Driver Loft

[moadhia]

I play with a 10.5 degree driver and hit my driver a fairly decent distance ( 235 - 250 with roll). My playing partners have been commenting that I am hitting the ball too high which is probably robbing me off some distance.

Would moving to a driver with lower loft (9.5 or 8.5) help gain some distance ? How difficult is it to hit a lower lofted driver ? Can i get my current driver bent to 9.5 ?

[Shindig]

I picked up some distance pretty quickly in the move from 10.5 to 9.5. Others may lose distance, on account of loss of carry. The usual suggestion is to check yours against a similar one on a launch monitor.

I don't find the 9.5 any harder to hit than the 10.5 was.

You can also look into the kick point of the shaft to lower the ball flight.

[westcyderydin]

get fitted for the right shaft then see what loft you want to use with that shaft

[moadhia]

get fitted for the right shaft then see what loft you want to use with that shaft

how much does it cost to be fitted for all the clubs ? Any idea. Although I still consider myself a high handicapper , I think fitting might help drop my handicap by 4-5 strokes.

[westcyderydin]

if you buy a driver at dicks or a place like that they should fit them for free id think. i dont know what it would cost for a fitting alone.

[fifakid]

I find that I hit about the same with a difference of 1 degree or so, and I never really ventured anywhere farther. When I look at drivers I really care alot more about weight ad feel of the head, not the loft.

[Mattplusness]

how much does it cost to be fitted for all the clubs ? Any idea. Although I still consider myself a high handicapper , I think fitting might help drop my handicap by 4-5 strokes.

i'm currently in the market to get my clubs fit, the cost at carl's golf land (idk if that's nationwide) is 7.50, and golfsmith is 8.00, i wouldn't want to go to dick's because it's got minimum wage employees working it

[max power]

I play with a 10.5 degree driver and hit my driver a fairly decent distance ( 235 - 250 with roll). My playing partners have been commenting that I am hitting the ball too high which is probably robbing me off some distance.

More likely swing and/or shaft causing height than 1 degree of loft.

[design]

You're friends are probably just hitting it too low.

[Chilli Dipper]

I use a 9.5° driver with a stiff shaft. With the swing I'm working on (transfer weight, clear hips, 90% tempo, stay on plane), my drives are consistently low bullets with a hint of draw that travel about 240 yards. I'm guessing that I'm losing a few yards in carry with my trajectory, and my overall distance would improve with a 10.5° driver. I'm going to test that theory in a simulator sometime soon.

[Paradox]

the short answer is that theres really no way to tell because height isn't solely related to the loft of the driver. Its an upswing club..you could be swinging too much up and be fine with a 10.5. You could have the perfect swing and a wrong shaft..both could be wrong.

I know one thing..I'm about worn out on my 8.5 driver. It was such a good deal at the time I bought it(70 bucks) that I couldn't pass it up 4 years ago...but I would benefit so much more from a higher loft.

[JJLinn]

My driver is 13 degrees as I heard higher loft was better for shorter hitters/beginners, but I'm starting to think that it's way too much. I almost never get any roll on my drives because they're so high. I'll probably go down to 10.5 when I get a new one.

[pup]

More likely swing and/or shaft causing height than 1 degree of loft.

Agreed. I would think that a stiffer shaft would cause the ball to loft higher (at least that's how it stands to reason in my head). I can tell a slight difference between a 10.5 and a 9, but I have to think the shaft has a lot to do with it as well.

[max power]

My driver is 13 degrees as I heard higher loft was better for shorter hitters/beginners, but I'm starting to think that it's way too much. I almost never get any roll on my drives because they're so high. I'll probably go down to 10.5 when I get a new one.

You probably won't get much roll in PA no matter what your driver loft is. I wouldn't switch to a lower lofted driver unless you get more carry. More backspin with the 13* driver equates to straighter shots.

[westcyderydin]

the loft of the head does make a difference too..if you have a 7.5 or 13 degree driver, that pretty extreme in each direction. for most people id say a 9-10.5 degree driver is good with whatever shaft seems to fit their swing, trajectory, etc the best.