Titleist GTS300: Independent Test Reveals How Weight Placement Changes Ball Flight

On October 26, 2026, Matt Saternus published an independent, hands-on review of the Titleist GTS300 mini driver at Plugged In Golf. This is not a new product launch. Titleist unveiled the club on July 14 and worldwide retail began on July 23. What is new is a fresh account of how its enlarged head behaves both from a tee and a tight fairway lie, and how moving its weights changes the shot.

The 305cc proposition

A mini driver occupies a space between the normal driver and a 3-wood. Titleist lists a 305cc head, 13° loft, 43.5-inch standard men's length, and 56° lie. Women's 42.5-inch and junior 41.5-inch lengths are also specified, with right- and left-handed versions. These dimensions describe a specific compromise, not a guarantee of additional distance or fairways hit.

Compared with GT280, the new design has a larger footprint and deeper center of gravity. Titleist says its moment of inertia increased by around 15–20%. That percentage is a manufacturer statement; the October review provides no independently measured inertia figure. A forged L-Cup face is designed to maintain ball speed on low-face impacts, although the new test offers no controlled speed table proving a numerical benefit.

What the October test adds

Saternus described GTS300 as visually more like a scaled-down driver than an expanded fairway wood. He could launch shots from close-cut turf in spite of the 13° loft and substantial head, though he observed comparatively low, running trajectories. That outcome may help on a firm long hole but cannot be assumed for a player who delivers less speed or struggles to lift a low-lofted club.

Off the tee the reviewer found the head reassuringly stable on imperfect contact. Most interesting was the effect of the two sole weight ports. Putting greater mass behind the face helped him keep intentional fades and draws smaller and more predictable. Shifting the heavier weight forward produced lower spin and a more penetrating flight in his experience, yet increased curvature and made shaped shots harder to manage. These are personal test observations, not averages from a large sample.

The fit matters more than one impressive drive

Titleist specifies 11g at the rear and 3g forward as the standard weighting, with other weights and an adjustable SureFit hosel. Changing the distribution of mass and hosel setup affects launch conditions, but neither setting automatically adds yards. Reduced spin can cost carry if launch is already insufficient. A meaningful fitting should compare repeated shots with the same balls and record carry, total distance, dispersion, miss pattern and performance from turf.

Intended player and limitations

For some golfers the GTS300 could be a controllable second tee club or an occasional option for long, low fairway shots. It does not inevitably replace both a full-size driver and a 3-wood. The U.S. launch MSRP was $549 with a stock shaft and $749 with a premium shaft; regional pricing varies.

The October article contains no broad player trial, blind comparison against GT280, or published launch-monitor dataset covering each weight position. Claims of a fixed yardage improvement or universal forgiveness would overstate the available evidence. The credible takeaway is that weight placement is a significant fitting variable worth testing personally.

Sources: Plugged In Golf, October 26, 2026 (https://pluggedingolf.com/titleist-gts300-mini-driver-review/); Titleist's official technical release, July 14, 2026 (https://mediacenter.titleist.com/en-US/267629-titleist-introduces-new-gts300-mini-driver/).