Equipment
Titleist 816 H1 and H2 hybrids
As loft decreases, it becomes more and more difficult for golfers to hit their irons the distance required to create meaningful distance gaps. That’s true for beginning golfers, all the way to the golfers on the PGA Tour.
The solution is to identify the longest iron a golfer can hit effectively, and replace the remaining irons with clubs that perform better for them. For most golfers that means adding a hybrid (…or two, or three), which is why Titleist made the decision to release its new line of 816 hybrids alongside its new 716 irons.
After all, if golfers are being fit for new irons, shouldn’t they be fit for new hybrids at the same time?
The 816 hybrids use Titleist’s redesigned Active Recoil Channel (ARC), which has pre-worn edges for better turf interaction. It also won’t hold as much dirt and grass as the 915 hybrids.
- Price: $249 steel
- Lofts available: 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 (H1 only)
- Stock Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder HB 8.8 Tour Spec (S, X), Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana D+ White 90 Hybrid (S), Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana S+ Blue 70 Hybrid (R, S), Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana M+ 60 Red Hybrid (A, R, S), Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana M+ 50 Red Hybrid (L),
- Availability: In stores Oct. 23
While there are similarities between Titleist’s 816 hybrids and the 915 hybrids the company released in November 2014, several improvements were made to help golfers more easily fill the gaps between their fairway woods and irons.
The 816 hybrids are offered in two models: the 816H1 and 816H2. The 816H1 is similar to Titleist’s 915H hybrid, with a round profile that appears more fairway-wood like at address. The 816H2 hybrid has a pear-shaped head that includes a slight amount of offset, and its club head is slightly larger than the 915Hd it replaces.
According to Marni Ines, director of product development at Titleist, the center of gravity (CG) of both hybrids is fractionally deeper than the 915 models, creating up to a 1-degree higher launch than their predecessors, with similar ball speeds and spin rates. Compared to each other, the 816H2 is said to be between 150-300 rpm lower spinning than the 816H1.
Both hybrids are available in lofts of 19, 21, 23 and 25 degrees, with the H1 also being released in a 27-degree loft. Changes to their loft, as well as the lie angle of the clubs make adjustments simpler than ever on a Titleist hybrid thanks to the company’s new 1-degree SureFit Tour hosel. Thankfully, previous SureFit Tour sleeves will still work with the new hybrids, although golfers should consult Titleist’s chart to ensure accurate loft and lie adjustments.
Titleist decided to move to the new loft and lie system, which gives golfers a 3-degree range of loft (-1 to +2) and lie adjustability (1-degrees flat to 2-degrees upright) because it is more similar to the way irons are adjusted. I can relate, too. When people ask me what loft my 915Hd hybrid is, their eyes often roll when I tell them that it’s 19.75 degrees.
The hybrids also come with a skinnier SureFit “Flatweight,” which is available in weights of 6, 9, 11, 13 and 16 grams, the heaviest of which give golfers the ability to play shorter-length hybrids and still retain a normal swing weight.
The most noticeably change to the hybrids, of course, is the switch from Titleist’s traditional glossy black-painted crowns to a glossy gray grown, which contrasts with the black PVD faces and soles of the hybrids to improve alignment. Detail-orientated golfers will also notice that the bulge, or the horizontal curvature of the club face, has been reduced to more closely mimic that of an iron.
Both 816 hybrids ($249) come stock with Fujikura’s Motore Speeder HB 8.8 Tour Spec shaft. They are available with steel shafts, however, which will be built with a taper-tip- accepting SureFit Tour sleeve at a stock length of 0.5-inches shorter than stock graphite length.
See what GolfWRX Members are saying about the 816 H1 and H2 hybrids in our forum.
Related
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Jordan S
Sep 23, 2015 at 2:49 am
Somebody saw how well the Cally XHot hybrids did.
Tommy P
Sep 22, 2015 at 10:44 am
Love that they went back to the gunmetal grey like the 905 series.
Teaj
Sep 22, 2015 at 9:23 am
I like the fact that they are offering Steel shafts as I put a steel shaft in my VRpro hybrid and love the feel and consistency.
other paul
Sep 22, 2015 at 8:57 am
First article sentence “as speed and loft decreases. Should be “as speed increases and loft decreases”.
Pretty clubs ????
Zak Kozuchowski
Sep 22, 2015 at 9:28 am
Thanks for the feedback. You’re right, as loft decreases ball speed usually increases, as does swing speed because of the tendency of lower-lofted clubs to be built longer. But that was not how I hoped readers would interpret the sentence.
The original sentence was meant to address both golfers who have slow club head speeds, as well as the hard-to-hit-nature of low-lofted irons. I’ve since edited the sentence to only include a discussion of loft, as that will simply things.
All golfers should know, however, that lower-lofted irons are usually easier to hit for golfers with more club head speed. So if you have a slower club head speed, that’s an indication that you will be better served with fewer long irons and more fairway woods/hybrids in your bag.