I haven't hit the 917 F3, but if it's as good, or better, than the 915 3 wood (15 degree) it certainly could be used in place of a driver.

Is this a real tread? I can't imagine going backwards technologically . I'll keep my 460 cc. Hit um straight , Dave....

I have the 915D2 10.25* and love the 460 cc head. Very forgiving and like the distance for an old man of 70. Drives run around 240++. The new 917f2 15* is a wonderful fairway metal. Best get fitted for it if you are considering one. Getting the right shaft is critical. Tried three different shafts before getting the correct set up. They are a powerful club and straight. But not as long as the driver's. Maybe twenty yards behind my 915D2, depending on conditions and roll. Do not purchase off rack. Set up is critical. Why go backwards?

It's a choice to use the 13.5 off the tee box. Not hitting up on the ball will be compensated by the loft of the fairway. PM has used from 0 to 2 drivers in the bag. Aniya J. rarely uses driver. With a smaller face, you miss some of the forgiveness of the 917 drivers. If you gain 20 yards to the center of the fairway, giving up 20 yards in distance is a wash. Some of the distance loss is the extra 2-3 inches of shaft length with the driver that increases head speed. I'm just not parting with my driver - no less accurate and definitely longer.

@withander ... I understand the sentiment. I grew up playing with persimmon drivers and woods. I even used to have a 4-wood in the bag before 3-woods became more of the "norm". With the wood drivers, hitting one "on the screws" really meant that!

Then came the metal drivers with heads marginally bigger. Then it moved out even bigger and started using titanium. One of my first metal drivers was a huge monster - it was 330 cc! Today, the D2's are 460 cc!

While I miss the nostalgia of the old persimmon woods, etc. I just cannot think that I would ever go back to them -- especially the older I get, there will come a time when the forgiveness of a 460 cc driver will allow me to continue enjoying the game when skill deteriorates.

Are the new drivers getting to big? Probably..Will a 3 wood replace a driver? No. .but that being said I personally don't haven't carried a driver in 7 months (i hit my the 917 F2 13..5 off the tee) and I've dropped almost 2 strokes off my handicap (8.6) as of December 1st.. So play a 3 wood off tee ,maybe sprinkle in a couple of hybrid shots ,build your confidence & hit more fairways . Keep hitting those Titleist Thursdays in your area til you find your driver. Also check courses in your area that are TITLEIST dealers, they will let you take a demo driver on the course to try out. Hit'em straight..madgolfer

I'm sure you can still find a 975D (260 cc) or a 975J (300cc) on eBay for about $25. They are real solid drivers. The pros were hitting them over 300 yds back in the day. They just don't have the forgiveness on off-center hits we amateurs need. You should really try going up to a 460cc driver. You'll eventually come around to getting over the size and appreciate being in the fairway more often. You can maybe pickup an older 909 on eBay and give this a try. Take it to a fitter and get a shaft swapped out to suite your swing and preferred trajectory.

DV

It's a sight thing to some, and the 460cc head is too big. Even with a deeper face and rounded toe to take some of that look away.

I'm with TM doing the mini-driver and would like to see Titleist make something similar. I know, it's the Indian, not the arrow. Golf is a confidence game. Some feel more confident in the smaller driver head...... Can't see how 5-10 yards less hurts if I'm able to stripe it down the center.

How much distance loss do you guys think I would have by going 917F3 13.5 vs. 917D3 10.5?

I would assume based on how club gaps work, that it woud be no more than 20 yards. What are your thoughts on this?

The only thing I can say to this is there is more distance with a slightly off center shot from a driver than 3 wood. When you stripe both well, it should only be a 15-25 yard difference based on those lofts.

The only thing is if you rely solely on 3 wood, the mishits will travel much less overall distance than the driver. That can be a good/bad thing depending on where your misses are.

Withander, I have also thought that the size of drivers is too big for me personally for a couple of years now. It might have to do with focus, I'm really not sure. I always wonder why it is that I can hit my 3 wood off the tee and get the sweet spot fairly consistently, but with a 460 driver I'm all over the face. Many say that the length of the shaft causes that, but I don't buy it since it's only about an inch difference. I've even used shorter shafts in some of the 460s and it didn't really help.

I recently ditched my 460 heads and have been switching out between a 975d, which is about 260cc and a 975j-vs, which is 312cc I believe. I hit these so much more consistently. I am in the fairway with the smaller heads much more often than with the 460s, and I have no more issue with forgiveness with these than with the big ones. I'm actually getting more distance more often with the 975j-vs than any driver I've ever used, which is mostly Pings, tms, and other Titleists, new technology as well as old.

You might be on the right track using the F3 as a driver at 13.5. Knowing what I know now, if I had to choose between a 460cc driver and a strong 3 wood, I'd take the 3 wood (or an older, smaller driver) every time. Just my opinion, based on my own findings. Good luck in your search.