10.5 compared to 11.5

[Maverick]

Right now I play with a 10.5 deg. driver but am contemplating going up to an 11.5. Will distance loss be noticeable? FYI: I'm playing a 905T Aldila NV-S 65g and am thinking of going to the Cleveland Launcher Ti 460 11.5 but the shaft in an (R) stock.

What are the pro's/con's here..

[gas_can]

Right now I play with a 10.5 deg. driver but am contemplating going up to an 11.5. Will distance loss be noticeable? FYI: I'm playing a 905T Aldila NV-S 65g and am thinking of going to the Cleveland Launcher Ti 460 11.5 but the shaft in an (R) stock.

Maverick,

Going up a degree in loft will add launch angle and backspin. It is likely your drives will go higher and straighter, but at the expense of some roll. Do you know your current launch monitor numbers? We all have a certain set of "ideal" numbers we strive to achieve based on our swing speed. If the 11.5 degree driver increases your launch angle and spin rate too much, losing distance is a real possibility.

[Everardo]

Right now I play with a 10.5 deg. driver but am contemplating going up to an 11.5. Will distance loss be noticeable? FYI: I'm playing a 905T Aldila NV-S 65g and am thinking of going to the Cleveland Launcher Ti 460 11.5 but the shaft in an (R) stock.

Without seeing your swing or having you on a launch monitor it's hard to say. You'll probably notice a big difference given that you're changing things up quite a bit though, from head, flex and profile of the shaft.

[cdriver]

About 18 months ago, I had heart problems and once I was back on the course, I switched from a 9.5* Titleist with a Stiff ProForce shaft to a 10.5* Taylormade with a Regular flex shaft. It took me a little while to learn to swing a little slower to let the Regular flex shaft work, but I am really pleased with the change. I already hit the ball lower, so the 10.5 didn't hurt me, but the shaft took a while. Now I am hitting the driver further and I am not having to swing so hard I unlace my shoes to get the shaft to work properly.

Picking a driver is such a personal choice, it is hard to advise. All I can say it it worked out well for me, but it took patience to figure out just how to make the swing to get the most out of the shaft.

[Maverick]

yeah, I figured the answer wouldn't be easy. My swing speed is 101 and I can't complain about the 905T..but I can get the Ti for a song possibly and just to try it out..thanks.

[iacas]

Just to add one thing since "distance loss is a very real possibility" has already been contributed: you may be more accurate. It's the old "do you hit your 3W or your driver straighter?" question. Unless people have an ill-fitted 3W, their 3W goes straighter. The less loft a club has, the less sidespin (relatively) it can put on a ball (that's simplified down, but basically "it").

So if you hit your driver far enough, and a little more loft gets you within 10 yards of your old driver but is 10 yards more accurate (perhaps that's too dramatic, but you get the point), it may be worth it.