Titleist 816 Hybrids Review

Titleist 816 hybrids review
Golf Monthly Verdict

An evolutionary product that has been brought into the same launch cycle as the company’s iron models to encourage players to get properly fitted for both. We loved the easy hitting, high-flying performance of the slightly larger H1 model.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Easy to launch and with so many loft options available, finding the right hybrids for the right distance gaps in your set should be relatively simple.

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    The new grey colouring on the crown might not be to everyone's taste.

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There are two versions of Titleist's new hybrid - the H1 and H2 and both offer quite different performance benefits. Read and watch our full Titleist 816 hybrids review to find out what they are!

Key technology

Featuring the same ‘Active Recoil Channel’ as the previous 915 hybrid, this has been redesigned for better turf interaction while still offering high speed and low spin performance. The 816 version should launch higher, has a new grey crown and there are more loft options available to aid gapping.

 

Titleist 816 hybrids review

This is an evolutionary design coming as it does just one year after the launch of the Titleist 915 hybrid – the company's most successful ever product in this category. The differences in comparison to the previous generation are, as you’d expect, small, but they are important. Whether due to the new grey crown colouring or the shaping of the head itself, we found the difference between the H1 and H2 models far more pronounced. The H1 looks far larger at address and launches the ball noticeably higher (we think this club will appeal to a wider range of handicaps). As such, it felt very easy to hit. The H2 is more compact and offers a controlled flight with a tighter distance dispersion.

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The extra loft options are crucial here too as Titleist is emphasising its desire for consumers to find the right distance gaps with their hybrids. The recommended retail price of the 816 hybrids is £205 so these are premium products but we thing that, with a good custom fitting, there is plenty of performance to be gained from the Titleist 816 hybrids.

 

Neil Tappin
Editor

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf. 

Throughout his time with the brand he has also covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points. 


Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons: PING Blueprint S (4&5), PING Blueprint T (6-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X