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Old 11-30-2006, 09:14 AM   #1 (permalink)
Butz
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how much loft do I need?

Hey,

May I ask what's your opinion of this article?

So how much loft do I need?
Do your drives feel rock solid when you hit them, but fall like a stone and drop short? That’s a sure sign that you are not generating enough backspin with your driver. It’s also likely that you are one of those players who hits your 3-wood better off the tee than your driver. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. More than a few players get more carry distance and better control with their 3-wood off the tee. Sure, the shorter shaft of your 3-wood will give you more control, but it’s the loft, which is about 15˚, that really is the key.

If your driver has 9.5˚ or 10.5˚ of loft, and your typical swing is about 85 mph, which is about average for male players, then you may not generate enough backspin to keep the ball in the air long enough to maximize carry distance. Generally speaking, the slower your swing, the more loft you need on your driver. The faster your swing, the less loft your driver needs to create the ideal amount of backspin. (FYI ... The more backspin you impart on the ball, the straighter your shot will probably fly. For this reason, you never hear about someone slicing a 9-iron or wedge.)

It’s pretty safe to say that any player with a swing speed slower than 75 mph should be playing with a driver that has at least 12˚ of loft. But unfortunately, you can’t make a nice, clean assumption about how much loft you need if you swing much faster than that because there are so many variables in the golf swing. One 90 mph players may be 10.5˚, but another 90 swinger might only need 9.5˚.

So what about those pros you hear about who have a driver with something like 8˚ of loft? Well, those guys probably swing their driver around 115 mph. If they played a 10.5˚ driver, their shots would have too much backspin and rob them of distance.

GOLFONLINE - 5 Good Questions: Drivers
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