5.5* Driver

[Vater]

How far do you think you could launch a 5.5* driver......?

Do any of you game a very low lofted driver? What is it and at what setting?

I bought into the myth of higher lofted drivers at one point, I think I even owned a 12* for a time, but then I found that I was getting a much better launch angle and consistency with lower and lower lofts. I had my last driver, which was a 10.5*, down to 8.75* for little bit before bringing it back to 9.5*. Now, I play a 9.5* and am tinkering with lowering it to 9.0*.

[third-times-a-charm]

Donno...shorter than my current one I guess but I havent taken a look at my delivery numbers in quite a while.

[OsnolaKinnard]

About 50 yards before it hit the ground.

[PowderedToastMan]

I’m pretty sure if I started gaming a 5.5 driver, I’d start getting close to 200 mph ball speed without changing anything. I think it’s reasonable to assume I’d pick up 30+ mph ballspeed immediately.

[manima1]

If you teed it up high enough to get your AoA way up, you probably could launch it pretty far. Normal tee height - not so much.

[adh2k1]

I play a 6.5 degree driver. I currently set it at +1 but that is more of a spin issue than launch. I do not swing my driver very fast, I would guess upper 90's but this keeps me out of trouble the most and I can get pretty good distance out of it. I would say I picked up about 10-15 yards over both of my Sub Zero Callaways. Like everything great, it eventually goes away. I have had this head for about 4 years, but it never stays in the bag for a full year.

[mukster]

I turned my 9 degree Cally from 10 degrees down to 8 degrees a few weeks ago and I definitely have a nicer flight and I have gained some distance. I hit a high ball to begin with. Would love to tinker with a lower loft, but that is as low as the driver will go.

I haven't noticed much negatives after doing this. Playing a lot of golf this coming week, so that should give me a better idea of how it turns out. As for 5.5 degrees, I don't think I would get much air :)

[scooterhd2]

I'm guessing 150 yards and then it runs out like crazy.

 

[golfman1010]

The key with these low loft drivers is to make sure you hitting the ball on the upswing. You will notice Bryson DeChambeau uses a low degree of loft but still hits the ball high. To get this result, at address make sure your back shoulder drops a bit to ensure you are swinging up on the ball.

[Drivingrangehero]

i have been considering this for a while.

I currently play a Ping G410 LST set to 7.5° and my launch angle is 15.5° pretty consistently. My Ball speed is around 168mph and my spin rate is around 2000rpm it may go as low as 1800 and as high as 2400rpm depending on the strike.

it’s not natural for me to have such low spin. I have altered my swing to reduce spin, but if I were to do what feels right to me, my spin rate would be 2600-2900 rpms with a 16.5° Launch angle at 170mph ball speed. I figured if I had a driver that I could loft down to 5° to 5.5° I could play the ball a little inside my left heel (which is comfortable for me) rather than at my left foot instep. I also wouldn’t have to come “off the ball” so much, in order to deliver a lower spin impact, which makes me a little looser than I’d like to be at times if things aren’t clicking.

I feel like I could not only gain distance, but accuracy as well............ not to many “good options” for sub 7° Drivers out there that are to my liking anyways, with only a few Callaway options I’d even consider. I’m not trying to be a long drive guy by any means. I play my driver 44.5 length, but I do feel I may be able to maximize what I have as far as distance and dispersion goes with a lower lofted driver. ?

[SubaruWRX]

5.5*? I’d have the golf ball on the grass rolling by the end of the tee box.

[Myherobobhope]

I think my Long Driver is 7 degrees... I can hit up on it and get decent launch... it's more a struggle to handle the longer shaft (that's what she said)... I have my 9.5 cobra driver down to 8.5 as I've always been high launch and high spin...

5.5 is crazy, but you can make it work with the right swing mechanics... doesn't mean it will be your best results, but you can make it work without swinging 130 mph.

Driver really allows you to change your dynamic loft pretty dramatically.

[nsxguy]

You've pretty much optimized your launch and spin. What are you trying to gain (other than possibly dispersion) ?

Neither more launch nor less spin will gain you anything worthwhile. https://flightscope.com/products/trajectory-optimizer/

Whatever it is your doing "wrong" to attain your current numbers, keep doing it until it feels "right",,,,,,,,,,,, and the old swing feels "wrong". LOL

[QuigleyDU]

It would take a little getting used to but I think after a bit of practice I could hit it as far as I hit anything..

[Myherobobhope]

Looking at your current setup, it's basically just adding 5 degrees to your angle of attack... pretty decent change, but definitely doable... Could always just move to an outside to in swing path, that generates a ton more dynamic loft for me as I get way more handsy with it.

[Philomathesq]

I have an 8* SIM and I see very little difference between total distance and ball flight when I swing it at 8* and when I crank it down to 6*.

[Booker]

I play the cobra F9 with the atmos tour spec black 7x 9degree head lofted down 1.5. I'm not sure what the true loft of the club is, but retail heads are a guess. It launches 12-13 degrees with 165mph ballspeed spin rate around 22-2400 rpm. This is a good playable flight.

My epic sub zero launches lower than the f9. I played it at 9 degrees and the spin rate was 1800-2200rpm. If I miss a little toe side it wouldn't stay airborne very long. I couldn't imagine an epic sub zero at 6 degrees or an ltd pro cobra at 6 degrees. If I put it on a 3inch peg it would probably launch okay.

In most cases that low of loft would be for guys with some serious HP 180plus ballspeed to keep a decent amount of spin on it.

[anythingfinite]

I used to play a 7.5* and loved it. I'm a high ball hitter naturally, so that was never an issue. What I found is that I could really send that driver without a fear if it going right unless I put a horrible swing on it.

[Tasals]

I game a 7 degree M1 driver. I have an AoA of +3 to +6 with a Hzrdus Black 6.5 75g shaft. This gets me in the correct launch and spin window for how I play, I would consider myself a good driver of the ball its where my game really shines. However when my driver swing gets out of sync or I start getting too toe side on the strike I get punished, I played Glen Abbey after DJ won and my driver basically abandoned me - I shot a 93.

[Drivingrangehero]

After hitting a few balls today, I’m over the 5° Driver concept. I have to stick with what is less painful. I altered my swing to drop spin, but it ended up giving me a bit more relief in my back. I’m more upright, with less twisting of my spine, so the benefit of being able to play a whole round without worrying about crippling pain is worth more than a bit more ball speed. I suppose I will have to get used to the changes I made last year, and just have to get comfortable, and gain some confidence in what I’m doing.

I Hit a few balls at golfers warehouse today, and noticed I lose about 4-5 mph ball speed with the new swing change, but gain by not being in pain .............. I guess I’ll just eventually gain control and the confidence that comes with the change over time...... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

[PT1911]

[nsxguy]

Flightscope.com shows the difference between your 2 sets of numbers as virtually identical. You didn't mention back pain earlier so I think it's clear you should use the swing where you're in less pain. Not sure why you'd even try to lower your launch with the 5* driver as the lower loft would likely reduce your launch/carry while possibly increasing rollout a bit. I mean, it really is all about your launch conditions, not the number on the bottom of the driver.

I mean, right now, you're hitting a 7.5* driver with an AoA of 5*. That's 12.5. But your launch is 15.5 so you're adding 3* of "dynamic" loft as well.

If your control with the less painful swing is lacking that's another story but of course it's up to you what to do about it.

But there's a downside to low spin as well. The off axis strike, mostly on lower flighted shots, can be a big problem. Because of the lower spin the ball comes to earth like a wounded duck, and quickly. And curves more as well. So if hit that low curving low spinning shot, typically a draw, you may have to learn to "guard against" it.

Same thing if you tee it lower and choke down on the driver for that low bullet/control shot. Roll that toe over (too much ?) and it can be big trouble. Been there, done that.

[MattyO1984]

I am trying to find the screenshots that I had taken from hit but I once had numbers during a lesson showing an AoA of +7 degrees with my driver. It’s not quite like that now (thankfully - it was awesome when it worked but catching the ground a foot before the ball started to become something of an issue) but I am still around 4 degrees up. I have an 8.5 in my current drier and I hit that plenty high, fairly sure that I could use a 5.5 but why I would want to, I really don’t know.

[Drivingrangehero]

Those are my misses.

under 1000 rpm high toe hooks at times. It looks like a duck hook, but doesn’t go way left. It’s like I pushed it way right and it toppled end over end hooking towards the left fairway to left rough. It’s not way left, but it goes maybe 230-250yards tops.

if I swing really hard at it, I gain a little ball speed (4-5mph) , but also some spin (600-800), and I’ve noticed I don’t gain any yards....... often lose some due to spin creeping up around 24-2600rpm

Here is 2 drives that show the difference!

i hit the lower ball speed longer, due to optimizing launch and spin, and I don’t have to swing out of my shoes.

one from last week, one from this week, same G400 LST 8.5 Demo with a Ping Tour 80X shaft (not my favorite, but it’s most similar to my G410 LST with a copper TX 70 shaft tipped 1/2 inch )

[drbonesvt]

On 7/6/2020 at 2:38 PM, Philomathesq said:

I have an 8* SIM and I see very little difference between total distance and ball flight when I swing it at 8* and when I crank it down to 6*.

8* open 😮 thing is fade bias love the 8* sim head but I had to put a 1* tour tip in it back the 2*