Titleist TS4 Driver Review – Is it Good for High Handicappers & Forgiving?

“The Titleist TS4 has classic looks – even for a Titleist driver. It is the smallest driver (by head volume) in the TS lineup which begs the question: is it good for high handicappers?”

A lot of golfers get the impression that Titleist clubs aren’t for high handicappers and that they mainly cater to skilled players. While Titleist hasn’t been the biggest player on the game improvement stage, they have made some solid GI drivers in the past. So we wanted to take a close look at the Titleist TS4 and the other drivers in this series to see which one would be best for high handicappers. Let’s get started!

The Titleist TS Driver Family

“It’s worth checking out the Titleist TS3 driver if only for the fact that it has a 460cc head compared to the 430cc head of the Titleist TS4 driver.”

As most golfers know, head size counts for a lot when you’re talking about forgiveness. The Titleist TS3 has a generally larger sweet spot and was more responsive when we hit close to the perimeter of the face – in other words, the ball picked up more speed on mis-hits than it did with the Titleist TS4 driver.

Is it Good for High Handicappers?

“One thing we liked about the Titleist TS4 for high handicappers was that the feedback was crystal clear.”

You will know by sound alone when you missed the sweet spot on this driver. Perfect strikes will reward you with a quiet click while mis-hits give off a more resonant thud. This will go a long way toward informing your subsequent swings – it did for us at least.

Another thing we liked was that even on mis-hits, we weren’t getting shocks up our arms. You can feel the feedback in your hands but even when you miss the sweet spot, the feeling is never extreme.

That all being said, shots made around the perimeter of the face were experiencing a lot of twisting. Ball flight on mis-hits was erratic and unpredictable and worst of all, there was a significant drop-off in ball speed. So while the Titleist TS4 may be good to teach high handicappers how to respond to mis-hits, it may not be great for them to game on a regular basis.

Is it Forgiving?

“The Titleist TS4 features forward-oriented weighting which reduces spin rates significantly.”

During our testing, the spin rates we were getting from the Titleist TS4 stayed in the 1700-1800 neighborhood. Very nice overall. Just bear in mind that we got these kinds of numbers on dead-center strikes. Sidespin picked up significantly on heel or toe side strikes.

While the forward weighting will certainly help any player struggling with distance when they hit the Titleist TS4 flush, there isn’t a ton of help when you miss the sweet spot – flight gets unstable and divergence widens. Is the Titleist TS4 the most forgiving driver in the Titleist TS line? We don’t think so. Still, it is definitely the most workable.

Difference Between the Titleist TS4 and TSR4 Drivers

“The Titleist TSR4 has a few upgrades and a whole new option.”

First of all, the TSR4 features an aerospace-grade titanium, variable thickness face. This design helps preserve ball speed on mis-hits. Then, there is a moveable weight that can be shifted to a forward position for low spin or a rear position for more forgiveness.

As you may be able to tell just from the features, the Titleist TSR4 is actually more forgiving even though it bears the same 430cc head volume as the Titleist TS4 driver. And while it could be all in my mind, at address, the Titleist TSR4 looks slightly bigger than the Titleist TS4 despite having the same head volume.

Available Shafts

• Mitsubishi Kurokage Black Dual Core SFW 50
• Mitsubishi Tensei Blue SFW 55
• Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 60
• Project X HZRDUS Smoke Yellow 60
• Project X Evenflow T1100 White 65

Is the Titleist TS4 Driver Worth it?

“The Titleist TS4 is worth it for the right kind of player.”

For the player who wants the ability to manipulate their drives to deftly navigate doglegs, hazards and protected greens, the Titleist TS4 would be an excellent choice. The workability is elite and the lower spin numbers will benefit strong swingers in the distance department.