Driver Loft + Performance.

[dH]

I have a 10.5 degree driver and I have LOTS of high slices. Would lowering the degree of loft to say 8.5 or 9 or even 9.5 make a big difference?

Thanks,

[fundonny]

I read an article saying that most recreational golfers should have more loft. I'll try and find if for you...

[dH]

Thanks,

BTW Donny; you seem to be buying up all the drivers if you get sick of any lemme know

[fundonny]

Believe me, all but two of them will go on sale during at the end of May! I just hope I fall in love with at least one of them!

[fundonny]

http://www.golfdigest.com/instructio...00311loft.html

Here's one article that deals with the subject. Hope it's informative.

[Golfer_Gofer]

From personal experience I can give you this advice. For the past 5 years I was hitting a regular flex 10.5* driver and I would hit my drives about 230 yards with a pretty good fade (Slice) and a very high ball flight. Went to golftown to get a new driver and after swinging a driver with a 10.5* and a regular flex the salesman suggested i try 9.5* and a stiff flex..and suddenly im hitting them straighter.. and a much lower nicer boring ball flight. Try going to golftown and swinging a lower loft and see how it works for u..or get a demo from chuck browns and play a round with it

[dH]

(y) I was thinking of grabbing an 8.5 BB froma certain someone lol. Definately something to look into; it just stinks so bad when your always messing up at the tee. You have to play scratch to play bogey golf if your 3 from the tee most of the time

[Golfer_Gofer]

I know the feeling... but to make u feel better last night at raceview I just missed driving the green on the 4th hole and i ended up making double boogey ... i only plan on making one good shot per hole!

[dH]

I hear ya! Sometimes I just think I should leave my driver at home! That's no way to feel bout the big stick.

[Golfer_Gofer]

Well get out to chuck browns and get ur hands on some demo drivers this summer and try different lofts.. or if u feel like dishin out some cash head over to Artisans and get fitted for a driver.. a driver cant fix your slice swing (outside - in) but could get your ball flight under control

[el tigre]

I have a 10.5 degree driver and I have LOTS of high slices. Would lowering the degree of loft to say 8.5 or 9 or even 9.5 make a big difference?

Thanks,

Yes, you would then hit your slices on a much lower trajectory!

But seriously, the easiest way to cut down on slicing the driver is lessons - and when your swing is fairly repeatable, a driver fitting session. Until then, use your fairway woods more often and only bring out the driver for "special" occasions.

[dH]

Good Idea, i was doing that last year with lots of success but probabaly got a little ahead of myself this year. I went on vacation over XMAS got some lessons and was hitting the driver 260-290 and got hooked. This year I haven't hit it NEARLY as far even w/ the slices so it makes sense to go to my trusty 3 wood. I'm learning less force is more distance slowly

[Kilroy]

I was using a 9.5 400cc Bang last year and I hit it pretty well (I thought). I now have a 10.5 460cc KZG Gemini that goes a bit higher and just as far, but I hit it dead straight. Yesterday I hit all but one fairway. Most of them were right in the middle. The one fairway I missed was only 5 yards into the rough.

Not sure if the 1 degree is the key, but I was looking for the right thread to post that!

[davevandyk]

if you think about it, with the same swing, you slice less with a 3wood than you do a driver right? I am near certain that if you lower the loft, you will get a more pronounced slice. However, if you get a shaft in that driver that fits your swing better than the one you have, you will reduce the slice, not simply by reducing the loft.

[dH]

I've heard only good things about KGZ from drivers - irons. Maybe if I buy one I'll hit all fairways too! Almost bought a KZG iron set myself. I'm going to try out some other lofts and obviously work on my mechanics before shelling out some cash. Isn't it funny how many posts are made on drivers but so few on putting...

[sharkhark]

Generally speaking the lower loft is almost always going to slice more. Not good if you want to improve. FOr me the too high flight is always improper swing going to up on ball, rather than level thru hitting zone.
The stiff shaft I have is giving me a drive with less draw than my old reg flex. So if you are slicing, I can't see a stiffer helping you, unless it allows you to be more firm in swing which might help correct. Just my 2 measly cents.

[Golfbum]

I have a 10.5 degree driver and I have LOTS of high slices. Would lowering the degree of loft to say 8.5 or 9 or even 9.5 make a big difference?

Thanks,

A friend of mine who used to be a 7 handicap when he was a teen (before he discovered girls ) recently bought a Nike Ignite 13 * driver with a Regular Fuji shaft.
He had been to a Demo Day and tried lower lofter drivers, all of them he had either a fade or a slice.
The Nike Rep handed him the 13*, he did not even look at the bottom of the club. He started hitting balls with a slight draw or dead straight. He was also hitting shots that were flying out close to the 250 yard marker at the range. Needless to say that model of driver is now in his bag. I played 5 or 6 times with him last summer and he drove the ball great. Maybe not the "300+ yds we all think we do, but he didn't miss many fairways.
I tried that driver and was amazed at the distance I got from it. I have also hit a 12* driver and again the distance was amazing. The ball is in the air a long time, which can only mean good things, like distance. Even on hard fairways the ball would come down, bounce and roll forward for more yardage.
Try a higher lofted driver with various shafts if possible, and do it outside on a range so you can see the actual ball flight.
Launch Monitors are usefull for telling you your swing speed, launch angle etc. But I still think you need to see the actual ball flight outdoors to tell what you are doing with any club.

[Golfbum]

I was using a 9.5 400cc Bang last year and I hit it pretty well (I thought). I now have a 10.5 460cc KZG Gemini that goes a bit higher and just as far, but I hit it dead straight. Yesterday I hit all but one fairway. Most of them were right in the middle. The one fairway I missed was only 5 yards into the rough.

Not sure if the 1 degree is the key, but I was looking for the right thread to post that!

Is your real name FRED FUNK? Nice driving Dan

[Kilroy]

Best driving day of my life. No question. I am loving this new stick.

I read your post above and I'm not sure I agree in light of my recent experience. I was fitted for this club on a launch monitor in the winter and just picked it up last week. I was amazed how straight it was at the range and blown away at the course. Don Irving did an amazing job fitting me indoors.

[BC MIST]

For the past 5 years I was hitting a regular flex 10.5* driver and I would hit my drives about 230 yards with a pretty good fade (Slice) and a very high ball flight. Went to golftown to get a new driver and after swinging a driver with a 10.5* and a regular flex the salesman suggested i try 9.5* and a stiff flex..and suddenly im hitting them straighter.. and a much lower nicer boring ball flight. Try going to golftown and swinging a lower loft and see how it works for u..or get a demo from chuck browns and play a round with it

All other things being equal, a lower loft and stiffer shaft would make the ball slice more. So why would the ball go straighter? Because the machine said so? Because the 9.5 was actually an 11*. Because the stiff shaft was actually a senior shaft? Because the stiff shaft was stiff in the butt section but quite flexible in the tip section? You swung better inside? The face of the driver was 1* closed? Maybe it was the kickpoint?

With all the information that some of us have posted about shaft flex, do people still believe that an R is an R and an S is an S?

Look at the enclosed graph of two, "identical" STIFF shafts. Tell me that they are the same, when the tip of the Aldila is 175 cpm's stiffer than the SK Fiber.

Or, check out the second graph, showing a regular shaft hugely stiffer than a stiff shaft. Go figure.

[Golfer_Gofer]

All other things being equal, a lower loft and stiffer shaft would make the ball slice more. So why would the ball go straighter? Because the machine said so? Because the 9.5 was actually an 11*. Because the stiff shaft was actually a senior shaft? Because the stiff shaft was stiff in the butt section but quite flexible in the tip section? You swung better inside? The face of the driver was 1* closed? Maybe it was the kickpoint?

With all the information that some of us have posted about shaft flex, do people still believe that an R is an R and an S is an S?

Look at the enclosed graph of two, "identical" STIFF shafts. Tell me that they are the same, when the tip of the Aldila is 175 cpm's stiffer than the SK Fiber.

Or, check out the second graph, showing a regular shaft hugely stiffer than a stiff shaft. Go figure.

Looook anyone can come up with statistics... 83% of all people know that.

but seriously.. my swing tempo is too quick for a regular flex... the club head was behind my swing so much that the ball would always sail high and fade to the right...my stiff shaft and lower loft i have a low boring ball flight... and this has been confirmed outside playing a round of golf.. I was just suggesting that he try it.. a lot of guys dont know their swing speed and just assume they need regular flex.. thats what i did

["Richard"]

I have a 10.5 degree driver and I have LOTS of high slices. Would lowering the degree of loft to say 8.5 or 9 or even 9.5 make a big difference?

Thanks,

Didn't read the rest of the replies but lowering the loft isn't a good idea if you are slicing. You are just going to put more side spin on the ball and slice it even more. Get a 12* driver with offest and that will help but best thing to do is take lessons. You will get more backspin with a high lofted driver so they won't go as far and you will have a higher launch angel as well. If that isn't an option... then lessons for sure. You are coming to outside inside most likely. I got rid of my slice by trying to touch my right elbow to my right hip in the downswing and it really helped.

[Powerdraw]

loft gives less sidespin curvature on a golf ball, so, as i personnaly have experienced going from 9 to 9.5 too 10.5 current driver, im glad i did, coz althought trajectory for MY swing is higher, so is ball carry and length coz i can go at it alot harder and have the confidence of less curvature day to day...more loft=more backspin, more backspin=less side sidespin...

that is why a lofted club like a wedge wont hook or slice half as much as a driver...
my 0.02$ canadian.

[Golfbum]

Best driving day of my life. No question. I am loving this new stick.

I read your post above and I'm not sure I agree in light of my recent experience. I was fitted for this club on a launch monitor in the winter and just picked it up last week. I was amazed how straight it was at the range and blown away at the course. Don Irving did an amazing job fitting me indoors.

Dan don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Launch Monitors or what they tell you.
I have talked to the owner of the local golf store and he has told me that many drivers come in for trade. Lots of them are from guys who bought them purely on what the Launch Monitor told them. Now that said, by going to a Certified Club Fitter and using a monitor it would likely be far better than just walking into Golf Town and doing it there. People do not realize the value of being properly fitted for loft, shaft, flex, even grip size. A grip that is too big for your hands will not allow you to release the club properly through the ball. I am sure many new golfers do not even know that fact.
A certified fitter is well worth visiting. But I still like to hit the ball outside

[jonf]

Looook anyone can come up with statistics... 83% of all people know that.

"you can find facts to prove anything thats even remotely true"

[BC MIST]

Looook anyone can come up with statistics... 83% of all people know that.

but seriously.. my swing tempo is too quick for a regular flex... the club head was behind my swing so much that the ball would always sail high and fade to the right...my stiff shaft and lower loft i have a low boring ball flight... and this has been confirmed outside playing a round of golf.. I was just suggesting that he try it.. a lot of guys dont know their swing speed and just assume they need regular flex.. thats what i did

My comments were directed at those who believe that there is such a thing as Regular and Stiff and not at you, personally. I apologize for using your UN in the above.

However, this statement, "my swing tempo is too quick for a regular flex" shows that perhaps we are fighting a losing battle. I would like someone to tell me what a Regular flex is?

The statistics that I use are actual frequency measurements made at 7 different locations along the entire length of a shaft. They clearly show that regular and stiff do not exist.

[downhillslider]

My comments were directed at those who believe that there is such a thing as Regular and Stiff and not at you, personally. I apologize for using your UN in the above.

However, this statement, "my swing tempo is too quick for a regular flex" shows that perhaps we are fighting a losing battle. I would like someone to tell me what a Regular flex is?

The statistics that I use are actual frequency measurements made at 7 different locations along the entire length of a shaft. They clearly show that regular and stiff do not exist.

So what you are telling me is that all the T-shirts that I buy that have "M" on the tag may not be MEN'S T-shirts??????

[dbleber]

Best driving day of my life. No question. I am loving this new stick.

I read your post above and I'm not sure I agree in light of my recent experience. I was fitted for this club on a launch monitor in the winter and just picked it up last week. I was amazed how straight it was at the range and blown away at the course. Don Irving did an amazing job fitting me indoors.

I was very impressed to see an Accra in your driver, they are amazing shafts! I don't care about specs, graphs or whatever. I likeplaying with launch monitors but at the end of the day there is something very different about those Accra's.

[BC MIST]

So what you are telling me is that all the T-shirts that I buy that have "M" on the tag may not be MEN'S T-shirts??????

And I cannot understand why all size 13 pairs of running shoes don't fit me perfectly. Surely all 13's are the same.

[BC MIST]

I don't care about specs, graphs or whatever. I likeplaying with launch monitors

Don't launch monitors give out specs, graphs or whatevers?