Optimum Driver Loft Calculator

[ronaldkuntoro]

I found this Optimum Driver Loft calculator while searching optimum driver loft on google:
http://www.probablegolfinstruction.c...calculator.htm

I got a 95-97 Mph swing speed. The calculator suggested a 13 degree driver!

What do you think about the result? Are they right on or too much?

[Blades4me]

Hmm, interesting, but I don't really believe it. This is why; my last driver had a measured loft of 11.8*, (but on the bottom of the club head it said 10.5*). Anyway I was able to hit it 260 yds, but with a ball rpm of 5600 which is way toooooo much spin.

LOL, after I put in my ave. ss of 107 mph it came up with a 11.7* driver for 247 yds hit at sea level. I live in Portland Or so I'm pretty much at sea level so IMO they are way off.

[Range King]

There a so many factors influencing the ball flight.
Swing speed and loft are among them, but there are also shaft, swing path, impact position, grip, driver head features.

I would not rely on this "formula" when buying a driver.

[drglew]

There a so many factors influencing the ball flight. Swing speed and loft are among them, but there are also shaft, swing path, impact position, grip, driver head features.

Yes, your actual launch conditions are more than just swing speed & club's loft. However, lots of magazines also suggest higher lofted drivers would benefit the majority of players. Looking at recent "winner's bags", Camilo Villegas, Jason Bohn, Adam Scott, and Jason Day are all using 10.5* drivers -- and i'd guarantee their swing speed is faster than 95% of readers of this forum! (However, i'm not sure if most of our ego's could take playing a driver with more than 10.5* loft, as they're often labelled "senior" or "ladies").

[Range King]

That's what I am saying: don't pick your driver based on your swingspeed.

Looking at recent "winner's bags", Camilo Villegas, Jason Bohn, Adam Scott, and Jason Day are all using 10.5* drivers -- and i'd guarantee their swing speed is faster than 95% of readers of this forum! (However, i'm not sure if most of our ego's could take playing a driver with more than 10.5* loft, as they're often labelled "senior" or "ladies").

[The Recreational Golfer]

I have a Titleist 975J 10.5 that I hit high and carry 230. I also have a 907 D2 that I hit worse than my 2h. The 975J has a 65 gram R shaft and the 902 has a 75 gram S shaft. I don't know much about shaft technology, but that has to account for a lot of the difference in the way I hit those two clubs.

[delav]

Yes, your actual launch conditions are more than just swing speed & club's loft. However, lots of magazines also suggest higher lofted drivers would benefit the majority of players. Looking at recent "winner's bags", Camilo Villegas, Jason Bohn, Adam Scott, and Jason Day are all using 10.5* drivers -- and i'd guarantee their swing speed is faster than 95% of readers of this forum! (However, i'm not sure if most of our ego's could take playing a driver with more than 10.5* loft, as they're often labelled "senior" or "ladies").

Very good point. I'd like to see their launch numbers.

This could be a condition of a tour players swing path versus the rest of us. As a tall guy with long arms, I likely swing too upright with my driver in comparison to a tour player. With an 8.5 and a 75g mid-kick shaft, I am launching right around 12.5 degrees, with 2600 rpms of spin. Higher lofts generate way too much (3500+) spin for me. check this out: http://www.rotaryswing.com/golf-inst...ch-monitor.php

[The Recreational Golfer]

I have a Titleist 975J 10.5 that I hit high and carry 230. I also have a 907 D2 that I hit worse than my 2h. The 975J has a 65 gram R shaft and the 902 has a 75 gram S shaft. I don't know much about shaft technology, but that has to account for a lot of the difference in the way I hit those two clubs.

Forgot to mention, the 907 is also 10.5 degrees.

[WUTiger]

I got on the launch monitor when getting my driver, and the 10.5* driver with midkick, R shaft gave me the best results. Launch angle was about 13*.

On the Probable...Calculator: I plugged in my 85 mph swingspeed, and it said I should have a 14.4* driver, and would get 210 yds. total distance. With my current driver 10.5* driver, I get about 230 yards total distance on level ground.

And for drglew on fact Villegas and other winning pros have a 10.5* driver: I bet none of these guys have my R-flex, midkick shaft in their big stick. Shaft is at least as important as loft in club choice.

[westcyderydin]

yea thats not even close to accurate. using the swing speed i got off of the launch monitor at dicks (also not accurate), it says i should hit a 10 degree driver 258 with carry and roll. how could they assume that by only using swingspeed? on a average drive that i hit on the fairway it goes more like 290 and i have a 102-105 ish swing speed. my golf partner had a 105-108 swing speed and he hits it like 250 when he hits the fairway.

and that was a cool link that delav put up.

[Tifosinumerouno]

I have a 103 mph swing speed. I use a 10.5* driver. The calculator showed me having a 253 yd carry plus roll, and a 12.5* had 254 yds. I play in Texas where there is usually a good wind to play against, and hard fairways to run the ball down, so I'll take the 10.5 all day long over the 12.5.

[martytilma]

What a load of crap! It's telling to hit a 12 degree driver! I hit a 8.5 now and I'm a fairly high ball hitter. I would be hitting moon shots with a 12 degree!

[delav]

What a load of crap! It's telling to hit a 12 degree driver! I hit a 8.5 now and I'm a fairly high ball hitter. I would be hitting moon shots with a 12 degree!

+1, i agree. Seems to me like the website is driven by a basic kinematic equation for projectile motion, not taking into account the angle of attack of the club in the overall "loft" equation.

[martytilma]

+1, i agree. Seems to me like the website is driven by a basic kinematic equation for projectile motion, not taking into account the angle of attack of the club in the overall "loft" equation.

Holy crap, could you say that in English!! Ha! Lol!

[delav]

Holy crap, could you say that in English!! Ha! Lol!

Sure. Projectile motion is driven by x and y equations. The angle of launch can be split into x and y velocities, where the velocity in the y direction is fighting against gravity (determines max height, time) and the x velocity determines how far something travels given time (t), as derived by the vertical motion equation.

The website doesn't differentiate between angle of attack, loft and speed. Setting up a goofy spreadsheet like that based on the angle of the initial velocity is easy, and I'd bet the nerd that created it confused "loft" for launch angle in completing his c/s capstone or something.

[martytilma]

Sure. Projectile motion is driven by x and y equations. The angle of launch can be split into x and y velocities, where the velocity in the y direction is fighting against gravity (determines max height, time) and the x velocity determines how far something travels given time (t), as derived by the vertical motion equation.

Now I know why I hated Math in High School!!!

[saevel25]

The physics behind the golf ball is more than just projectile motion. The materials on the face of the club, the characteristics of the golf ball, how those interact, were on the clubface, moments of inertia, friction, wind resistance, direct of wind, spin, its just nuts. The best thing i found was an excel file, if you google, Golfball.xls it should come up. What it will do is a 4th level iteration with a specific equation to calculate the trajectory and carry. I think its pretty accurate, but it doesn't take into consideration any side spin at all.

[delav]

The physics behind the golf ball is more than just projectile motion. The materials on the face of the club, the characteristics of the golf ball, how those interact, were on the clubface, moments of inertia, friction, wind resistance, direct of wind, spin, its just nuts. The best thing i found was an excel file, if you google, Golfball.xls it should come up. What it will do is a 4th level iteration with a specific equation to calculate the trajectory and carry. I think its pretty accurate, but it doesn't take into consideration any side spin at all.

Right, it's much more than projectile motion. If you read my posts, you'd gather that. My point was that the website referenced above fails to acknowledge any element other than loft. Discussing MOI, smash factor, friction, spin, etc would be trivial to the point this thread, which is replying to said loft calculator.