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Driver Question? More loft = more distance?

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DblBogey4Life

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Hey all, need some advice info. Have moderate swing speed with the driver (mid 90's) and have given up on being a long hitter in favor of being in the short grass. BUT still want to get as far as possible. Have read that I should go to a higher loft instead of a lower loft. I have always played a 10.5 do I go higher or lower in loft to squeeze out a few more yards. Head/shaft combo is good.


Thanks.
 
I think it will depend on what your swing needs specifically. If you launch a ball high naturally, a higher loft might kill distance for you.
 
gmc357 said:
Hey all, need some advice info. Have moderate swing speed with the driver (mid 90's) and have given up on being a long hitter in favor of being in the short grass. BUT still want to get as far as possible. Have read that I should go to a higher loft instead of a lower loft. I have always played a 10.5 do I go higher or lower in loft to squeeze out a few more yards. Head/shaft combo is good.


Thanks.
Click to expand...

It is truly dependent on the individual, their swing and/or what it needs for optimum launch conditions. Some need more loft to get the most of their swing, some need less.
 
Also, keep in mind that higher lofted clubs are generally easier to control than lower-lofted clubs. So, there's a balance between absolute distance and control that has to be considered. Make sure you factor the amount of dispersion into your decision.
 
Also check into shaft options. If you need to hit it higher, a high launch shaft might be all you need, if you like your driver otherwise. Likewise, if you need to bring the ball flight down, you can get a low launch shaft.
 
I would pay money to get fit for a driver so someone like the golfTec pro could determine your optimum launch conditions and such (shaft/loft/head etc. . .)
 
Chunkylover77 said:
I think it will depend on what your swing needs specifically. If you launch a ball high naturally, a higher loft might kill distance for you.
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I'm a prime example of this, and while I was happy hitting fairways my distance at 10* and the rxs ball was awful
 
mikedean441 said:
I'm a prime example of this, and while I was happy hitting fairways my distance at 10* and the rxs ball was awful
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I really do need a good comprehensive driver fitting. I truly have no clue what I need
 
About 2 years ago I was having some major swing problems with driver. I switched to a high trajectory driver which absolutely helped me at the time.
After hitting it well and gaining confidence my swing came around and I have now gone back to 10.5.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
Ryan Bass said:
About 2 years ago I was having some major swing problems with driver. I switched to a high trajectory driver which absolutely helped me at the time.
After hitting it well and gaining confidence my swing came around and I have now gone back to 10.5.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Thats the beauty of having an r11 (or any adjustable driver) I can switch back down to a 10.5 or lower whenever I want to, right now I'm hitting a 11.5 r11


Tapping away without siri
 
Mr. Satchmo said:
Thats the beauty of having an r11 (or any adjustable driver) I can switch back down to a 10.5 or lower whenever I want to, right now I'm hitting a 11.5 r11


Tapping away without siri
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except to adjust the loft on those you have to adjust face angle too right?
 
TripleBogieTim said:
except to adjust the loft on those you have to adjust face angle too right?
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yeah it's not really a big deal though since according to the golftec pro I talked to earlier this year, all it does is make it appear that it's open or closed
 
I've always had a pretty low launch angle so I play my R11S at 10.5* (highest on my driver). Since I increased the loft I have seen an increase in distance and accuracy.
 
I am a believer that the shaft makes most of the difference when it comes to drivers. I've swung different lofts in the same shaft and seen very little difference overall. Finding the right shaft is the key IMO. If you are unsure go with an adjustable driver and that way you can experiment with different lofts.
 
StanTheCaddy said:
I've always had a pretty low launch angle so I play my R11S at 10.5* (highest on my driver). Since I increased the loft I have seen an increase in distance and accuracy.
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I noticed the same thing except I'm not lofted to the highest setting. Just one below that.


Tapa Slice
 
This is one of many charts I've found over the years, but distance is a combination of spin rate, launch angle, and swing speed. Your swing is a variable that can't be controlled in terms of angle of attack on the ball, but swing speed probably will remain the same, and launch angle can be altered. So depending on the variable that is your swing, you can probably figure out whether you need to go up or down in loft with your current driver.

graph.gif
 
It depends on your natural launch angles. Some it would help, some would be ruined by it.
 
gmc357 said:
Hey all, need some advice info. Have moderate swing speed with the driver (mid 90's) and have given up on being a long hitter in favor of being in the short grass. BUT still want to get as far as possible. Have read that I should go to a higher loft instead of a lower loft. I have always played a 10.5 do I go higher or lower in loft to squeeze out a few more yards. Head/shaft combo is good.


Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'd be leery about changing lofts on your driver. There's too much that goes into it. I get little frustrated on here because everyone says get fitted. It's not an option in my area. But i will say i did get fitted for a driver before i moved and THP members are 100% right. It's worth it and the only way to go. The fitter did the opposite of what i anticipated as far as heads, shafts and setup. I'd always been to higher loft gave you more distance too. Don't think that's always the case. I was using a 9* and ended up fitting for 7.5*. I haven't lost any distance and my ball flight is much improved. Shelby
 
If the loft is 10* or more then the ball tends to balloon on me, falling softly out of the sky with very little roll. I dial my R11 driver down to 8* and I'm right around 300 yards with it. I can easily work the the flight low or high by how I tee it up.
 
More Loft = Higher Launch (and less side spin)

Loft can affect distance either way, (longer or shorter), depending on how well the particular loft you select helps you achieve your optimal launch angle for maximum distance.
 
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