Finally thinking about getting equipped with a proper Driver, looking for feedback.

[chilly]

I started playing golf seriously April of this year, having played around 2 rounds per year prior to this. Basically, I grabbed a Callaway X460 9* off the used club rack so I had a decent driver this year, but never really had a swing that let me hit driver. Recently I've been working on my swing and have had some success, I now have enough consistency to be able to tell a difference in clubs, versus hitting bad shot after bad shot regardless of what driver I picked up.

Anyway, I went for a quick driver fitting from Golf Galaxy last week. I had hit in their simulator, but this was my first time in the actual launch monitor. The results were AVE SS = 117.5mph, launch was 11* average, distance (with roll) = 276yds. I was surprised at the swing speed, and launch angle. I didn't think my SS was in that range, and on course I hit all clubs very high, including driver which doesn't jive with the launch figures. My goal has been to get driver trajectory down, it's not necessarily ballooning, but it definitely isn't a boring type ball flight.

I hit a few head/shaft combos, the best (in a small sample size) being an Xstiff Motore (factory) in a R9 TP. Problem was the monitor still showed this as a 11* launch combo, still only 275yds. The Xstiff definitely brought my dispersion in (I play Stiff shafts), I averaged 8yds from centerline according to launch versus around 12-13yd dispersion with Stiffs (in general). My average spin with most shafts was around 3200, the Motore/R9 combo got me to 2800. The driver distance is a bit odd because I hit my 18.5* 5wd 250-255yds pretty consistently, 15.5* 3wd 260-265. These are UST V2 HL shafts that hit the ball high, which is fine because I hit them off the deck and like the trajectory to get the ball up and land softly, I've hit one green with the 5wd from 250 (lucky shot) that stopped within 5yds.

Over the weekend I visited a local driving range/golf shop to hit outdoors. I had my X460, a 9.5 '09 Tour Burner with stock Reax Stiff, and a Hibore XL with stock stiff red fujikura I just picked up for a good price. I was hitting the ball well but really didn't get along with the X460 for some reason, and never have. I hit the Burner long and with some consistency, but "bad" swings are very bad and the shaft feels quite whippy. I occasionally get a nice looking trajectory but this club hits the ball with too high a ball flight. The Hibore was very consistent and played a slight draw, misses were slight pushes but still in great shape. Problem is this combo always hits the ball very high as well, definitely feels as though I was losing distance. Tough to judge distance but I'd say carry was 260ish in 40* temps.

One of the owners at the range came out and let me hit a few demos. Hit a G15, i15, 909D2 and 909D3. Best combo was a D3 with UST V2 Stiff 76G, it got the ball a bit lower and was consistent (but not exactly the type trajectory I'm looking for). I did hit some Xstiff combos that still didn't bring ball flight down. I went back on Sunday to do some more analysis, hitting some balls with impact tape on the driver. I figured some of the issue may be missing the sweet spot, but I hit quite a few "perfectly" that still seemed to hit the ball too high. I then tried moving the ball forward and back in my stance to see if it changed trajectory. To be honest, I had a very hard time hitting the ball well when I moved it back to the right, causing a slice. Forward in my stance didn't really change trajectory but caused more hooks.

So my questions are:
1) Should I "ignore" the launch angle data from the launch monitor, being that it said I was "low" but on course shows i hit everything high? Could ball extremely high ball flight be due to spin, although I was hitting some very low spin, low launch combos (909D3 with a Prolaunch Red, for instance). I also haven't tried an 8.5* driver because they're somewhat hard to find, and my understanding is lower loft is harder to hit straight?

2) Would a 75g Xstiff, or 85g Xstiff get ball flight down appreciably versus 65g?

3) Would something like an Adams 9015d head launch appreciably lower then a 909D3 or the i15?

4) Is there a swing "fault" that would cause me to hit the ball too high? I'm hitting a very slight push or draw most times and it's still going high, this is not a big slice that climbs. I tee the ball low already, equator of the ball is below the topline of the club.

[Leftygolfer]

I would guess the problem is you are hitting down or too steep and that will send the ball really high. It doesn't matter how little loft or stiff you go, it will put too much spin and hit it high. If I were you I would look at this before addressing equipment. If you are swinging that fast you should be flying it close to 300 with a pure strike. Some ways to help you have better launch conditions (low spin, 13-14 degree launch) is move the ball up in your stance and make sure you are hitting it on the up swing. You should hit the ball high. It might look like you are hitting it too high but really good drivers of the ball hit it high. Hope this helps. And yes, heavier makes it go lower, stiffer makes it lower, and higher kickpoint in the shaft makes it fly lower. Before you spend the money on the club, fix the swing first.

[Danattherock]

Your question requires an answer far beyond the scope of an online opinion from a stranger. I would take a few lessons myself. I would then go to a certified professional clubfitter. I would never make an equipment change based on what a monitor in a big box store suggested. NEVER!! I suspect you are hitting a high ball because of your swing. Perhaps the shaft in the 460 is too weak for you, but I would not rush into things here. Put some impact tape (stickers) on the clubface and verify where you are hitting the ball. Until you verify this, you should put the brakes on upgrading the driver if you ask me. This is a huge variable of course. I routinely use these stickers to find out where the ball is hitting the face. Honestly, it can be very humbling. 90% of the time, I find archer, not arrow to be at fault. I would also hit a few different balls. It is amazing how much of a difference that can make, especially with the long ball. As of late, I am absolutely smitten with the Srixon Z-star. Pick up a sleeve and see what you think. The results may surprise you. Also keep in mind that the majority of golfers hit shafts that are too stiff for them and use too little lofted drivers. A softer flex shaft with 10.5 deg loft, along with a smooth swing and good timing will render much better tee shots for most of us. But like I said, only a professional clubfitting will do. And I would only do that after a few lessons from a reputable teaching professional. It only took me 20 years to figure this out, perhaps you will fare better.

[chilly]

Thanks for the replies. I have been to a pro for two lessons, that's basically what has enabled me to actually hit the driver at this point. We really didn't address the launch angle to this point, just getting a flat swing plane. I have hit shots using impact tape as stated, I hit the ball high even when hitting the sweet spot of the club. I'll also hit them high when catching it towards the heel which I thought was a bit odd. I usually hit an AD333 or E6, I just picked up some E7s which should bring ball flight down.

I will try to setup with the ball further forward to see if that helps, thanks for the tip. I'll see if I can get some video to see if there's something in my swing that indicates what causes the high launch.