Loft question

[kregan]

Help me understand the reason behind the different loft angles on the the irons and wedges.

I will us Taylormade irons as an example.

Looking at the specs for the RAC tp irons they are called "low launch" and the
pitching wedge is at 48*

Compare that to the R7 cavity back clubs that are called "mid to high launch" with a pitching wedge at 45*

Since the RAC TP are considered "low launch" do they add extra loft to the club to get the ball up?

If you own R7 clubs and want the to use the RAC TP wedges would a 52* TP
equal a 50* R7 Approach wedge in distance since the TP is considered a "low launch" club ?

[WilsonsRBest]

There are many factors that play into the launch characteristics for different clubs. Loft is certainly one of the factors, as is center of gravity (lower typically meaning higher launch), shaft kick point and clubhead speed, just to name a few. Your swing also determines the effective loft of the club at impact more than anything. There are really no standards for loft for each specific club. You are simply going to have to try out each club and determine which corresponds to you own swing.

[DaveLeeNC]

These clubs are talking to different markets. The TP irons are typically played by low handicap/better golfers. "Low launch" is in the context of "Player's Clubs". These clubs most typically have (for example) PW'es lofts in the range of 48* and 'low launch' would be as compared to other clubs of similar loft.

The R7 is a game improvement iron. For no particular good reason that I can think of, these clubs have lower lofts (for the same iron #) than player's irons. And 'high launch' is as compared to other clubs of similar lofts.

dave

[Tomboys]

Help me understand the reason behind the different loft angles on the the irons and wedges.

When manufacturers talk about high or low launch, they are talking about the relative ball flight trajectory. The degree loft is the static measurement of the angle of the clubface relative to the shaft. You can have two clubs with identical lofts, yet due to the differences in clubhead design, the ball may launch higher off one club compared to the other. Usually, this is caused by the center of gravity of the iron (as WilsonsRbest mentioned).

As a general rule, more accomplished golfers tend to hit the ball on the higher side. So, they require equipment that allows them to keep their shots from ballooning. As a result, they tend to chose equipment that has a higher center of gravity, which produces lower launching shots. In contrast, newer and/or golfers that have slower swing speeds require clubs that help them get the ball airborne. Clubs designed for them tend to have a lower center of gravity. This design characteristic tends to launch the ball higher. As far as "mixing" clubs from one set to another, you have to be very careful because, as I said above, the clubhead design has an influence on the ball flight trajectory. So, there is no cut and dry formula. Again, as WilsonsRbest suggested, you'll have to "field" test your choices to see what works for you. DT