I was reading an article about Trackman the other day and the statistics shows that almost all the PGA professionals hit their drivers approximately 1 degree down.
Gone were the days where they hit it on the upswing. The reason for this is to get more consistency and also the pros have got high swing speed thus causing them to hit it further with this slight hitting down motion.
Do you agree with this findings or do you advocate such a swing? Wish I had not lost the link so that I could attach it here.
I totally agree. Try telling your average player to de-loft their driver though. Good luck. I would rather work on the release as I suggested in this tip. This will help to de-loft it without trying to de-loft it.
Hi Paul;
As I’m sure you already know, the latest info from everywhere is saying to add more loft for more distance. I hit the ball too low with my driver so I went from a 10.5 to a 12 deg. for more carry. My swing speed is only in the 80s so that was my main reason for going to more loft for more carry distance. Also, will my ball position at address make a difference in carry? Would you recommend that I go back to a 10.5? My concern is having to carry the ball over hazards as well as total distance. Thanks.
Funny how they say that yet I rarely see an average golfer hitting it too low. 99% I see hit it too high.
If you are hitting it too low as an average player I guarantee your grip is too strong. This is due to your hands being too far ahead of the ball at address, re-gripping before you take it back or a 3-4 knuckle left hand placement.
There has to be a reason you are de-lofting the club. It is your grip. So check your grip and make sure it is perfect. Once you do, you will add more loft thus hitting it higher.
Hi Paul
I have a driver with adjustable loft(8 deg to 12 deg) and direction(Left, neutral and right) Currently I am using 10.5 degrees and neutral. What do you recommend for distance?
This would depend on your swing but adjusting your club open or closed would be a band aid. You know how I fee about band aids. I would experiment with the loft to find the right trajectory. I would also recommended getting professionally fit on a trackman or similar device. Then there is no guessing.
Paul, sometime I hit my driver and it starts out really well. Good trajectory and good speed then all of a sudden it seems to drop out of the sky like there was a down draft pushing it down. What causes this and what do you suggest I do. I hit a 10.5 driver with a regular shaft.
Is there a universal optimum with respect to launch angle for the driver? I wonder because living here in the desert, the fairways can be harder and I wonder if a lower angle will give more roll-out than in other locales.
Hi Paul,
I think that now the puzzle is ongoing, and i have set up a great number of your tips. The result is now that my strokes are regularly straight and i thank you for that.
My concern now is about my distance. For example with my driver (10.5) I reach about 170 yards and it’s a little short on the course. My trajectories are a little high , without compression and a short rolling.
Could you specify to me the main point in my swing that i have to control and perhaps to fix ?
You need to turn way faster and keep your wrists way looser. It is that simple. It is all about powering it with the body not the arms. You want to hit. I am not hitting. You are not good at turning your body fast. I can turn fast because I have done it for many years. So if you want more power these are the 2 main things you need to be working on.
Do those drills daily at home thousands of times. It is all about repetition.
Also, the fundamentals of the golf swing are crucial too. Grip, setup. Coil and hinge. Trigger the downswing with the legs and hips ending up in the follow through.
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10 Responses to “Distance Series – Loft”
December 8, 2014
HermanKohHi Paul,
I was reading an article about Trackman the other day and the statistics shows that almost all the PGA professionals hit their drivers approximately 1 degree down.
Gone were the days where they hit it on the upswing. The reason for this is to get more consistency and also the pros have got high swing speed thus causing them to hit it further with this slight hitting down motion.
Do you agree with this findings or do you advocate such a swing? Wish I had not lost the link so that I could attach it here.
Thanks.
Herman
December 9, 2014
Paul WilsonHerman,
I totally agree. Try telling your average player to de-loft their driver though. Good luck. I would rather work on the release as I suggested in this tip. This will help to de-loft it without trying to de-loft it.
December 10, 2014
MichaelRodrickHi Paul;
As I’m sure you already know, the latest info from everywhere is saying to add more loft for more distance. I hit the ball too low with my driver so I went from a 10.5 to a 12 deg. for more carry. My swing speed is only in the 80s so that was my main reason for going to more loft for more carry distance. Also, will my ball position at address make a difference in carry? Would you recommend that I go back to a 10.5? My concern is having to carry the ball over hazards as well as total distance. Thanks.
December 10, 2014
Paul WilsonMichael,
Funny how they say that yet I rarely see an average golfer hitting it too low. 99% I see hit it too high.
If you are hitting it too low as an average player I guarantee your grip is too strong. This is due to your hands being too far ahead of the ball at address, re-gripping before you take it back or a 3-4 knuckle left hand placement.
There has to be a reason you are de-lofting the club. It is your grip. So check your grip and make sure it is perfect. Once you do, you will add more loft thus hitting it higher.
Left Hand: https://ignitiongolf.com/left-hand-grip
Easy Way to Master the Top Hand Position: https://ignitiongolf.com/easy-master-top-hand-position/
The Top Hand Determines the Position of the Bottom Hand: https://ignitiongolf.com/top-hand-bottom-hand/
Right Hand: https://ignitiongolf.com/right-hand-grip
How The Trigger Finger Helps Create A Solid Backswing Position: https://ignitiongolf.com/trigger-finger/
How Your Grip and Setup Can Get You Shut at the Top of the Backswing: https://ignitiongolf.com/grip-setup-shut-top-backswing/
Also,
Hit Ball Higher: https://ignitiongolf.com/shot-hit-higher
April 9, 2015
VenuKoosuriHi Paul
I have a driver with adjustable loft(8 deg to 12 deg) and direction(Left, neutral and right) Currently I am using 10.5 degrees and neutral. What do you recommend for distance?
Thanks
Venu
April 9, 2015
Paul WilsonVenu,
This would depend on your swing but adjusting your club open or closed would be a band aid. You know how I fee about band aids. I would experiment with the loft to find the right trajectory. I would also recommended getting professionally fit on a trackman or similar device. Then there is no guessing.
April 11, 2019
StephenClutterPaul, sometime I hit my driver and it starts out really well. Good trajectory and good speed then all of a sudden it seems to drop out of the sky like there was a down draft pushing it down. What causes this and what do you suggest I do. I hit a 10.5 driver with a regular shaft.
April 13, 2019
fretless5Is there a universal optimum with respect to launch angle for the driver? I wonder because living here in the desert, the fairways can be harder and I wonder if a lower angle will give more roll-out than in other locales.
November 4, 2019
jeanlelloucheHi Paul,
I think that now the puzzle is ongoing, and i have set up a great number of your tips. The result is now that my strokes are regularly straight and i thank you for that.
My concern now is about my distance. For example with my driver (10.5) I reach about 170 yards and it’s a little short on the course. My trajectories are a little high , without compression and a short rolling.
Could you specify to me the main point in my swing that i have to control and perhaps to fix ?
Thanks a lot for your teaching
Jean
November 5, 2019
Paul WilsonJean,
You need to turn way faster and keep your wrists way looser. It is that simple. It is all about powering it with the body not the arms. You want to hit. I am not hitting. You are not good at turning your body fast. I can turn fast because I have done it for many years. So if you want more power these are the 2 main things you need to be working on.
Up In The Air Drills – Speed: https://ignitiongolf.com/air-drills-speed/
Up In The Air Drills – Body Tilt: https://ignitiongolf.com/air-drills-body-tilt/
Up In The Air Drills – Separation: https://ignitiongolf.com/air-drills-separation/
Up In The Air Drills – Clubhead Release: https://ignitiongolf.com/air-drills-release/
Do those drills daily at home thousands of times. It is all about repetition.
Also, the fundamentals of the golf swing are crucial too. Grip, setup. Coil and hinge. Trigger the downswing with the legs and hips ending up in the follow through.