the lie.
Overall, the Titleist TSR3 fairway wood impressed me with its high performance, versatility, and forgiveness. It hits a sweet spot for size that gives confidence off the tee and turf without being unwieldy. Your best swings are going to produce unbelievably good results, but it’s also going to let you get away with some less-than-perfect efforts.
Conclusion
Titleist has given golfers two fantastic long game options with the TSR2 and TSR3 fairway woods. For players that prefer a more traditional appearance and added adjustability, the TSR3 is the easy choice. What makes this offering special is that you can get those high level features without sacrificing ease of use.
Visit Titleist HERE
Titleist TSR3 Fairway Wood Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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18 Comments
What shaft did you use for the review Matt?
Steve,
The Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt
I play a 16.5⁰ TSi3 ‘four wood’ in my bag. Curiously, I noticed the specs of the TSR3 16.5⁰ now have it with a 43″ stock shaft, 0.5″ longer than the club it replaces and the same length as the 15⁰ – the lie angle is still slightly more upright though. I haven’t seen the heads yet so I don’t know whether the 16.5⁰ is slightly smaller than the 15⁰ like the previous models though.
Do you think Titleist now view this club as simply a higher launching ‘three wood’?
Cheers,
Bryce
Bryce,
Yes, I think Titleist – and many players – are recognizing that 15* isn’t optimizing distance for a lot of golfers.
Best,
Matt
Thanks Matt – that’s the very reason why I abandoned a three wood many years ago too
What is the size difference between the 15* 3wood and the 16.5* 4wood?
Nick,
I don’t have those specs available to me. Anecdotally, I didn’t find the difference to be substantial.
-Matt
Matt, do you know how the TSR2 compares with the Cobra king ltd x 3 wood.I’m a 4 h’ cap.
Richard,
I did not test the LTDx, but Dylan did a review here: https://pluggedingolf.com/cobra-ltdx-fairway-wood-review/
-Matt
Matt,
Do you prefer the TSR2 or the TSR3 on performance basis?
I also read that TSR2 fw is more draw bias, did you find that?
Thank you, I always appreciate to read you,
RichardP
Richard,
Thank you.
I did not notice a draw bias in the TSR2.
As someone who generally needs and wants a lot of help elevating shots from the fairway, I prefer the TSR2. That said, the TSR3 is still a ton of fun to hit.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt
Do you know what the standard swing weights are the TSR fairway woods?
Thanks
Matt,
Which fairway wood would be better suited to both tee shots and fairways? The club I play at needs a club that can do both. Thanks in advance.
Renn
Renn,
Between the TSR2 and TSR3 or are other options in play?
-Matt
Matt,
I am looking at TSR 2 or TSR 3 only in 16.5 degrees loft. I need one club for tee and fairway. I am a low single digit handicap who needs help elevating ball and a club that can be used off tee. Is there a difference in face depth that you noticed?
Renn,
My recollection is that the TSR3 is slightly taller.
-Matt
Matt,
Is the TSr3 a neutral or slightly fade biased? I don’t like a draw biased club. So videos I’ve seen don’t address it much.
Thanks, Roger
Roger,
The TSR3 is neutral.
-Matt