TaylorMade R580 Driver 8.5 loft

[joshlee78]

I purchased a R580 8.5 loft driver today. Before I purchased the driver, i had the golf pro measure my swing speed and i averaged 104mph over approximately 30 swings. i started with a 10.5 then to a 9.5 then to the 8.5. the pro recommended that i purchase the 8.5 poft since my swing was relatively fast and i ended up buying the 8.5 loft driver with a stiff flex. as soon as i left the store, i went to the driving range and i noticed a significant hook on about 70% of my drives.

should i have gone with a higher loft driver?

also, to those of you who own this driver, how does this club sound when you hit a real ball? the balls that i hit at the driving range did not produce the nice "ping" sound that i am used to. thanks for your help.

josh

[bdcrowe]

Lower loft imparts more spin. Ever wonder why your 7 iron is easier to hit than your 3 iron? (Except for the length of course) it is because the 7 iron imparts more backspin, which cancels out a lot of sidespin. I don't care what your swingspeed is, 8.5* loft seems mighty low for me. My swingspeed was measured at just over 105 with a driver. I play a 10.5* loft with a high-kick shaft. This gives me a mid-trajectory, with low spin and pretty hefty carry and roll.

Or the hook could be the shaft, or the clubhead (how offset are those heads?), or just your lack of confidence in the new club. But... Personally... I would have gotten a 2nd opinion on the 8.5* loft. When even the tour players are playing higher lofted drivers these days because of new tech findings, it'd have been worth the effort.

[Rockford35]

I am living proof of the other side of the coin.

With my swing (~105 with the driver) the 10* driver ballooned on me and I lost all roll after my drives. I tried the 8.5* and had long, boring trajectory that I had always longed for.

That being said, it wasn't with the Taylor Made. When I hit the TM580 last fall, I never seemed to be able to hit anything but pushes with it. I never could pull it over the top and hit a draw. I find the heads on those things enourmous, but that's just me.

Are you hitting just hooks or are you really duck hooking it? It could be that your hands are fast and you're coming over the top. I personally don't think that the loft of your driver (it's 2 degrees difference) is going to make you hook that bugger like crazy. Are the shafts the same? Sometimes OEM shafts are just terrible for consistency. Perhaps an aftermarket shaft with a more moderate torque would work for your particular swing.

In the end, you might want to go get fitted again. Sounds like you were sold something that isn't really working with your swing. Too bad.

R35

[Bravo]

If anything, you need to communicate with your fitter quickly.

The sooner you let him know that you may have a problem - the more likely he will be to work with you on it. If you wait too long - he's going to say, "hey you are stuck with it".

A good fitter will want to work with you to get it the way you need it.

(And frankly it takes a really good, accurate swinger to hit a 8.5 degree club). There are many sites that recommend a 10* or higher loft for the vast majority of amateurs...