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Driver Loft

elivate

By elivate,
in Clubs, Grips, Shafts, Fitting

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Note: This thread is 6250 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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elivate Dedicated Member

elivate

Currently I am playing with an Adams Redline Driver - 9.5 degrees... I was at a golf shop the other day with my Father in Law and he bought a new driver that was 11 Degrees, the guy said he should be buying 14 Degrees... My 3 wood is 15 degrees...

Anyway, I know there is a bit of a trend recently to higher degrees of loft...

So, would most of you recommend more than 9.5 Degrees to the average player? Do you/I need to know more about my swing etc... before answering?

Thanks!

What's in the Bag

Driver: HiBore 10.5* ProLaunch Blue 65s
Hybrid: No Fear 3i
Irons: Launcher LP 4-PW Harmonized 50* GWAmerican Standard 56* SWStriker by Golf Trends 60* LobPutter: Pro Response bladeBall: Tour Fire

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Cleveland Gunmetal Great Member

Cleveland Gunmetal

Average player... I'd say 10.5 - 12 degrees should be plenty of loft depending on your swing, launch angle etc. I don't care how crooked I get with the driver I won't ever get a 14 degree driver. Hell, I'll just hit my 3 wood.

Driver: 09 Launcher 10.5
4 Wood: 09 Launcher Steel 17
Hybrid: Baffler DWS 20 Aldila Reg
Irons: AP1 4-GW Steel
Wedges: 588 Gunmetal 56 & 60Putter: Studio Style Newport 2Ball: NXT Tour

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allin Great Member

allin

Currently I am playing with an Adams Redline Driver - 9.5 degrees... I was at a golf shop the other day with my Father in Law and he bought a new driver that was 11 Degrees, the guy said he should be buying 14 Degrees... My 3 wood is 15 degrees...

Yes, or least get some feedback by testing drivers in the 10 .5 to 11 range. 14 is for a slow swinger (below 80) or someonw who delofts the club. Playing style is an issue also. If you try to carry tee shots over obstacles then more loft might chosen by even a long hitter.

1W Cleveland LauncherComp 10.5, 3W Touredge Exotics 15 deg.,FY Wilson 19.5 degree
4 and 5H, 6I-GW Callaway Razr, SW, LW Cleveland Cg-14, Putter Taylor Made Suzuka, Ball, Srixon XV Yellow

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elivate Dedicated Member

elivate

  • Author
Thanks guys,

I am pretty average as far as distance goes... I have a relatively fast swing speed and I use stiff shafts. I tend to get the ball up in the air fairly well with my irons...

My driver is pretty new and I made the mistake of buying it right off the floor without trying it (the deal was too good to pass up) and I do not hit this as high in the air as I used to hit my old 10.5 degree...

Seeing as I got such a good deal I may look to try out some newer drivers this year and trade in the Redline...

What's in the Bag

Driver: HiBore 10.5* ProLaunch Blue 65s
Hybrid: No Fear 3i
Irons: Launcher LP 4-PW Harmonized 50* GWAmerican Standard 56* SWStriker by Golf Trends 60* LobPutter: Pro Response bladeBall: Tour Fire

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milesdowsett Member

milesdowsett

Try looking at your shaft; this is an important consideration for driver trajectory. I hit the ball pretty high and wanted a more penetrating trajectory with my Driver so I opted for a 8.5 degree Titleist 983 E, which is a lower trajectory driver. I also got a Grafalloy Prolite 35 shaft in it and it made all the difference. What's more is that as it has a pretty deep face I can still get a higher launch angle if I want and pop it up down wind. Before that I was hitting an old 7.5 degree driver, and it still didn't give me the penetrating trajectory I was after; I think loft is overated and not as much of a factor as people think.
Equipment

Driver: Titleist 983E (Grafalloy Prolite 35)
3 Wood: Taylor Made Burner Bubble (Royal Precision steel rifle)
Irons: Callaway x14 (Royal Precision steel rifle) Putter: Ping Zing 5Ball: Titleist Pro V1
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elivate Dedicated Member

elivate

  • Author
Thanks I know it has a stiff Fujikura shaft, not sure exactly which model, I will have to check when I get home...

I may start looking for a new driver, I do not want to get anything too complicated with movable weights and stuff, I think that sort of thing will just add unnecessary variables that will just make me think too much...

Driver is my biggest right now, I have a very hard time hitting the fairway...

So I am wondering what some of you might think is a good, uncomplicated choice for a driver? I will get fit for sure this time, no more messing around... I am looking to keep it under $250 so some in that range include:

Cobra F-Speed
Cleveland HiBORE
Cleveland Launcher Ti 460
Nike SasQuatch 460 Tour
Nicklaus Air Max 460 DPT
Taylor Made r7 Draw

Anyway, I am just looking for some opinions...

Thanks!

What's in the Bag

Driver: HiBore 10.5* ProLaunch Blue 65s
Hybrid: No Fear 3i
Irons: Launcher LP 4-PW Harmonized 50* GWAmerican Standard 56* SWStriker by Golf Trends 60* LobPutter: Pro Response bladeBall: Tour Fire

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ABPositive Member

ABPositive

Higher loft means higher launch angle (surprise). Higher loft also means higher backspin rate, which has two effects: (1) your ball flies higher, and (2) it overtakes side spin - this translates into straighter drives.

So... Choose the highest loft possible. Start from a high loft and make your way down, until you reach you optimal launch angle. You will have to try on a launch monitor to figure this one out. The shop should also have a chart with optimal launch angle for your particular swing speed.

For me, with my 83 to 90 mph (average to slow swing speed), the launch angle I needed was 16 degrees, and a 10.5 loft did it. All depends on how you catch the ball (whether your sweep it, or if you catch it on the way up like you should).

Hope this helps
Cheers

In the bag:

Hi Bore XL 10.5 deg
SZ fairway woods, 3 & 5
baffler 23 deg MX-25 4-P vokey 52 & 56 scotty cameron studio design 2Read my golf blog

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plickerman Member

plickerman

I'm sold on the numbers of launch angle, spin rate, swing speed, etc. So my recommendatin is to try different setups in a launch monitor. Once you are down to the drivers and specs that give you optimal conditions, just go with feel, preference, etc.

Driver: Cleveland HiBore XLS 9.5*, Fit-On Red Shaft
3 Wood: Callaway Big Bertha 16*
Hybrid: HiBore 22*
Irons: Mizuno MX-25 4-PW, 2* Flat
Wedges: CG11 50* (2*Flat),54*(1*Flat),58*(1*Flat) Low Bounce AllPutter: Yes! DiannaBall of Choice: Srixon AD333, Wilson ZIP, TF Gamer

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Fletch09 Established Member

Fletch09

I would take a good hard look at the Callaway FT3 Fusion. With the FT5 on the market they can be had for under $300.

Most shops with Optifit carts should still have FT3 heads for you to hit. Make sure to try all the options you may think fit you. If you're looking for a lower, boring flight, try the tour version.

I hit just about everything on the market last summer and I ended up with the Fusion. The TM 460 TP was a close second.
In the bag

909D3 8.5 Matrix Ozik XCon 7 X
Burner TP 14.5 Fujikura RE*AX SF TP 75 X
Idea Pro 20 RP Project X 6.0 X-Tour (2005) 4-PW RP Project X 6.0 X-Tour Chrome Wedges 50 and 54 RP Project X 5.5 X-Tour Vintage 60 w/ PM grind Teryllium Ten Newport 2 34" ProV1X
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elivate Dedicated Member

elivate

  • Author
Thanks again everyone, I will go get fitted properly this time with the launch monitor, etc... I am looking forward to trying some new drivers...

What's in the Bag

Driver: HiBore 10.5* ProLaunch Blue 65s
Hybrid: No Fear 3i
Irons: Launcher LP 4-PW Harmonized 50* GWAmerican Standard 56* SWStriker by Golf Trends 60* LobPutter: Pro Response bladeBall: Tour Fire

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PGA Mike Member

PGA Mike

I have toyed around with different lofts & shafts over the past few years and am thoroughly convinced that it is a matter of personal prefrence and your particular swing characteristics. You can fool around all day long with a launch monitor trying to get all your critical numbers (launch angle, spin rate, clubhead speed, etc...) into thier optimal range, but nothing beats taking a new driver out to a familiar course and playing with it. The one that you hit the most fairways with, knocks it straight down the sprinkler heads, & leaves you irons into par 5's is the one you'll put in your bag regardless of the brand, loft, or shaft.

I currently play a old 8.5 deg Titleist 975J-VS with a Grafalloy ProForce 65-S (tipped 1/2") and it produces medium height ball flight and boring trajectory. I don't have alot of forced carries at my home course and I prefer the lower ball flight for my standard driver trajectory (draw).
I do have an old 9 deg Callaway Great Big Bertha with the same shaft but -R flex (tipped 1/2") that I use whenever I have to hit driver with a higher trajectory (forced carries, hilly courses w/ blind landings, etc...). I swing it the same exact way as the other driver but slight change in loft, and most importantly the change of flex in the shaft, produce a much different ball flight.

Play around wiht a few different models and options until you find whats right for you. Its out there, just keep swinging.
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