TTFB 1.3s -> 380ms by killing a 3-hop redirect

TTFB 1.3s -> 380ms by killing a 3-hop redirect
Measured TTFB included redirect time the user pays but most tools hide.
— Entry URL did http -> https -> www -> trailing-slash: 3 round trips before the real response.
— Each hop on a 180ms RTT (round-trip time) connection: ~540ms of pure redirect latency.
— Collapsed to a single 301 at the edge (http://x -> final URL in one hop): redirect time 540ms -> 180ms.
— Real document TTFB was always ~200ms; the chain tripled perceived TTFB.
Redirect latency is invisible in many lab tools that test the final URL. Test the URL users actually type.
Takeaway: 380ms TTFB, 920ms recovered from one redirect rule.