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What driver loft would you recommend?

Nippon Shafts
Ake84

Ake84

Keeping my balls warm!
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
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Location
Råde, Norway
Handicap
19,7
I posted this question in ask the pro for the radio show as well, but I really want everyone thoughts and feedback on this problem. I now it`s a hard question to answer without the data collected from a trackman or similar, but sadly no one around where I live has one for me to test. But your thoughts and experience would help me settle my thoughts a bit. So here it goes.

I really struggle with my driver these days, I just can`t get it to work. Last I measured my swing speed with the driver it was 103-105 mph. I play a 10,5* Nickent 4dx evolver with a 44" stiff Aldida nvs shaft. I hit my 20* hybrid 225-230 yards but I hit the driver 15-20 yards shorter than this. The hybrid is an old Big bertha heavenwood with a stock regular shaft. I`m hitting the driver really high, and I believe with way to much spin. I`m thinking about switching back to my 9* Nickent 4dx to see if it gets my ball flight down. But what driver loft would you recommend for me without seeing and testing my swing? The ball flight with the hybrid and other clubs are mid to low high.
 
I am a amateur and use a 10.5 right now and also get a lot of air under it.... It seems to take yardage off my drive... I use an R11 and am thinking about lowering the loft on it. I think if you make decent and consistent contact a 9* will add some distance
 
It's tough to know without seeing everything. I would say if you are hanging your drives up to go with a 9* to bring the flight down and maybe get more roll. With that SS a stiff shaft should do, but there are so many variables in shafts that I don't really know. You are probably best off to get fitted if there is anywhere close. Otherwise, keep pounding the Heavenwood off the tee. I really don't know.
 
You will just have to try a few loft/shaft combinations to find the one that best suits your game.
Unfortunately there is no cut & dry answer.
 
Ake84 said:
I posted this question in ask the pro for the radio show as well, but I really want everyone thoughts and feedback on this problem. I now it`s a hard question to answer without the data collected from a trackman or similar, but sadly no one around where I live has one for me to test. But your thoughts and experience would help me settle my thoughts a bit. So here it goes.

I really struggle with my driver these days, I just can`t get it to work. Last I measured my swing speed with the driver it was 103-105 mph. I play a 10,5* Nickent 4dx evolver with a 44" stiff Aldida nvs shaft. I hit my 20* hybrid 225-230 yards but I hit the driver 15-20 yards shorter than this. The hybrid is an old Big bertha heavenwood with a stock regular shaft. I`m hitting the driver really high, and I believe with way to much spin. I`m thinking about switching back to my 9* Nickent 4dx to see if it gets my ball flight down. But what driver loft would you recommend for me without seeing and testing my swing? The ball flight with the hybrid and other clubs are mid to low high.
Click to expand...

First I would get fit to make sure you have the right shaft, loft, length etc. I also like Frank Thomas and his thoughts on drivers;

http://www.franklygolf.com/golf-driver-distance.aspx

http://www.franklygolf.com/driver-launch-conditions.aspx
 
I second Hoosier. You need to go get fit for a driver. Getting fit is much easier than spending countless hours hitting golf balls and changing your adjustable driver.


Tapatalk... Loved by me hated by the wife.
 
Like others have said. GETTING FITTED is the easiest way to be more consistent with the driver.

The problem with giving advice without knowing all the data etc is darn near impossible. The golf swing is, like techniques in all sports, a compromise in various aspects to get the most consistent and useable method that gives you something that you are happy with. If you can get fitted it will at least give you some sort of direction, not to mention confidence.

If we just take one of your problems, the high ball flight. This can be caused by wrong loft, high launch angle, wrong ball choice, wrong shaft flex, wrong shaft weight, too much backspin or any combination of those and maybe half a dozen I haven't mentioned. Please do not assume that because you are hitting the ball high it is due solely to the loft of the club.

What ball do you use? I recently changed (after being fitted by Bridgestone) from Nike 20XI-X to Bridgestone B330-S due to hitting rather high of driver and dropped 2500rpm from the backspin straight away and launch angle lowered to 12.1 degs from 12.8 degs due to it being a slightly softer ball thereby staying in contact with the clubface longer. It has given a far more penetrating flight and carry distance has gone from 257 avg (Nike) to 264 avg (B/Stone).

My gut feeling for someone of your handicap would be to stick with the 10.5 and get the whole shaft side sorted with a fitting as that is the engine that powers the old driver. In general golfers the world over use drivers that have too little loft to be consistent and so make the game far harder than it should be. It is very much a macho thing with loft the same as shat flex. We all at some point feel that to be a true man on the course we must have an XStiff shaft on a 7 deg driver. Now unless your name is Tiger you aint going to hit that baby.

Yes I have been there, but now I am older and wiser I try to go for the consistent option that will give the fewest strokes and tbh I don't really care what other golfers think about my equipment so long as I am enjoying myself and taking their money.

In reality golf is a simple, easy game, until you put the variable of a human in there. We just try to be too cute sometimes.

Richard
 
Definetly agree with getting fit. Loft isnt the only thing that effects your ballflight and having the right shaft can make a world of difference.
 
Hitting 230 with your 20* isn't enough? Maybe find a 18* hybrid and hit that 240ish-250ish?

Maybe just to save yourself some $ try teeing the ball a tad lower than usual and a bit further back in the setup for a lower launch?
 
I understand now that the only solution is to go and get fitted for a driver, I just have to take the time to do so. I would happily play a 15* driver with a senior flex shaft if that would help me to be more consistent with the driver. I play mostly prov1 balls, (the number 1 lost ball in golf, I keep finding tons of them) but I have the same problem with all the different balls I have tested. The only ball the stood out was the Bridgestone E6, that was a lot higher and shorter than most other balls I have tried. The only problem with getting fitted for a driver would be that I no longer have a good excuse for hitting the driver all over the place! ;)
 
225 yards with a 20* is smoking. Have you tried a 13-15* hybrid?
 
I have considered one, but I want to try before I buy and no one up here has one for testing. Something has happen with my lengths, I`m hitting everything but my driver crazy long these days. A real benefit from working in the forest this summer I guess.
 
Ake84 said:
I have considered one, but I want to try before I buy and no one up here has one for testing. Something has happen with my lengths, I`m hitting everything but my driver crazy long these days. A real benefit from working in the forest this summer I guess.
Click to expand...

So best bet would be to get fitted for driver if you can. If not maybe some more range time with your driver? But if I hit my hybrid like you do, I would get a 13* hybrid as well. Have you tried the taylormade penta? I am still back and forth between that and the bridgestone 330-rx.
 
When my driver is one then it's really a laser at 9* but if it's not then I'm more than happy to lose 30-40yds with my 3H since I always know where the ball is going to land.
 
Been in similar predicament until this year. It's all a matter of what you feel comfortable with and what works.
SS 105.
Driver played : TM R7 Draw 10.5 Regular.
Driver length : 44.5

I know some will say stiff, but regular worked for me. Always played a soft fade but when the swing went bad it was Slice-o-rama. Last year it went from bad to worse. So, this spring i decided to try out multiple drivers and settled on PING K15 10.5 Regular (yep, plunked down the $300 without getting fit). I'm a feel player, and the PING K15 just felt superb after testing it indoors and outdoors, and going to PING Demo Day

So, after 2+ months of playing with K15, my slice is practically gone. I have had to compensate by smoothing my tempo down to about 100mph SS. Driver stock shaft is TFC 149D, and Driver is 45.75 long (ugh!). My plan is to play another few rounds and change the shaft to Aldila Serrano. Hit K15 with Serrano and dispersion is further improved. Yes, I will have to up my SS to 105, but now that I've adjusted to K15, I "feel" I can accomplish that goal without hiccups.

With K15 10.5 I have a straighter ball flight, a bit challenging to "work" the driver, but all in all much improved and have shaved quite a few strokes from handicap

in a nutshell, try a few and see what works for you and what you are comfortable hitting. Just because launch monitors will tell you something is no guarantee it translates to success hitting that pesky ball !
 
Like everyone else says, there is no "magic bullet" for loft as shaft flex / profile, SS and shaft loading all have a lot to do with it as well.

What works very well for me is:
TM425TP Driver (1 degree open face, 9.5 degree loft)
UST V2 shaft (X-flex, tipped 1/2-inch)
44.25-inch length

I've always been in the 9 to 9.5 degree loft category and this fits my swing best.
I've tried as high as 15 degrees and as low as 7 degrees, but I always come back to 9 - 9.5.
 
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