The Stiffer More Lofted Driver Experiment

[c. lassiter]

I've seen at least a couple of other people ask about this topic so I thought I'd relate my experience.

I had been using a Titlesit 983K 9 Degree with a Grafalloy Reg shaft. This is well suited for me and my swing speed and, if I hit it on the screws it is very long.

It was reasonably accurate, too, but once or twice a round I would lose one left and cost myself strokes, so I wondered if a different combination of loft and shaft might work better.

So this year I bought a Ping I15 11 Degree (described as "fade biased") with a Mamiya AXIVcore Tour Stiff which is at the very limits of what I can handle - any stiffer and it would be completely unplayable for me.

After about 15 rounds with the new stick this is what I have found:

My formerly consistent low draw and sometimes hook with the Titleist has been replaced with a high nearly perfectly straight ball.

I have lost about 5 to 7 yards (vs the Titleist) on an average drive and as much as 15 or 20 on a crushed one, resulting in drives of 215 to 240 instead of 220 to 260 or so (much of which would have come from plenty of roll). But I am significantly more accurate, with yesterday being fairly typical:

I played 9 holes and hit 6 of 7 fairways. The one miss was in play about a yard off the fairway left (that same swing with the old driver would have had me in the hazard and looking at bogey or worse on that hole). I even managed a slight fade on a long hole with water on the left (absolutely impossible with the old club) which resulted in a birdie.

On an extremely long course I am sure I would prefer the extra distance, but I know it would cost me a stroke or two on other holes and I doubt it would translate into better scoring.

The only time I think it is a negative is on holes that curve left where I would have blasted a draw around the corner with the old club and gone for one of the 260s. But those are offset by holes with trouble left (as above) or holes that curve right where, in the past, I had no choice but to lay back with a shorter club. Now I can attack those with a high straight ball.

So for me, given the goal of getting the ball into the hole in the fewest number of strokes possible (as opposed to a goal of, say, out-driving my playing partners occasionally), I think this has been a success and I am sticking with it.

[CrazyXGolfer]

I see you like Ping clubs....
The Ping I15 driver is quite a hard club to turn over to get that nice draw, this is what is making the difference I would say. I actully no a few pro's who tried this driver and did not like it because it was so hard to turn the club over.

[c. lassiter]

I see you like Ping clubs....

Since my shot shape was always a draw / sometimes a hook this I15 may be the perfect club for me to keep the ball in play. It would be interesting to try this club with the same shaft in a regular (maybe with a 9 degree) and see what happens.

[James_Black]

I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday.

My course has a lot of holes where you need to hit the ball high so I was thinking about getting a 12* stiff driver.

I doubt I'll get one though

[CrazyXGolfer]

Since my shot shape was always a draw / sometimes a hook this I15 may be the perfect club for me to keep the ball in play. It would be interesting to try this club with the same shaft in a regular (maybe with a 9 degree) and see what happens.

I would be very interested to find out what happens if you did got to a reg 9*. If you ever go to a demo day and try this out, please inbox me a msg with how you went.