Swing Speed Driver

[M-benzw203]

Hi all i have a quest. about swing speed and distance i currently have a 9.5 deg w/ x-stiff with a swing speed of 110mph. now i went to a launch monitor the other day to look at some driver to comfirm my speed and distance consider this speed is only for the driver and woods my swing spped is more with irons. so the reading i got back were 110 mph speed and distance 280+ and i was using a 9.5 deg w/ (S) shaft on all. the sales person said with my speed and the deg of lauch i was hiting the 11 i should be hitting a driver that is 11-12.5 deg is that right i feel ill hitting the ball to high now what should i do he said by doing this ill be hitting longer as of right now i get a lot of roll of my drives about 15-20 yards can someone help expain what i shold be looking for then i feel i hit the ball long enough but does not hurt to get more :)
thx

[NM Golf]

Did you hit an 11 degree driver on the launch monitor? If not then how would he know that. Launch monitors can give great insight into what driver loft and shaft you should be using. But you have to hit a variety of shaft/ loft combinations in order to gather enough data to recommend a certain club. So if you just hit the 9.5 and he came up with that recommendation then he is full of it. If you hit several combinations and the numbers came out that the higher loft was better then numbers don't lie.

I will say this though, with that kind of swing speed it is highly unlikely you need that much loft. Normally more swing speed equals less loft.

[M-benzw203]

thx so much that is what i thought too more speed less loft i will go out again and try different lofts to c if he was right ya right hahaha

[AndrewM]

Im not sure about the launch monitor you were using... but 280+ yards with a swing speed of 110 sounds pretty far off to me.

At 110mph you really shouldnt be carrying it anywhere near 280 yards.

In reality you need a swing speed of circa 122mph to carry it that far.

Optimistic monitor maybe?

That being said, loft is meaningless, what matters is How you launch the ball. If you launch it properly and achieve optimum with 8* then go for it... if you need 12* then do that... the number on the club doesnt matter.

[philipy]

My experience with the launch monitor showed my 9.5° driver was launching the ball at 14 to 16 degrees - slightly higher than optimum for my swing speed. So is it my swing mechanics? or is it the kick point on the shaft? There are several variables that make this more complicated than I first thought.

[M-benzw203]

i think i hit about 20 shots w/ different drivers and i got an average of 11 deg lauch angle so is that good or bad this is how the sales person kind of got the ans that i need a more lofted driver i dont know and like i said i hit the ball a good distance so i would say i carry the ball on flight for about 270-275 and have a great amout of roll of 15-25 yards got to love the roll.

[greenail]

  AndrewM said:

Im not sure about the launch monitor you were using... but 280+ yards with a swing speed of 110 sounds pretty far off to me.

I've been on a monitor say that my swing with 102mph carry 279.

[lhshurdl3r]

  greenail said:

I've been on a monitor say that my swing with 102mph carry 279.

lol.

i've had 114mph with a carry of 268

[King Cobra II]

  M-benzw203 said:

now i went to a launch monitor the other day to look at some driver to comfirm my speed and distance consider this speed is only for the driver and woods my swing spped is more with irons.

No one has a higher swing speed with irons, the shafts are much shorter, hence less speed.

[Pete Beau]

Launch monitor data has to be has to be interpreted properly to each golfer. One of the specifications is called the power ratio. This value is the efficiency of the golfers swing and also explains why a slower swing speed can hit the ball further than a faster on. One thing that launch monitors did was show men that a 12 degree driver is ok (ego hurt).

Regarding loft angles, I have been fitting more 10.5 degree heads to high swing speed/ low handicap golfers. They hit it the ball the same distance, sometimes longer, and with more control. Also, I rarely use x-stiff shafts even with the stronger swing speeds (105+).

Using impact stickers along with different shaft / head combinations at a outdoor range works just as good as a launch monitor. You can watch the full shot and monitor the dispersion. Unfortunately, a shorter and straighter driver can be a tough sale. A lot of golfers will sacrifice accuracy with a once-in-a-while booming drive.

[AndrewM]

  greenail said:

I've been on a monitor say that my swing with 102mph carry 279.

that would be my point

lol

[fusioncal]

The loft has a little to do with your swing speed. The reason why a launch monitor and the certified fitter is there watching you swing is to maximize anything you got, even if it means higher lofted driver. Generally most people will think if he's hitting hard he should use driver with lesser loft or stiffer shaft to add distance and that is just not the case.

Remember, every swing is different hence every ball flight is different. There's some who put more spin to the ball and there's some who don't. Also put in mind that shaft characteristics is another factor in ball flight.

I have a close friend who visited a local pro shop and got himself monitored. He has about 105mph monitored swing speed and was testing the 9.5deg lofted driver with some shafts. He hit approx. 230 yards carry consistently. Then the fitter gave him 10.5 driver with different type of shaft. The result was he hit it consistently 260+ yards carry.

Therefore, this proves the point that higher swing speed doesn't equal to lesser loft.

[M-benzw203]

well i think the launch monitor is f**** up b/c it was reading 117 mph w/ a 6 iron lol i just dont know to even use the thing again. so what do u guys think of which loft i should get or stay the same.

[fusioncal]

  M-benzw203 said:

well i think the launch monitor is f**** up b/c it was reading 117 mph w/ a 6 iron lol i just dont know to even use the thing again. so what do u guys think of which loft i should get or stay the same.

I think you're good.

[Pete Beau]

Go to a golf shop/ store that has an outdoor range and trial clubs. Hit the different clubs and watch the ball flight and distance. The combination that yields the best distance/ accuracy is getting close.

When fitting a driver you also use impact stickers to monitor the pattern on the face of the club. The proper length and swing weight of the club is the one that you hit the sweet spot most consistent. Don’t rule out choking down on the club and hitting some balls. I rarely make drivers over 45.0 inches long and most of them are 44.5 and shorter. However, on stronger players you usually have to get the swing weight back up on the shorter drivers. This is where going to a custom fitter is beneficial even for all golfers.

[M-benzw203]

thx for the tip i guess i have to go out and hit on the range. im leanning more to a squre set up driver like the titleist and the burner. i had the R7 quad tp and i just couldnt hit it i had good dist by i was not to consistant with it. will see that works and what combo
thx

[M-benzw203]

what do u guys think is a better driver club D2 or burner or maybe Cobra

[Pete Beau]

I make custom clubs so I don’t use any of the ‘big golf company’ components. I have been involved in altering some of the ‘big’ golf clubs and they all hit real nice. It’s personnel preference, like Ford, Chevy, and Chrysler.

I know the Cobra stuff is real good and have face angles that are a little more closed than the rest which will help deter slices/ fades. I have tried the Callaway FTi and was very nice and super easy to hit. Too bad you don’t live closer I could fit you and make you a driver.