Adjusting the driver.

[Slime]

I was wondering, as a 17 handicapper, whether I would notice any difference if I adjusted my driver from 9.5º to 10.5º.
I'm sure a low 'capper would notice the change but would I?
At 9.5º I'm averaging about 225yds carry and 250yds with roll. I generate 2080rpm of backspin, which I'm assuming would increase, and I currently launch the ball at 15.5º.
Any idea what difference I'm most likely to notice?
Will it reduce my side spin?

 

[fundy]

I expect the answer is very little. It may increase your back spin slightly, give you a slightly higher launch, little difference on your side spin. Worth trying in terms of fine tuning whats best for you but dont expect massive differences

 

[clubchamp98]

I was wondering, as a 17 handicapper, whether I would notice any difference if I adjusted my driver from 9.5º to 10.5º.
I'm sure a low 'capper would notice the change but would I?
At 9.5º I'm averaging about 225yds carry and 250yds with roll. I generate 2080rpm of backspin, which I'm assuming would increase, and I currently launch the ball at 15.5º.
Any idea what difference I'm most likely to notice?
Will it reduce my side spin?

most low cappers would notice IMO.

you may notice a higher flight this comes from more loft .spin will go up marginally
Side spin will be less with more loft.

you would have a higher launch but not as much roll.

I think and I am no expert that your swing would have to be very repeating to notice but we never put the same swing on it twice.

I think your numbers are quite good for 17 cap and I know some lads that would be very happy with them.

so in conclusion just try it in bounce games see how you go but my guess would be you would not notice much difference.

You would see more of the face at address this can put players off and they end up trying to close the face at impact.

 

[duncan mackie]

I think your numbers are bloody brilliant for your handicap!

Would you notice - probably not, you would simply close the face down to look the same at address...

 

[the_coach]

I was wondering, as a 17 handicapper, whether I would notice any difference if I adjusted my driver from 9.5º to 10.5º.
I'm sure a low 'capper would notice the change but would I?
At 9.5º I'm averaging about 225yds carry and 250yds with roll. I generate 2080rpm of backspin, which I'm assuming would increase, and I currently launch the ball at 15.5º.
Any idea what difference I'm most likely to notice?
Will it reduce my side spin?

may be worthwhile to look at this from a tad of a different perspective

what got to consider is these 'numbers' are all inter-dependable

so although we got 15.5º/9.5º/225/250/2080rpm which are all okay for sure

what's real key to the answer is what the driver clubhead speed average is and what the average AoA is

with higher clubhead speeds to get optimum distance you want to keep the spin rate on the low side (given other good launch condition numbers)

but as the clubhead speed reduces you need to keep a certain amount of backspin to keep the ball airborne so you can achieve optimum distance

things the current numbers show which is real good is the strike location is goin to have to be in pretty good shape plus if you get that runout then a good bunch of times you got to be hitting fairways too
{& around 250 max on most index players tracks is for sure good enough to shoot under 85/80 - so maybes the initial look at where overall game improvement lies is somewheres other than the driver - assuming these driver numbers are reasonably consistent}

only real ways to find out wether you could cope with a tad higher launch angle & the lower or higher spin rate that results (as spin rate could go either ways depending on where on the face the strike location is & AoA etc)

if the AoA with the 10.5º is a + to some degrees if the strike location is on horizontal center or just a tad higher than center then the spin number could stay roughly the same - could even go down as well as maybes goin up)
kinda hinges on the clubhead speed so ball speed generated as to what range of spin numbers are goin to be optimum for your driver swing

(from memory the bio cell has a second adjustment built in to have the face angle appear more 'normalized' in a 'closed or open appearance' at address that occurs when you alter the static loft up or down - adding loft will have the affect of closing the face some)

 

[Slime]

may be worthwhile to look at this from a tad of a different perspective
what got to consider is these 'numbers' are all inter-dependable

so although we got 15.5º/9.5º/225/250/2080rpm which are all okay for sure

what's real key to the answer is what the driver clubhead speed average is and what the average AoA is

with higher clubhead speeds to get optimum distance you want to keep the spin rate on the low side (given other good launch condition numbers)

but as the clubhead speed reduces you need to keep a certain amount of backspin to keep the ball airborne so you can achieve optimum distance

Both of the above are unknown but the average ball speed was measured at 133.1mph.
Unfortunately that's not club head speed .
Oh, if it affects the numbers, my shaft is a Project X PXv graphite shaft - Stiff flex.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Slime]

I think your numbers are bloody brilliant for your handicap!

Would you notice - probably not, you would simply close the face down to look the same at address...

The numbers might be good .................. but you don't know which direction it's heading .

 

[xreyuk]

I was wondering, as a 17 handicapper, whether I would notice any difference if I adjusted my driver from 9.5º to 10.5º.
I'm sure a low 'capper would notice the change but would I?
At 9.5º I'm averaging about 225yds carry and 250yds with roll. I generate 2080rpm of backspin, which I'm assuming would increase, and I currently launch the ball at 15.5º.
Any idea what difference I'm most likely to notice?
Will it reduce my side spin?

I wouldn't bother. I play to about 8 (although not official) and I hit it around the same distance as you.

The place to make distance gains would be to change your swing.

 

[the_coach]

Both of the above are unknown but the average ball speed was measured at 133.1mph.
Unfortunately that's not club head speed .
Oh, if it affects the numbers, my shaft is a Project X PXv graphite shaft - Stiff flex.

Thanks for the input guys.

were you fitted for that shaft ?
what's the bad issues direction-wise?
& what's the trajectory/height like of the real decent drives?

if direction left or rightfield is a biggish issue then goin to 10.5 could well help a tad

but the driver distance achieved is for the index a pretty norm ball park area - so if direction control as a norm is okay & drive doesn't get you in too much trouble too much of the time then would analyze where the other weaker areas in the game are & look to improve there
if the direction control is a bigger issue then would look to working on clubface angle to path control & AoA control rather than searching for any extra distance first

looking at that ball speed & just taking an approximation as don't know quality of strike (SF#) but that would put the clubhead speed in the ball park area of around 88mph (could be a tad higher or lower)

may/may not be worth re-looking at shaft fitting & possibly goin to reg flex - but first off would look to find what your AoA is & where the strike location on the face is

 

[Foxholer]

Both of the above are unknown but the average ball speed was measured at 133.1mph.
Unfortunately that's not club head speed .
Oh, if it affects the numbers, my shaft is a Project X PXv graphite shaft - Stiff flex.

Thanks for the input guys.

If that was with pretty consistent (middled) strikes, then club-head speed would be around 90mph. However, as it's an average, I'd think somewhere in the 90-95mph range is more likely - perhaps even a shade more. For perfect strikes, Ball Speed with Driver is max-ed at 1.50 times Club-head speed. Anything less than perfect and that (Smash Factor and Ball speed) decreases.

 

[the_coach]

OP would give the 10.5 setting a go could well be if you can find center strike that it make work in your favor

the #'s are interesting would seem to indicate overall that the strike maybes tends to be too high up on the face given the tad higher LA & low spin #'s

so the SF# would likely to be down some (but averages can be a tad misleading especially if a couple of not so good mis-strikes left in the averages calculation)

so with a lower SF# through a tad too high up strike on the face could mean the club head speed is up some into mid 90"s+ & with that you could still get the lower spinrate #'s

as with a higher SF# of around 1.48 the ball speed would have to be up to around 140 mph to get a carry distance around 218-220 yards & in that case the club head speed would be around 94mph

so at 10.5 loft would tryout some practice based around moving strike to center - so with a can of spray for face location feedback just hit some balls with a full swing but at only 50% speed (this is not so easy at first) but the slower overall speed allows better feel of motion required to find that center strike - once that achieved a bunch of times up speed to 60% - 70% - 80% looking to find center at each increment before upping the % - in any higher % fails drop back to last successful speed & then go again

 

[Slime]

Thanks for all the help guys :thup:.
I'm going to experiment with the driver at 10.5º and also with an older driver with a regular shaft.
Hopefully I'll be putting the same swing on both drivers which should give me a few clues.

 

[lukeysafc100]

If I was you off your handicap I would recommend adjusting it even higher - to 11.5 or even 12.5. you may find you gain more distance off the tee with then getting a better launch!
You backspin wouldn't increase much and you don't want it too - but higher launch generally reduces the spin on the ball.

The reason lower handicaps and pro's use 8.5 and 9.5 degree driver's is because of how well they launch the ball and hit up on it!

Recommend - go to the range and test it out! you'll be surprised!

 

[Slime]

If I was you off your handicap I would recommend adjusting it even higher - to 11.5 or even 12.5. you may find you gain more distance off the tee with then getting a better launch!
You backspin wouldn't increase much and you don't want it too - but higher launch generally reduces the spin on the ball.

The reason lower handicaps and pro's use 8.5 and 9.5 degree driver's is because of how well they launch the ball and hit up on it!

Recommend - go to the range and test it out! you'll be surprised!

Thanks mate, will do.

 

[garyinderry]

I find adjusting the driver is useful when you want to open or close the face. This can help you to hit a desired shape or cut down one that is moving a bit too much.

If you are over cutting or drawing the driver. You have to work on path. That is what causes the ball to curve. Less left path to cut down the fade and less rightward path to cut down the over draw.

 

[karlcole]

How much difference would I see going from 10.5-11.1 just wondering as ping do a 0.6 increase