Titleist TSR2 Hybrid Review

Titleist TSR2 Hybrid Review

As a user and huge fan of the TSi2 hybrid thanks to my more sweeping delivery into the ball, I was keen to see how Titleist would evolve the design of its more playable hybrid franchise. The TSi2 is one of the more reliable performers in my bag. While I don’t call upon it all that often, when I do the confidence it breeds usually brings about a decent result - which is more than satisfactory when going at a green situated over 200 yards away.

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Titleist has sought to continue with the design features that made TSi2 popular but refining them to make it even more powerful, forgiving and versatile from different lies. The first thing you’ll notice transitioning into TSR2 is that the size and profile has got a lot larger. It sits closer to that of a compact fairway wood than it does a hybrid. For some, this will inspire additional confidence but for me, as a 3-handicap index player, it has gone too far. If I wanted a larger hybrid, I’d put in a 7-wood.

Where the TSR2 hybrid excels is in creating a neutral ball flight. It has a lie angle that is half a degree flatter than standard and my testing showed it had, if anything, a slight fade bias to it - something that can be increased or reduced via the settings on the hosel. A common complaint is that some of the best golf hybrid clubs tend to go left (for a right hander) but that’s not the case here.

Make no mistake, the deeper CG from the more stretched back design makes this hybrid easy to launch and very playable, up there among the most forgiving hybrids around. It has a completely different sound to the sister TSR3 model too, much more metallic and higher pitched, which for some (myself included) translated into a more powerful impact experience. This also comes from how stable the clubhead feels. If you’re a golfer that is prone to the occasional heel or toe strike, you’ll get away with a lot more with the TSR2 and still experience half decent results.

Testing on the Full Swing Kit launch monitor, the TSR2 was around 1mph faster in ball speed off the face than the TSi2, which translated to 2-4 yards of extra carry through the air, helped by a slightly higher ball flight in the same stock loft of 18°. My clubhead speed was also a little faster too - Titleist says the smaller diameter of hosel screw saves weight and also helps with aerodynamics, which could well be where this came from. It certainly felt fast and produced longer carries on a stronger, more towering trajectory.

There are also relief pockets on the sole that essentially reduce the amount of surface area that contacts the ground at impact. It was difficult to decipher the tangible effect of these in testing, I could make a case for the TSR2 extracting the ball from the rough a little more cleanly with the grass not grabbing the clubhead as much, but there wasn’t much in it.

The TSR2 is a forgiving, easy-launching hybrid that has a broad appeal. Any ability of golfer with a low ball flight that prefers hitting woods to longer irons from the tee or fairway will appreciate the performance on offer here. The TSR3 offers a more penetrating flight and moveable weight to alter the shot shape bias, but it doesn’t quite have the power or stability of the TSR2. Will I be putting the TSR2 in the bag in place of the TSi2 hybrid? I don’t think so. Hybrids are a very personal club - finding one you like can be difficult and I’ve never looked down on my TSi2 and thought I could do with something larger or longer. But that’s just me. If you’re long overdue an upgrade in this area of the bag, the TSR2 is an excellent, albeit premium (£259), option well worth considering.