Are our Driver lofts too low?

[CMAC]

Interesting tweet from TM about their staff players driver lofts at the HSBC last week. Maybe they change depending on the course and its not representative of all pro's but it made me think...

I played an 8.5* for as long as I can remember, now using a 9*. I've tried higher but the ball flight was too high...maybe the quality of the stock shafts....

 

[BTatHome]

Those stats are mainly because they are all playing the SLDR, which is very low spin.

 

[USER1999]

Another question would be, are their lofts correctly measured and labelled, and are yours? I bet your 9 is nearer 10 or even 11.

 

[pbrown7582]

Isn't that the point of the SDLR though high loft repositioned COG to compensate and generate better launch and flight.

Been thought for a while that manufacturers are not wholly accurate with the numbers stampeding the drivers "manufacturing tolerances many with plus 1.5 degrees?

 

[CMAC]

Isn't that the point of the SDLR though high loft repositioned COG to compensate and generate better launch and flight.

Been thought for a while that manufacturers are not wholly accurate with the numbers stampeding the drivers "manufacturing tolerances many with plus 1.5 degrees?

I believe PING are/were the main culprits and they do say Loft is your friend! Think I'll get my 9* Ping checked at the weekend now, will be interesting to see what it is as I like the low to mid flight it gives me.

 

[talksalot81]

The new approach is low spin and high launch. Of course this is all influenced by shaft as well.

It also occurs to me that pros are not using equipment to cover as many swing faults as some amateurs. I have used super low loft clubs over the years but the simple reason is that my driver swing is poor and will pop anything straight up in the air.

 

[MadAdey]

The reason behind the incorrect numbers on shop bought drivers is because people feel that if they have a lower loft it will hit the ball further. Reality being is the extra loft you unknowingly have is actually making you hit the ball better than if it had a true loft on it.

Read something a while ago regarding this and they got a differing range of handicap players to go on a trackman and hit their driver. They then gave them a driver that had more loft and most of them actually hit it further with a better ball flight and closer dispersion. I think too many people see it as a macho thing to have the lowest loft, stiffest shaft driver they can....:mmm:

 

[Rooter]

my R1 is now set to 11deg colin, and as Fundy and Imurg will testify, its booming! gone are the days of being "macho" with 8deg etc, i dont care what number its on, its all about how far it goes!

PS. I am still 100% macho as its an X Stiff.. lol

 

[the smiling assassin]

Are our Driver lofts too low?

In my case, Yes, it was..

Recent fitting results, old v new driver

9 deg off the shelf Ping G15 v 10.5 deg Titleist 913D2, set to A3 (+1.5 deg loft, +1.5 upright)
My angle of attack with the driver on average is -9deg.

104.9 108.1 Clubhead speed (mph)
154.8 156.4 Ball speed (mph)
4.7* 7.9* Launch angle
3905 3200 Spin rate (rpm)
60.4 82.5 Height (ft)
217.6 247.3 Carry (yds)
33.9* 37.3* Landing angle
237.2 265.9 Total (yds)
1.48 1.45 Smash Fac.

First time out at my home course at the weekend, the difference was plain to see. Playing partners were gobsmacked - suspect a few of them will be booking fittings soon...

 

[CMAC]

my R1 is now set to 11deg colin, and as Fundy and Imurg will testify, its booming! gone are the days of being "macho" with 8deg etc, i dont care what number its on, its all about how far it goes!

PS. I am still 100% macho as its an X Stiff.. lol

couldnt agree more, think I put my R1 to 10.5U setting and the flight was slightly higher but longer (maybe more air time). Swapping between the Ping and R1 as the sound on the R1 (when I hit it) is more clunky than I'd like

P.S the X stiff maybe explains your 1st tee shot last week, you need to be warmed up for a stiffy like that

 

[Deleted member 18121]

For the last 2-3 months my driver has been set on 12 degrees left.... do I give a single flying feck? nope. On Saturday I hit 10 fairways from 11 drives and all approx. 230 yards. Couldn't be happier.

 

[jimbob.someroo]

I've moved my loft down to the minimum 8 degrees on my R1 and am hitting it much better than I have been. That said, I think that's largely due to shaft. When I had my x-stiff heavy shaft I was playing with it at 9.5-10 and it was working well. With my new shaft, 6.0 Project X, I've moved it down to 8 degrees as I'm launching it much higher with this shaft. It also opens the face slightly which I like the look of at address. Overall my carry has increased, which is what I was after, especially coming into winter and soft fairways!

Think it depends on the spinny-ness of the head tbh. As others have said, the SLDR is very low spin so needs to launch higher to keep the ball in the air a bit more.

 

[CMAC]

Are our Driver lofts too low?

In my case, Yes, it was..

Recent fitting results, old v new driver

9 deg off the shelf Ping G15 v 10.5 deg Titleist 913D2, set to A3 (+1.5 deg loft, +1.5 upright)
My angle of attack with the driver on average is -9deg.

104.9 108.1 Clubhead speed (mph)
154.8 156.4 Ball speed (mph)
4.7* 7.9* Launch angle
3905 3200 Spin rate (rpm)
60.4 82.5 Height (ft)
217.6 247.3 Carry (yds)
33.9* 37.3* Landing angle
237.2 265.9 Total (yds)
1.48 1.45 Smash Fac.

First time out at my home course at the weekend, the difference was plain to see. Playing partners were gobsmacked - suspect a few of them will be booking fittings soon...

so you have gone from 9* to 12*, well done.

I tried 2 mates drivers at the range without knowing the lofts, I thought they were 10.5*
I hit them higher -which I expected- but they were straighter and looked impressive albeit shorter, turned out they were both 13* HL drivers so no loft stamped on them.

I went to ag and picked up the same club second hand in 10.5* and proceeded to bring the fun back to driving again.
Still in my cupboard and use it sometimes

 

[CMAC]

I've moved my loft down to the minimum 8 degrees on my R1 and am hitting it much better than I have been. That said, I think that's largely due to shaft. When I had my x-stiff heavy shaft I was playing with it at 9.5-10 and it was working well. With my new shaft, 6.0 Project X, I've moved it down to 8 degrees as I'm launching it much higher with this shaft. It also opens the face slightly which I like the look of at address. Overall my carry has increased, which is what I was after, especially coming into winter and soft fairways!

Think it depends on the spinny-ness of the head tbh. As others have said, the SLDR is very low spin so needs to launch higher to keep the ball in the air a bit more.

I wonder how they make a head less or more spin as the ball impacts for a nano second...or thereabouts I'd have though actual loft played a far bigger role

 

[pbrown7582]

my R1 is now set to 11deg colin, and as Fundy and Imurg will testify, its booming! gone are the days of being "macho" with 8deg etc, i dont care what number its on, its all about how far it goes!

PS. I am still 100% macho as its an X Stiff.. lol

mulligan-ier? :rofl:

 

[BTatHome]

The ability of moving the CoG around the various positions in the head in recent years has changed the amount of spin that is imparted to the ball. Comparing like for like then yes the loft will have an impact on spin, but comparing the SLDR to more standard heads is like comparing apples to oranges.

The low spin characteristics of the head is good for a pro, but means that they have to increase the loft to get the same optimum launch angle that they previously had.

 

[Rooter]

mulligan-ier? :rofl:

Thats not down to the club! thats the idiot holding it!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

For the last 2-3 months my driver has been set on 12 degrees left.... do I give a single flying feck? nope. On Saturday I hit 10 fairways from 11 drives and all approx. 230 yards. Couldn't be happier.

Conversely I'm a low loft guy. My driver has an 8.5[SUP]o[/SUP] head and is set to the 9.25[SUP]o[/SUP] loft that I was fitted for. I hit Driver on 10 holes on Saturday and hit 9 fairways. More loft, no thanks.

 

[jimbob.someroo]

Magic and wizardry.

 

[SimonC]

Are our Driver lofts too low?

In my case, Yes, it was..

Recent fitting results, old v new driver

9 deg off the shelf Ping G15 v 10.5 deg Titleist 913D2, set to A3 (+1.5 deg loft, +1.5 upright)
My angle of attack with the driver on average is -9deg.

104.9 108.1 Clubhead speed (mph)
154.8 156.4 Ball speed (mph)
4.7* 7.9* Launch angle
3905 3200 Spin rate (rpm)
60.4 82.5 Height (ft)
217.6 247.3 Carry (yds)
33.9* 37.3* Landing angle
237.2 265.9 Total (yds)
1.48 1.45 Smash Fac.

First time out at my home course at the weekend, the difference was plain to see. Playing partners were gobsmacked - suspect a few of them will be booking fittings soon...

That is one hell of a downward strike with the driver, if you could get it nearer to 0 degrees you would hit the ball quite a lot further. Still it must be a good feeling gaining that sort of yardage from a fitting alone. The ball flight must look much better too.