What Driver Loft are you all hitting?

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

I recently bought a second hand driver that has adjustable loft between 8.5 - 11.5 degrees to try out a couple of different settings (Cobra Amp Cell). I would have always played a 10.5 driver but have been testing this one out on the 9.5 and 10.5 loft settings. I don't notice much difference between the two, total distance for both is usually about 220 yards on a well struck fairway finder drive but the ball flight on the 10.5 is definitely higher and a bit more forgiving of miss-hits. But then if I really smash one and make a good connection on the 9.5 I can get another 10 yards more than I could on my best drive with the 10.5 setting.

I guess the point of this all is to figure out what driver loft most people hit? I've always used 10.5 just because this is what I used as a junior and never gave it much thought. I think the 9.5 suits me a bit better now though to keep the ball flight down and maximise distance.

Ivefoundgod

Think you've got this mixed up a bit, the loft of the driver is only a part of the equation for your drives. To gain maximum distance you want the ball flight to be high, not low. I use a 9.0 loft driver but that's not really important, you want positive angle of attack and a dynamic loft of around 12-14 (12 being pro level, 14 is 10 handicap or so typically) when you're driving the ball. I got those figures for me from a fitting but you don't need a fitting to improve your attack angle. Look up any of the YouTube tips videos around driving and you'll get some tips about improving your distance and don't worry too much about what loft your driver is set at. If you can get to a trackman range that would be good too but I'd just go with whatever you are happy with and get you best results. We all swing differently so what suit me won't suit you and vice versa.

swededmonkey

My driver is set to 11* at the moment and have no real issue with distance. Tweaking it at the range I've never found any significant gains but more increased dispersion the more I lowered the loft. Keeping the ball as close to the fairway is a good trade off for another few yards.

blue note

Mine is set at 9 degrees. I think as you change the loft you change the lie, so I wouldn't be rushing to change it.

I was fitted for mine and if anything wanted it slightly lower to keep it out of the wind. I'm not sure an extra degree either way would make a huge difference though.

OEP

I got fitted last year and I ended up with 11 degrees. It's the combination of shaft and loft that's important. I'd be quite long off the tee too

The Guru 123

As per my most recent fitting you basically can't hit the ball high enough with the driver (obviously within reason). This whole thing of keeping it low to get more distance/run out is nonsense. All other things being equal a higher launched drive will go further than a lower launched one.

High launch, low spin is the holy grail, that will give you the longest, straightest flight. The high launch is achieved though more so by your angle of attack (ie hitting up on the ball) than it is by your actual loft, although the higher loft will help this too.

I'd be very long off the tee and thought I was close enough to optimized using my old 9.5 Ping driver but switched to a newer model Ping 10.5 degree last year which I'm hitting way higher, straighter and longer.

callaway92

6 years ago I was using 10.5, then 9.5, now using 8.0 and it's perfect for me. Always felt like like I could've gotten similar height off a lower lofted driver with a tiny adjustment

30 years old now and hitting the ball further than I ever have (although my technique has likely improved)

TheDoc

Was using a Titleist 910D 9.5 Degree for about 10 years. Had it setup to play a degree higher and a slightly closed face.

Recently picked up a TM Sim2 Ex-Demo. It's 9 degree and have it set for half a degree more and again a slightly closed face. It's an X-Stiff shaft too which I've never used before. Arcoss has been brilliant in giving me real feedback and data on it. The summary being its going longer with a tighter dispersion.

An x-stiff shaft isn't something I would have contemplated, but a fitting a while back it was mentioned I was borderline on X-Stiff, and that I have swing speed in there to unlock :D

Guess it's worth remembering that clubs and their setups are there to help you and your swing, you don't tailor your swing to a club setup. The reason 10.5 is so popular is because a lot of players won't setup a driver correctly to 'hit it on the up' so the added loft is a help.

I'm still not sure where I want my new Sim2 in terms of setup. I have a lower slight now that spins less and goes further in total. But I miss the ease at which I could draw my old Titleist which has a higher flight.

Joys of the driving range and just messing around :)

coillcam

I play a TSi3 @ stock 9 degrees with all standard settings on a Hzrdus smoke stiff shaft. I've lost a little distance this year but I attribute that to being less flexible and having poorer fitness more than anything. I was also spending more time in the range last year so that's probably part of it.

When I got fitted I was swinging about 105mph. A follow up a few months later my speed was consistently around 110mph. Note that I'd only picked up the game about a year at this stage so most of that is newbie gains and understanding swing technique a bit better. I tend to hit up quite a bit on the ball between 4-5 degrees so I think the 9 degree loft is fine. Generally I tee it quite high and have high trajectory flight. FWIW I play off 15.

A mate of mine is off 8, much taller bloke @ 6'4" but not fitted. He plays a Cobra @ 10.5 deg, stiff shaft with stock settings and has a much lower ball flight. He always tees it lower and has quite a neutral attack angle from what I can see. I think all his irons and wedges are 0.5" longer but driver/woods are stock length. He's comfortably hitting past me with all his irons but his driver isn't that much further relative to that.

I'd love to see what he could do after a driver fitting and maybe some coaching to hit up more. He maintains that his tee height and trajectory are safest for making fairways. Of course he knows his game better than anyone and if it ain't broke why fix it.

billy3sheets

I use a Ping SFT with 12* loft and stiff shaft. I would have thought it was too much loft but I hit it straight and a reasonable distance. Not particularly high but definitely not low.

almostover

I was fitted a few years back for the first time for a driver, cobra speezdone. I play off 9 and have a 100mph driver swing speed. 10.5deg, heavier sole weight at the front and a stiff flex hzrdus smoke black shaft gave me optimum launch conditions. Tried 9.0 during the fitting and if I nailed one dead centre the ball carried 5-7 yards further than the same strike with a 10.5. However I loss more distance on off centre hits at 9.0 and had more lateral dispersion. Given I'm a mid handicap golfer who might flush it 1 in every 5 drives the decision was straightforward. Also, I play a parkland course where carrying the ball as far as possible is the name of the game. 10.5 ticked all the boxes for me.

billy3sheets

What difference would be expected from the same driver, same shaft but with 10* instead of 12* loft?

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119132852#Comment_119132852

With absolutely no adjustments to your swing, your drive will be higher and likely shorter (depending on wind and slope of hole though)

Russman

FWIW I had a driver fitting last week and knocking the loft from 10.5 down to 8.5 on my current driver (a 2016 TaylorMade M2), reduced my spin by about 800rpm and gained me about 10 yards carry and in theory, more rollout, obviously depending on conditions. None of the newer heads/shafts (mostly the different TSi models and the Stealths) I tried could do any better. Its certainly much more intimidating to look down at the club now, even though its the same head and same shaft. I might split the difference and start by going to 9.5 for a while.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084957#Comment_119084957

in terms of pure physics thats not really true, you probably want to be aiming to get the ball to launch at close to 45 degrees to maximise distance. depending on spin etc, an overly high arc can 'drop' into the ground rather than roll

having said that, for most players what youre saying is correct

DuckSlice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136973#Comment_119136973

Do you mean 4-5 degrees? 45 degrees would be way to high for optimum launch I would think, maybe I'm picking you up wrong?

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119169053#Comment_119169053

I think sprucemoose is speaking about classical maths physics. An object fired at 45 degrees in the absence of any consideration besides gravity will travel further than at any other angle. That doesn't apply to the real world for golf balls. Magnus effect/spin, friction with air etc.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119169237#Comment_119169237

yeah i probably just added more confusion tbh but i was talking purely theoretically

charlieIRL

I've a ping G410 and its 10.5 but set one slot on the + side so presume its 11 degrees. Was set up at my fitting.