Driver lofts

[Twin Lakes]

I was wondering what loft people have on their Drivers?
I was told that less loft might not necessarily mean more distance. Should higher handicappers go for more loft or is there more to it than that?
I've never been fitted for any club but have seen friends be custom fitted for Drivers that have not necessarily improved anything.
I'm currently using a second hand TM Burner 10.5 and seem to be hitting it as far as most on a good day. Should I consider more loft for more distance?
thanks

 

[SocketRocket]

Hi there. How are things at South Herefordshire?

Sounds lie you are getting on quite well with your current driver. More loft may give more spin and lose you some yards.

 

[wonga]

The general idea is more loft is good high handicappers. I have 12.5 degres of loft, custopm fitted Cobra AMP

 

[kid2]

I have a 910 D2 which at standard loft and lie (A1) is 9.5 degrees...... I have it adjusted though to 11 degrees which also closes the face as well.... It helps keep the ball straight for me..... But lately im struggling with it.... So i may knock it back to 9.5.... I was getting a better more penetrating flight when i had it at 9.5...

 

[MadAdey]

I was wondering what loft people have on their Drivers?
I was told that less loft might not necessarily mean more distance. Should higher handicappers go for more loft or is there more to it than that?
I've never been fitted for any club but have seen friends be custom fitted for Drivers that have not necessarily improved anything.
I'm currently using a second hand TM Burner 10.5 and seem to be hitting it as far as most on a good day. Should I consider more loft for more distance?
thanks

NOt necessarily. Having the correct loft for you is what will give you good distance. If you are currently using the correct one for you then more is not going to help. Have you tried any higher lofted drivers?

 

[Twin Lakes]

Hi there. How are things at South Herefordshire?

Sounds lie you are getting on quite well with your current driver. More loft may give more spin and lose you some yards.

Very wet at South Herefordshire at the moment. I'm sure it's the same almost everywhere. (I'm not a fan of winter golf anymore). The temps with bucket holes seem to suit the higher handicaps and the course is dramatically shorter in winter. Big improvements to the place overall since P&S took over. Are you local?
I'm looking forward to getting back to the full length of the course and 18 greens!!

 

[Twin Lakes]

NOt necessarily. Having the correct loft for you is what will give you good distance. If you are currently using the correct one for you then more is not going to help. Have you tried any higher lofted drivers?

I've been playing 5 years and started with a Wilson Deep Red driver 12 degree. Had a massive slice and to be honest I was crap (still am most of the time!!) The slice is definitely a more controlled and reliable fade now.

 

[London mike 61]

I have a 13.5 Callaway Diablo driver and I'm very pleased with my drives. I place a lot of faith in the belief that it's not so much about the extra distance that you get with a lower lofted driver but more about the dispersion that your drives give you on a regular basis. Personally I would rather be 10 or 20 yards less but be in a good position than have a longer drive that gives me a trickier second shot to the green.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

12 Degrees for me :thup:

 

[Break90]

910D3 in my bag, currently set at 10.5deg (standard), no issues with the length I get when I pure it (230-240yds), more interested in keeping it the fairway than an extra 10-20 yards to be honest.

 

[Foxholer]

'Best' loft for any player depends on a lot of things.

For the same brand head.

A higher Loft will tend to give more 'backspin' (reducing the effect of 'sidespin') and will launch higher. Whether that gives greater distance generally depends on Ball Speed - in turn dependent on Swing Speed (1.5*SS for a Centred strike).

Backspin keeps the ball in the air, but if there's too much in relation to the forward speed, can cause the ball to stall/balloon which reduces distance. And backspin reduces Roll slightly too.

If you use a Higher Tee, you can get greater Launch Angle from a 'lower spinning' loft by hitting up on the ball. The actual stat (Angle of Attack) actually reduces (greater Negative Value) for a more upward swing.

Historically 10.5 - as stamped on the club - has been about right for most Players, for most conditions. One of the advantages of the adjustable heads is that you can find the right settings for you - then leave them alone!

TM appear to be saying Loft Up which is pretty much what the industry has been saying for years - as 'Loft is your Friend'.

Btw. Distance isn't everything! It's often better to be 10 yards or more shorter and on the Fairway or Semi than maximum distance and in the long stuff. If you are longer, you have to be more accurate!

Hope That Helps

PS. Burners were generally pretty good Drivers, some very good. Wrong shape for me though - my misses tend to be up/down as opposed to heel/toe, so Deep Faced Drivers work best for me!

 

[upsidedown]

10.5 here

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Had my G25 turned down to 10. Changed it back to 10.5 and much happier with flight and control

 

[Twin Lakes]

'Best' loft for any player depends on a lot of things.

For the same brand head.

A higher Loft will tend to give more 'backspin' (reducing the effect of 'sidespin') and will launch higher. Whether that gives greater distance generally depends on Ball Speed - in turn dependent on Swing Speed (1.5*SS for a Centred strike).

Backspin keeps the ball in the air, but if there's too much in relation to the forward speed, can cause the ball to stall/balloon which reduces distance. And backspin reduces Roll slightly too.

If you use a Higher Tee, you can get greater Launch Angle from a 'lower spinning' loft by hitting up on the ball. The actual stat (Angle of Attack) actually reduces (greater Negative Value) for a more upward swing.

Historically 10.5 - as stamped on the club - has been about right for most Players, for most conditions. One of the advantages of the adjustable heads is that you can find the right settings for you - then leave them alone!

TM appear to be saying Loft Up which is pretty much what the industry has been saying for years - as 'Loft is your Friend'.

Btw. Distance isn't everything! It's often better to be 10 yards or more shorter and on the Fairway or Semi than maximum distance and in the long stuff. If you are longer, you have to be more accurate!

Hope That Helps

PS. Burners were generally pretty good Drivers, some very good. Wrong shape for me though - my misses tend to be up/down as opposed to heel/toe, so Deep Faced Drivers work best for me!

Some interesting stuff here............

 

[apj0524]

I have my R1 set to 12 Deg, which was not working very well for me, but I switched from a TM soft feel ball to AD333 and the difference seemed to be amazing, longer expecting that, but constantly straighter or with a slight draw I was not, and the club head noise so different? Can a ball make such a difference or is it just me?

 

[shewy]

9.5 for me but my angle of attack is upwards adding loft.

 

[drs1878]

I'm currently using a 9.5 with stiff shaft..... I drive pretty well, bad one is a push/block!

I do however plan on a fitting this year, just so I kno that all my clubs were/are right for me..........

 

[ManinBlack]

Nobody has stated the obvious, that optimum driver loft depends on swing speed., with higher swing speeds requiring lower loft. A good analogy is getting maximum distance when using a hosepipe. If the water pressure dropped, to get maximum distance, you'd raise the hose higher, not lower it. Look here http://www.tutelman.com/golf/ballflight/launchOptimize.php for one person's view of lofts versus swing speed. Personally, I believe a slightly lower loft is often preferable to maximise roll or reduce backspin into the wind. The shaft is much more important in determining launch angle, the stiffer the tip the lower the ball launches for a given loft. I carry two drivers, one with a regular soft tipped shaft for most shots & a one with a stiff shaft for low trajectory shots into the wind where, if I can get 15 yards more, it can take two clubs off the second shot.

 

[shewy]

Nobody has stated the obvious, that optimum driver loft depends on swing speed., with higher swing speeds requiring lower loft. A good analogy is getting maximum distance when using a hosepipe. If the water pressure dropped, to get maximum distance, you'd raise the hose higher, not lower it. Look here http://www.tutelman.com/golf/ballflight/launchOptimize.php for one person's view of lofts versus swing speed. Personally, I believe a slightly lower loft is often preferable to maximise roll or reduce backspin into the wind. The shaft is much more important in determining launch angle, the stiffer the tip the lower the ball launches for a given loft. I carry two drivers, one with a regular soft tipped shaft for most shots & a one with a stiff shaft for low trajectory shots into the wind where, if I can get 15 yards more, it can take two clubs off the second shot.

Thats all good and well but does not take into effect the angle of attack, if you hit up on the ball then you are adding loft,if you hit down on the ball then you are decreasing the loft,a trackman fitting will determine this and you should base your choice on this along with swingspeed as a starting point,It has been proved in tests by other websites that swingspeed alone does not determine flex either as it has a lot to do with transition and lag as well.
Best bet go see a fitter try a load out and get the optimal figures for you.

 

[ManinBlack]

Thats all good and well but does not take into effect the angle of attack

Quite right but as a general principle lower swing speeds require higher lofts. If the angle of attack is out by a long way then a change in technique is required. I just thought a lot of the posts detailing people's preferences without describing a their swings were unhelpful.