here is a basic chart for working out what kind of driver loft you may need:

http://www.pga.com/improve/...

You Call That a Driver?

In a survey taken at the PGA Tour's 2006 AT&T tournament, the average loft of the pros' drivers was 9.2 degrees. The average loft of their amateur partners was 9.4 degrees. Talk about people with more money than brains. Golf brains that is. Go get your driver swing speed measured accurately. If it's 110 mph or higher, go ahead and use that 9-degree driver because you have the swing speed to use that low of a driver loft. If it's lower than that, here's a chart to let you know what loft will get you more distance off the tee. And please don't let your ego get in the way of achieving your maximum distance for your swing speed.

Optimum Driver Loft for Maximum Distance:

Swing speed

17
Swing speed 15
Swing speed 13
Swing speed 12
Swing speed 11
Optimum driver loft in this chart is based on the golfer swinging with a level angle of attack into the ball. If you hit the ball on the upswing (upward angle of attack), subtract one degree. If you hit the ball with a downward, steeper angle of attack, add one degree. To be sure, visit your local clubmaker and be custom fit using a launch monitor. If you have a 60 mph swing speed and you can't find an actual "No. 1 wood" with 17-degree loft, then whatever fairway wood with that loft will become your "driver."

One more tip -- if you live at 4,000 feet or higher elevation, add one more degree to the lofts in this chart. That "rarefied air" has less density and the spin you generate won't work as well to keep the ball in the air as it will at sea level. Oh, and while you're at it, shorten that driver to 43-44 inches and re-swingweight the head for that shorter length. You'll hit the ball more squarely, more often and not lose a smidgen of swing speed. Remember, you lose 5 to 7 percent of your potential distance when you hit the ball 1/2-inch off center. Learn to develop your golf brain.

I was sure that this one had been done before...but I remember reading about it Wishon's latest book.

Very interesting - and will probably be disbelieved/ignored by those that should take the most notice.

QUOTE: Fyirippu @ Apr 20 2006, 01:48 PM

Very interesting - and will probably be disbelieved/ignored by those that should take the most notice.

Very true. In my limited experience I have already seen this.

Gee damn I might have to buy a new driver now

Pretty sure this has been posted before - worth a read: http://www.golfdigest.com/i...

I once lost a 14 degree driver to a mini tour player in the US who was having a crappy day with a 9 degree effort. I loaned him mine for a laugh...never got it back as he just could not miss with it. I offered to build him an 11 but he would not let go of it. Why? Coz first time out he dropped the ball on the green on the first hole and made eagle.

Now this was overkill for loft but he was amazed at how little sideways motion he got on the ball vs his old driver so he could throw the kitchen sink at it or stroke it around.

Most people have wayyyy to little loft.

QUOTE: iseekgolfguru @ Apr 20 2006, 04:14 PM

Most people have wayyyy to little loft.

And a little too much length - not that they will admit to that!

QUOTE: tristan @ Apr 20 2006, 04:04 PM

Very true. In my limited experience I have already seen this.

I bet lots of women are influenced away from higher loft by well meaning but misinformed husbands

QUOTE: iseekgolfguru @ Apr 20 2006, 04:14 PM

I once lost a 14 degree driver to a mini tour player in the US who was having a crappy day with a 9 degree effort. I loaned him mine for a laugh...never got it back as he just could not miss with it. I offered to build him an 11 but he would not let go of it. Why? Coz first time out he dropped the ball on the green on the first hole and made eagle.

Now this was overkill for loft but he was amazed at how little sideways motion he got on the ball vs his old driver so he could throw the kitchen sink at it or stroke it around.

Most people have wayyyy to little loft.

I think that seeing some loft on the face perhaps helps people as well with the confidence factor

as you say swing for the fences or move it around whereas realistically most people hit cr.. when they swing for the fence with more traditional lofts

so I dont think it is just loft - maybe they swing with better alignments etc due to some subconcious factor as well when using more loft

It was a huge shock to this fellow system to hit it so well and so far. Once he got over the fact he could see the face the results were quite frankly huge for him in particular. He gained in confidence after hitting the second first ball, as he could not believe the first one!

Belief in the tools in hand (no joke please) is a huge part in playing this game.

Its a very good point, more loft usually means more accuracy...

When I was playing alot of golf I used a 8.5 degree driver with a XX Flex steel shaft. my MPH was high enough to get away with it, but on an off day that loft cost me shots. It was even worse when playing partners had 5.5 degrees and had a bad day!!

In fact, as I now just start to slowly get back into the game after 5 years or so away from it, I have a UST PF2 shaft with much more give in it, on the same head. Accuracy is good even though my MPH and swing in general arent what they used to be.

As I start to play more again, I will be swapping out the 8.5 head for probably a 10.5 head. I tried an 11 degree the other week and it carried further, got the same amount of roll and even better: SENSATIONAL ACCURACY!!

As the Guru said above, I had so much confidence on the back 9 holes with the 11 degree driver that every other part of my game lifted as well. This also translates into fairway woods as well, from my old days im still usisng a 12.5 3wood with a XX steel shaft, again as I play more I will be switching to a 15 dgeree with a lighter flex graphite shaft. Its amazes me how many goflers use a 12.5-14 degree 3 wood, when a 16 dgree or more loft three wood would achieve a much more consitent result.

Alot of people will say a 11 or 12 degree driver flies too high for their liking, but with some tweaking, and a well matched shaft, this can be minimised.

QUOTE: iseekgolfguru @ Apr 20 2006, 04:44 PM

It was a huge shock to this fellow system to hit it so well and so far. Once he got over the fact he could see the face the results were quite frankly huge for him in particular. He gained in confidence after hitting the second first ball, as he could not believe the first one!

Belief in the tools in hand (no joke please) is a huge part in playing this game.

you certainly are the guru I agree 100 %

QUOTE: smooth @ Apr 20 2006, 03:05 PM

As I start to play more again, I will be swapping out the 8.5 head for probably a 10.5 head. I tried an 11 degree the other week and it carried further, got the same amount of roll and even better: SENSATIONAL ACCURACY!!

Just one question - if the 11 was so good, why choose a 10.5!?

QUOTE: tristan @ Apr 20 2006, 05:14 PM

Just one question - if the 11 was so good, why choose a 10.5!?

No diea actually!!

Well, .5 a degree wont be a hude difference for me and gives me alot more options with head design I believe.

But, in saying that if I could have taken the 11 degree off my playing partner for life, I would have!

Maybe not, I wasn't completely happy with it, and I havnt tried any other higher lofted drivers thus far, I think I will be able to squeeze a bit more out of a better head design.

QUOTE: cjgolf @ Apr 20 2006, 04:25 PM

I bet lots of women are influenced away from higher loft by well meaning but misinformed husbands

Too right -99% of the women I play golf with have SS less than 70mph - but are all using 11° or less drivers. No wonder I carry it past them with my 14°

QUOTE: iseekgolfguru @ Apr 20 2006, 04:14 PM

I once lost a 14 degree driver to a mini tour player in the US who was having a crappy day with a 9 degree effort. I loaned him mine for a laugh...never got it back as he just could not miss with it. I offered to build him an 11 but he would not let go of it. Why? Coz first time out he dropped the ball on the green on the first hole and made eagle.

Now this was overkill for loft but he was amazed at how little sideways motion he got on the ball vs his old driver so he could throw the kitchen sink at it or stroke it around.

Most people have wayyyy to little loft.

I like that story because I'm constantly being told I have too much loft on my driver.

My driver swing speed is 105-110, but I’m a beginner and get much better accuracy with my 11.5 degree driver. Most of my more experienced playing partners have drivers with 9 degrees (or less) loft, but I still carry the ball past 250 and hit more fairways than they do!

Yes, they are the guys telling me 11.5 is too much loft.

QUOTE: coyote @ Apr 20 2006, 03:48 PM

I like that story because I'm constantly being told I have too much loft on my driver.

My driver swing speed is 105-110, but I'm a beginner and get much better accuracy with my 11.5 degree driver. Most of my more experienced playing partners have drivers with 9 degrees (or less) loft, but I still carry the ball past 250 and hit more fairways than they do!

Yes, they are the guys telling me 11.5 is too much loft.

Hehe, nice.

Not that it matters if your hitting more fairways, but do your playing partners hit it much further than you?

Also how did you come to the conclusion that you needed that much loft?

QUOTE: amanda_wong @ Apr 20 2006, 05:21 PM

Too right -99% of the women I play golf with have SS less than 70mph - but are all using 11° or less drivers. No wonder I carry it past them with my 14°

good stuff

out of interest - how did you get fitted for your driver and who did it

QUOTE: coyote @ Apr 20 2006, 05:48 PM

I like that story because I'm constantly being told I have too much loft on my driver.

My driver swing speed is 105-110, but I’m a beginner and get much better accuracy with my 11.5 degree driver. Most of my more experienced playing partners have drivers with 9 degrees (or less) loft, but I still carry the ball past 250 and hit more fairways than they do!

Yes, they are the guys telling me 11.5 is too much loft.

no surprise to you I am sure

lots of people just "know" that a good player has to have a driver with less than 10 degrees of loft despite contrary evidence

QUOTE: Fyirippu @ Apr 20 2006, 03:48 PM

Very interesting - and will probably be disbelieved/ignored by those that should take the most notice.

The problem's partly with the retailers too - I've been shopping around for a new driver for a while, and decided to stop ignoring my problems and get a high lofted offset driver. But asking at the pro shops, they all say "what do you want that for, that's a girls club!", and try to steer me toward a 9 or 10 degree driver...

Oh to live somewhere with proper clubfitters...

I have ordered an 11deg callaway 454 (highest loft in left hand) @ 44" just waiting for it to arrive... impulse order after i read a similar article around the traps.. .currently playing with a 9.5deg so i will be able to tell you all if it really does make a difference... i am very intrested to see if its a load of bullspit or not..??

It's one thing to say go for extra loft and hit it high...but what happens when you get a windy day?. Low hitting on those days does make a difference.

QUOTE: tristan @ Apr 20 2006, 06:04 PM

Hehe, nice.

Not that it matters if your hitting more fairways, but do your playing partners hit it much further than you?

Also how did you come to the conclusion that you needed that much loft?

Simple answer to your first question is no. Even when I play against someone who does, there's not much I can do about that. I'll just hit what suits me best.

I came to the conclusion not because of distance, well not directly anyway. I have a friend who never pulls his driver out of the bag and always hits 3 wood from the tee for the extra control. I decided to get a club with almost 3 wood type loft but a driver sized sweet spot. I use a low spin ball and a stiff shaft and take my driver out whenever I get the opportunity. Given the ball characteristics and "high launch, low spin" nature of my driver, I'm not too worried about it soaring to cloud like alititude although I can clear almost any tree hanging out the corner of a dogleg.

Had I read that article first, I may have gotten a shorter shaft too. At least I know I'm not really sacrificing distance for control, but I won't tell my playing buddies that. When I outdrive them it will be more like "Just imagine if I'd hit your 7.5 degree monster, I'd have outdone you by 50 metres instead of just 20!"

QUOTE: d@n @ Apr 20 2006, 08:55 PM

It's one thing to say go for extra loft and hit it high...but what happens when you get a windy day?. Low hitting on those days does make a difference.

well you do not actually hit it higher if the club matches your swing speed etc

it is all about getting the ball launching at the desired angle usually12-14 degrees if memory serves me right

some people can do that with an 8 deg some 13 deg

for example I hit the ball lower than our best junior and yet I use more loft

QUOTE: coyote @ Apr 20 2006, 09:44 PM

Had I read that article first, I may have gotten a shorter shaft too. At least I know I'm not really sacrificing distance for control, but I won't tell my playing buddies that. When I outdrive them it will be more like "Just imagine if I'd hit your 7.5 degree monster, I'd have outdone you by 50 metres instead of just 20!"

re shaft length:

just try gripping down some

try various amounts

from my experience its worth trying

QUOTE: coyote @ Apr 20 2006, 07:44 PM

I'll just hit what suits me best.

Given the ball characteristics and "high launch, low spin" nature of my driver, I'm not too worried about it soaring to cloud like alititude although I can clear almost any tree hanging out the corner of a dogleg.

Some wise words.

Have fun

QUOTE: cjgolf @ Apr 20 2006, 06:09 PM

out of interest - how did you get fitted for your driver and who did it

This is going to sound awful - but I picked up my 14° driver for a $30 donation to a charity from Ben. It has a Hireko cheapy ladies shaft in it - probably worth about $5 - but when swung nice and smooth - is perfect!

So it's not fitted at all - but as long as it aint broke - I aint changing!