Jack Yetton, Titleist Golf Club Trade Fitting and Education Manager - UK, chats about the successful launch of the new Titleist GT range and shares what the brand is doing to support TGI Partners.
What has been the initial reaction to the new GT metals from UK media and trade?
GT Metals have got off to a great start with our fitting network reporting a lot of interest in the new range. As part of the launch process, we invited key members of the UK and Irish golfing media as well as our Staff Ambassador network to the Titleist Performance Centre in Woburn for a tailored GT fitting experience where they were able to get dialled into the new product. The reaction since their fittings both online and on social has been fantastic, having seen some excellent results across a range of categories. Other of our leading products in the range such as SM10 has also benefitted from the GT launch as consumers look to be fitted for more Titleist clubs than just metals.
Overall, the GT launch has been incredibly well received and we look forward for the excitement to continue as more golfers go and get fit for the best-performing metals to ever bear the Titleist script.
What are some of the key features and benefits of GT which golfers are noticing when being fit?
With the new GT line, we are talking about Total Driver Performance and it’s important to explain to golfers what that means with the unique benefits of the new technologies we have introduced. We’ve improved the aerodynamics, so the club is faster through the air to increase clubhead speed, we’ve been able to be very precise with CG placements to ensure optimal launch and spin without sacrificing forgiveness and have maintained the look, sound and feel that Titleist players demand.
We have found that these initial discussions are an important step of the fitting process as it allows fitters to discover more about the golfer and what they are looking for in terms of performance which can give retailers a head start in finding the right combination for them.
Having a range of specs on offer, we are more passionate than ever to ensure we have every option available for every golfer. All our fitting systems are designed to give the Titleist golfer a great fitting experience and as we move up our fitting tiers to our Premier Fitting Partner – they will receive a vast selection of both right and left-handed fitting kits.
Titleist have always stuck to a two-year metal lifecycle, what are the benefits of having this strategy and how does this benefit the trade?
We believe that a two-year cycle is key to why demand for Titleist golf clubs is higher than ever and the reason why Titleist was the most played driver, hybrid, iron and wedge over the course of the 2024 FedEx Cup season. Two years allows our Research and Development teams the time to make sure they can bring out a product to retail that is significantly better than the previous iteration. This
benefits the trade as retailers can go into their fittings with consumers fully focused on the fit itself and not having to worry about upselling the product, with the data/stats doing the selling for them.
A two-year life cycle also allows us the time to speak with our pyramid of influence at all levels of the game so we can garner as much feedback and insight as possible, so we know what we need to do to make the next generation of Titleist golf clubs even better.
Custom fitting is such a huge focus for Titleist. How will the brand continue to support retailers with fitting events across the U.K and Ireland?
Fitting is at the heart of what we do to ensure we can get the best performing golf clubs for each individual golfer to unlock their full potential. For GT, we have worked hard as a team to ensure that all our SureFit partners received their GT Fitting tools three weeks prior to the launch, allowing the Titleist golfer to be fitted and have their new driver delivered on the official launch date. In addition to providing fitting equipment to hundreds of venues, from September 1st, our Club Fitting Specialist team will be looking to conduct in the region of 800 fitting events across the UK and Ireland to showcase not just GT but our entire product range.
How important is it for TSR players to still go and get fit for GT?
We cannot stress enough the importance of going and getting fit for the new GT metals, even if you are a current TSR player. With Generational Technology (GT) advancements, we have seen so many golfers get dialled into a slightly different spec to what they had been playing previously. This has been reflected in the elite professional game with numerous Titleist tour players going from TSR2 to GT3 and vice versa after a proper fit.
Out of the three new GT models, we tend to find most golfers end up in more popular options like GT2 or GT3 as they just work better more often and consistently. Having GT4 in the range however offers golfers a low-spinning model in a slightly smaller head. We have had great early success in back weighting GT4 by flipping the adjustable weights to create something close to a GT2.5 which can offer optimal performance for those who prefer the smaller head size of the GT4.
How is the brand supporting retailers market the new product in-store?
One of our priorities is to make sure retailers who stock our hardware are supported and equipped with all the right product and fitting equipment, so they can offer their customers the best possible fitting experience. Alongside the extensive fitting tools that we provide through our SureFit programme and custom fitting events throughout the year, the brand also offers access to Launch POS packs and updated graphics, all to ensure retailers have the right tools to promote GT in-store and on the fitting tee.
How can retailers further their knowledge and training on GT?
Retailers can further their GT knowledge and training by engaging with the assets we have to offer through our Club Fitting Education team as well as the vast resources we have on our Titleist University site. We have also created some compelling video content with several fantastic longer form videos available on our website and YouTube channel that can inform, educate and excite both trade and consumers.
For more information about the new Titleist GT metals, please contact your local Area Sales Manager.
