Loft = + or - distance

[Dellboy]

Ok, am I being a tad thick here, but how does more loft = more distance.

Needed a new driver to go with my new club ( old driver had a small crack in the head ) so went to AG in Bournemouth.

Now after tiring both the G20 & G25 drivers I ended up going for the G20 ( felt better and was getting better numbers than the G25 )

But after tiring different lofts I was getting more distance and roll with the 12 loft than the 10.5, chap in shop said that was just my swing as it should be the other way round, so if my swing was to change would I start to lose distance ?

I'm not a big hitter, was getting on there set-up / computer about 220 carry and roll out 240-250 ( max)

Cheers

Del

 

[DappaDonDave]

Depends on the swing, if you're hitting down with 10 degree you may be imparting lots of back spin which is negative on distance. With 12 degree this may correct somewhat your downward swing and produce more up and forward movement on the ball.

I think...

 

[Ethan]

For any given swing speed there is an optimum combination of launch angle and spin rate to get maximum distance. Too little loft/launch and/or spin and your ball dives for the ground, too much and it balloons up like a rocket, high but not far. Get them right and you get the optimum flight in between. Some pros refer to getting the ball flighted properly. Many club players should be able to hit their 3 woods at least as far as their drivers, and probably straighter too.

220 yards carry, so long as you hit a few fairways, is enough to play to a low handicap.

 

[harpo_72]

I prefer to use more loft because I find it is easier, so I like a 10.5 degree head and a low launching shaft. What has been said about optimising launch and spin is completely correct. As is whether your hitting up or down on the ball. It is now the fashion to hit on the up more and that will change the dynamic loft.
Did you purchase the club?
It also depends on your goals, as someone has said 220yd carry is good enough to be a low single, but if you want more you may have to seek some professional advice about technique.

 

[CMAC]

I prefer to use more loft because I find it is easier, so I like a 10.5 degree head and a low launching shaft. What has been said about optimising launch and spin is completely correct. As is whether your hitting up or down on the ball. It is now the fashion to hit on the up more and that will change the dynamic loft.
Did you purchase the club?
It also depends on your goals, as someone has said 220yd carry is good enough to be a low single, but if you want more you may have to seek some professional advice about technique.

it's never been any different for driver

 

[harpo_72]

it's never been any different for driver

Sorry that was an opinion, and should have been stated as an opinion.

Perhaps I should qualify that opinion, in that most people hit down on the driver to squeeze the ball out, perhaps a throw back to less lofted and not so finessed weight distributed clubs.

 

[londonlewis]

I've just changed my driver.
Used to have a 9 degree Callaway - typically my ball would get a lot of height, hit with a fade - carry and total distance would be very close to each other (ball didn't roll much). I would be expecting anything between 270-295 on a typical drive. My poor shot was a very high slice.

Changed it to a 9.5 degree Taylormade Rbz stage 2.
I get less carry but the ball rolls out more and I have drastically reduced the number of times I slice it.
It is too early to tell whether I have lost a lot of distance as my data comparison is only from two rounds this weekend.

 

[Region3]

Why should less loft automatically mean more distance.

How far would a 1° driver go?
Would a discus go further if launched at 10° or 45°?

 

[Dellboy]

Thanks for the reply's, I know my swing is a little upright so I guess that's why the extra loft will help.

Anyway took it out this morning, did nine holes, got to say it worked very well for me. I used it on 7 of the 9 holes and found 5 fairways (OK one did land in the semi but came back out again) as for distance it was hard to say but marked 3 of my best drives (SG5) and with roll got 252..247..235 so happy with that. (slight wind behind)

But the drive I'm most happy with was on the 5th hole, only got 180yrs but it came of the toe and still found the fairway.

Now I know someone is bound to say " all new clubs work well first time out " and I'm sure they are right, but so far the G20 is working for me and looking forward to doing 18 tomorrow.

Cheers

Del

 

[sev112]

If you are firing a smooth projectile into the air with no air resistance then the optimum launch angle for maximum distance is theoretically calculated at 45degrees
When you include the effects of drag, and the components of lift that come from the aerodynamic design of the dimples on a gold ball, the launch angle for maximum distance becomes circa 11 to 20degrees. That is not the same as loft, however, although loft is a key part of it, but so is approach angle, and approach angle is a function of approach path (of the club head) and shaft bending effects which add or reduce face angle at impact, which is a function of shaft stiffness and swing speed.

(Not my analysis) for a club head speed of 100mph, max carry is 233 yards, obtained with a dynamic loft of 15degs, taking a typical "shaft bending component angle" of (typically) 4degs, gets a club head loft of 11 degrees
Faster club speeds need less loft because they generate the same lift force from the faster speed

 

[duncan mackie]

Thanks for the reply's, I know my swing is a little upright so I guess that's why the extra loft will help.

no logic to that

as some have pointed out, there's simply an optimum for your combination of angle of attack, clubhead speed, smash factor and even ball (because of the various dimple patterns!)

low's macho - higher generally works better for most

 

[Dellboy]

no logic to that

Was told by my old pro, as I had an upright swing I would be de-lofting the driver, so I just thought a higher loft would help.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

To be honest I wouldn't get too bogged down in the why and just try and find the short stuff as often as possible. I'm told it makes the game easier and if I get to follow my own advice any time soon (the G25 better be THE ONE) and find more fairways. I have been told that the optimum delivery would be a degree or so descending down yet I have always been a sweeper and hitting on the up