Titleist introduce 816 H Hybrids

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REVIEW: Titleist 816 H1 and H2 hybrids

Titleist has launched new 816 H1 and 816 H2 hybrids featuring an improved "Active Recoil Channel" and "Ultra Thin Face" technology for high speed and low spin performance.

The biggest change to the Active Recoil Channel, in addition to a relieved leading edge, is improved turf interaction.

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Other improvements include a higher MOI design (the H1 has a 7% higher MOI than the previous generation 915 H, while H2 has a similar MOI to the 915 Hd) that increases speed across the face for more forgiveness on off-centre hits.

The hybrids also feature a new SureFit Tour hosel configuration that adjusts loft and lie independently in 1º increments (as compared to .75º increments on 915). 

The heads have also been improved with a new contrasting grey crown mixed against a black PVD face and sole. 

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The differences between 816 H1 and 816 H2

Titleist's 816H hybrids offer two distinct shapes and sizes with performance benefits relative to a golfer’s swing. 

The 816H1 hybrid has a large, confidence-inspiring profile with a slight face progression for golfers that need enhanced launch and prefer a fairway metal look. The larger H1 head size effectively parts grass through impact, providing outstanding performance from the rough. 

The 816H2 hybrid has a smaller, pear profile for launch and trajectory control with a slight offset for more aggressive players that engage the turf. H2 produces 150-300 RPM less spin for a flatter flight. 

"We recommend H1 for the player who’s more of a sweeper and a little bit shallower in terms of their turf interaction," said Stephanie Luttrell, director of Titleist metalwoods. 

"And also the player with a more moderate club speed, because H1 does generate more spin than the H2 which will keep the ball in the air longer for more distance.”

"H2 is more of our iron-type hybrid. It has less face progression which visually looks like a slight offset and leads to players attacking it with a more descending iron-type blow.

"We’ve also made the head slightly larger than the 915Hd by lengthening the face, which provides more confidence in the address position."

RRP: £205
Available: 23 October 2015

What the Tour pros are saying

Jordan Spieth

"The new 816 H2, with the silver head and black face, is a really cool looking hybrid. It’s really clean, really crisp. When I strike it, it shoots off the face nicely. It goes a little higher than my 915 hybrid, and a little bit further.

"If you’re going to hit it a little higher and further, ultimately that’s enough to make a golfer really pleased. When you mishit a hybrid, you need it to stay on line, still get up in the air and to still go far enough – and that’s what 816 does."

Ian Poulter

"I love my hybrids. A lot of guys only use one hybrid, but I transitioned away from a 4 iron into a 4 hybrid a while ago.

"Based on my early testing I can tell that 816 hybrids are definitely scoring clubs. I get the extra benefit of the higher ball flight, whether it’s from the rough or even if it’s from the fairway. When it lands on the green, I get it to stop a lot quicker than if I was using a 4 iron. If it’s a tuck pin, I’ve still got the beauty of actually landing it tight to the pin and having it stop quickly.

"Versatility is there as well. I can use it from the fairway, I can use it from the rough. It nicks through the rough nicely. I get the help with the ball picking up nice and quick, and again it stops very quickly from the rough."

NEW 816 HYBRID TECHNOLOGY - what Titleist say

• The Active Recoil Channel – a long, deep channel, positioned along the sole of the clubhead, close to the leading edge – delivers more distance by actively flexing at impact to launch the ball with lower spin and higher speed. The Active Recoil Channel (ARC™) allows the entire clubface to deflect at impact for high speed. (ARC is particularly effective on hybrids, which are most often hit off the ground with the ball impacting low on the face. Shots hit lower on the face generally produce more spin, which is counteracted by ARC.)

• An Ultra Thin Face works in combination with the Active Recoil Channel to deliver increased ball speed across the entire face. The high-speed, constant thickness face insert, made of high-strength Carpenter steel, is the thinnest face insert Titleist R&D has ever developed.

• A precise High-MOI design with a low centre of gravity (CG) location delivers stability and forgiveness by preserving ball speed across the face for distance consistency on off centre hits. (H1’s MOI is 7 percent higher than the previous generation 915H model, while H2 has a similar MOI to the 915Hd.) Improved CG locations (slightly deeper, and lower in H2) increase launch up to 1º for more shot stopping control. A heavier standard SureFit Tour Weight (11g), which concentrates more weight in a low, central position behind the Active Recoil Channel on each model, helps optimise CG properties.