Driver Loft

[NearHull]

So, a few months ago I had a lesson to check out that my driver was still a good ‘fit‘. My pro put me with various settings/shafts/clubs and whilst there was some improvement with newer clubs (5 yds for £435) we settled back on my original club with the standard settings. But then, this week, I thought I would do a bit of tinkering and thinking about a comment from a pp turned my driver down a degree to 9.5. Didn't go the range but played a casual match round. A couple of small gimmes involved, but i also kept a score in my head and was pleased to break 80 for the second time in a few weeks ( off 11).
Therefore a result!
No, my driving was distinctly average and I couldn’t perceive much difference in shape or distance. My pitching and chipping was exceptional for me and putting seemed to also be going really well. Turned it back to 10.5.
Lesson finally learnt.

 

[jim8flog]

My lesson got learnt many years ago higher loft (11 degree) with a high kick point shaft ( grafalloy prolite 35) to stop the excessive height.

Currently on 10.5 as my swing speed is not what it was and I stopped using the grafalloy as I need the extra distance.

 

[huds1475]

Reminds me.

I've slowly cranked mine up from fitted loft and need to turn back down!

Thanks for posting

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I did have my driver turned down to 10 but got it back to standard 10.5. Toying with the idea of going to 11 for the winter. What became of TM and their "loft up" campaign. Seemed another short lived ad strap

 

[Robster59]

I recently de-lofted my Callaway XR16 from it's standard 10.5 to 9.5 as our course is pretty windy. I've found it's worked in having a more penetrating flight. Not necessarily longer in itself but less likely to balloon when hitting into the wind.

 

[IanM]

I went to the range for a mess around with the adjustment wrench, but the naff old range balls all fly all over the place anyway.

Will have to book the Simulator room for a proper session with my usual golf balls... I tend to add more loft to play off the short grass more often!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My driver (shaft snapped two weeks ago) was 9* and I got on great with it. Currently using my old 11* driver and getting on just as well with it - indeed might be hitting it a bit straighter - though as it’s at least 15yrs old with a smaller head I don’t think I’m getting quite the same distance - but might only be 20yds shorter.

Going to be interesting to see what my pro says when we start looking at a new driver...do I go say 11* rather then 9*. Or maybe 11* in a current driver is too lofted - dunno.

 

[Svenska]

Got fitted several years ago for a TM R15 and the pro deliberately didn't tell me what he'd set the loft to when I started getting the best launch angle, carry etc and it turned out it was 14 degrees. ?

I've stuck with it ever since, so i'm essentially using a 3 wood in a driver sized head.

 

[patricks148]

when i tried a fair few drivers last year they ranged from one set to 7.5 to 11.5 and i don't think there was a lot of difference in the flight. i use a 9,5 in my M2. i'm not convinced 1 deg makes much diff

 

[hairball_89]

when i tried a fair few drivers last year they ranged from one set to 7.5 to 11.5 and i don't think there was a lot of difference in the flight. i use a 9,5 in my M2. i'm not convinced 1 deg makes much diff

I'd agree here. I've been on a launch monitor enough to know that I can far exceed 1 degree in any direction!

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Two things.

Firstly the loft stamped on driver heads is notoriously questionable and as the range between a strong and high-loft driver is generally only 3 degrees the difference in flight is not that great.

Secondly that loft is only indicative of static rather than dynamic loft and it is the latter which will have the greater effect upon ball flight.

 

[NearHull]

Two things.

Firstly the loft stamped on driver heads is notoriously questionable and as the range between a strong and high-loft driver is generally only 3 degrees the difference in flight is not that great.

Secondly that loft is only indicative of static rather than dynamic loft and it is the latter which will have the greater effect upon ball flight.

Do you know the relative ‘importance’ of the static loft v dynamic loft in a metric?

 

[Imurg]

It also depends on where you measure the loft.
In the middle of the face it may be 10°
On the top 1/4 of the face it could be 11.5°
On the bottom 1/4 it could be 8.5°

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Do you know the relative ‘importance’ of the static loft v dynamic loft in a metric?

Put simply static loft is significant in how the club would sit at address.

Dynamic loft is more important as it represents the club presents to the ball at impact.

Obviously, therefore, the latter will be heavily "swing dependent".

p.s. I am no club technician nor a swing guru but I am relating the explanation given to me by a fitter for one of the leading mfrs. (Think it was TaylorMade but could have been one of the others).

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Mines a 12* G20, with stiff option shaft(cant remember the name now). Suits me just fine

 

[MendieGK]

I did have my driver turned down to 10 but got it back to standard 10.5. Toying with the idea of going to 11 for the winter. What became of TM and their "loft up" campaign. Seemed another short lived ad strap

What became of it... the SLDR was an awful driver with COG way too far forward, they realised they messed up so used Loft up as their way to get out of it.

 

[MendieGK]

1 degree can make a huge difference. I added 15 yards to someone’s existing driver the other day just through reducing the loft and changing the weight positioning of the head. Admittedly this was a fairly high speed player so his opportunity to gain yards was a lot more than the average Joe

 

[Orikoru]

When I got fitted for my driver last October it was just the standard 10.5 that we went with. I normally hit it well, but a few months ago I was struggling a little bit with drives hit low on the face not carrying, and also fading a little bit too much and leaving me in the right rough. Just as an experiment I adjusted the loft up to 11.5 about a month ago, and since then I've honestly never hit so many fairways. Seemed to fix both problems I was having. Bit of extra loft and closing the face a fraction and I don't go right as much, plus a little more carry and a little less roll (particularly now we're getting out of summer) seems to go about the same distance. So I'm going to keep it at 11.5 for now. In fairness most of my previous drivers I had at 11 or 11.5, or even 12 a while back as I always felt more comfortable with a little more loft, it was only because of the fitting that I used 10.5 for a while.

 

[HarrogateHacker]

It also depends on where you measure the loft.
In the middle of the face it may be 10°
On the top 1/4 of the face it could be 11.5°
On the bottom 1/4 it could be 8.5°

And out of the hosel??