Does a Lower Degree Loft on Your Driver Make the Ball Go Further?
A common misconception is that the lower degree loft on your driver will make you hit the ball further, well if you are a long drive champ or pro with a swing speed around 140mph then yes.
But for amateurs then a higher loft will give you more distance, sound a bit odd? It's because of the slower swing speed you need to increase the launch angle to give you the most air time and distance.
As a rule if your swing speed is around 70mph for a driver then your loft should be around 15-19 degrees or in other words use a 3 or 5 wood, forget about the driver as your swing speed is too low to make this an effective club, for swing speeds of 80 mph then around 13 degrees is about right, 90 mph and use between 11-13 degrees, 100 mph and a driver of 9-10 degrees will be ideal of the maximum carry and roll, those of you with a higher swing speed need to have your speed recorded with a radar so you can then choose the best loft for your swing.
The average swing speed with a driver for a male golfer is 85mph, so a loft of below 11 degrees will not be of much benefit, so check your driver's loft and if need be borrow one with the correct loft for your speed and compare the accuracy and distance compared to your currant one, you will be surprised.
Also the shaft flex is a crucial part of selecting the right club for you, many golf companies have different flexes to each other, so a stiff flex for one make could be a regular for another, so a good idea is to go to a demo day and try out the different flexes and kick point.
The kick point is where the shaft straightens up towards impact depending on the load on the shaft, as a rule the lower the kick point the higher the launch angle will be, so don't forget to try different lofts, shaft flex and kick points.
Next let's talk about club head size, is bigger better? Well no, the bigger the club head the bigger the club head face and this has a greater 'spring-like' effect called the coefficient of restitution, so the bigger the driver the thicker the face has to be to restrict the COR and keep them within the R&A and USPGA rules.
In general the bigger the head the further back the centre of gravity is, this has the effect of launching the ball higher against a smaller club with the same shaft flex.
So if you need more air time then buying a larger driver club head is a good move as long as the centre of gravity is placed well back on the club head.
Right next controversial topic, does a titanium face make the ball go farther? Answer no, drivers have been made out of everything from wood, steel, plastic, aluminum, jade, graphite and titanium.
It's all down to the marketing experts convincing us all that titanium is the next best thing and we should all go out and buy one.
Club head hardness has nothing to do with how far the golf ball will travel.
The factors that do effect the golf ball is club head design, where the centre of gravity is, the moment of inertia, how the weight is distributed, these things have nothing to do with the metal being used.
But for amateurs then a higher loft will give you more distance, sound a bit odd? It's because of the slower swing speed you need to increase the launch angle to give you the most air time and distance.
As a rule if your swing speed is around 70mph for a driver then your loft should be around 15-19 degrees or in other words use a 3 or 5 wood, forget about the driver as your swing speed is too low to make this an effective club, for swing speeds of 80 mph then around 13 degrees is about right, 90 mph and use between 11-13 degrees, 100 mph and a driver of 9-10 degrees will be ideal of the maximum carry and roll, those of you with a higher swing speed need to have your speed recorded with a radar so you can then choose the best loft for your swing.
The average swing speed with a driver for a male golfer is 85mph, so a loft of below 11 degrees will not be of much benefit, so check your driver's loft and if need be borrow one with the correct loft for your speed and compare the accuracy and distance compared to your currant one, you will be surprised.
Also the shaft flex is a crucial part of selecting the right club for you, many golf companies have different flexes to each other, so a stiff flex for one make could be a regular for another, so a good idea is to go to a demo day and try out the different flexes and kick point.
The kick point is where the shaft straightens up towards impact depending on the load on the shaft, as a rule the lower the kick point the higher the launch angle will be, so don't forget to try different lofts, shaft flex and kick points.
Next let's talk about club head size, is bigger better? Well no, the bigger the club head the bigger the club head face and this has a greater 'spring-like' effect called the coefficient of restitution, so the bigger the driver the thicker the face has to be to restrict the COR and keep them within the R&A and USPGA rules.
In general the bigger the head the further back the centre of gravity is, this has the effect of launching the ball higher against a smaller club with the same shaft flex.
So if you need more air time then buying a larger driver club head is a good move as long as the centre of gravity is placed well back on the club head.
Right next controversial topic, does a titanium face make the ball go farther? Answer no, drivers have been made out of everything from wood, steel, plastic, aluminum, jade, graphite and titanium.
It's all down to the marketing experts convincing us all that titanium is the next best thing and we should all go out and buy one.
Club head hardness has nothing to do with how far the golf ball will travel.
The factors that do effect the golf ball is club head design, where the centre of gravity is, the moment of inertia, how the weight is distributed, these things have nothing to do with the metal being used.