My Driver Has Some Sort of "ium" in the Face

yes, your driver is made of titanium. yes, it's better than steel (lighter, stronger, etc.), and yes it's more expensive too. But, do you know what kind of titanium you have in the face of your driver? Does it matter? Should you care? Perhaps.

There are a few major types to be mindful of: SP-700, which is Japanese grade, Beta which is 15-3-3-3 99% of the time, and 6-4 which is the workhorse in the industry found in faces and driver bodies. There are proprietary Ti's such as Nike's NextTi but since it's proprietary good luck finding out what it really is.

The biggest difference between all of these is the ratio of elongation to strength, as stronger Ti's can be made thinner, which improves sound and feel, and, with higher swing speeds, provide for additional ball speed. Your bomber, long drive models from KZG, Alpha, Geek and Bang have stronger, thinner Ti options such as SP-700 and 15-3-3-3. Yep, more expensive, but stronger for sure, thinner for sure (2.7mm vs. 3.0mm), with high elongation. The highest elongation is with 6-4 Ti, but....with 6-4 comes low durability or strength which is why it needs to be made to 3.0mm in thickness. This can affect sound and feel, and, with stronger swingers, limit one's ability to get that extra few years. Ok, so you're saying, "wait, Sidlowski, the long drive champ, uses Adams Speedline heads and not Alpha or Bang. Why not?" One, he's paid by Adams, and two there's no way the face of his Adams Speedline driver is 6-4 Ti, unlike the mass market versions, though I can't prove this. What I can prove is that PGA guys and long drive guys use different materials. Tiger, for example, used an SQ Sumo driver head a few years back that looked just like yours but had an extra face plate added behind the original face to strengthen the Ti and reduce spin. Right there, that makes your stock head and his custom head completely different. Might as well be too different models from two different companies all together.

So, back to Ti types. SP-700 is the premium stuff. Try a head with SP-700 or Beta (15-3-3-3) and you'll likely experience a stronger sounding and feeling hit with real pop to it. And, if you rip it, you may get the extra distance, but know, that ultimately, outside of sound and feel, it may not matter as COR rules the driver game. .830 COR is .830 COR, regardless of the Ti type. Yours to consider.