Driver Selection

Selecting the Right Loft

Selecting the right loft for your swing may be the most critical decision in driver selection. The common misconception is that lower loft equals more distance. The truth is actually the opposite for most golfers. Remember this simple statement, "Loft is your friend." We've tested hundreds of golfers with a launch monitor and found that most are playing a driver that has a loft too low to get their greatest potential distance. Below is a simple chart that may help you select the right loft for a driver.

Driver Swing Speed       Suggested Loft

 50 mph                                   15-20°

 60 mph                                   14-18°

 70 mph                                   12-15°

 80 mph                                   11-14°

 90 mph                                   10-13°

100 mph                                    9-12°

110 mph                                    8-11°

120 mph                                    7-10°

The average male golfer swings his driver at 84mph and hits a 6-iron approximately 145-150 yards. If you don't hit your 6-iron over 150 yards, you are likely to get more distance with more loft on your driver by selecting one that has 10.5° or higher. For this reason, we have expanded our assortment of driver heads in popular Snake Eyes series like the Viper XT, Python XL and Indigo, all of which offer higher loft options.

Today's larger drivers have deeper face heights than drivers from just a few years ago, allowing more impact area above the center of gravity (CG) of the head. This is one of the main reasons PGA Tour players have been able to gain distance off the tee. When the ball is contacted above the CG, there is a gear effect that reduces backspin. For tour players that are swinging over 100mph, that's a good thing. They're getting the magic formula of high launch and high ball velocity with low backspin. What the average 80-90mph male golfer needs to keep in mind is the reduced backspin off the larger driver may lead to shorter drives if the launch angle is not high enough to keep the ball in the air.

In general, keeping the ball in the air longer pays off in more distance than a lower ball that depends on roll. Remember this as you make your loft selection. Even many of the tour players who were playing 8° to 9 ° drivers a couple of years ago are switching to driver lofts of 9.5° to 10.5°. You may benefit from one or two degrees higher loft on your driver, too.

Source: Golfsmith