Help!! Adjusted Driver Loft and my shot-shape reversed!

[Tee Wade]

I've been hitting my driver pretty consistently for the past 12-15 months.  My typical shot shape off the tee is a draw with an occasional push shot (straight, not a slice) that creeps up every 6-7 holes.  I've noticed that my tee-shots tend to be pretty high but I still average 260 yards including roll.  I've been playing an adjustable Callaway X2hot driver that comes standard at 9 degrees.  It was already set to +2 neutral when my wife gave it to me so I've always played with that setting.  Last night, I decided to decrease the loft to 10 degrees (kept the face neutral) in hopes of getting a more piercing tee shot.  Well...I just got back from a bewildering lunch break range session.  My draw has turned into a fade.  Luckily, the ball was still landing in the middle but these were Bubba Watson type fades/slices.  I'm scared these fades will turn into push slices tomorrow during my league match.  I was still hitting draws/straight shots with all my woods, hybrids, and irons. 

So my question for you guys: Is it normal for shot shapes to change when you change lofts on your driver?  It was pretty windy today but the wind didn't seem to affect my woods and hybrids.  I'm hoping this was a one-off thing and I'm back to hitting draws tomorrow.  Why, why do I always have to tinker with my swing/equipment!??!

[Lihu]

Well, since it's adjustable couldn't you just set it back to the original setting?

[Tee Wade]

11 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Well, since it's adjustable couldn't you just set it back to the original setting?

Definitely can and will for tomorrow.  But in the long-term, I would really like to hit with a more piercing ball flight off the tee.  I just don't know if I should expect that my normal shot shape will change if I adjust my loft.

[Lihu]

3 minutes ago, Tee Wade said:

Definitely can and will for tomorrow.  But in the long-term, I would really like to hit with a more piercing ball flight off the tee.  I just don't know if I should expect that my normal shot shape will change if I adjust my loft.

Seems like it shouldn't? But I just switched from my i25 with a 75gm shaft to the XR16 with something like a 55gm shaft and it's taken/taking some time to get used to the lighter weight. Definitely a good idea to switch it back, but it might take some time to get used to the new settings when you do try it again?

FWIW, your current higher flight might be more or less ideal anyway?

[boogielicious]

17 hours ago, Tee Wade said:

I've been hitting my driver pretty consistently for the past 12-15 months.  My typical shot shape off the tee is a draw with an occasional push shot (straight, not a slice) that creeps up every 6-7 holes.  I've noticed that my tee-shots tend to be pretty high but I still average 260 yards including roll.  I've been playing an adjustable Callaway X2hot driver that comes standard at 9 degrees.  It was already set to +2 neutral when my wife gave it to me so I've always played with that setting.  Last night, I decided to decrease the loft to 10 degrees (kept the face neutral) in hopes of getting a more piercing tee shot.  Well...I just got back from a bewildering lunch break range session.  My draw has turned into a fade.  Luckily, the ball was still landing in the middle but these were Bubba Watson type fades/slices.  I'm scared these fades will turn into push slices tomorrow during my league match.  I was still hitting draws/straight shots with all my woods, hybrids, and irons. 

So my question for you guys: Is it normal for shot shapes to change when you change lofts on your driver?  It was pretty windy today but the wind didn't seem to affect my woods and hybrids.  I'm hoping this was a one-off thing and I'm back to hitting draws tomorrow.  Why, why do I always have to tinker with my swing/equipment!??!

It shouldn't make that much of a difference. It was most likely the conditions. If the face angle and lie remained close to the original setting, then launch should have only been slightly higher.

[uitar9]

23 hours ago, Tee Wade said:

I've been hitting my driver pretty consistently for the past 12-15 months.  My typical shot shape off the tee is a draw with an occasional push shot (straight, not a slice) that creeps up every 6-7 holes.  I've noticed that my tee-shots tend to be pretty high but I still average 260 yards including roll.  I've been playing an adjustable Callaway X2hot driver that comes standard at 9 degrees.  It was already set to +2 neutral when my wife gave it to me so I've always played with that setting.  Last night, I decided to decrease the loft to 10 degrees (kept the face neutral) in hopes of getting a more piercing tee shot.  Well...I just got back from a bewildering lunch break range session.  My draw has turned into a fade.  Luckily, the ball was still landing in the middle but these were Bubba Watson type fades/slices.  I'm scared these fades will turn into push slices tomorrow during my league match.  I was still hitting draws/straight shots with all my woods, hybrids, and irons. 

So my question for you guys: Is it normal for shot shapes to change when you change lofts on your driver?  It was pretty windy today but the wind didn't seem to affect my woods and hybrids.  I'm hoping this was a one-off thing and I'm back to hitting draws tomorrow.  Why, why do I always have to tinker with my swing/equipment!??!

Tee Wade-as a plus 20 HC, I wish I had your 260 problem.

[DrvFrShow]

I play with a 9.5 setting on my driver and hit a fade. I played with an 11.5 setting and hit a draw. But I think that has more to do with my ability to get the club square at impact than loft. I have a pretty high shot with either setting due to a positive AoA unless I mishit. Ever since I hurt my shoulders over a year ago I've been hitting a fade.

I wish I had your 260 problem. Seriously. 

[Tee Wade]

Hey guys, just finished a late round today.  Tried out the driver again on the range with the new lower loft. The fade/slice disappeared-maybe it was just a windy day yesterday (I still couldn't hit my normal draw though). The lower ball flight was definitely robbing me of yardage so I changed the loft back to 11 degrees for my round.  I noticed that when changing the loft, you adjust it to neutral in different places depending on the loft.  So to put it on 10 degrees, I set the neutral face on the bottom row but when I put it back to 11 degrees the neutral face was set using the top row.  Maybe I inadvertently set a fade bias without knowing because I didn't notice that before.  Anyway, I was back to hitting my high draws again and getting my normal yardage.

For you guys in awe of my 260 yard drives, please note that's total drive not carry.  And the nicest of my drives are usually followed by bladed short irons across the green hence my +20hc.  Golf is so cruel to me but I can't leave her alone.

[Buckeyebowman]

1 hour ago, Tee Wade said:

 

For you guys in awe of my 260 yard drives, please note that's total drive not carry.  And the nicest of my drives are usually followed by bladed short irons across the green hence my +20hc.  Golf is so cruel to me but I can't leave her alone.

FWIW I'd kill for 260 total! In your case I'd leave the damn driver alone and work on your approach game!

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Buckeyebowman said:

FWIW I'd kill for 260 total! In your case I'd leave the damn driver alone and work on your approach game!

Agree, hitting your irons straighter and with a consistent flight is much more critical to your score than hitting your driver with a consistent flight.

 

3 hours ago, Tee Wade said:

Hey guys, just finished a late round today.  Tried out the driver again on the range with the new lower loft. The fade/slice disappeared-maybe it was just a windy day yesterday (I still couldn't hit my normal draw though). The lower ball flight was definitely robbing me of yardage so I changed the loft back to 11 degrees for my round.  I noticed that when changing the loft, you adjust it to neutral in different places depending on the loft.  So to put it on 10 degrees, I set the neutral face on the bottom row but when I put it back to 11 degrees the neutral face was set using the top row.  Maybe I inadvertently set a fade bias without knowing because I didn't notice that before.  Anyway, I was back to hitting my high draws again and getting my normal yardage.

That's good...

3 hours ago, Tee Wade said:

For you guys in awe of my 260 yard drives, please note that's total drive not carry.  And the nicest of my drives are usually followed by bladed short irons across the green hence my +20hc.  Golf is so cruel to me but I can't leave her alone.

I average about 260 as well and when irons are good my game is good, when they curve oddly then my game is really bad.

[chilepepper]

I played around with adjustments early on trying to adjust for my ball flight day to day. Didn't work out real well. I've settled on a setting and go with it. I hit it fairly well but day to day but the flight changes from time to time......it's me not the club. 

[Lihu]

9 hours ago, chilepepper said:

I played around with adjustments early on trying to adjust for my ball flight day to day. Didn't work out real well. I've settled on a setting and go with it. I hit it fairly well but day to day but the flight changes from time to time......it's me not the club. 

Not just you. We all have swing flaws, that's why there are supposedly adjustable clubs for us amateurs.

What I noticed a lot is people swing a very consistent way, and not necessarily a really good way. They end up depending upon certain fittings or settings in a club. If they change anything then their swing changes minutely. Maybe the lead index finger feels something different or the path feels odd. This can and generally throws off some people's swings.

As your swing improves, these minute variations will have less of an effect on your swing. Of course they can still affect your flights.

If the OP can consistently hit 260 yards with a driver, he's okay with his driver and needs work on his approach game. To the OP, I would advise working on the 150 and in game. You should be able to carry your 9i into the mid 140s or more. If not, the clubs might not be fit very well, or you just need to work on your swing to hit irons better. Hitting down better is the usual problem with most of us. Then not hitting fat is the next bad thing. Then optimizing the setup. Then...

Yeah, golf is really cruel to all of us. . .

[1badbadger]

On 4/7/2017 at 0:28 PM, Tee Wade said:

So my question for you guys: Is it normal for shot shapes to change when you change lofts on your driver? 

Well, yes and no.  

No, simply changing the loft should not affect your shot shape.

However, I know manufacturers claim that the loft is adjustable, but the only way to do it is to change the face angle. To lower the ball flight (or "loft") is usually accomplished by opening the face angle, which would explain why your shots were going to the right.  

Whatever the loft is of the driver, it will always be that loft.  Adjustments on the hosel, or with sliding or removable weights can change the trajectory, and can in effect produce a different launch angle, but the loft pretty much stays the same.

[Tee Wade]

4 hours ago, Lihu said:

If the OP can consistently hit 260 yards with a driver, he's okay with his driver and needs work on his approach game. To the OP, I would advise working on the 150 and in game. You should be able to carry your 9i into the mid 140s or more. If not, the clubs might not be fit very well, or you just need to work on your swing to hit irons better. Hitting down better is the usual problem with most of us. Then not hitting fat is the next bad thing. Then optimizing the setup. Then...

Yeah, golf is really cruel to all of us. . .

I apologize for veering off topic a little but this post is pretty spot on for me.  My approach shots are very inconsistent.  I tend to pick the ball off the ground as opposed to hitting down steeply enough to leave divots.  My shots sail really high and I know its robbing me of distance because I play with guys that can't outdrive me yet they're hitting a club shorter than me on equal length approach shots.

I think when I started playing my driving was so atrocious (major banana slices) that I spent a lot of time fixing that aspect of my game and neglected to work on irons.  Hitting down on the ball correctly will definitely be my next priority piece. 

[David in FL]

5 hours ago, 1badbadger said:

Well, yes and no.  

No, simply changing the loft should not affect your shot shape.

However, I know manufacturers claim that the loft is adjustable, but the only way to do it is to change the face angle. To lower the ball flight (or "loft") is usually accomplished by opening the face angle, which would explain why your shots were going to the right.  

Whatever the loft is of the driver, it will always be that loft.  Adjustments on the hosel, or with sliding or removable weights can change the trajectory, and can in effect produce a different launch angle, but the loft pretty much stays the same.

Huh, that seems counter intuitive.  I would've thought that opening the face would increase launch angle, not decrease it.  No?

[1badbadger]

15 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Huh, that seems counter intuitive.  I would've thought that opening the face would increase launch angle, not decrease it.  No?

It's the opposite of what you would think with drivers and fairway woods.  This is what happens:

The hosel adjustments have no effect on static loft. If you adjust the club to an open face, technically the loft hasn't changed. Players instinctively will set up to the ball with a square face, so when the open face is closed at address to square, the loft is decreased.  

Does that make sense?

[David in FL]

25 minutes ago, 1badbadger said:

It's the opposite of what you would think with drivers and fairway woods.  This is what happens:

The hosel adjustments have no effect on static loft. If you adjust the club to an open face, technically the loft hasn't changed. Players instinctively will set up to the ball with a square face, so when the open face is closed at address to square, the loft is decreased.  

Does that make sense?

It does.  Thanks.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 4/9/2017 at 2:53 PM, Tee Wade said:

I apologize for veering off topic a little but this post is pretty spot on for me.  My approach shots are very inconsistent.  I tend to pick the ball off the ground as opposed to hitting down steeply enough to leave divots.  My shots sail really high and I know its robbing me of distance because I play with guys that can't outdrive me yet they're hitting a club shorter than me on equal length approach shots.

I think when I started playing my driving was so atrocious (major banana slices) that I spent a lot of time fixing that aspect of my game and neglected to work on irons.  Hitting down on the ball correctly will definitely be my next priority piece. 

Yeah, Sounds like you're "scooping" your iron shots a bit. This is a problem that just about everybody has dealt with, and may continue to deal with.