Minimum Loft on Clubs For Slow Swing Speed Players

[Aussie Dave]

I am a slow swing speed player Driver speed 80-85 MPH I use A Flex Graphite shafts and have a high ball flight, over the past 2 years I have been experimenting with different lofts in Drivers, Fairway Woods, Hybrids and Irons. And I have come to a few conclusions I thought might help some slow swing speed players just getting into the game. I have found that the more loft on a club for the same distance is more consistent in distance and direction, take for example a 5 Hybrid and a 5 Iron I hit both the same distance 150 meters but the Hybrid is way more consistent or a 7 Wood and a 2 Hybrid I hitb oth the same distance 170 meters, but the 7 Wood is more consistent. I have also found that as lofts diminish there comes a point at which distance and accuracy suffers, I hit 3,4 and 5 Irons about the same distance all around 150 meters, but I hit a 3 Hybrid 170 meters, 4 Hybrid 160 meters and 5 Hybrid 150 meters and all of them more consistent in distance and direction. In Fairway Woods I have found the same I hit my 5 Wood and 3 Wood about the same distance around 180 meters but the 5 Wood is much more consistent in distance and direction.With Drivers I have found 12* to be the best loft for distance and accuracy around 200 to 220 meters if I go lower I lose distance and accuracy if I go higher I lose distance but would be a little more accurate but not much. So these are my conclusions for slow swing speed players, Drivers should be a minimum of 12*,Fairway Wood a minimum of 18*, Hybrid a minimum of 20* and Irons a minimum of 24*. I would like to hear some thoughts on this from slow swing speed players and hope this might help some new slow swing speed players coming into the game.

 

[JB]

Just my opinion here, but I dont think there is ever a minimum or a maximum. Every golfer is different and finding the right perimeters to maximize distance should be the key. That could be 6* and it could be 16*.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Just my opinion here, but I dont think there is ever a minimum or a maximum. Every golfer is different and finding the right perimeters to maximize distance should be the key. That could be 6* and it could be 16*.

I agree. Only a proper fitting will give you optimum loft etc.

 

[Aussie Dave]

Just my opinion here, but I dont think there is ever a minimum or a maximum. Every golfer is different and finding the right perimeters to maximize distance should be the key. That could be 6* and it could be 16*.

But I am sure that the slower your swing speed the more loft you need.

 

[JB]

But I am sure that the slower your swing speed the more loft you need.

This is not accurate actually. The slower the swing speed CAN mean more loft is needed. It can still mean less depending on a number of factors like angle of attack, spin, etc.

 

[Aussie Dave]

This is not accurate actually. The slower the swing speed CAN mean more loft is needed. It can still mean less depending on a number of factors like angle of attack, spin, etc.

I thought that as I had a positive angle of attack and a high ball flight I could go lower in loft but it didn't work for me I just didn't have the club head speed to make the lower lofts work.

 

[Ooo]

Have a 75 mph swing speed and have similar results as AD. All with a lot of trial and error, mostly error.

 

[Xarraan]

My swing speed is around 80 and I get the best result s with a 9.5 head. As JB said there is more than SS that goes into it

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[Aussie Dave]

My swing speed is around 80 and I get the best result s with a 9.5 head. As JB said there is more than SS that goes into it

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I notice you play 4-6 Hybrids what was your reasoning for that

 

[Xarraan]

I notice you play 4-6 Hybrids what was your reasoning for that

145-155-165 on proper hits. That and I until recently had an awful tine hitting long irons

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[Aussie Dave]

145-155-165 on proper hits. That and I until recently had an awful tine hitting long irons

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I'm hearing you LOL, the Hybrids are so much more consistent and I'm pretty sure it is the added loft for the same distance.

 

[Aussie Dave]

145-155-165 on proper hits. That and I until recently had an awful tine hitting long irons

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Your bag set up is very similar to mine except for your driver, your Fairway Wood is 17* mine is 18* and 3 Hybrids in place of the long Irons.

 

[Aussie Dave]

Have a 75 mph swing speed and have similar results as AD. All with a lot of trial and error, mostly error.

What does your bag set up look like.

 

[dthrog00]

I'm guessing between Xaraan and Dave there's a difference in AofA.

See the table below for optimal driver numbers by swing speed:

Club Speed Ball Speed Launch Angle Carry (yds) Total (yds)


65 mph 96 mph 16.5 136 182


75 mph 111 mph 15.6 157 208


85 mph 126 mph 14.6 193 242


90 mph 133 mph 14.2 209 256


95 mph 140 mph 13.7 225 271


100 mph 148 mph 13.2 242 286


105 mph 156 mph 12.6 259 303

Check out the link @ http://www.andrewricegolf.com/andrew-rice-golf/2012/11/optimal-driver-numbers

Regards
Dave

 

[War Eagle]

Just my opinion here, but focus first on properties of the club you are looking at, then look at the loft you would need to go with to maximize your results with that club.

For example, in my CG Black (older version) I played 10.5* and played it well, very well. Shen I moved to an SLDR driver, I went with 14* of Loft.

Same swing speed, same swing, different club, both gave me good results.

Understand what you are using in terms of equipment, then with being educated to what you have to work with, make the decision on the loft that would be most suitable for you.

 

[Aussie Dave]

Everyone here seems to be obsessed with the driver numbers and I agree there will be some differences in loft of the drivers but generally slower swingers need more loft. My point of the post was that I feel a higher lofted club for the same distance i.e. 3 Hybrid instead of 3 Iron or 7 Wood instead of 2 Hybrid are generally better for slow swingers.


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[chas]

It also depends on the driver as well. I had a 14° R15 set to 16° and as its a low spin head I needed this setting to get the ball up in the air. I then went to the great big Bertha 10.5° head set to 11.5° to give be the same launch. I now have the 10.5° XXIO 8 driver and I am launching that head higher and better than the other two. I have a driver swing speed of 75-80 mph. As for 3 wood I have a M1 HL 3 wood set to 19° and hit that great, but also have the XXIO 3w which is only 15° and it's the easiest 3 wood to hit off the deck I have ever had. I use the M1 as a 5w now and very rarely use it as I hit the XXIO so well.

 

[erock9174]

Aussie Dave-
I tend to agree with you.


Right now my swing speed hovers around 90mph (maybe a touch higher when fully warm) with the driver.I game a G30 SF Tec 10* set to 11* with the Tour 65 Reg shaft.
Prior to that I had tried every high launch option just about out there.
Cally FT IQ 13*
R11S 12* set to 13.5
Xhot 13.5
G25 12*
K15 12*
Rapture V2 13.5
I found for the most that I lost distance with those over my 10* set to 11*.
I can drive the ball fairly accurately so I am enjoying a touch more yardage with a little less driver loft as I get just as much carry if not more (due to less spin) and more rollout. I would say my avg total drive went from around 215 (min 200, max 230) up to around 225 avg (min 210 max 250).


As for the rest of my bag I play a K15 5w which is 19*.
Trilogy Hybrids 20*, 23* and 26* which serve as my 3, 4 and 5 iron replacements.
Then I game Altitude irons from 6 on down.Very high launching and since switching to those I have gained a good half a club with my irons.


Loft definitely helps me out from fairway wood on down for sure.


The longest I ever hit a fairway wood off the deck was a V Series Heavenwood.It carried 204 and stopped dead as it plugged. its loft is 20.5*.

 

[Aussie Dave]

Aussie Dave-
I tend to agree with you.


Right now my swing speed hovers around 90mph (maybe a touch higher when fully warm) with the driver.I game a G30 SF Tec 10* set to 11* with the Tour 65 Reg shaft.
Prior to that I had tried every high launch option just about out there.
Cally FT IQ 13*
R11S 12* set to 13.5
Xhot 13.5
G25 12*
K15 12*
Rapture V2 13.5
I found for the most that I lost distance with those over my 10* set to 11*.
I can drive the ball fairly accurately so I am enjoying a touch more yardage with a little less driver loft as I get just as much carry if not more (due to less spin) and more rollout. I would say my avg total drive went from around 215 (min 200, max 230) up to around 225 avg (min 210 max 250).


As for the rest of my bag I play a K15 5w which is 19*.
Trilogy Hybrids 20*, 23* and 26* which serve as my 3, 4 and 5 iron replacements.
Then I game Altitude irons from 6 on down.Very high launching and since switching to those I have gained a good half a club with my irons.


Loft definitely helps me out from fairway wood on down for sure.


The longest I ever hit a fairway wood off the deck was a V Series Heavenwood.It carried 204 and stopped dead as it plugged. its loft is 20.5*.

Your bag set up is similar to mine I am using the Cleveland 588 Altitude Irons from 6 down also. I got a set of 588 MT TT Irons also 5-9 MT & P,D,S in TT but I went back to the Altitudes as they are far more consistent for me. I launch the ball high naturally and I wanted to bring my ball flight down by going to the MT TT combo but it didn't work for me. So with the Altitude's my ball flight is very high so using my longest Iron which is the 6 Iron the ball lands very soft which is great for where I play as the greens are very firm.


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[5_Clubs]

I'm guessing between Xaraan and Dave there's a difference in AofA.

See the table below for optimal driver numbers by swing speed:

Club Speed Ball Speed Launch Angle Carry (yds) Total (yds)


65 mph 96 mph 16.5 136 182


75 mph 111 mph 15.6 157 208


85 mph 126 mph 14.6 193 242


90 mph 133 mph 14.2 209 256


95 mph 140 mph 13.7 225 271


100 mph 148 mph 13.2 242 286


105 mph 156 mph 12.6 259 303

Check out the link @ http://www.andrewricegolf.com/andrew-rice-golf/2012/11/optimal-driver-numbers

Regards
Dave

That's why I like 3 wood off the tee. My swing speed is 75 to 85 mph so I'm super slow. Drivers in traditional lofts are hard for me to hit.