GOLF: What Driver Loft Should You Use?? (80% get this wrong!)

[@patrickhoward4080]

I play a stealth 10.5 head turned up 2 degrees to 12.5. Swing speed 100-105 avg. found it to be the most consistent ball flight and most forgiving on mishits on the face to retain some spin. It’s gameable. When I turn it down to 10.5 or 9 it does go longer on a pure smash but when I mishit it…it falls out of the sky with no spin. Loft and spin are critical…gotta find the right combo for your game that gives you consistency and playability…not just that 1 out of a 100 long drive.

[@davidcollins8968]

Hi from the UK Eric and a great video, thank you. I had a driver fitting last year, upgrading my 9 yr old Callaway 10.5 degree to a new 12 degree Ping G425 max. My male ego took a knock, but I have to say, at 67, I've added 20 yds to my drives, as my spin raised from low 1500ish to 2200 or so. Please keep up the great content.

[@CogornoGolf]

Thank you, David! Love to hear about the driver gains!!

[@carlosaugustocarvalho5281]

There is one piece of the puzzle missing. The angle of attack and consequently the dynamic loft. In my case, I use a senior flex shaft, quite whippy and hit up on the ball. My AoA is above 6°. If I use 11° driver my ball flight will only go up and fly short. My SS is 88mph and my best numbers are with a 7° driver.

[@pjpcadet]

Very interesting ! I also believe the angle of attack is a major factor…

[@adammiller4044]

I like the club fitting videos. I think too many people obsess over shafts when trying to modify loft/spin, when the clubhead is the most efficient way to change this. Shafts are more about feel and finding the sweet spot.

[@CogornoGolf]

Glad you enjoyed the video, Adam! Thank you for being here with us!

[@ironsideeve2955]

That makes 0 sense... You need to have a shaft that fits ur swing the same as head and grip. Different ppl load the shaft differently at different times

[@sublimegolf26]

Cool! Love the collaboration. Already a fan of Swingfit. Looking forward to future videos…

[@CogornoGolf]

John is the best! Thanks so much for your support and feedback, Ricky!

[@oL5re9re55ion]

John, your systematic and clear comparison across several variables is fantastic. This is an outstanding video. Other content creators: take note of how he compared variables and how he communicated the results.

[@CogornoGolf]

We appreciate your support! Thanks!

[@johnw3900]

Love it. I have a range close to me with Top Tracer, will give this a go in the spring. I have about 145-150mph ball speed with a normal "fairway finder" swing, 155ish if I rip at it. I have been playing with a 9 degree loft, will try dialing it up and down a bit to compare results. This gives me a good idea what to look for...thanks.

[@CogornoGolf]

Our pleasure, John! Thanks so much for watching!

[@howardphillips8513]

Really interesting! At my club we had a demonstration by Joe Miller, twice World Long Drive Champion. His driver had a 1 degree loft. It was also super long and he used 4 1/2 inch tees, I think. But then he had muscles in places where the rest of us do not have places. He turned our longest uphill par 5 into a drive and a little wedge. That was fun.😃

[@CogornoGolf]

Awesome Howard! Appreciate you watching!

[@CogornoGolf]

I appreciate you all being here with us and hope you enjoy some of our new club fitting style videos. Let me know what you all think.....do you like club fitting/gear videos and want more? Don't like them? Any feedback is appreciated and will help make sure we keep matching videos you actually want to watch :)

[@BLKMeSa]

These are always interesting to me (maybe not as much as the swing technique and drills videos you're known for), but I'd like to see in-person fittings with better players like yourself, even if they are less frequent on the channel. I know this may be more difficult due to travel and time constraints, etc.

[@sublimegolf26]

I enjoyed seeing the different swing speed and how it matches up with the equipment. Would love to see what driver setup that would help neutralize a negative angle of attack…

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks for your feedback! Great ideas for future videos here! :)

[@Dave-ib5kn]

I think it’s time for John at SwingFit to give you the full bag fitting, Eric. I think it’d be great content.

[@GavinMiller-h2m]

Very cool info. Was wanting to switch to a 8 degree from my 9. Was wanting more distance and less spin and my club head speed in 108 average so excited to see how this stealth 2 plus 8* plays. Thanks for the info

[@CogornoGolf]

Our pleasure! Hope this one helps!

[@jvelez1998]

This is fantastic, Eric. Love this format. Please keep these coming! 👍

[@CogornoGolf]

Thank you, Jason! Appreciate your feedback!

[@lovemypug5077]

after watching this, I think I'll have to swallow my pride and look into more loft and a regular shaft. Thanks to the video. Happy New Year

[@CogornoGolf]

:) Happy New Year my friend! Thanks for watching!

[@chadperley7736]

Love this video. Learnt so much in this video. Need to get myself to a club fitter. Thank you

[@CogornoGolf]

Glad you enjoyed the video, Chad! Thank you for watching!

[@jasongraham5648]

I got had a driver fitting this week at CC. My current driver is 10.5 Ping G. I tend to hit it pretty high and it falls out of the sky with no roll out. They ended up fitting me into the new Mizuno ST-X 9.5 turned down to 7.5. That sounded pretty odd to me, but in the simulator I was still hitting it with some loft and gained 12 yards. I should be getting it in the next couple of weeks. Fingers crossed. I’m still not sure about the 7.5 loft.

[@ryanwalters694]

You must be like me. I play a 9 degree driver but launch it at 13. I think my spin is too high and my ball tends to ballon on me. Think I’ll play with it and knock it down a degree and see what happens

[@tubetime39]

JasonGraham5648; An extra 12 yds for only $600 or $700 is well worth it. Especially if you are like me and can't hit irons.

[@rw_golf6387]

This is exactly how some of the LPGA players set up their drivers. You also have to consider that modern drivers are mostly designed to get the ball airborne so you don’t need as much loft as you did 10 years ago especially if you have an AoA of +3 or more.

[@UndercoverNormie]

Thanks. Getting back into golf and am a bit on the fence about what I want in terms of loft in my driver...

[@CogornoGolf]

Go see a great club fitter and remove the guesswork! :)

[@UndercoverNormie]

@@CogornoGolf Yeah, I've been meaning to. Been using Mizuno MP57 forged cavity backs for years that I bought out of a shop for dirt cheap. If I decide it's time for an upgrade, I'm probably gonna get fitted for everything. Just looking at used right now.

[@rw_golf6387]

The problem with club fitters is they are a lot like golf coaches. Very hard to find someone you can trust😮

[@shaham23]

What are thoughts on changing lofts when you still have a steep angle of attack down

[@SwingFit]

That’s a great question, I wish there was a clear cut answer but sometime steep angle if attacks who also has low dynamic loft would benefit from going with a higher lofted driver. But this is only if dynamic loft is low. But the cool thing is that an experience fitter would likely exhaust this possibility if we are seeing some issues. Thanks for the excellent question

[@coalinparkinson7935]

Great vid . Take a look at The Claw driver by The Natural Golf Company in the UK. No closed club face . E4 swing weight . Solid hit every time. Very upright . Open face at impact it just goes higher . Closed face at impact it just goes lower . Mimics the hit pattern area of most golfers . Odd looking but unique!!!

[@SwingFit]

Thanks for sharing have not seen or tried this one, but sounds like I need too.

[@davidsutton4056]

Great explanation and big question. Based upon your test results it would seem that game improvement irons for slower swing speeds should be lofted higher than irons for "players". Instead, the club manufacturers do just the opposite. Player irons are lofted up and those players seem to be de-lofting those irons at impact. I have an old set of Ping I 3+ (circa 2002). The loft on the 5 iron is 27 degrees vs. 23.5 degrees on my current Ping G-425's. Why are manufacturers doing this? If it is a distance issue it would seem that using your method, the slower swing speed players would benefit from more lofted irons.

[@CogornoGolf]

Agreed----sometimes it seems a bit opposite :) there's more to the story here behind this conversation....maybe for another day! Always best to get fit with a good fitter to see what works best for you

[@williammartella7616]

What about then taking that another step further with ball fitting? I see it in studio and on course, V1 v V1x as example, changing spin and flight windows. I starting buying all low spin equipment, then changed to low spin ball. Suddenly I started getting more dippers. I can easily switch to higher spin ball, but on softer courses it doesn't play out well.

[@CogornoGolf]

Awesome idea, William! Maybe a future video soon!

[@SwingFit]

Yes the GolfBall is so important. Loft and GolfBalls are really easy variables to control both spin and launch. Great suggestion.

[@bruceseaman6592]

Gona try lofting up my driver,got a 90mph driver speed but playing 9.5 degrees loft,runs good as I hit a dry but not great carry

[@CogornoGolf]

Hope this video serves you well, Bruce!

[@mikewilliams1479]

Well in my brain my driver is set to 9.5 at all timeless for some dumb reason. Maybe because I played most of my drivers at 9.5. I have recently gotten my hands on a stealth+ 8 degrees and man oh man I got some good roll out from it.

[@gcoffey223]

Stays outbof the wind too

[@mikewilliams1479]

@@gcoffey223 I try lol

[@Chris_Traynor]

Very clear. Nice one!

[@CogornoGolf]

Thank you, Christian!

[@BG23CP]

Excellent Format! thank you

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks Carlos!

[@sacheenpunde6980]

Great illustration of impact of loft. My son is 12 and he hits down on his driver swing by 3-4 degrees. His ball speed is about 126-128 but only carries it about 185yds. What impact do you believe adding loft to his delivery will have on the carry distance? I feel like he definitely leaves a few carry yds off the tee. Thanks for your feedback..

[@SwingFit]

Good question, loft will play a huge factor for sure, in addition to the shaft. So you’ll have to come back and share the results when I see you guys in a couple of weeks.

[@CoryLancasterYT]

Awesome, Love SwingFit !

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks for watching, Cory! John is the best of the best!

[@kswan33]

I am 68 years old with 90mph swing speed, got fitted with Wilson Dynapwr Carbon driver at 9*. Definite fade in swing. Can adding loft to driver help ball flight to be more draw bias?

[@CogornoGolf]

It could....depends on several other factors....go see our club fitter John in WV he's the best and will get you whatever you need!

[@3putt548]

Your opinion please. For the past 10 years I’ve been using a Titleist 910 D2 driver with 10.5 degrees of loft. I was fortunate to win the driver in a raffle. I’ve been quite happy with it. Lady Luck just kissed me again and I won a sweepstakes on the Titleist website. I’ve won a brand new TSR2 Titleist driver. I’m 72 now and have a swing speed of 84 mph. I’ve selected the KuroKage Black 5G 55 TSi-F regular flex. My question is what loft to choose. My old driver was 10.5 but that is not offered. I can get either a 10 or 11 degree loft. I can’t try out the club to see what I prefer. With my 10.5 loft it was the perfect loft for me. I need as much distance as I can get. Most par 4 holes it’s driver and than still another wood 3 or 5 most of the time. I guess I could always move up a tee box but play from the men’s regular tees. Maybe averaging 215 yards off the tee, it really doesn’t matter which loft I use. Oh how I miss those days hitting it 260-270 with a persimmon wood back in my younger days. Thanks for your opinion.

[@SwingFit]

Well this depends on your miss. If you miss right then go with 10 and turn it up if you miss left go with a 12 and turn it down… if you hit it straight just go with the 11.

[@annefilippobertozzi7601]

Nice video. What about course conditions (soft vs hard, cold vs warm, windy or not)?

[@CogornoGolf]

Love this idea! We have a few course vlogs on the channel you may enjoy checking out...but more to come in 2023!

[@gcoffey223]

The wind is real... I just seem to do well at 8° as I get tons of roll BUT I stay out of trouble. I will be dialing it up to 9 or 10° and see what I see

[@uNkLeRaRa4]

Damn I thought this was going to be an updated video about my beloved ST190!

[@CogornoGolf]

:) Thanks for watching the channel!

[@canuck_gamer3359]

I'm a 51 year old, about 12 handicap and I am not a big hitter. I need to squeeze every yard out of my drives and right now I'm at a point where I'm trying to balance my loft against my potential roll out. I started this journey looking at my driver loft (just like this video) and indeed discovered (at least initially) that more loft was better. I went from driving the ball 210 yards to 240 plus just by going from a 9 degree F Max gold to a 12 degree RadSpeed XB. But lately I've noticed that although my launch angle is much better and higher than it was before, I am often getting almost ZERO roll out. Since my driver is adjustable, I am going to try and dial it down a half degree at a time and see what happens. But my question is this: Is a few yards or roll out ALWAYS a part of an optimized drive? In other words, is it possible that I am at my best possible configuration and that means little to no roll out or is that not likely? I feel like I'm leaving yards on the table here and maybe a lot, maybe 15 or 20.

[@edf9992]

Great video

[@CogornoGolf]

Thank you, Ed!

[@tedbland403]

How does tee height fit into the equation for each lo setting ?

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Ted! Sounds like a good topic for future video!

[@NobleStoneUK]

Convenient that the ball speeds for the slow swinger were down with lower loft and vice versa with faster swing to prove your theory.

[@codex6594]

I'd bet these guy's could come in on a different day and have completely different results

[@windyrun7979]

Does changing the loft using the hosel on a TSR2 change the face angle of the club? Example, does taking an 11* head and using hosel to go down to 10* change the club face to having a more draw bias?

[@SwingFit]

Great question, one of the cool things about the surefit sleeve, is we can change face angle independently of the loft, hands down it is the best loft sleeve on the market.

[@gcoffey223]

Daamn.. I keep mine at 8°. They don't fly the longest, but they are straighter and get tremendous roll. I'm gonna try 10° again, see what happens. I'm around 100-105 mph

[@CogornoGolf]

Let us know what works best for you! Bunch of ways to get the job done depending on your priorities!

[@anthonykelham2451]

Yes I understand what was said but want to be there withe big. Boys regardless of configuration and shafts is it possible

[@rw_golf6387]

This can be misleading. The driver head technology can play a big roles as well as the AoA and shaft. For example, I swing at 93 mph and found the 9.5 driver loft to be optimal for me. Gained 10 yards in carry and another 10 in roll out when compared to my previous driver loft of 10.5. My AoA is + 3 to 4. Bottom line is you need to get fitted by someone who knows what they are doing!

[@mattforst6591]

Going through demo/fitting now. I have 85mph swing speed and guys says I need to loft down to 9/9.5 due to high launch. Im so confused.

[@RobertBrownieX]

How would increasing loft, increase ball speed?

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Robert if your search "Trackman Spin Loft" it should go through how and why the LOFT effects distance

[@dry509]

What if you swing at 80 miles an hour?

[@CogornoGolf]

I would go get an in person fitting so they can run you through all the details----that would be the best option

[@randyposs6281]

I got old cleveland XL16 degree driver that works great on tee or ground

[@SalwaNayab]

WHY THE HEL IS MY LOFT 13.5 EVEN THOUGH IVE BEEN PLAYING golf for like 2 years i never understood the loft thingi so now when i see the commnets eveyoens like 10.5 loft is alot LIKE WHAT

[@CogornoGolf]

:) Good to go get a good club fitting with a good fitter to see whats best for you!

[@landonpotts5465]

this was helpful but I swing a driver at 125 mph clubhead speed and it didnt really explain how loft affects me

[@irishmohawk2763]

Test out different lofts to see where your sweet spot is. That was a pretty consistent point throughout the video. Even for a 93mph or 105mph swing, the video still suggests that your personal swing will dictate a specific loft. I would argue that this video was equally helpful to all swing speeds by being generally vague enough on all accounts.

[@gcoffey223]

Who cares, your swinging 125mph 😂😂😂 you must carry daamn near 300

[@zazhou]

Sorry, but your ball speed data for 95 mph swing speed does not seem correct according to the laws of physics? Ball speed off the face should increase with stronger loft. Yes, the ball may not stay in the air too long if the loft is too low, but the initial ball speed should be higher.

[@SwingFit]

Data is 100% accurate my man, quality of strike point and dynamic loft will ultimately determine net ball speed output. No physics is required just simple present the correct d loft and find center of face and you will get the best ballspeed possible.

[@ecliqxse9591]

The only robbing me of distance is my hooking shot lol

[@CogornoGolf]

That should be EASY to fix! Send swings in to www.cogornogolf.com if you don't get it sorted we can fix!

[@mcpappysgolden]

"And, I can't control my hands!!" Try holding something dude.

[@randy9573]

What are the loft numbers. For god sake. Simply this a bit.

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Randy! Thanks for watching and the feedback!

[@NetoperekMordulec]

Not in the windiest capital city in the world!!!!!!!!!

[@CogornoGolf]

:)

[@iannelson8862]

Great video but the way this guy speaks is extremely annoying. He sounds like a seminar speaker.

[@artv4nd3l4y]

Haha 666 likes for this video, I'll let the Lord do his work!

[@CogornoGolf]

:)

[@jasongraham5648]

I got had a driver fitting this week at CC. My current driver is 10.5 Ping G. I tend to hit it pretty high and it falls out of the sky with no roll out. They ended up fitting me into the new Mizuno ST-X 9.5 turned down to 7.5. That sounded pretty odd to me, but in the simulator I was still hitting it with some loft and gained 12 yards. I should be getting it in the next couple of weeks. Fingers crossed. I’m still not sure about the 7.5 loft.

[@CogornoGolf]

Nice gain in the fitting! That'll be fun out on the course!