Driver Loft

[China Cat>Rider]

I know a lot of people who think the lower the loft the farther you hit the ball. I chose a 13* loft when I recently got a new driver after much research and testing. I was using a 12* before. I am currently having major issues off the tee with slicing and other various issues so I doubt any driver will help right now until I straighten these problems out. I plan on testing out an 11* head once budget permits.

One guy I play with tells me every time that I will never hit it further then I do now with the 13* loft. He plays a 10.5* because that is the highest loft his ego will allow.

What is the general consensus on loft or does it really come down to the proper shaft and not loft?

 

[bonknhead]

I think it's a combination of shaft, clubhead loft and ball. I brought my launch angle down from 14* to 11* by changing from a Callaway BB to a Bridgestone e7.

 

[Tmex]

I believe the more loft you have the more forgiving the club will be. I increase the effect loft on my Dymo when I'm having a rough go and it seems to help. I'm not sure the science behind it, sorry not much help there. But the biggest thing that helps is a proper shaft. Having the right flex, weight, kick point etc for your swing helps a lot more than loft. IMO.

 

[PiratePenguin]

A combination of loft, shaft, and ball is required, but it is no secret that a 13* will put less side spin than a 9* and if slicing is cutting off yards then obviously a straight shot with a 13* will probably be closer to the hole than a wayward shot with a 9*. Longer carry might also come into play if you aren't a power hitter, not just straightness.

 

[NFender]

You know what they say about guys swinging 8.5* drivers with extra stiff shafts . . . "The woods are full of 'em."

Play the loft and shaft flex that give you a good launch angle for your swing speed and take their money.

 

[jmingt]

Well, with the launch monitor hoopla, essentially your ball speed / launch angle / backspin rate will determine how far it'll fly. So your loft is pretty important to max out what you can do with your current swing. I don't have all the numbers off the top of my head so I did a quick google search and found this.....(they may be off....you really should consult a pro for this):

ball speed / launch angle / backspin rate / distance (carry)
170 mph 11.5-15.5+* 2000-2400 289 yards
160 mph 12-16+* 2200-2650 271 yards
150 mph 13-16.5+* 2300-2800 252 yards
140 mph 14-17+* 2350-2950 233 yards
130 mph 14.5-17* 2400-3100 215 yards
120 mph 15-17* 2500-3300 196 yards

Now, I guess if you're inconsistent with your swing such that you can't get consistent numbers, then I think the general wisdom is the higher the loft the better.

 

[hudson]

I have a 10.5 because after hours, days and weeks hitting everything in golf galaxy it was the best for me.

 

[bogey_russ]

Well, with the launch monitor hoopla, essentially your ball speed / launch angle / backspin rate will determine how far it'll fly. So your loft is pretty important to max out what you can do with your current swing. I don't have all the numbers off the top of my head so I did a quick google search and found this.....(they may be off....you really should consult a pro for this):

ball speed / launch angle / backspin rate / distance (carry)
170 mph 11.5-15.5+* 2000-2400 289 yards
160 mph 12-16+* 2200-2650 271 yards
150 mph 13-16.5+* 2300-2800 252 yards
140 mph 14-17+* 2350-2950 233 yards
130 mph 14.5-17* 2400-3100 215 yards
120 mph 15-17* 2500-3300 196 yards

Now, I guess if you're inconsistent with your swing such that you can't get consistent numbers, then I think the general wisdom is the higher the loft the better.

+1 good post
to the OP...
every individual swing is different and what is optimum for one is not for another... i would encourage lessons and fittings... it would give you a better picture of what would work best for you

 

[Golf Chick]

I have a 14*, but then again, I don't know the difference...YET

 

[Hanks]

I have a 14*, but then again, I don't know the difference...YET

Damn that's like a strong 3w!!


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[JDoughMO]

Lucky 13 all the way. Paired up with a Graffalloy Epic X-Stiff shaft cut to 44 inches. It just seems to work for me. I know it's mostly shaft but this combination gives me a low-mid flight with low spin.

 

[RxGus]

I think it's a combination of shaft, clubhead loft and ball. I brought my launch angle down from 14* to 11* by changing from a Callaway BB to a Bridgestone e7.

The key you left out here is SWING. Hitting the ball on the upward portion of the drive increases launch angle without increasing spin... which can be VERY useful.
I play a 9.5* Supertri with a low launch shaft and still hit a VERY high ball (almost too high... almost). Increasing your loft increases your launch angle but also increases back spin. It is a trade off.

OP- you are right though... many people DONT use a driver that is lofted enough for them

 

[bonknhead]

The key you left out here is SWING. Hitting the ball on the upward portion of the drive increases launch angle without increasing spin... which can be VERY useful.
I play a 9.5* Supertri with a low launch shaft and still hit a VERY high ball (almost too high... almost). Increasing your loft increases your launch angle but also increases back spin. It is a trade off.

OP- you are right though... many people DONT use a driver that is lofted enough for them

True that.

 

[China Cat>Rider]

I have done fittings and I have what was recommended to me at the time. But as my game/swing change (hopefully for the better) I figure what works best will change which is why I bought a I-MIX. All I was asking is what other peoples thoughts/opinions were...

 

[Tmex]

War I-Mix

I have done fittings and I have what was recommended to me at the time. But as my game/swing change (hopefully for the better) I figure what works best will change which is why I bought a I-MIX. All I was asking is what other peoples thoughts/opinions were...

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[StLCardsFan]

My driver is 8.5 degree, 3-wood is 13 degrees. I have always been a high ball hitter and have no problems with carry, excessive spin, or lack of roll. This one works great on all aspects. I think shaft and swing can be a huge factor whether or not a particular driver is right more than just the loft. The 9.5s that I have tried out before can work with the right shaft, but overall I need a lower loft so that the ball is not going straight up.

 

[bogey_russ]

One guy I play with tells me every time that I will never hit it further then I do now with the 13* loft. He plays a 10.5* because that is the highest loft his ego will allow.

tell that guy what he's saying... its a bunch of crap... you can hit it further with a 13° if you work on your swing

What is the general consensus on loft or does it really come down to the proper shaft and not loft?

this is the whole key to the post... like its been said before... there are a ton of factors shaft an loft only a few pieces of the equation...
you could give me jamie sadlowskis driver and i couldnt hit it near as far as my current driver...
his loft... his shaft... his swing are completely different than what i would need to get the ball going... then again i bet if he swung my stick he'd break it on the first shot and it'd probably go 3x farther than i could ever hit with it...
the swing should be much more the focus than equipment altho equipment plays a part in it

 

[China Cat>Rider]

War I-Mix





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lol...you know it

tell that guy what he's saying... its a bunch of crap... you can hit it further with a 13° if you work on your swing


this is the whole key to the post... like its been said before... there are a ton of factors shaft an loft only a few pieces of the equation...
you could give me jamie sadlowskis driver and i couldnt hit it near as far as my current driver...
his loft... his shaft... his swing are completely different than what i would need to get the ball going... then again i bet if he swung my stick he'd break it on the first shot and it'd probably go 3x farther than i could ever hit with it...
the swing should be much more the focus than equipment altho equipment plays a part in it

well my buddy just buys whatever looks nice at Dicks or is on sale. he basically upgraded his entire bag this year and none of it was decided on being fitted or actually even swinging any of the stuff. so I take his wisdom rather lightly. but I hear what you're saying. I will continue to use a high lofted driver because its what (sometimes) works best for me.

 

[tander]

I use a 13 * loft and a 44" regular shaft and I am in the middle nearly every time, middle is not a bad place to be.

 

[China Cat>Rider]

I use a 13 * loft and a 44" regular shaft and I am in the middle nearly every time, middle is not a bad place to be.

so I guess you like the diablo better than the FT?

 

[Schweitzer_07]

I will echo what others have said so far.

1) A higher lofted club will often increase backspin and therefore decrease sidespin (from my research). They are more forgiving from what I have noticed.

2) Each driver is different and has different characteristics. Therefore, it is important to get fit if you truly want the best fit.

I got fit for my FT and tried about 10 other drivers that day. I decided I liked the FT head the most out of the ones I tried, so I tried a couple different shafts and an 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 degree head. The 9.5 paired with the stock voodoo in x-stiff worked best for me. Then again, the 9.5* with stock x-flex shaft in the Ping G15 or Taylormade Supertri probably wouldn't have worked near the same. Once again repeating what others have said, the characteristics of the club head and the shaft together will make all the difference.

 

[Hanks]

I went from using a 10.5 with a R flex shaft to a 9.5 with a S flex shaft and picked up noticeable distance via roll.

 

[wilwin]

I went from using a 10.5 with a R flex shaft to a 9.5 with a S flex shaft and picked up noticeable distance via roll.

I'm curious under wet conditions, do you think your old driver will go further because of the carry? I only get about 10-20 yards roll with my current driver, but the distance is real consistent. My old driver launched lower and under the right conditions seemed like it could roll forever, but it was much more inconsistent because if I missed the fairway, I couldn't rely on the roll.

I have learned that loft is your friend in this game.

 

[Hanks]

It may. With the right fairway, wind, etc. my ball can roll forever but I was more concerned with getting trajectory down and increasing roll. My carry is pretty consistent and trajectory isn't as high as it was before.

To expand on your formula.... loft+shaft+ball+ball position is your friend

I'm curious under wet conditions, do you think your old driver will go further because of the carry? I only get about 10-20 yards roll with my current driver, but the distance is real consistent. My old driver launched lower and under the right conditions seemed like it could roll forever, but it was much more inconsistent because if I missed the fairway, I couldn't rely on the roll.

I have learned that loft is your friend in this game.

 

[Live2playmore]

IMO, I would not worry about weather conditions when configuring your club set up e.g. loft/shaft consideration. Find the general, in most conditions, consistant optimum set up with the club. Then as weather conditions change you can change the ball you play. I play a harder compression greater spin ball in the warmer weather and softer compression in the winter as an example.