Correct driver loft is determined by several factors. Ever since a 2003 "Golf Digest" study said that most golfers needed more loft on their drivers, the quest for the "correct" loft has heated up. More loft means numerically higher--a 12-degree driver has more loft than a 9-degree.
Full Answer
What is the best golf driver loft?
TaylorMade SIM MAX Driver
- Shaft and grip
- Clubhead. A maximum allowable head of 460cc designed for speed is the key to this driver consisting of a face that is 8% larger than the SIM.
- Loft and adjustability. Standard lofts on the SIM Max driver is 9°, 10.5°, and 12°.
- Crown. ...
- Sound. ...
- Look. ...
- Performance. ...
- Final Verdict. ...
What is the perfect loft for my golf driver?
- Long distance
- High ball speeds
- Forgiving
Which driver loft should I use?
- One of the faster clubs faces in golf
- Easy to launch
- Long-distance and adjustability
What driver loft is best for your swing?
Driver loft will directly impact the distance that you can get with your club. A driver with 9.5 degrees of loft will be best for a golfer with a faster swing speed and a bit more precision. Drivers with 12 degrees of loft help the slower swinging player get the launch and forgiveness that they need. Hottest Golf Gadgets 2020.
What loft should my golf driver be?
The ideal driver loft depends on your swing speed and the attack angle. Average players that swing the club less than 95 MPH will likely find that a 10.5-degree driver performs the best. Better players who can control their drives and want the most distance will lean more towards a 9-degree driver.
Is 9.5 loft good for a driver?
The least-lofted golf club, other than a putter, is the driver. Drivers are typically lofted between 8 and 11 degrees, so drivers with lofts of 9.5 and 10.5 degrees are common. The higher-lofted driver is typically a better choice for an amateur player.
Is 10.5 loft better for beginners?
We would venture to say that the vast majority of amateur and beginner golfers will benefit a lot more from the extra loft of the 10.5 degree driver than using a 9.5 degree and this comes down to forgiveness.
What driver loft is best for high handicappers?
What is this? A higher handicap player is going to do best with the 12 degree driver. With this club in their hand, the golfer can get plenty of ball speed, distance, and ball flight as well. IF a faster swinging player were to attempt to use the 12 degree driver, they might struggle with getting the control they need.
Do any pros use a 10.5 degree driver?
At the WGC-HSBC Champions, Dustin Johnson took the title using a TaylorMade SLDR driver with 10.5 degrees loft. Although TaylorMade has recently been touting the benefits of "lofting up" with its new driver, it's actually been a trend on the PGA Tour for more than a decade.
Is 11.5 loft too much?
If you have a mid swing speed of 95-104 mph, a driver loft of between 10-11.5° will normally be a good starting point. If you hit down on the ball, you're likely to have high spin loft, so using less loft will actually reduce your backspin and should help you hit the ball further.
Who uses a 12 degree driver?
WHO SHOULD USE A 12 DEGREE DRIVER. Any player struggling with getting enough height and distance off the tee may benefit from a 12 Degree driver. Since it may also provide more control because of a higher flight path, players who deal with persistent slicing could also benefit.
Does lower loft driver go further?
Lower lofts can provide more energy transfer at impact because there's less of an oblique angle. It's why your 7-iron flies farther than your 8-iron. In our test, drivers with less loft consistently produced more ball speed, even for low swing-speed golfers (3.2 mph more compared to the 10.5 and 12-degree drivers).
Is a higher loft driver easier to hit?
The answer to our question is a higher lofted driver easier to hit is yes. What is this? If you are a slow swinging golfer who needs the added loft to help you consistently launch your ball high and far off the tee.
What loft driver should a mid handicapper use?
11-13 degreesMost mid-handicap golfers have swing speeds between 80-95 MPH and that's why the best driver loft will normally be 11-13 degrees.
What driver flex should I use?
In general, golfers with driver swing speeds over 95 mph should play stiff flex shafts, and those under 95 mph should play regular flex. Shafts also come in extra stiff (105+ mph) and senior flex (under 85 mph).
What golf ball should I use with a 90 mph swing speed?
Here is our top pick Golf Ball if your swing Speed is 90-95 MPHRankNameBuy NOWNo.1Callaway Golf Superhot Bold Matte Golf BallsClick HERENo.2Bridgestone E6 Speed Golf BallsClick HERENo.3TaylorMade TP5 Prior Generation Golf BallsClick HERENo.4Nitro Long Distance Peak Performance Golf BallsClick HERE1 more row•May 13, 2022
What loft angle should a driver have?
If you are a beginner golfer we would typically recommend a driver with a high loft attack angle of between 12-14 if you are looking to add extra distance as the probability is that your clubhead speed is lower.
Why is driver loft important?
Driver loft is important because it can affect both the distance and the trajectory of your drives. Your skill level will determine which loft for your driver you should choose. A beginner golfer or one with a slower swing speed will benefit from a driver with more loft and an experienced golfer with a higher swing speed will benefit from less loft.
What loft is needed for a golfer to hit a ball?
Golfers who swing faster than 120mph would require a loft below 9.5 degrees and those golfers with a slower swing below 90mph would be better choosing a loft between 11.5 – 17 degrees for the optimal launch angle.
What loft is the best driver loft for 90mph?
A popular speed is between 80mph and 90mph and this is where many golfers make a mistake as they will opt for a 9.5 degree when really a loft of 11-13 would be the best driver loft for 90mph speed to hit the ball as far as possible.
What is the average clubhead speed on the PGA Tour?
The average driver clubhead speed on the PGA Tour is 113 MPH and 94 MPH on the LPGA Tour with even faster ball speed ( TrackMan) which indicates that they will require less loft, typically a 9.5 degree loft for their driver (especially the longest hitters on tour).
Is 12 degree loft good for golf?
A 12 degree driver loft will be fine for most amateur golfers and not too much. This is because most everyday golfers have a slower swing speed than professionals and can benefit from a 12 degree loft compared to a driver with less loft such as a 9.5 degree driver.
What determines what loft you should be using in your driver?
The main factor that determines what loft you should be using in your driver is swing speed. The faster your swing speed, the lower the loft you can play with. Golfers with high swing speeds have the ability to launch the ball high because of the spin that they create.
Why is driver loft important?
If you choose a driver loft that is not right for your game, you will struggle with distance, launch, and forgiveness.
Why do junior drivers have lofts?
The reason that junior drivers are built with the high loft is to accommodate those with slower swing speeds. However, not all Junior golfers have these lower swing speeds, which is why it is so important to get a driver lofted to you particular needs.
How much loft should a woman use for a golf swing?
The faster-swinging women golfers should use something with 12.5 degrees of loft or less.
What happens if your driver doesn't have enough loft?
If your driver does not have enough loft, you are going to notice that you have a hard time keeping the ball straight. The lower lofted drivers are much less forgiving, and those with slower swing speeds often have a hard time hitting them straight.
What do you need to know when buying a golf driver?
Everything You Need To Know. When you purchase a driver, you need to make sure that you are choosing the proper loft for your game. A golf driver with the wrong loft can make it very difficult to get both ball speed and distance from your shots. With the proper driver loft, you can get the performance you need from a club.
What happens if you play with a driver that is too high lofted?
If you play with a driver that is too high lofted for you, then you will miss out on distance. If you play with a driver that is too low for you then you will also miss out on distance. The distance is impacted both by drivers that are too low lofted and too high lofted.
How many degrees is the loft on a golf club?
Here’s a fact for you. The loft on your clubface varies from top to bottom by up to six degrees! Loft is at its lowest on the bottom of the clubface and is at its highest on the top. Strikes above the clubface centre will tend to launch higher with less spin and vice versa on shots from low on the clubface.
What does Golf Monthly look at?
Golf Monthly looks at the different elements of a golf swing that affect the amount of loft you should play on your driver. Getting the right loft on your driver is crucial to maximise distance.
What is spin loft?
Spin loft is the difference in angle between your attack angle (how much up or down the clubhead is traveling at impact) and dynamic loft (the loft presented to the ball at impact). The higher the spin loft, the more backspin you create.
Why do golfers spin the ball less?
2. Upward hitters. Golfers that hit up on the ball (have a positive attack angle) will tend to spin the ball less because their spin loft is lower. So they can therefore afford to have slightly more loft to maximize distance.
How high should the launch angle be when hitting a golf ball?
However, you need to make sure you maintain a high enough launch angle in the process, above 11 degrees ideally. 3.
Does downward attack angle affect dynamic loft?
There are many factors that effect it. A downward attack angle tends to reduce dynamic loft, as does having the hands excessively ahead of the ball at impact. Remember, dynamic loft affects launch, spin and ultimately distance so have a go on a decent launch monitor to see what yours is. Here’s a fact for you.
Does clubface angle affect loft?
Clubface Adjustability. If you’ve got a driver that offers clubface angle adjustment, changing the face angle can also affect the loft too – unless the two work independently. When you open the clubface, you reduce the loft and vice versa. So be wary of this when tweaking yours. Dynamic Loft.
What is the correct driver loft?
More loft means numerically higher--a 12-degree driver has more loft than a 9-degree.
What is a good launch angle?
A good launch angle is what we are after; slower swings require higher launch angles. Driver loft helps determine this angle, but so does your angle of attack when you swing. If you hit down on the ball, it comes off the face lower and requires more driver loft; if you hit up on the ball, it comes off higher and requires less loft.
What is the best loft angle for a golf club?
Golfers with club-head speeds below 85 mph should use a loft angle between 14 and 20 degrees. For speeds of 130 mph and above, try a loft between 4 and 7 degrees.
How fast should a golf driver hit?
If your pro shop or local golf-equipment store doesn't have a professional measuring device, you can estimate. Determine which club you use to hit a 150-yard shot. If you use a 7-iron, then your club-head speed for a driver will normally be between 95 and 104 miles per hour.
How fast can a 7 iron go?
If you use a 7-iron, then your club-head speed for a driver will normally be between 95 and 104 miles per hour. If you use a 6-iron, it will be between 84 and 95 mph, if you use an 8-iron or 9-iron, it will be between 105 and 115 mph.
Where is Jackson Lewis?
Based in Memphis , Jackson Lewis has been writing on technology-related material for 10 years with a recent emphasis on golf and other sports. He has been freelance writing for Demand Media since 2008. Lewis holds a Master of Science in computer science from the United States Naval Postgraduate School.
What does dynamic loft mean?
Your dynamic loft – how much loft you present at impact – will effect what static loft will work best for you. More loft can also be your friend if you shape the ball too much. Loft actually reduces the amount of curve that can be put on a shot so could help keep you more accurate.
Do you need more loft for a new driver?
If however you have a driver with a low forward centre of gravity which generate less spin you will probably need more loft to get the correct launch angle.
Does driver shaft affect loft?
The driver shaft can also have an impact on what loft works best for you. During the swing you generate lag with the clubhead getting behind the hands, the stiffness of the club will effect how much loft you deliver at impact. Of course your overall swing and technique plays a big factor too.
Does hitting down on the ball lower your spin loft?
If you hit up on the ball a lot you may benefit from more loft as your spin loft will be lower. Likewise if you hit down on the ball using less loft would actually reduce your spin loft and lower backspin generated giving you more distance. The model of driver will also affect what loft is optimal. Many new drivers have a centre ...
Optimizing Ball Flight Trajectory
To have the absolute perfect golf ball flight trajectory (maximizing distance of course), there are two elements that need to be optimized… Launch Angle and Spin Rate:
The 5 Factors Affecting Driver Launch Angle and Spin Rate
Okay, we talked a lot about optimizing your driver launch angle and spin rate to achieve the perfect ball flight right? But how do you actually control those things?
How to Change Those Numbers With a New Driver
So we’ve talked about the 2 elements affecting ball flight and distance, AND the 5 factors directly affecting those elements.
So What Loft Driver Should I Use? Putting It All Together
I’ve thrown a LOT of info at you, and it can be confusing, I know. There’s just not a “best loft” simple answer.
Final Thoughts on Driver Loft
Use the knowledge presented in this article to analyse your current ball flight trajectory. Then, reverse engineer what can be fixed or what can be improved.