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10.5 vs 11.5 degree Driver?

dave.

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2005
5,926
2
Dear Mr Kilted

I'm not frpm Yorkshire,I was actually born in Springfield, Mass,but grew up in Lancashire,and now live in Yorkshire

The US birth accounts for my golfing genius,and the Lancs upbringing accounts for my perverse sense of humour

cheers

Dave
 

Kilted Arab

Well-Known Member
Apr 30, 2005
1,202
4
dave. said:
Dear Mr Kilted

I'm not frpm Yorkshire,I was actually born in Springfield, Mass,but grew up in Lancashire,and now live in Yorkshire

The US birth accounts for my golfing genius,and the Lancs upbringing accounts for my perverse sense of humour

cheers

Dave

Ah yes!

I just got the DVD of the Belfry Ryder Cup for my birthday. I'm just watching American Golfing Genius right now!
 

dave.

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2005
5,926
2
I'm reading about the thirties and forties,Hogan,Damaret,Sneed and Nelson,just brilliant all of them.Real shame the war ****ed up UK courses and no pro golf was played for 10 years (obviously there were more important things going on in the world,but you know what I mean).
 

Tennessee

Active Member
Jan 31, 2014
75
57
Cleveland, TN
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United States United States
I would look to the people I play with who are seniors with slower swings for some accurate real-life evidence. I've had my clocked cleaned more than once over the last couple of decades by older senior men, playing higher lofted drivers and fairway woods. You know the ones, with old bags and pull carts, maybe 8 or 9 clubs in the bag, almost never a driver. Usually they do not hit the ball more than around 200 yards, but they almost always are straight, straight, straight...
So what you see in real life is one drive, one fairway hit, one pitch, one putt, par.
This is why I've started to use more lofted clubs and hybrids, save for my Callaway 10.5 Razor X driver. I also find myself teeing up with my 3 wood, (15'), more and more as I prefer to be in the middle of the fairway with a nice fairway wood shot, rather than take a chance on 20-40 more yards, but spraying it everywhere. Better 190-200 in the middle, than 235 in the woods.

So I would not hesitate to try a higher lofted club, as you might find that the biggest benefit you gain is being on the short stuff almost all the time.
 

limpalong

Mental Ward Escapee
Supporting Member
Oct 18, 2006
13,821
13,653
I forgot!
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Interesting post resurrection. Since 2005, we've seen the advent of adjustable drivers. Since 2005, we've seen a move to lower spin shaft and clubhead technology... which relates to lower trajectories. Just because you needed an 8 degree Great Big Bertha doesn't mean you could set an R1 at 8 degrees and get it higher than a groundhog's nutsack. The SLDR commercials talk about 'lofting up'. I still firmly believe either you get fitted, today, for a driver... or you go with adjustability where you can hone the loft to what best fits the dynamics of your swing.
 

Tennessee

Active Member
Jan 31, 2014
75
57
Cleveland, TN
Country
United States United States
It seems to go in cycles. Back in maybe the mid 90's it was the teardrop flight that people tried to achieve - the screaming straight off the face, followed by a lifting of the ball into a nice arc and finally the soft landing. Then we went to the roll, all the roll you could get, dozens of yards of roll. Now, we're back to loft and high flight followed by a soft landing. It sounds like a secret plot by the club companies and ball makers to get everybody to keep trading in their clubs, if you ask me.
 

TEA Time

Grumpy Gilmore
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Mar 23, 2011
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Portland, Oregon
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If I bought every driver over the years that claimed "15 yards longer" I'd be driving the ball 750 yards by now.
 

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
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central Wisconsin
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In Wishon's book he always suggested more loft. I used to ignore it. This year I was thinking of all the guys I've played with that really hit it far. They always hit a very high shot that goes forever. So I upped the loft on my Cally to 11° from 10° and got a much higher loft and low and behold I'm putting it out there farther then I have in years. You will gain lost distance with a higher loft and the same swing speed. I've had two or three drives this year that measured 270+. Most are down the middle also if I swing right. My shortest ones are around 240. (These are all measured with a GPS and not wishful thinking). Not bad for a 69 year old hack. Next driver will be a higher loft to start with so I can set it up as I get older and slower.
 

Fairwaysplitter3320

Recovering Equipment Ho...off the wagon again.
Staff member
Admin
Sep 7, 2013
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Chapel Hill, TN
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In Wishon's book he always suggested more loft. I used to ignore it. This year I was thinking of all the guys I've played with that really hit it far. They always hit a very high shot that goes forever. So I upped the loft on my Cally to 11° from 10° and got a much higher loft and low and behold I'm putting it out there farther then I have in years. You will gain lost distance with a higher loft and the same swing speed. I've had two or three drives this year that measured 270+. Most are down the middle also if I swing right. My shortest ones are around 240. (These are all measured with a GPS and not wishful thinking). Not bad for a 69 year old hack. Next driver will be a higher loft to start with so I can set it up as I get older and slower.
I subscribe to the loft up camp as well.
 

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