Jump to content
IGNORED

how high should a ball go with a driver?


tuffluck
Note: This thread is 4073 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!

Recommended Posts

i know this depends on a lot on factors, but i have been seriously confused by this lately.   i had a nike 9.5 driver with a stock stiff shaft and was hitting it super high.  got an 8.5 adams fast 12 ls driver with a low-launch stiffer shaft (grafalloy prolaunch red) and i seem to be hitting the club at exactly the same height as the 9.5 driver, with just less spin.

i don't know what my angle of attack is, but i would think it would have to be pretty positive to get serious height?  i have a 105 SS with a 12-13 degree launch angle and usually carry the ball about 240.  i usually hit the ball in the center of the driver, maybe slightly below center.  as far as how high the ball goes in the air, the best reference i have is about the height of the fences at driving ranges, probably 10-20 feet higher.  i know those fences aren't all the same height, but i would assume they are pretty close everywhere and that might give you some insight as to how high my ball flight goes.

it feels too high to me, but i don't really know what i'm basing that on...  also the 12-13 launch angle is probably optimal, but that also was some time ago on a LM, so numbers may have changed a bit.  thanks for any input.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Administrator

90-100 feet.

Slight variations for ball speed, etc. but pretty much 90-100 feet.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

The fense at my range is really high, if you are hitting it 10 - 20 feet above that, boy! Even so it sounds like you are hitting way to high. Maybe you have the ball to far forward in your stance and you're really getting it on the upswing? I'm no expert but maybe try moving the ball back farther in your stance and see if that helps. If you're hitting that high you are losing a lot of distance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Originally Posted by tuffluck

it feels too high to me, but i don't really know what i'm basing that on...

Originally Posted by cooke119

The fense at my range is really high, if you are hitting it 10 - 20 feet above that, boy! Even so it sounds like you are hitting way to high.

Originally Posted by iacas

90-100 feet.   Slight variations for ball speed, etc. but pretty much 90-100 feet.

As Erik indicated, about 100 feet high is what Trackman has shown for the Tour pros.   And they hit every club in the bag about the same height (except for the putter of course).

It's pretty hard to look out at a drive and gauge if it's too high or not compared to surrounding fences.     You're looking over 600 feet downrange trying to compare a rapidly moving object to the height of nearby objects which are also unknown height.

Think about that 100 feet high - that's roughly the height of a 10 story building.    Does it feel like you're hitting over a 10 story building?    If so then maybe it's too high, but that's a pretty damn tall building to hit a golf ball over!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Yea, depth perception really makes the ball look like its a lot less off the ground.

Are you seeing very little roll, lets say even during the summer?

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
 fasdfa dfdsaf 

What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
Bag: :ping:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I've always had problems with roll. I think I am hitting it too high. If you're supposed to hit all clubs about the same height, then I can safely say u hit my driver too high. It goes about twice the height of my PW. What can I do to fix that? IMO for my swing speed, less than 8.5 loft seems crazy.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I would get on a launch monitor. The monitor will help tell you why you are hitting it high then you can work to correct it. How much roll do you get?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 4073 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!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Posts

    • However, have you ever considered using small summer houses for such setups? They offer a great solution for creating dedicated practice areas, especially for an affluent audience looking to enhance their outdoor living space.
    • I've played Bali Hai, Bear's Best and Painted Desert. I enjoyed Bali Hai the most--course was in great shape, friendly staff and got paired in a great group. Bear's Best greens were very fast, didn't hold the ball well (I normally have enough spin to stop the ball after 1-2 hops).  The sand was different on many holes. Some were even dark sand (recreation of holes from Hawaii). Unfortunately I was single and paired with a local "member" who only played the front 9.  We were stuck behind a slow 4-some who wouldn't let me through even when the local left. Painted Desert was decent, just a bit far from the Strip where we were staying.
    • Wordle 1,035 3/6 ⬜🟨🟨🟩⬜ 🟨🟨🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Just lipped out that Eagle putt, easy tab-in Birdie
    • Day 106 - Worked on chipping/pitching. Focus was feeling the club fall to the ground as my body rotated through. 
    • Honestly, unless there's something about that rough there that makes it abnormally penal or a lost ball likely, this might be the play. I don't know how the mystrategy cone works, but per LSW, you don't use every shot for your shot zones. In that scatter plot, you have no balls in the bunker, and 1 in the penalty area. The median outcome seems to be a 50 yard pitch. Even if you aren't great from 50 yards, you're better off there than in a fairway bunker or the penalty area on the right of the fairway. It could also be a strategy you keep in your back pocket if you need to make up ground. Maybe this is a higher average score with driver, but better chance at a birdie. Maybe you are hitting your driver well and feel comfortable with letting one rip.  I get not wanting to wait and not wanting to endanger people on the tee, but in a tournament, I think I value playing for score more than waiting. I don't value that over hurting people, but you can always yell fore 😆 Only thing I would say is I'm not sure whether that cone is the best representation of the strategy (see my comment above about LSW's shot zones). To me, it looks like a 4 iron where you're aiming closer to the bunker might be the play. You have a lot of shots out to the right and only a few to the left. Obviously, I don't know where you are aiming (and this is a limitation of MyStrategy), but it seems like most of your 4 iron shots are right. You have 2 in the bunker but aiming a bit closer to the bunker won't bring more of your shots into the bunker. It does bring a few away from the penalty area on the right.  This could also depend on how severe the penalties are for missing the green. Do you need to be closer to avoid issues around the green?  It's not a bad strategy to hit 6 iron off the tee, be in the fairway, and have 150ish in. I'm probably overthinking this.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...