Titleist’s new mini driver hits the PGA Tour this week at Quail Hollow. Here’s what we know.
The Titleist GTS 300, a yet-to-be-released mini driver, was added to the USGA’s Conforming Driver Head list on Monday, and Titleist is debuting the club this week at the PGA Tour’s Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. It arrives as the next evolution in a club category that has quietly gained traction among serious players over the past several seasons.
Titleist hasn’t announced a price, a consumer release date or spelled out exactly what separates the GTS300 from its predecessor, the GT280 mini driver, but the name tells us something. If the GT280 was 280 cubic centimeters in volume, the GTS300 is almost certainly 300 cc, which is still well below the 460 cc limit for drivers but significantly larger than a typical 3-wood, which runs between 190 and 200 cc.
And when it comes to metalwoods, size matters. A lot.
Think of club head volume like the wheelbase on a car. The bigger the wheels, the more stable the ride. A larger head typically has a higher moment of inertia (MOI) and is harder to twist on off-center hits, which means more consistent ball speed when you miss the sweet spot. Compared to a 3-wood, the GTS300 should be significantly more forgiving, while still being easier to control than a full-sized 460cc driver.
That’s the whole point of the mini driver category. It lives in the space between a driver and a 3-wood. Longer and more forgiving than a fairway wood, shorter and more manageable than a driver. For certain players, those who use their 3-wood exclusively off the tee and almost never need it from the fairway, a mini driver can be a revelation. It fills a distance gap while also offering more reliability off the tee.
The GTS300 has two interchangeable weights in the sole: an 11-gram and a 3-gram, like its predecessor. Where those weights sit should change how the club behaves.
In the standard setup, the heavier 11-gram weight sits in the back, pushing the center of gravity (CG) rearward to promote a higher launch angle and slightly more spin.
Move the 11-gram weight forward, put the 3-gram to the back, and the club’s personality should change. The CG will shift toward the face, the launch drops and spin rates should decrease, and the GTS300 will likely create a flatter, more piercing trajectory. That flexibility, paired with the SureFit adjustable hosel, should allow players and fitters to fine-tune the distance and trajectory the GTS300 produces.
Cameron Young and Justin Thomas helped shape the design, and now the game’s best players are free to put it in their bags. No word yet on when the rest of us can get our hands on one, but based on history, look for it this summer.