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Got fitted at a Cleveland demo, 12 degree driver??

Nippon Shafts
lowfi

lowfi

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So the other day I went golfing and I happened upon a Cleveland Golf Demo Day. I have heard good things about the Srixon ZStar so I hit that club and didn't like it very much. The fitter suggested I try a Cleveland driver. Hit a few different lofts and shaft weights in the SL290. I ended up being fit for the the SL290 stiff flex, -1/2" shaft length and the C. Kua 59g. shaft.

Here is the weird part and here is my question...I was fit for a 12 degree loft driver. I initially felt like a little girl, because I figured a 12 degree loft driver was intended for grandpa. I told this to the fitter, and he said that actually the days of 6-8 degree drivers are done for. He said that due to the lower spin balls that are being designed today, balls need more help getting into the air. The older balls spun so much off of the tee, the lower degree drivers were necessary to keep the ball down, limiting ballooning, sky rockets, etc. Do you guys agree with this?

At a fitting this year for the pro's, Tom Lehman was fitted for the 12 degree driver and he averages around 300 yds per shot.

At any rate, the club felt really good and Clevelands have some really nice shafts associated with them now. I'm no PGA player, but I liked how they felt.

I am debating getting the R11 driver and was going to go with the 9 degree but now am thinking I might need the 10.5. I wish that TM had all the different shaft options that Cleveland has ESPECIALLY at their price point. The Cleveland driver would have run me $299 including the C. Kua shaft which runs $250. Now Im going to have to test the R11 9/10.5 v. the SL290 :banghead:

Let me know what you guys think.

Sean
 
Why not trust the fitter? I saw in person (at our recent Demo Day) how much a higher lofted driver helped one attendee. He's got a hell of a swing and can hammer the ball too.

Edit to say: I understand it was a Cleveland rep, but he's not going to put you in a driver that he doesn't think is working for you if he wants a happy customer.
 
You should really listen to the latest radio show on the home page. All about higher lofted drivers.

Im confused. You got fit for the 12 degree driver and hit it really well.
But now are going to go with a different driver in a lower loft?

What if I told you that one of the best drivers on the tour plays a 10.5? What if I told you that there were 7 PGA Tour players in the St. Jude that had drivers 11 degrees or higher?
What difference does it make what loft is on the bottom as long as you are getting optimum launch angles and the most consistent distance and ball flight?

I would play a ladies shaft and pink driver head if it gave me the best results.
I guess others are different.
 
We had a Cleveland demo day at our course and I saw two guys be fitted with the 12* driver and it made a big difference in their carry distance. Everyone's swing is so different. Go with the loft that gives you the best numbers!
 
I read online that was amateur golfers play too low of loft on their driver, its a macho thing , sorta like playing from the tips

I now tap while I talk
 
KellyBo said:
We had a Cleveland demo day at our course and I saw two guys be fitted with the 12* driver and it made a big difference in their carry distance. Everyone's swing is so different. Go with the loft that gives you the best numbers!
Click to expand...

+1 You have seen the difference in my driving the ball since I have been fitted. I still don't hit the ball very high, granted it is higher but the loft on the R-11 is set at 11.5*. It is really all about launch angle and spin. I certainly will attest to the fact that everyone's swing is different, and as JB said I would hit a ladies shaft on a pink headed driver if it gave me the best results.
 
Chalk me up as one of the little girls. I have 11.5 in mine.
 
i have always played a 9 or 9.5 but just bought the D2 in 10.5 to test out and see if i have been missing out on the higher lofted driver and so far im loving it, i can adjust it all the way up to 12* or down to 9.75, im gonna be doing some range work with it in 12* and 11.25* and see what happens, it cant hurt to try and i dont care what loft it is set on if it gives me better results. One thing i can say for sure is that with the higher loft it doesnt seem to curve as much (hook, slice ect.)
 
To the above poster that said he would play lady shafts if they helped...I agree...Freddie Couples and Colin Montgomery[sp] tested and played lady shafts in some of their clubs at one time...So whatever Freddie does is alright with me...

The Rapture 12 degree I have is a great driver... and it`s the best loft FOR ME..My TaylotMade R7 is a 10.5 and my other 8 drivers are all 10.5`s...I even had a 13 one time but I just couldn't get used to the closed face... it was to distracting...I hit it good though... Numbers dont matter any more... don`t reject a high lofted driver...you just may kill the ball with it...Jim
 
jimjc said:
To the above poster that said he would play lady shafts if they helped...I agree...Freddie Couples and Colin Montgomery[sp] tested and played lady shafts in some of their clubs at one time...So whatever Freddie does is alright with me...
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that?
I know that Freddie played a ladies club head, but when we interviewed him for the magazine last year, he did not mention the shaft and did specifically talk about taking the ladies head and changing shafts.
 
I would bag a 15 degree driver if it meant more FIR.
 
Well, I guess I'll change my name to VeronicaInThornton cause I play a Ping G1o 12*
 
When Callaway was pushing their FT series of clubs the fitter had me at a 10.5 degree. Said he really liked my numbers with that especially my carry.

My R11 I was fit with the x shaft was at 8.5 degrees. I keep fiddling around with my driver, but my swing is just out of whack and its mostly me that is the issue. I may push it up to 10 degrees and see what that does. Although I was always under the impression that more loft = more spin and could potentially cause bigger misses.
 
Although I was always under the impression that more loft = more spin and could potentially cause bigger misses.
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+1.

I also had the inkling that higher loft means less roll...and who doesnt like 20 yards of roll :)

What should I dooooo?
 
Do what the fitter recommended. Were you on a monitor that showed which driver gave you better numbers? If so, I don't think there's much to wonder about.
 
Slider said:
Although I was always under the impression that more loft = more spin and could potentially cause bigger misses.
Click to expand...

lowfi said:
+1.

I also had the inkling that higher loft means less roll...and who doesnt like 20 yards of roll :)

What should I dooooo?
Click to expand...

Not really the case. THe goal is optimal launch. Those numbers are constant for each person. It doesnt matter if they are achieved by a 5* driver or a 14* driver. Optimal launch is optimal launch.

It appears the only thing keeping you from listening to the fitter and the numbers is ego. If that is the case, there is nothing anybody is going to say that will change that.
 
I wish I could have gotten on the launch monitor at the last demo-day, it was way too crowded though. Oh well, at least we know they give guys a good fitting. Lowfi as a sporting goods salesman I never tried to talk a guy out of what he wanted, if he asked I'd give honest ideas on what I thought might work best for him. At this point I'd sell you the TM in a 9*.
 
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JB said:
Are you sure about that?
I know that Freddie played a ladies club head, but when we interviewed him for the magazine last year, he did not mention the shaft and did specifically talk about taking the ladies head and changing shafts.
Click to expand...

He said this quite a few years ago maybe 10/12 I`m a bit fuzzy about the time....as I remember I was astonished when I heard...Now I don`t think it was anything that lasted and he never said how long he did this for....In fact a number of us discussed this and few could believe it based on how far he hits the ball...Colin said it a number of times...Jim
 
JB said:
Not really the case. THe goal is optimal launch. Those numbers are constant for each person. It doesnt matter if they are achieved by a 5* driver or a 14* driver. Optimal launch is optimal launch.

It appears the only thing keeping you from listening to the fitter and the numbers is ego. If that is the case, there is nothing anybody is going to say that will change that.
Click to expand...
I agree with JB, I can't change your mind. Here is my experience with my fitted 400cc driver. They told me I would hit it 260 avg, including roll. I will tell you they were right. When conditions change( wind, my swing, hard/soft fairways) I hit it shorter or longer. Some days higher, some lower. 260 is still the typical shot. I look forward to getting re fitted with a bigger driver, better shaft, etc. I will trust them, because they already proved it to me.
 
I used to play a 9*. Now I play a 10.5* with heavy weights in the back (brings up the launch angle) and hit it longer and straighter. Last round I only had one driver that ended more than a yard off of a fairway (it was maybe 5 yards in the rough). I'm more than happy to hit my 14* degrees of launch angle long and in the fairway while my egotistic friends with 8-9* drivers spray the ball into the woods all day.
 
Tiger switched to a 10 degree driver a couple of years ago I believe. Not a big deal - roll with it. If you hit it well why care what it is? Score is all that matters.
 
I play a 11.5˚ and love the results I've had with it. I can hit lower drives if the wind dictates, but I usually just swing away and I get plenty of distance out of it usually. I would go with the fitter's recommendation. Like JB said, optimal launch is optimal launch. Just my 2¢ though...
 
Loft can be your firend. I'm learning that first hand with my new Cleveland 17* fairway wood. I'm hitting that farther than my driver right now which is 9.5*. If that is what the fitter reccomended, I say listen to him. Plus the new Cleveland line is $$$. Totally solid clubs.
 
My club fitter told me recently, that many of the guys he fits, need more loft in the driver. He stated something like 75% need more loft, but 90% of the 75% will turn right around and go buy a driver often with 2, 3 and even 4 degrees less loft.

Lower loft does not always mean the ball will not go as far. Just because Phil plays a 7 degree driver, does not mean anyone else should.

Why anyone that is fit for 12 degrees would turn around and buy a 9 or 10.5 degree driver is hard to figure out. If nothing else, you can be part of the 90% that refuse to trust the fitter.
 
cant wait to try the R11 at 12* woo hoo, put it up against the cleveland. any other drivers to try? man if I would start hitting more fairways I would be shooting in the 70's! shot an 83 today and only hit 53% of fairways, irons are swinging nice right now...
 
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