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Low Loft Drivers

SuperStroke
I think manufacturers will continue to print whatever loft they think will sell on their drivers, regardless of actual loft.
 
I already find it harder to locate a driver whose loft is below 9* without adjusting the hosel and at the same time see more 10.5* + drivers on store shelves. The low loft is out there and will always be but not as readily available as in the past.
 
I don't see them going away.

Just last year I was fit by wilsons tour staff for a 9* head.

Plenty of people still have issue hitting the ball too high.


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They won't go away. I think club manufacturers will start specializing in lofts. More pro drivers will be offered with lower lofts and the normal drivers will be offered with higher lofts.
 
People still have the issue of hitting the ball too high because of their swing flaws. The more the companies talk about higher loft etc... the more the golfing public will be brainwashed into tihnking they are right. More loft is good to a point....and I think it depends on the design of the club. I hit a 9 degree RBZ driver and have a positive AOA. If I go up in loft with it, all I do is increase my spin and launch which does me no good.

I picked up a 12 degree SLDR over the winter, have yet to hit it but over the summer I was hitting it at demo days and because it is a weight forward design I needed more loft to launch it higher with less spin. Now like I said a minute ago, going up in loft with my RBZ will not have the same effect as this head does.

I love what Nike is doing with flex loft (8.5-12) and being able to change face angle independently of loft so you get a better look at address. With a head like the Flex you have the ultimate driver...also you can flip the sole weight around so you have more of a standard head.
 
JB said:
There is no denying that drivers are being made now to spin less and less than ever before. Do you believe we will continue to see lower lofts offered down the road as readily as they are today? Or is yesterday's norm of 9-10.5 going to become todays norm of 10.5 to 12?

I know stigma plays a major role here and will continue to, but eventually will there will be a company that want the success and are willing to sacrifice a few sales to educate right? We all know fitting is the answer, but most golf clubs are not sold that way.

Its apparent now as companies are offering more 12* options than ever before and it is less of a "look at the lady" driver than it was in years past. Sadly, that opinion was there (and still is), but with balls and drivers spinning lower than ever before, something has to give for the masses that are buying equipment right?
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This may be asking a lot JB, but do any of the major OEM's provide sale numbers for what lofts they fit (I understand that's very precise, but think there is a major difference between sold and fitted, no in sales, but in a player playing the proper equipment)?

Just wondering if something such as the "Loft up" campaign has any merit.
 
SkiBumGolfer said:
Agree with others, wider range offered. These days, fitters understand the golf swing better than they ever have before and as such, can fit very low spinning and very high spinning players much easier than previously with the wider loft range.

The stigma is still there though, especially with older players. I had one of my uncle's friends at his country club in Redding, CA ask me why I was playing such a high lofted driver (10.5*), and saying that I was hitting it too high and losing distance. Said I should switch to a 9.5* like him and I'd get more roll. Meanwhile I am outdriving him by about 40 yards! And I didn't even tell him the loft was actually at 11.5* with the adjustable head. :alien:
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I had a similar thing happen myself I was having a social round with this guy, he wasn't driving really well and said to me your driver seems short I said yes it is 2" shorter than standard at 44" I was using a Callaway X Hot 13.5* at the time. I asked him what his was he said proudly that was a stiff shaft at 46" with 9.5* loft, I said have a drive with mine and he promptley sent one out there 40 meters longer and straighter than his, I then told him he had done that with a 13.5* loft with an A flex shaft so go figure LOL.
 
I hope that OEM's keep creating as wide a range as possible. I like Cobra's Fly-Z Pro technology and think its cool to be able to adjust loft and cg.

I hit my driver on FlightScope yesterday - 10.5 SLDR with 8.3 TS X shaft - and saw spin numbers as low as 1800 at 9 degrees, and as much as 3800 at 12 degrees. Both extremes were bad for me as 9 produced a low ball flight that carried 200, and 12 produced too high of ball flight that carried 200. The stock 10.5 seemed to produce the best numbers on good shots at around 2400-2500 that carried between 220-250 depending on the quality of shot I hit.
 
I don't know that the shift to higher lofts will happen for another decade or so. Even this morning I was playing with a guy who was shocked at my 12* driver and told me I need a 9*...meanwhile I'm hitting low-ish balls off every tee. I don't think the stigma goes away until those golfers do, or until guys on Tour start making it known that they are using higher lofted drivers.

I'd KILL for an 815 Alpha or a 915D2 at 16*...but that's a pipe dream methinks.
 
Mulligan9111 said:
Like others, I don't see the lower lofts going away as much as I see the higher lofts becoming more popular. I think Taylormade did a great job with their #LoftUp campaign last year of starting to tear down that stigma of higher lofts being a "lady's driver".
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I agree.
 
Typhoon said:
For that kind of driver, or the Cally Alpha 815.
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815 Alpha is a launch monster, its being lofted DOWN by many, not the same beast as the SLDR.
 
PhillyV said:
I would have thought lofting up was the way for me until I was properly fitted to my driver at 8*. I'll take that guys word for it too
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. Took the words right out of my mouth with my 9 degree driver. Thought I'd be 10.5 or up....
 
The gravity core on the Alpha did the same thing to me as the weight forward design on the SLDR when you look at lofting up. I didn't like the way the ball felt coming off the face of the Alpha however. You've hit the Vapor Flex right Jman? Is that cartridge making you loft up when its weight forward? Just wondering.
 
Jman said:
815 Alpha is a launch monster, its being lofted DOWN by many, not the same beast as the SLDR.
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Does the gravity core do much to change the launch conditions?
 
Typhoon said:
The gravity core on the Alpha did the same thing to me as the weight forward design on the SLDR when you look at lofting up. I didn't like the way the ball felt coming off the face of the Alpha however. You've hit the Vapor Flex right Jman? Is that cartridge making you loft up when its weight forward? Just wondering.
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Its a lower launcher in either position than the first Alpha was for me, so in my case it would, yeppers.
 
Mulligan9111 said:
Does the gravity core do much to change the launch conditions?
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Depends on your miss. For me, when its down I see a WAY higher launch (bad way) because I miss high.
 
Jman said:
Depends on your miss. For me, when its down I see a WAY higher launch (bad way) because I miss high.
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That's interesting, I honestly couldn't tell the difference when they changed the gravity core on the regular BB Alpha (last years model), granted I only hit it at a demo day for about 15 balls so it could have been my swing/lack of time with the club.
 
It's an interesting thread and I honestly have no idea what's going to happen. I would think that we'll continue to see the trend of higher lofts become more appealing to the masses because higher lofted clubs are easier to control.
 
ArmyGolf said:
I don't know that the shift to higher lofts will happen for another decade or so. Even this morning I was playing with a guy who was shocked at my 12* driver and told me I need a 9*...meanwhile I'm hitting low-ish balls off every tee. I don't think the stigma goes away until those golfers do, or until guys on Tour start making it known that they are using higher lofted drivers.

I'd KILL for an 815 Alpha or a 915D2 at 16*...but that's a pipe dream methinks.
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Are the guys on tour useing higher lofts ? When I look at the WITB on Golf channel and other places
it looks as if they are playing 8.5, 9, etc. I do think lots of weekend golfers benefit from higher lofts though.
 
Shaney said:
Are the guys on tour useing higher lofts ? When I look at the WITB on Golf channel and other places
it looks as if they are playing 8.5, 9, etc. I do think lots of weekend golfers benefit from higher lofts though.
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A few Tour guys are playing 10* I think. That is "high loft" for them considering that 7-8 years ago they were all playing 6.5-8.
 
I don't think they will go away completely but they may be harder to find on the rack and be a special order only in a few yrs.

I know it's a hard to find a demo driver less than 9.5 anymore in most stores.
 
Kinda irks the heck outa me. I hit high, I mean Space Shuttle, moon balls high. I have a Cleveland SL290 in 9 with a 45" medium launch shaft in it. SS is around 92 with the driver. Still hit 150- 220 feet in the air. Only 200-210 carry. I've got a 9 1/2 K15 with a Prolaunch Red in it. Lowest launch I can get is 15 degrees. Spin is excellant right around 2200. But still only 220 carry on the monitor. I've also got a SMT Indio head with a Prolaunch Axis Red in it. Lowest I can get out of that is 14 degrees and 2200 spin.

I know it is partially my swing. But I hit lower lofts better than higher. I hate the feel of most adjustable drivers. Ping is the only one I like the feel of. I guess I'll end up bagging components soon. No major manufactuer is going to make a glued up 8 1/2 or lower driver any more.

I am by no means a big hitter. I was tought the one swing for all method. I use the same swing for driver, woods,hybrids and irons. I do fairly well with it. But to go forward with the offerings coming out I'd have to relearn how to hit a driver. Makes me mad I can't get a lower launching head in 7 1/2 or 8 1/2.
I'll just have to bag older equipment or components.

Mark Shuman
 
phread59 said:
Kinda irks the heck outa me. I hit high, I mean Space Shuttle, moon balls high. I have a Cleveland SL290 in 9 with a 45" medium launch shaft in it. SS is around 92 with the driver. Still hit 150- 220 feet in the air. Only 200-210 carry. I've got a 9 1/2 K15 with a Prolaunch Red in it. Lowest launch I can get is 15 degrees. Spin is excellant right around 2200. But still only 220 carry on the monitor. I've also got a SMT Indio head with a Prolaunch Axis Red in it. Lowest I can get out of that is 14 degrees and 2200 spin.

I know it is partially my swing. But I hit lower lofts better than higher. I hate the feel of most adjustable drivers. Ping is the only one I like the feel of. I guess I'll end up bagging components soon. No major manufactuer is going to make a glued up 8 1/2 or lower driver any more.

I am by no means a big hitter. I was tought the one swing for all method. I use the same swing for driver, woods,hybrids and irons. I do fairly well with it. But to go forward with the offerings coming out I'd have to relearn how to hit a driver. Makes me mad I can't get a lower launching head in 7 1/2 or 8 1/2.
I'll just have to bag older equipment or components.

Mark Shuman
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Try the long drive manufacturers try this guy fill out the fitting form and he will make a driver to suit you http://www.fistergolf.com/#!model-i/cee5
 
Shaney said:
Are the guys on tour useing higher lofts ? When I look at the WITB on Golf channel and other places
it looks as if they are playing 8.5, 9, etc. I do think lots of weekend golfers benefit from higher lofts though.
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I've seen stats that show plenty of pros are giving up distance due to launch conditions with their drivers (launch angle lower than ideal, spin too high, etc) so I think some tour players should be using higher lofts. Then again, that's assuming all pros are trying to maximize distance off the tee by any means necessary and I'm sure plenty of them are knowingly giving up a few yards in order to have a shot shape that suits their eye, or a certain amount of workability.

I'm pretty new to the game and it amazes me how many people have such set-in-stone mentalities about loft or shaft length/material/flex or all the various other innovations that new equipment has. I'm a tall 27 year old guy and the number of weird looks and comments I received last year due to playing graphite iron shafts and a 11 degree 44" driver was astounding. They were almost all from older guys though, it seems like younger players are more likely to accept that everyone has a different swing and will therefore have different equipment specs.

I don't think lower loft options for drivers will ever disappear, but the norm will gradually shift upwards.
 
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