The Acushnet Company’s new Titleist GT280 – the newest addition to Titleist’s GT metalwood family – now is in pre-order and available at retail April 18. The mini driver, designed for distance and control off the tee as well as playability from the turf, leverages genekrational technology from Titleist’s GT driver and fairway lineups to give golfers versatile performance at the top end of their bags.
Engineered to be longer and more forgiving than a fairway metal, yet easier to control and more workable than a driver, the company says the GT280 gives players an entirely unique set of performance characteristics compared to previous Titleist metalwoods.
“GT280 is a completely new offering that was born from golfer feedback,” said Josh Talge, Titleist’s Vice President of Golf Club Marketing. “We heard from more and more players who were looking for a club that gapped between their driver and 3-wood. For some, this club is for tee shots only. Others need to be able to hit this club off the turf. GT280 is designed to perform exceptionally under both conditions, and it will be a really valuable addition to our metalwood lineup.”
“The design process for GT280 began with a request from J.J. [Van Wezenbeeck, Titleist’s Senior Director of Club Promotions], and when we brought out our first mini driver prototype last year, we quickly saw that it fit a performance need for both tour players and amateurs.” said Tom Bennett, Principal Product Manager for Titleist Metalwood R&D. “Whether GT280 is going to have a permanent spot in a player’s bag and replace their strongest-lofted fairway, or if it’s more of a situational ‘15th club,’ there’s a lot of interest in another go-to distance club that performs how GT280 does.”
GT280 features a Seamless Thermoform Crown, made from the same Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP) that comprises the crowns of GT drivers. The design allowed Titleist engineers significant weight savings while maintaining Titleist’s signature player-preferred sound and feel. The mini driver has forward/aft weighting adjustability like that of the GT4 driver, giving fitters and golfers two distinct CG settings from which to choose. GT280 also has a forged L-Cup face design to maximize performance on strikes low on the face, and its profile features a lower leader edge to improve playability from the turf.
Photos Courtesy of the Acushnet Company