
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.

How do I know what loft to get for my driver?
Choose a loft to try based on your assessed club-head speed. If it is between 95 and 104 mph, a 10- or 11-degree loft will be appropriate. If it is between 105 and 115 mph, a loft between 7 and 9 degrees should be considered. Golfers with club-head speeds below 85 mph should use a loft angle between 14 and 20 degrees.
What loft driver should an average golfer use?
Anywhere between 8.5-10° will usually suffice. 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.
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.
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.
Do I want a 9.5 or 10.5 driver?
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.
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 there a big difference between 9.5 and 10.5 driver?
In theory, a 9.5 degree driver shot will travel lower at a greater speed with less backspin than a 10.5 degree driver when struck square. You must be sure that you have enough club head speed -- how fast the golf club is moving toward impact with the golf ball -- to warrant a lower lofted driver.
What degree driver does Tiger Woods use?
At the 2022 Masters, Tiger Woods used a TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ driver, a 15-degree TaylorMade SIM 3-wood and a 19-degree TaylorMade M3 5-wood. That has been Tiger's standard setup, along with his TaylorMade P·7TW irons (3-PW) since he joined TaylorMade in 2017.
Will a 9 degree driver help with a slice?
If you start with a 10.5-degree driver, you will likely be able to adjust it up into the 11- or even 12-degree range and down to the 9-degree range. However, if you purchase the 9-degree driver, you may not be able to get the loft quite as high as you will need to reduce your slice.
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.
What degree driver hits the farthest?
The low loft of a golf driver is very surprising from the perspective of physics. Everyone in freshman physics learns that the optimal launch angle for a projectile - the angle that makes a ball fly the farthest - is 45 degrees.
What degree loft is Bryson Dechambeau's driver?
five degreesBryson was using a Cobra King Radspeed driver which had only 7.5 degrees of loft but in 2022 he has switched to a Cobra LTDx which only has five degrees of loft.
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.
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.
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 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 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 ...
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.
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.
How many degrees should a driver be lofted?
More common are players swinging from 80 to 100mph, who should be playing drivers lofted anywhere from nine to 12 degrees. Understanding that the face curvatures in higher-lofted drivers help prevent side spin when the face angle and swing path are not moving in the same direction at impact, is vital.
Why is loft important in golf?
The loft, therefore, becomes useful to get better accuracy to be in a better position off the tee. Soft, wet course conditions that are not conducive to roll out of the golf ball also make higher lofted drivers advantageous as carry distance is the paramount goal.
What is a driver shaft?
Driver shafts – that graphite wand transferring all your swing’s energy to the driver head itself – also significantly influence ball flight trajectory, through different weight, torque, shaft flex, length, and shaft bend points – mid, high, or low.
What does a negative angle of attack do to a driver?
Players with a negative angle of attack who impart high spin loft may also improve distance from a lower-lofted driver. Drivers with lower and back CG also produce higher ball flights and more spin needing less loft to keep them airborne and must also be taken into consideration.
What is a flex rating in golf?
The universal golf club flex ratings are named, in order from most flexible to the stiffest, ladies, senior, regular, stiff and extra stiff. This rating is usually printed or engraved somewhere on the shaft or club head of each driver. If you're using a ladies flex driver and your loft is too high, you should try a senior or regular flex driver, ...
What happens if you use a driver that is too stiff?
If you're using a driver that is too flexible or too stiff for the speed of your swing, your loft may be way off in either direction. Proper loft can be achieved with drivers of any flex rating--the key is finding the best flex rating for your unique swing.
What does it mean when your loft is too high?
Analyze your drive to see if your loft is too high or too low. High loft is indicative of a driver that is too flexible, whereas low loft is indicative of a driver that is too stiff.
What degree of loft is best for a driver?
(It’s still true that golfers who swing less than 80 mph would likely benefit from using drivers with 11 degrees of loft or higher.) Lower lofts can provide more energy transfer at impact because there’s less of an oblique angle.
Is dynamic loft a sign of swing?
More dynamic loft isn’t always the sign of a good swing (see sidebar, page 21), but less loft can still provide help. “Poll a hundred fitters, and 90 of them will tell you the most common thing they see is the flip, causing high dynamic loft and leading to launch or spin issues,” Sherburne says.
