# Driver question,high loft stiff vs lower loft regular



## shewy (May 17, 2012)

Just a quickie,I currently play a 9 degree driver with a regular shaft and probably get it to 220 with 20 yards roll.
Now at 9 degrees it needs to be a cock on swing to get it right out the middle.
I was thinking would a 12 degree driver with a stiff shaft be more forgiving and be as long? My theory being a stiff shafted driver would launch lowe,r but the head may be more forgiving.
My swing speed is around 150mph on the forum (but 90mph in real life)
I know the only way is to test them out, but I'm stuck offshore for another week!


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## G1BB0 (May 17, 2012)

shewy, my mate who is off 9 moved from a 9 degree to an 11, he has lost a little distance (he was crazy long before) but gained a lot more control.

Give one a try


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## bigslice (May 17, 2012)

ive went from 12 degree regualr to 10.5 stiff more distance and more control!!!!!!


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## JustOne (May 17, 2012)

Lots of tour players have 10.5 loft.... or more. I'd definitely try it as 9 seems very low for a 'high launch low spin' modern golf ball with that swingspeed... even a regular with 12 might suit you.


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## Foxholer (May 17, 2012)

shewy said:



			Just a quickie,I currently play a 9 degree driver with a regular shaft and probably get it to 220 with 20 yards roll.
Now at 9 degrees it needs to be a cock on swing to get it right out the middle.
I was thinking would a 12 degree driver with a stiff shaft be more forgiving and be as long? My theory being a stiff shafted driver would launch lowe,r but the head may be more forgiving.
My swing speed is around 150mph on the forum (but 90mph in real life)
I know the only way is to test them out, but I'm stuck offshore for another week!
		
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Firstly, hitting it out of the middle has nothing to do with the loft; the consequences of not hitting it out of the middle are just greater with a 9* than a 12*.

The proper reason to use a low-loft Driver (ego excluded) is to bring/keep the Launch Angle (and Spin) down. If you go to a higher loft Driver, the Launch Angle and Spin will increase, so distance may suffer (or improve) and you may find the ball balloons. Using a stiffer shaft reduce both but strikes me as counter productive.

However, while low flights on Drives might look good from the  "operator's" point of view, higher launch, with reasonable spin, will generally give the best distance results.

So borrow a 12* Driver and try it out. Also try a 10.5. 90mph SS would probably indicate Regular, but Stiff would not be out of the question. Regular would generally give better distance; Stiff more 'control'. Rule of thumb is use as soft as you can control. Does seem that 220 is about right for  90mph SS, so better consistency of a higher loft might be the  'best' result.


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## Mattyboy (May 18, 2012)

I switched to an 11 deg driver and lost about 10 yards in length but gained about 25 in accuracy. Much more forgiving IMO.


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## RGDave (May 18, 2012)

I can see where you are coming from. I'm struggling to find the right driver for my current swing.

What I can say, without any doubt at all, is that I've read enough evidence in your post to say you could be doing a LOT better. I've been well into maximising my distance for my swing speed for about two years now and read quite a bit and have downloaded charts relating to this topic.

I started a post on here about hitting the ball too high, wondering if I could drop down from HT (13) to 12 or maybe even 11 degrees,  but there is a limit how far you can get the ball "out there" depending on clubhead speed.

There are 2 ways of looking at it. 1) the mathematical reasoning for choosing one loft over another and 2) the reality of how you hit the ball. 

with 90 mph you can easily improve. Mathematically, a 12 degree is going to suit you very well, BUT (and this is the BIG question) if you are adding loft you might be OK with a little less loft.

However...in general, you need to be creating approx 14-15 degrees of dynamic loft to max out. I need to create nearer 16 to max out. I can get up to 230-240 with good roll (although not right now, got some issues) so you can easily get to 250. Sound good? - try more loft.


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## Andy (May 18, 2012)

Foxholer said:



			90mph SS would probably indicate Regular, but Stiff would not be out of the question. Regular would generally give better distance; Stiff more 'control'. Rule of thumb is use as soft as you can control. Does seem that 220 is about right for  90mph SS, so better consistency of a higher loft might be the  'best' result.
		
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Exactly where I am. Prior to being fitted I had a 910D2 with Stiff MFT Kai'li. When shown the figures it proved it was of no use for me.

Now got a Pro Launch Red SC Reg fitted to the 910D2. Average I was getting at the fitting was 240 - 250 but dispersion was different class.

On the course I almost never miss a fairway and dont see any loss of distance compared to what I had with the Kai'li.


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## thecraw (May 18, 2012)

Andy said:



			Exactly where I am. Prior to being fitted I had a 910D2 with Stiff MFT Kai'li. When shown the figures it proved it was of no use for me.

Now got a Pro Launch Red SC Reg fitted to the 910D2. Average I was getting at the fitting was 240 - 250 but dispersion was different class.

*On the course I almost never miss a fairway* and dont see any loss of distance compared to what I had with the Kai'li.
		
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Are you forgetting I played with you at Dunaverty and Machrihanish???????


:ears:


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## Imurg (May 18, 2012)

My G20 is 10.5
The shaft is the Stiff Tour variant.

The 10.5 is more forgiving than a 9.5 and the Tour Stiff shaft helps keep the spin and launch to respectable levels.
As long as I put a decent swing on the club, the ball goes long and straight.
Shame it doesn't happen often enough..


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## shewy (May 19, 2012)

A few good thoughts on this one,maybe 12 is a bit drastic,seen some Ping and Titleist offerings at 11 degrees with a stiff shaft and got some paypal funds burning a hole in my pocket so may take the plunge.


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## Andy (May 19, 2012)

thecraw said:



			Are you forgetting I played with you at Dunaverty and Machrihanish???????


:ears:
		
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Could I ever forget that? Rack ur memory lol


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## Andy (May 19, 2012)

shewy said:



			A few good thoughts on this one,maybe 12 is a bit drastic,seen some Ping and Titleist offerings at 11 degrees with a stiff shaft and got some paypal funds burning a hole in my pocket so may take the plunge.
		
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Get fitted Shewy by someone who understands the Trackman figures. Makes life so much easier.


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## Ethan (May 19, 2012)

I think you should start by considering loft and flex independently. They (largely) treat different problems. 

Is the launch angle high enough? No, need more loft. Agree with the consensus that few club golfers should be using 9 degrees. 

Is your dispersion too great? Yes, consider a stiffer flex or a firmer brand also in R flex.  

There is a degree of overlap between the two factors, but I would start with the loft.


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## Dave B (May 19, 2012)

The Nike VR STR8 Fit in 11.5 degrees with a regular Voodoo shaft may  be a good option. The Voodoo shaft is  firm for a regular and the 11.5 degree head is very forgiving but very hot off the face.

You also have the option of adjustability if you choose it and they are selling the off for around Â£129

Callaway also do 11 degree drivers so you have plenty of options


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## kev_off_the_tee (May 19, 2012)

Ethan said:



			Agree with the consensus that few club golfers should be using 9 degrees.
		
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Totally agree, I'm using a 9 degree and am seriously considering a different option as my driver hits it VERY low


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## shewy (May 19, 2012)

I love my driver and I do launch a very high ball, it's defo in the bag for windy days.
I just get the feeling on calmer days I could be loosing a few yards.


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## RGDave (May 19, 2012)

shewy said:



			A few good thoughts on this one,maybe 12 is a bit drastic,seen some Ping and Titleist offerings at 11 degrees with a stiff shaft and got some paypal funds burning a hole in my pocket so may take the plunge.
		
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12 is not too drastic, nor is regular.

Why make life harder for the sake of having an R or S on the shaft?


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## shewy (May 21, 2012)

well I bought an 11.5 stiif 909D2 for Â£50 as an experiment.


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