Titleist GTS300 mini driver arrives on Tour in Charlotte

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.

The larger size of the Titleist GTS300 (right) should give me more stability and forgiveness off the tee than a traditional 3-wood.

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.