Moving Contact Lower on Driver Face

[johnclayton1982]

Hi All,

Over the last few weeks, my driver contact has moved up my driver face significantly.  Not sure why.  Tried teeing it lower and doesn't help all that much.  I use smash tape to look at it and it is about a 1/4" to a 1/2" above the "sweet spot".  The drives go really high.  While they are certainly playable (about 250 probably) when I can get the dang ballflight down I can hit it 290.

Any drills / tips / thoughts / setup stuff to help move driver contact down the face?

[Stretch]

A 1/4 inch or so above the sweet spot is (from a physics point of view) the best place to be making contact. You get a higher launch, due to the roll radius of the driver face, and lower spin -- due to vertical gear effect.

Of course if you're hitting it too high to begin with, it's not an unequivocal benefit. Sounds like you have the club speed and impact conditions to consider playing a lower-lofted driver. What are you bagging now?

[Righty to Lefty]

Yup you are hitting it in the right place and you will likely lose distance if you hit it lower in the face because of the increased spin.  Yeah you might need a lower lofted driver but you will just need to be fitted.  Judging by your carry distance your driver swingspeed is hopefully around 100 mph which would mean that you are actually maximizing the performance of the driver.  If your swingspeed is higher than 100 mph (116 mph would allow you to hit the ball around 290) on average then yes, your are losing performance with that club.

[johnclayton1982]

Hm.  Interesting.  I just wish I didn't get the baloon as much...

I'm hitting a Callaway X-Hot with a Project X stiff shaft.

My swing speed with the driver is usually between 104 and 110.

[Stretch]

What's the stated loft on the driver?

Edit: D'oh, it's in your signature.

[Mr. Desmond]

Check the real loft on that driver ... it may be higher than marked. Also, stiff flex may be a little loose for your speed.

[jmurder]

I had a buddy that bought a TM driver that was supposed to be 8.5 and was 11.5, so getting it checked is a really good idea.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by jmurder

I had a buddy that bought a TM driver that was supposed to be 8.5 and was 11.5, so getting it checked is a really good idea.

That's a very radical difference... was this a legitimate club? I can see a half degree, degree tops... but 3°? Did it turn out to be mis-labeled and confirmed by TaylorMade?

[Mr. Desmond]

It happens all the time. I recently saw a driver that was labeled as 10.5 but marked as having 13° of actual loft

[big stoke]

How do you check "actual" loft?

[johnclayton1982]

I had the same question.  How do I check actual loft?

[Stretch]

You need a loft and lie machine, so it's not something that can be done at home.

Tom Wishon (a very well-known club fitter) recently measured a bunch of adjustable drivers and found that the "10.5" Anser and Titleist 913D2 were both actually 14.5 degrees and the Covert and R1 were between 12.5 and 13 degrees when set to that loft with a neutral face angle. I'm sure Callaway is doing much the same thing.

Really, you need to try and get on a proper launch monitor and see what your numbers are.

[johnclayton1982]

How can they get away with that?!?

I've always really liked Callaway products / customer service.  I will be very disappointed if they sold me a 13/14* driver instead of what I thought I bought. I specifically moved FROM a 13* driver (A Nike Lucky 13 SQ) to this driver to get my ballflight down!  Spent $300.

Anyone else feel like this is something to get upset about (if true) ?

EDIT: I figured since I had such a high ballflight with the NIke SQ AND the new one it was my swing....

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by johnclayton1982

How can they get away with that?!?

I've always really liked Callaway products / customer service.  I will be very disappointed if they sold me a 13/14* driver instead of what I thought I bought. I specifically moved FROM a 13* driver (A Nike Lucky 13 SQ) to this driver to get my ballflight down!  Spent $300.

Anyone else feel like this is something to get upset about (if true) ?

EDIT: I figured since I had such a high ballflight with the NIke SQ AND the new one it was my swing....

Maybe your A Nike Lucky 13 SQ was 22*!!!

[Spyder]

I always assumed it varied, but honestly I would have never imagined by 3-4° in some cases.

I did find this as well, from nearly 6 years ago... great post: http://thesandtrap.com/t/4742/the-myth-of-the-closed-face-driver

I am really curious now as to what the actual loft of my 10.5° Cobra S3 is (I use it on neutral). Though, I've been considering a 9.5° for quite some time. I am one of the few players on our course who goes over several dog-leg-left holes on my home course and they really love me in scrambles. I do think I would gain a lot of yardage if I brought my trajectory down to a "normal" path though.

[johnclayton1982]

My driver is adjustable and I have it at "Neutral".  Would opening the face decrease the loft?

I'm kinda pissed about this, but not sure exactly what to do about it.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by johnclayton1982

My driver is adjustable and I have it at "Neutral".  Would opening the face decrease the loft?

That's what I've always heard...

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by johnclayton1982

My driver is adjustable and I have it at "Neutral".  Would opening the face decrease the loft?

In theory, yes. But, in practice, that's debatable too. Have a read if you have the time and inclination.

http://wishongolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/adjustable-hosel-drivers.pdf