Help me. Loft up is ruining my tee shots

[sld87]

Hi guys,

 

Tricky one here. Linked up to the machine in the Golf Shop and determined 11* of loft perfect based on stats.

 

However, the balls used in fitting were obviously different from the higher spinning Pro V1x, Lethal, and SR2s that I game on the course. Now i'm finding my trajectory is too high, and I'm constantly finding my big hits lie 20-30 metres behind mishits from my playing partners.. And i've always been a big hitter.

 

Partners used to tell me I was teeing the ball too high, but even with a reduction in height it still is too lofty.

 

Do you think the loft on the club could be the culprit due to higher spinning balls? And if so, should I be lofting down with such balls?

 

Forgive my noobness, but have only been playing since September.

[bubbagump]

I bet your playing partners play Callaway drivers...thats why you are now so far behind...



But it is hard to tell just off a post, but it could be a number of things....including the club or your swing.

[Gbyeball]

If you kept your old driver do a head to head test on the driving range, see what the new compares like to the old. What was the loft of your old driver.

If you are hitting Lethals off the tee it is NOT the ball, those have low driver spin. There is a point where too much loft creates too steep a launch angle then the desent angle is too steep and it comes down like a lob wedge. Tom Stickney recently wrote a good article in the instruction section detailing this same problem.

[Endub]

NEVER do a fitting without the ball you game.

[sld87]

Sorry I should have elaborated more. Lethals the easiest to hit off the tee, with current balls they tend to balloon off tee (ProV1x, SR2) but they generally fly very straight and I love them.

The only other thing I have changed is my stance where I have moved the ball almost on the line of my left heel. Could playing it too far forward also cause this from playing it too much on the 'up' ?

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

If you went to higher loft, a lower spin head and also moved the ball position to hit upward on it that's an awful lot of high-with-no-spin added to your shots.

[sld87]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1392429016' post='8671017']
If you went to higher loft, a lower spin head and also moved the ball position to hit upward on it that's an awful lot of high-with-no-spin added to your shots.
[/quote]

Excellent point. Which would you start with (Ignoring changing out my driver ) De-loft, or move it back?

[Cwebb]

Just loft down. Sounds like the easiest of fixes

[duffer987]

[quote name='sld87' timestamp='1392413426' post='8669547']
Hi guys,

Tricky one here. Linked up to the machine in the Golf Shop and determined 11* of loft perfect based on stats.

However, the balls used in fitting were obviously different from the higher spinning Pro V1x, Lethal, and SR2s that I game on the course. Now i'm finding my trajectory is too high, and I'm constantly finding my big hits lie[b] 20-30 metres [/b]behind mishits from my playing partners.. And i've always been a big hitter.

[/quote]

There's your problem right there! They are called yards. Y-a-r-d-s, yards.

Seriously though. You've been playing for 5 months and you're already swapping equipment? Get good. Then dick about with equipment
I can only think you're going to do your head in talking about all this loft, swing, balls, mumbo jumbo right out of the gate.

[FIJI]

Too many Taylor Made clubs in your bag?

[OutBackHack]

[quote name='sld87' timestamp='1392438698' post='8672017']
[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1392429016' post='8671017']
If you went to higher loft, a lower spin head and also moved the ball position to hit upward on it that's an awful lot of high-with-no-spin added to your shots.
[/quote]

Excellent point. Which would you start with (Ignoring changing out my driver ) De-loft, or move it back?
[/quote]

You noted in your original post that 11deg. was found to be the loft that was most suited for you, therefore it seems to me you should try moving the ball back in your stance. That being said, that was a result of your swing that day and any variation could affect that result. An hour or so on the range, trying several different stances, ball positions, tee heights will help, but realize that even the best of golfers need to re-evaluate and tweak their swing and equipment often.

Good luck with it!

[Gbyeball]

[quote name='OutBackHack' timestamp='1392480724' post='8673761']
[quote name='sld87' timestamp='1392438698' post='8672017']
[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1392429016' post='8671017']
If you went to higher loft, a lower spin head and also moved the ball position to hit upward on it that's an awful lot of high-with-no-spin added to your shots.
[/quote]

Excellent point. Which would you start with (Ignoring changing out my driver ) De-loft, or move it back?
[/quote]

You noted in your original post that 11deg. was found to be the loft that was most suited for you, therefore it seems to me you should try moving the ball back in your stance. That being said, that was a result of your swing that day and any variation could affect that result. An hour or so on the range, trying several different stances, ball positions, tee heights will help, but realize that even the best of golfers need to re-evaluate and tweak their swing and equipment often.

Good luck with it!
[/quote]

Read the post by OutBackHack (great name by the way) absorb what he is saying. You are new at golf and things can change from day to day very easily. To lower your flight you do three things #1- move ball postion closer to the middle, maybe inside forward instep by a couple inches, #2- tee it lower, #3- adjust the loft down. You will hear guys talk about shafts but loft controls launch much more.

[cwbrion]

See the OP probably hit balls on one of those jacked up launch monitors they push on us over here. Hey OP did you hit your previous driver on the same launch monitor??? What were the numbers on it? Had you moved the ball position prior to being fit? P.S. Regarding your ball position.....if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Different ball postions work for different people based on the way their bodies move.

[sld87]

[quote name='cwbrion' timestamp='1392521999' post='8677443']
See the OP probably hit balls on one of those jacked up launch monitors they push on us over here. Hey OP did you hit your previous driver on the same launch monitor??? What were the numbers on it? Had you moved the ball position prior to being fit? P.S. Regarding your ball position.....if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Different ball postions work for different people based on the way their bodies move.
[/quote]

Thanks for the comments guys. My previous driver was...Nothing Hence I have nothing to work with. In retrospect the SLDR was probably a horrible choice as a first driver but I had no idea how it fit into the lineup and the salesman was a junior.

Whoever commented about having too many Taylormade clubs in my bag is probably correct too Again, seemed like a good idea at the time. I can't fault my Jetspeed gear though, between that and my Speedblade wedges is about the only thing working for me right now.

I tried positioning it back guys, and it led to a lot of slicing. I teed it down, still got the occasional balloon shot but it was working ok. I think I might be coming over the top of it now, leading to both of those problems more than the loft and positioning?

Back to the drawing board. In other news, I am planning a trip to the States in September. Told the other half I want to take her to Scottsdale so she can see the marvellous Four Seasons Hotel they have there. Real Reason? Hello TPC

[BrianB]

[quote name='sld87' timestamp='1392584946' post='8681069']

I tried positioning it back guys, and it led to a lot of slicing. I teed it down, still got the occasional balloon shot but it was working ok. I think I might be coming over the top of it now, leading to both of those problems more than the loft and positioning?
[/quote]

As a noob myself, I think you could be not getting your weight forward enough, should be up on the front foot at contact. I've struggled with this a bit recently, weight too far back, causing slicing and ballooning.

[myspinonit]

Sorry...someone has to be first to say this....lessons. Even if it is initially just a lesson focused on driver setup and swing. Help you get the ball position, tee height and loft fit for you.

[sld87]

Don't apologise! I booked in for Thursday lunch. 1/2 hour, hoping to get Driver technique sorted on the right path because I am playing Kingston Heath this weekend (World Ranking 20).

My first lesson, very pumped. Apparently they video and analyse your swing and email you through the results.

[Hilldo87]

Don't worry too much just now till you get a lesson(s). I'm newish to the game myself and the information you will get from your lesson will be invaluable. Listen carefully and most importantly remember what you've been taught afterwards.

I'd spend more time on a range trying out the different lofts until you find the best results. It can be infuriating but when you start to get a bit more consistency the feeling will be so worth the hours of practice on the range.

Without knowing your swing speed/shaft/AoA etc, if i was taking a guess: 11* of loft/ ball in line with left foot/ teeing the ball high. That sounds like it is gonna hit the moon.

Hit the range, trial and error my friend. Good luck!