How much of a difference would a 12 degree driver make? From 10.5....

[glock35ipsc]

Where you hit it on the face will make a big difference too.  The "roll" radius can add or subtract as much as 3°-4° of loft when hit above or below the center of the face.

[Backspinalot]

You don't want to creat too much backspin by using a 12 degree to help you get it in the air if you already have a steep angle of attack. You should learn to hit the 10.5 high. The shaft might make a small difference but not a whole lot to completely change everything in the ball flight. I hit a 9.5 with a Stiff shaft and it goes plenty high for me, I would worry about fixing your swing first. because if you hit it 250 with a 10.5, you shouldn't be using a 12 degree loft driver.

[jeffrey r]

I posted earlier in the thread about trying a 12* K15 with the TFC R flex shaft, and it was a nice straight driver, but too high and too short.  So I swapped in a prolaunch red R flex shaft, and proceeded to slice the heck out of the K15 in my one round with that combo.  So I am done with this experiment, and this high of a loft is simply not for me.  So for now, back to my 10.5* G15, and I'll be swapping out the 12* K15 for a 9.5* or 10.5*.

[JOSEPHLB]

Nothing wrong with high loft.  Not sure my swing speed, but I poke my Dymo2 Str8-fit HL (13*) anywhere from 240 to 265, with no ballooning.

[Skier]

The measure of winning in golf is the least number of strokes, not the average distance of drives.  If the angle of error were to remain constant, then doubling the distance would double the error in yards from intended line of flight.  Unfortunately, getting more distance on one's longest drives often involves using a lower loft and a longer club.  Lower loft seems to increase the average angle of lateral errors as does getting a longer club.  Add to that, using a longer club increases the odds of hitting away from the sweet spot, and using a lower loft increases the consequences of missing the sweet spot.  It seems to me that if one maximizes the length of average drive, without paying attention to the potential errors, that one could easily increase the stroke count by getting the driver that has the potential maximum distance based on one's swing.  I think an optimum driver would provide a balance between more distance  and less dispersion.

[WUTiger]

Quote:

Id really talk to a pro or a fitter or someone who knows alot about this kinda stuff because their is an awful lot that goes into the height of the shot. There is the degree of the club, their is the stiffness of the shaft, their is the kickpoint of a shaft and then of course the most important part... your swing. ...

Another factor is ball position in your stance.

[npgolffuy]

it might, but other than 'on course' testing, the only way to tell would be on a launch monitor.....I'm in the same position: 10.5 degree driver, about 225 carry and 20-30 yds roll....my launch angle is only about 10 (which is very low), but my spin rate in about 2000 (which is ideal)....so I was told that if I could get my launch angle up to about 13 or 14 degrees, and keep the spin rate as is, I could gain 'carry distance' of up to 20 yds....recommendation was a 12 degree loft on driver.....(but of course, the 'real' test is on a course you regularly play with balls you regularly use...)

[RoyJeeBiv]

i come from the school of "you won't know until you try".  i picked up a Cleveland Launcher 11.5* driver for cheap to try it out last season, and didn't particularly like it.  granted my shots already have a high trajectory, so the higher loft on the driver was more of a hindrance than help.  for you it might work out, though, since you're looking for a higher shot.

of course if you want to get fitted, all the better.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by jeffrey r

I posted earlier in the thread about trying a 12* K15 with the TFC R flex shaft, and it was a nice straight driver, but too high and too short.  So I swapped in a prolaunch red R flex shaft, and proceeded to slice the heck out of the K15 in my one round with that combo.  So I am done with this experiment, and this high of a loft is simply not for me.  So for now, back to my 10.5* G15, and I'll be swapping out the 12* K15 for a 9.5* or 10.5*.

If you're using Ping, it was once common knowledge that you added 1-2 degrees to the stamped loft to get actual loft. I asked for a 10.5 degrees digitally lofted in 2008 and received a 9 degree stamped head.

I don't know if their tolerances are better from 5 years ago. Ask. But your 12 deg K head may be 13.5-14 degrees.

[saevel25]

Originally Posted by ajschn06

Anyone know?  I currently use a 10.5 but I don't swing very hard and can hit about 240-250 on average.  I hit my driver pretty low and my thought is that I can add a little more carry and swing a little more aggressively with the added loft.  I just don't want to lose distance because I need all I can get.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

If you compare driver loft versus Driver Shaft, the Golf Shaft has much more to do with the launch angle. Given a higher lofted driver will increase the backspin (not really backspin, but it will increase that vector in the spin value). Spin on a golf ball is in one direction only, its a vector, meaning there are x,y,z spin on the ball which produces the total spin. Driver loft will increase or decrease the spin vector in the direction the loft changes.

Now, that spin can keep the ball in the air longer if you have a slower swing speed. 240-250 range, that's pretty good. I am not sure if your definition of low is low or not. It might actually be not that bad. How much Carry to roll do you get? For example, in the spring when there is less roll, whats your yardage compared to summer? If its really a big difference, you might be hitting to low.

But, i would be more concerned with your golf shaft, you could have a very steep angle into the ball, causing a lower ball, high spin. Or you could have a good angle of attack into the ball, but have a very stiff golf shaft, the wrong kick point, that sends the ball out low.

My suggestion, go get fitted for a driver

[stogiesnbogies]

According to a table from The Search for the Perfect Golf Club by Tom Wishon, the ideal driver loft to maximize carry distance for each of the below swing speeds (based on a swing angle of attack of +2.5 degrees as the average golfer has a slight upward angle of attack with the driver) is as follows:

60mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 122yds
70mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 156yds
80mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 185yds
90mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 213yds
100mph - loft of 10* for a carry distance of 236yds
110mph - loft of 9* for a carry distance of 257yds

Hope that helps.

[WUTiger]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

If you're using Ping, it was once common knowledge that you added 1-2 degrees to the stamped loft to get actual loft. I asked for a 10.5 degrees digitally lofted in 2008 and received a 9 degree stamped head.

I don't know if their tolerances are better from 5 years ago. Ask. But your 12 deg K head may be 13.5-14 degrees.

This has shifted since the arrival of metal wood drivers in the 1980s. In the persimmon head days, driver clubfaces had roll on the faces, basically a rounded angle to the loft. If you had a 1970s era wooden driver with a 14* vertical roll radius, the loft was 12* at the top of the clubface, 11* in the middle, and 10* at the bottom.

Early metal drivers had no face roll, and recent metal-wood drivers have a much smaller amount than the persimmons.

In today's adjustable drivers and metal woods, face angle has an effect. If  you set the face angle to open, you add a degree or two of effective loft to the club. So these day, true loft would be affected by a combination of manufacturing tolerances and face angle effect.

[JerryD1965]

All things being equal the 12 degree would be an improvement in flight and probably give more distance.

NOW...... shafts, headweight , even kickpoint can change your flight.

 

[Lihu]

6 hours ago, JerryD1965 said:

All things being equal the 12 degree would be an improvement in flight and probably give more distance.

NOW...... shafts, headweight , even kickpoint can change your flight.

Good answer, but the OP in the thread is probably long gone by now.