Driver angle

[Dannyj1984]

Hi all,

Quick question, I tend to hit my driver between 240-280 (when it goes straight) I have a ping g20 12 degree driver regular flex. Last month I went on a gc2 and got some stats,

Average launch angle 14.4 degrees average swing speed was 93.2 (skewed by a few low 80mph swings)

From reading online seems you should be aiming for a launch angle of 13 degrees.

I use pink tees and the ball seems to go soooo high! Even if there is a tail wind.
Gonna be looking at a new driver in the next few months and wondering if I should be looking at a lower face angle? I've seen a lot now are adjustable, so I'm guessing if I got one adjustable from say 9-11 degrees I could tinker around and see what suits best?

Thanks

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Well done on getting 280 yards from 93mph SS :thup:

Optimum launch is somewhere around the 13 degree mark, maybe you are hitting it a bit high off the face?

 

[Hosel Fade]

Hi all,

Quick question, I tend to hit my driver between 240-280 (when it goes straight) I have a ping g20 12 degree driver regular flex. Last month I went on a gc2 and got some stats,

Average launch angle 14.4 degrees average swing speed was 93.2 (skewed by a few low 80mph swings)

From reading online seems you should be aiming for a launch angle of 13 degrees.

I use pink tees and the ball seems to go soooo high! Even if there is a tail wind.
Gonna be looking at a new driver in the next few months and wondering if I should be looking at a lower face angle? I've seen a lot now are adjustable, so I'm guessing if I got one adjustable from say 9-11 degrees I could tinker around and see what suits best?

Thanks

How much spin are you getting?

If you are getting a new driver get fit for it, ideal launch/spin varies a bit depending on ball speed but you are probably wanting to achieve a launch somewhere around 13 and spin in the low 2000s

What would you say your actual non skewed SS was? Just because you will not be getting 240 carry out of 93mph, with really good conditions you can get 220 off that speed

 

[Foxholer]

Well done on getting 280 yards from 93mph SS :thup:

Optimum launch is somewhere around the 13 degree mark, maybe you are hitting it a bit high off the face?

Yep! That's some stat! Thoug I suspect that the distance is from the faster/better swings!

TM's jingo-istic 17* Launch Angle /1700 rpm Spin optimum numbers from a year or so ago is pretty much spot on, depending on turf conditions (and altitude that isn't really a factor in UK!).

Bear in mind that your own ball flight always seems higher compared to folk you are playing with as there is very little sense of 'perspective' - so all you see is the overall height of the shot!

If you are swinging a bit erratically - enough to get 40 yards difference and/or significantly different swing speeds, I'd suggest that your current Driver is fine for you - and that you should be considering spending money on lessons rather than trying to find a 'hardware' fix - as there really isn't one!!

I do wish folk would stop being obsessed with smacking the Driver! The short game/putting is far more important for club golfers - even if they/we refuse to have lessons to improve our overall game!!

 

[patricks148]

TBH if you are already hitting it 240-280 with a low 90s SS don't mess with it you are already hitting further than you should

 

[Hosel Fade]

TBH if you are already hitting it 240-280 with a low 90s SS don't mess with it you are already hitting further than you should

I need me one of them adamantium drivers as well ;-)

 

[Dannyj1984]

Well done on getting 280 yards from 93mph SS :thup:

Optimum launch is somewhere around the 13 degree mark, maybe you are hitting it a bit high off the face?

240-280 was off my app I use on the course.

On the gc2 longest drive was 260 with ss of 95.7mph with back spin of 2202

Average backspin was 2407

I did a test with a whiteboard marker on the range and I tend to hit the ball only slightly above centre. Tried using a white tee but it didn't work out well.

Danny

 

[Hosel Fade]

240-280 was off my app I use on the course.

On the gc2 longest drive was 260 with ss of 95.7mph with back spin of 2202

Average backspin was 2407

I did a test with a whiteboard marker on the range and I tend to hit the ball only slightly above centre. Tried using a white tee but it didn't work out well.

Danny

Its probably not far off then, I can try and post some numbers from when I was fitted for my 3 wood as I have a very similar swing speed and hit a few shots with the driver (was not fitted for it). Not sure if they are helpful though

Nothing wrong with hitting the driver a bit above the middle

 

[Hosel Fade]

Try and ignore the first one, bit of a smother hook, looking at the report again is making me fancy another driver now Think I have picked up a bit of speed since then as well

 

[Dannyj1984]

sorry 240-280 is the average from what I've tracked on my app on the course, these are the 6 best shots on the gc2

Ss. Spin. Carry
94.8. 2381. 218
94.3. 2653. 220
96.4. 2924. 227
95.6. 2381. 232
96.2. 2091. 217
95.7. 2202. 235


These where about 4/5 weeks ago and since had 2 lessons, my pro said he was pretty happy with my swing just need to turn my hips a little better which I improved on by the second lesson. My ss is pretty consistent around 94-96, I should of deleted the low 80s ss but forgot.

Thanks

 

[patricks148]

sorry 240-280 is the average from what I've tracked on my app on the course, these are the 6 best shots on the gc2

Ss. Spin. Carry
94.8. 2381. 218
94.3. 2653. 220
96.4. 2924. 227
95.6. 2381. 232
96.2. 2091. 217
95.7. 2202. 235


These where about 4/5 weeks ago and since had 2 lessons, my pro said he was pretty happy with my swing just need to turn my hips a little better which I improved on by the second lesson. My ss is pretty consistent around 94-96, I should of deleted the low 80s ss but forgot.

Thanks

Those are about right for the swing speed TBH.

attached is the GW chart for SS comp to LPGA and PGA tours i think.
http://www.golfwrx.com/64715/carry-distance-vs-swing-speed-chart/

 

[Foxholer]

240-280 was off my app I use on the course.

On the gc2 longest drive was 260 with ss of 95.7mph with back spin of 2202

Average backspin was 2407

I did a test with a whiteboard marker on the range and I tend to hit the ball only slightly above centre. Tried using a white tee but it didn't work out well.

Danny

Try using an Orange/Grey one - or longer wooden ones! White (and possibly Pink) are possibly encouraging a downward swing, though the spin number is pretty good! You are pretty much optimised (within a couple of yards!) for that swing speed! So a different driver isn't actually going to give you greater distance - and the G20 is pretty forgiving, so not much benefit from changing that either!!

So learn to hit it better (more often)!

Orange and Grey tees are same height, but orange are a lot easier to find!!

 

[Dannyj1984]

Those are about right for the swing speed TBH.

attached is the GW chart for SS comp to LPGA and PGA tours i think.
http://www.golfwrx.com/64715/carry-distance-vs-swing-speed-chart/

Thanks, seems like I'm not too bad then, maybe I'm just getting itchy feet wanting to buy something new :/

Danny

 

[Dannyj1984]

Try using an Orange/Grey one - or longer wooden ones! White (and possibly Pink) are possibly encouraging a downward swing, though the spin number is pretty good! You are pretty much optimised (within a couple of yards!) for that swing speed! So a different driver isn't actually going to give you greater distance - and the G20 is pretty forgiving, so not much benefit from changing that either!!

So learn to hit it better (more often)!

Orange and Grey tees are same height, but orange are a lot easier to find!!

Aren't grey longer than pink? Think I've tried them before and I sliced it a lot, although I have improved a lot since then, might have another go.

Good news that I'm hitting it a distance on par with my ss, just need to work on getting my ss to 130+ now so I can drive them 350+ yard par 4s 😁

 

[the_coach]

folks in general have a tad higher swing speed on a LM than when out in play on the course

given the #'s here there's nothing much wrong with a driver static loft at 12º tbh it's where most folks with that ball park range of swing speeds should be

nothing much at all wrong with LA #'s around 14º - 15º either

something to talk to the Pro over but maybes the issue that's hurting most is the more around face angle, attack angle, dynamic loft at impact with importantly the strike location on the face which can combine to deliver the higher spin rate #'s which will have a tendency both to balloon the trajectory over distance traveled and limit the ball speed some

if it's an either or decision would continue to spend the $'s on lessons as opposed to a new driver - but even when getting a new driver with those swing speed #'s that are more likely in real game situations likely to be as a norm someways between 90-95mph wouldn't really want to be looking at driver with less static loft as you gotta get the ball 'up' in the air to produce optimum carry and overall distances

lower launch at that speed will give less carry & in general less overall distance unless the ground conditions are real rock hard then you also got the direction of hard bounce in the equation - so kinda would be using a 'fault' to possibly gain a little distance in am guessing a very small window through the year when those ground conditions would be able to play in to it

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I struggled with ballooning driver shots on a driver with regular shaft......to the point the ball would almost stall in the air before pitching.

Switching to a stiff shaft gave me a much lower launch.

 

[Foxholer]

Aren't grey longer than pink? Think I've tried them before and I sliced it a lot, although I have improved a lot since then, might have another go.

Good news that I'm hitting it a distance on par with my ss, just need to work on getting my ss to 130+ now so I can drive them 350+ yard par 4s 😁

Yes, Orange/Grey are slightly longer than Pink. That is likely to encourage a flatter (or even upward) swing, which might reduce the spin a bit. Worth experimenting, as some folk just don't like the apparent height of them! I actually use a long wooden one, with a 9.5/10 Driver and just ignore the apparent high flight - as the distance is much better!

 

[Alex1975]

OP: Launching it a little low, spinning it a little high. 16* and 1900/2100 might be a little better.

 

[Dannyj1984]

I bought some wooden tees which apparently are the perfect height for a 460cc driver (this was when I was new and naive to golf) paid £3 for 20 and they where like single use, snapped after every tee off. Can't remember if I hit it well with them. I will have a play with all the different sizes I have. Bought a pack of 200 from aldi when thy had a pga event on. Think there all sizes from tiny red ones to the big greys.

I will book another lesson and see about my angle of attack, would make sense that I'm hitting slightly down on the ball with higher spin numbers

Thanks

 

[351DRIVER]

All i can get from this is that technology massively drives the faster turnover of driver sales

Spend time getting lessons so your drives are more consistent, be a lot better for you than another club