Is A Lower Lofted Driver Harder To Hit?

Is A Lower Lofted Driver Harder To Hit?

Intro

Our driver makes a huge difference to how well we play. It’s hard to bear watching your ball sail through the sky after a perfect connection with the big stick. The thing is, playing a driver that isn’t set up for you and your swing could make it a lot harder to hit those perfect shots.

I know this because I played a 7.5 degree driver for a while and struggled, I upped it to a 10 degree driver and everything improved. This article looks into this very issue and to see if it was the low loft of this driver that was causing the problems.

How Important Is The Loft Of Your Driver?

The loft of your driver is one of the key factors that’s looked at during a custom fitting session. Along with shaft flex, it is arguably the most important factor in creating the right launch conditions for the driver. Whilst the shaft can help, the loft sets the stage at impact.

A Lower Lofted Driver Harder To Hit?

Modern golf balls and drivers are designed to minimise spin with the driver, however, they are also designed to help launch it in the air. A lower loft launches well when you have enough clubhead speed, however, without that you will find a low lfot driver harder to hit.

How Do You Know Which Loft You Need?

The best way to find out is by having a proper fitting with an expert technician. These pros can try multiple different shaft and loft options to get you the correct set-up. Other than that, you want to look at the shape of your flight with the driver, if it is very flat then you could need to loft up.

Swing Speed Vs. Loft Table

The convention tends to be that the faster you swing the club, the lower the loft you need on the driver. Below is a table that tests various lofts against multiple swing speeds and observes how far the ball goes. The results are quite striking.

What Is Dynamic Loft, Do We Need To Consider It?

The loft stamped on the club is only half the story, depending on how you swing the club, you’ll create a dynamic loft. This is the effective loft on the club at impact. This article from Trackman explains it in more detail, but yes, it is something that you should consider.

Advantages Of Lower Lofted Drivers

Better Into The Wind

If you play a lot of links golf then you’ll know the challenge of playing into the wind. A low loft driver can help you control the ball into the breeze.

Depending On Your Swing, You Will Hit It Further

If you hit the ball on the upswing, as you should with the driver, then a lower loft can help you eek out a few more yards. Of course clubhead speed matters here too though.

Reduced Spin

For most golfers, a lower loft should result in lower spin with the driver. This should reduce the chance of the ball stalling in the wind and help the ball fly true.

Disadvantages Of Lower Lofted Drivers

You Need Speed 

As you can see from the table earlier in this article, without higher clubhead speed you will not get the distance out of a lower lofted club. This is vital.

You Need Good Mechanics

If you tend to hit down on the ball with the driver, you will find the lower lofted drivers much harder to hit. You will find it near impossible to get the ball into the air.

How Do You Know If Your Loft Is Too Low?

When your driver feels almost impossible to get it into the air then this is one of your first clues. A flat and lifeless ball flight with very little distance is another sign. These issues result in you not launching the ball into the air effectively.

How Do You Know If Your Loft Is Too High?

When your tee shots seem to just launch skyward and die then that is a sign that your driver loft is too high. You will see this made far worse in the wind as the ball is travelling with too much spin and stalling. Again, you will be losing a lot of distance here because of this.

Will Lowering Loft Open The Face?

Not necessarily, no. Modern drivers have so many face and loft options that you change the loft of the club and ensure that you have a neutral face. In the past with fixed clubs this could have been an issue but modern adjustable drivers have really helped to negate this phenomenon.

Anything Else To Keep In Mind?

Distance is a key factor to help you on the course but that is only really helpful if your ball is in play. When trying various lofts you always want to be looking for the club set-up that gives you a good balance of yardage and control. Don’t think that a lower loft makes you look better.