# how much loft do I need?



## Butz

Hey,

May I ask what's your opinion of this article?

So how much loft do I need?
Do your drives feel rock solid when you hit them, but fall like a stone and drop short? That’s a sure sign that you are not generating enough backspin with your driver. It’s also likely that you are one of those players who hits your 3-wood better off the tee than your driver. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. More than a few players get more carry distance and better control with their 3-wood off the tee. Sure, the shorter shaft of your 3-wood will give you more control, but it’s the loft, which is about 15˚, that really is the key.

If your driver has 9.5˚ or 10.5˚ of loft, and your typical swing is about 85 mph, which is about average for male players, then you may not generate enough backspin to keep the ball in the air long enough to maximize carry distance. Generally speaking, the slower your swing, the more loft you need on your driver. The faster your swing, the less loft your driver needs to create the ideal amount of backspin. (FYI ... The more backspin you impart on the ball, the straighter your shot will probably fly. For this reason, you never hear about someone slicing a 9-iron or wedge.) 

It’s pretty safe to say that any player with a swing speed slower than 75 mph should be playing with a driver that has at least 12˚ of loft. But unfortunately, you can’t make a nice, clean assumption about how much loft you need if you swing much faster than that because there are so many variables in the golf swing. One 90 mph players may be 10.5˚, but another 90 swinger might only need 9.5˚.

So what about those pros you hear about who have a driver with something like 8˚ of loft? Well, those guys probably swing their driver around 115 mph. If they played a 10.5˚ driver, their shots would have too much backspin and rob them of distance.

GOLFONLINE - 5 Good Questions: Drivers


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## Police

The amazing thing is that the pros still hit the ball very high even with an 8* driver...


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## srothfuss

I saw an article similar to this recently... They tested a few different lofts on the same driver and controlled swing speeds and had some interesting results. They came to the conclusion that most average golfers should use a 11 degree loft for the best results.


I'll look for the article


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## ghost

srothfuss said:


> I saw an article similar to this recently... They tested a few different lofts on the same driver and controlled swing speeds and had some interesting results. They came to the conclusion that most average golfers should use a 11 degree loft for the best results.
> 
> 
> I'll look for the article



I actually posted it on this site about 2 weeks ago


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## Butz

ghost said:


> I actually posted it on this site about 2 weeks ago


Hello Ghost,

May I ask if you could send me this topic that you posted?


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## Butz

Hey,

If 11degree Driver is good for everyone, how about a 11.5 degree Driver?


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## Golfbum

.5 degrees difference in loft is not noticeable. Most drivers lofts are not dead on accurate to begin with. It might say 10.5 but it could be 9.5, 10, 11.5. Trust me on this one, I have seen 10.5* drivers that measured 11.5 when the loft was checked.

If you really want to read some good solid information on golf clubs you should pick up a copy of Tom Wishon's "In Search For The Perfect Golf Club" *Every golfer* should read this book at least once.


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## ghost

Butz said:


> Hello Ghost,
> 
> May I ask if you could send me this topic that you posted?



should be somewhere in this forum: let me find the link 


http://www.golfforum.com/general-golf-discussion/1421-thinking-lower-loft-think-again.html


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## Police

What degree driver doers everyone have...i have a 10* driver


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## titaniummd

I read somewhere (it may be in "The Search for the Perfect Driver" by Wishon) that the sweet spot has a loft as stated but just above the sweet spot the loft is higher. The effective loft will also depend where you set up the driver - For a right handed golfer, to the left would add loft and to the right would decrease loft. 

In that Golf Digest? Magazine article it mentioned who would have better success with a higher loft (those who sweep) versus those who hit down upon it.

I have a 10.5* that I was struggling with it and a 12* driver. Same problem was occurring - I was pulling the shots. I changed my setup (I point my left arm out with my set up making sure that my arm is parallel to where the club face is aligned - I was pointing to the right of the target - which was why I couldn't translate my success on the driving range to the course) and noticed my shots going straight when I set up for a straight shot. 

I gave my 12* away since I didn't like the higher ball flight. It seemed to be a bit shorter (5-10 yards) than the 10.5*. Upgrading to an 11* would not change anything for me.


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## srothfuss

Police said:


> What degree driver doers everyone have...i have a 10* driver



I actually have an 11 degree driver. But I got it before seeing the link that Ghost posted.


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## Police

Has anyone got a 12.5* driver...i have seen someone play with one.


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## Golfbum

Police said:


> Has anyone got a 12.5* driver...i have seen someone play with one.


I do not own a 12.5 but I have hit a 12 on the range, bombed it. I was suprised at how long the ball stayed in the air and how long it was.
I have also hit my buddy's Nike 460 Lucky 13, 13 degree driver, Bombed it too.
Hit a 13 degree SasQuatch and bombed that thing too.
If you think I might be debating on going to a higher lofted driver then you are thinking correctly.


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## Police

I always felt that a higher degree driver didnt suit me because it doesnt go as far as say my 10* driver...each to his own.


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## Golfbum

Police said:


> I always felt that a higher degree driver didnt suit me because it doesnt go as far as say my 10* driver...each to his own.


Quite right, however the longer the ball is in the air the further it will travel. Unless you play a course that has rock hard fairways. Soft fairways require carry, you do not get any roll.


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## shoomba

yes but then you can bring wind into play the higher you go and you dont necesarily want a entirely vertical path its nice to find something in the middle


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## pat.p

My friend (thats a lady) has a 16 degree Nike Sasquatch 460 i hit it on a 250 yrd down hill par 4 got a bit to much roll and bounce & rolled off the back of the green LOL :laugh:


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## indiginit

i love that low blockish feel of the single digit driver loft, but i know i pay for it sometimes, and i am basing my experience on older clubs.

the lower loft doesn't give me as much air to land in the fairway...
high lofted shots don't travel as far the wrong direction either. (??? not sure about this statement...) 

don't look to upgrade distance with loft if you don't know where the distance is going. nothin like a single digit loft bannana ball. they hit the hazards spectacularly well. 

i think i wanna play one of those 8.5's soon. sounds like fun... maybe i'll get better lies on the other fairway. ;D

your best bet is to find a pro you trust and have him get his buddy at the local club dealer to fit you out with your launch angle/swing speed. theres your deciding point.


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## madbeaver

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum. Very interesting read so far...

1 question: Should the question be your launch angle? you may be using a 10.5 but the launch angle is pretty much diffrent right?


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## white_tiger_137

I play a 10.5. You're right madbeaver, there's more to launch angle than loft. Most people would benefit from higher loft, and yes, it will go straighter.


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