We've launched the new forums! Read more here

More Loft? Yes Please.

SuperStroke
Doug the lefty said:
Good topic and good discussion here and something I have been pondering lately. Being a lefty, I am used to limited selections, however, I don't think there is a more limited selection than high lofted lefty drivers. Lefty drivers over 10.5 are few and far between.
Click to expand...

Not really... get an adjustable driver that is 10.5* (aka titleist 910 series or the R11 series) and you can adjust them higher than 10.5*.
 
staticline said:
JB,
I figure that you have used a launch monitor quite often. Did the LM numbers put you in a 12*? Or did the LM recommend something lower and after talking to the guru you decided to go with more loft regardless of what the LM said.

I remember talking to you about the Cleveland Classics at the Texas event and I saw the 12* and you said that was yours. My first thought was "Holy crap. I can't hit that." LOL!
Click to expand...

Neither. Did not hit it on the monitor until after I had the 12* and it was right in the wheel house for what I am looking for. I can get the 10.5 up to the right specs with a higher launching shaft like the White or standard C. Kua, but I feel as though the 12* offers me a bit more accuracy on days when I am not feeling it as much.
 
this was an interesting read. I saw you pound the classic 10.5 with kusala white shaft for 4 straight days and thought it was some of the best driving I had ever seen from you in the handfull of times we've been around each other. I won't lie, if you are getting more carry and are straighter off tee, that's a pretty scary proposition. Now throw in your short game, and I imagine your scores are really going to improve consistently.

This is part reason why the R11s driver intrigues me. I can get a 10.5 and then jack the loft up to 12 if I wanted to for fitting purposes. I could also try to find that happy medium right in between.
 
After reading the last few posts, I have a question.

Let's say I have:

9* head with a mid launch shaft that gives me 15* of launch angle
12* head with a low launch shaft that gives me 15* of launch angle

All things being equal (head type, etc), what makes the 12* any more forgiving or any better (for lack of a better term) than the 9*?

I understand there are multiple combinations you can use to achieve the ideal launch angle but I don't know enough about lofts/faces to know why a higher loft is more forgiving. Hope that ramble/question makes sense.
 
Cookie I could be wrong, but I think the 12 becomes more accurate or forgiving because of the higher loft angle, thus typically producing less side spin. At least that's what I've always been told.
 
Higher spin clubs offer more forgiveness for me. More loft equals more spin in many instances. Then choose shaft to fine tune to get right where you need to be. The higher launch angle produces less side spin to couple with that.

Look at it like this. If you had two clubs that are the same length and one was 25 degrees and the other was 10 degrees which one would you hit straighter? Now obviously not everybody will be the same, but for me, the more loft equals more forgiveness.

EDIT: Let me add that if you took your PW and your 6 iron, which one has less dispersion side to side? Part of that is length of club of course, but not entirely.
 
I played a 12 or 12.5* driver since 2009. I finally went down to a 9.5* this year as I was beginning to see diminishing returns on the extra loft. I still hit a 9.5 higher than most, but I felt like I was losing too many yards with the 12. It did me well for a long time, but I'm looking for a lower ball flight now.
 
Smallville said:
I played a 12 or 12.5* driver since 2009. I finally went down to a 9.5* this year as I was beginning to see diminishing returns on the extra loft. I still hit a 9.5 higher than most, but I felt like I was losing too many yards with the 12. It did me well for a long time, but I'm looking for a lower ball flight now.
Click to expand...

Smalls you did a driver fitting earlier this year for Callaway right? Did you hit a 12 at all during that fitting? If so what kind of numbers were you looking at in comparison to what you ended up with.
 
Great write up JB. Makes me want to mess around on a LM with a ton of drivers. I have noticed that a 10.5 has increased my accuracy.
 
JB said:
Higher spin clubs offer more forgiveness for me. More loft equals more spin in many instances. Then choose shaft to fine tune to get right where you need to be. The higher launch angle produces less side spin to couple with that.

Look at it like this. If you had two clubs that are the same length and one was 25 degrees and the other was 10 degrees which one would you hit straighter? Now obviously not everybody will be the same, but for me, the more loft equals more forgiveness.

EDIT: Let me add that if you took your PW and your 6 iron, which one has less dispersion side to side? Part of that is length of club of course, but not entirely.
Click to expand...

Very good, that makes sense. I had thought about the loft comparison between irons when posting and the results are clear for me also that more loft equals better accuracy. The typical problem I see is that it *seems* that almost every driver sold off the shelf has higher launching shafts so it becomes hard for someone like me who already hits the ball plenty high to potentially find that higher loft with a lower launch shaft to provide ideal numbers.

I have no qualms hitting a 12* driver if it gives me better results, finding that proper fitting is what becomes difficult.....until you make it to a THP demo day weekend! ha
 
ddec said:
Smalls you did a driver fitting earlier this year for Callaway right? Did you hit a 12 at all during that fitting? If so what kind of numbers were you looking at in comparison to what you ended up with.
Click to expand...

I did not. We went with the 9.5 first since that is what I had been hitting, then went to 10.5 and 8.5. The 9.5 is what worked best for me.
 
I'll admit when I first heard rumblings about this I thought WTF. However then I got to thinking back to the first Polara ball testing and how that taught me that higher lofted clubs typically produce less side spin, hence their recommendation of 3 wood over driver. I've thought you to be one who sprays the ball off the tee anyways so something that makes it easier to find the fairway more consistently is a game altering tool.
 
I would totally try this I for one would not feel like less of a man for using a high lofted driver. I can't think of a time that I ever looked at a playing partner's driver and thought less of him/her for the specs, (loft, shaft flex, etc...). It's all about scoring and having fun. Fairways & longer = better scores and more fun.
 
It has been 5 or 6 years ago but I had an associate help me when I bought the Nike ignite driver. I was set to get a 9.5* but he recommended I go to a 10.5* instead. Launch monitors weren't nearly as present as they are now back then. It cost upwards of $300 if you wanted to be fit at all.

I've used a 10.5* ever since then. My driver has always been my strong suit until just recently as well. I am heading to my local shop in about 30 minutes and hope to hit a bunch of drivers. The classic is on my radar for sure!
 
I don't know how to fit this into my game for sure. While I love hitting my old R9/Miazaki blue 10.5 with it's higher ball flight and great control, the Williams 9* is simply out driving it and almost completely because of the run out. On a monitor I'm getting much better numbers with the R9. If it were an option I would go into full ponder mode with the Classic and start hitting all the available options, but that will have to wait a while at this point.
 
That's awesome! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who's crazy enough to try higher lofted drivers. I used to play my 10.5* R11 at 9.* and I could not hit it straight and out of a fit of rage I put as much loft as I could and I noticed that my driver was a fairway seeker, so I now I play an 11* driver (+.5 instead of +1 now) and I love how easy it's been for me to get what I believe to be the proper launch for me. I am well pleased with my driver game at the moment and I don't care that I'm playing a higher lofted driver. Sure some guys make fun of me but when I hit the fairway and they don't with their 8.5* tour drivers, I laugh at them instead!
 
Nice write up JB. Enjoyed reading that, makes a lot of sense.

Obviously the set up isn't for everyone, but there has to be a large majority of amateurs out there who could benefit from thinking like this. Put it this way.....who hasn't heard a playing partner say he is ditching his driver in favour of a 3 wood, hit it well for the remaining holes of that round....only to see the driver back in the bag the very next round? This man might like more loft!
 
It is odd to me how this works. I am not saying it doesn't mind you, but still skeptical. My guess is that it would depend on each individual's swing, because in my fitting, the 12* was my worst combo. I hit every Classic configuration Cleveland offered at our demo day including 12* w/ C Kua and Kusala (not sure which one), and my launch numbers were awful with a 12*. I was pushing 18*-20* with C Kua and slightly lower but similar with Kusala. Since I was in a cage fitting myself with pure numbers, I didn't get to see the real world results, but my carry distances and spin numbers on the LM were noticeably worse with the 12*. I told myself I would go in with an open mind and go with whatever gave me the best numbers, which is evident with me going with the stock lightweight C Kua shaft. Going in to the fitting I was sure I was going to go with the Kusala! My 10.5* numbers were solid, but the C Kua/9* combo gave me great launch and spin numbers as well as better carry distance (278 avg) than any of the other shaft/loft combo's including the 9*/Kusala combo. I would really like to try to get a 12*, a 10.5*, and a 9* (all with the C Kua because that will be all I have access to) and hit the on the LM outside (so I can see actual flights) and give some results. I respect JB's opinions and results so I am really curious.
 
This thread has given me a lot to think about. Great post and replies. I guess it always comes down to getting fitted. Glad the 12* driver is finding the short grass!
 
I may have to put the loft to 11.5 now and see how I'm hitting it then!
 
JB thanks for breaking the ice on this thread. I think too many people are consumed with "manly" golf instead of smart golf. I love my 10.5 Cleveland Black, so a 12 Classic makes a bunch of sense to me. Instead of struggling in the trees, I could be on the short grass. Or, with my swing, the shorter grass!
 
That is pretty cool. I have never hit anything with that high of a loft, but it is good to hear you are seeing good results with it.
 
SW said:
I'll admit when I first heard rumblings about this I thought WTF. However then I got to thinking back to the first Polara ball testing and how that taught me that higher lofted clubs typically produce less side spin, hence their recommendation of 3 wood over driver. I've thought you to be one who sprays the ball off the tee anyways so something that makes it easier to find the fairway more consistently is a game altering tool.
Click to expand...
This thread has given me something to think about. The quoted section above is certainly something that makes sense but I've never translated that to my driver. I'm one who uses a TM R7 Draw (permanently set up for a draw) and STILL can slice the drive with the best of them. My driver is 9.5* (if I remember correctly). Perhaps time to consider a higher lofted driver? How does the shaft choice influence the side spin in this equation?
 
I have been tempted to try this. I did move up to 10.5 and I have seen my FIR go up. I think I would need a pretty low launching shaft to make it work though.
 
I'd love to get fit for a head and shaft. I would think the number of degrees and the shaft are equal in terms of affecting launch conditions. I may be wrong though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top