9* driver for sub 100 driver SS?

[Flyers99]

I have played 10-10.5 degree drivers my whole life. SS is 95 and up a little on a good day. I have a little fade and current game the G400 with tour 65 Stiff shaft. Supposed to be low launch and spin but I get it up a little. Tried the LST and did not like it at all. Was thinking of trying a 9 degree G400 or TM M6 that I have access to get used for a decent price. Any thoughts or what I could expect if I do this? Would the lower loft create distance or forgiveness loss? I currently hit it about 240 but a good strike gets me around 260. 

[Red4282]

6 minutes ago, Flyers99 said:

I have played 10-10.5 degree drivers my whole life. SS is 95 and up a little on a good day. I have a little fade and current game the G400 with tour 65 Stiff shaft. Supposed to be low launch and spin but I get it up a little. Tried the LST and did not like it at all. Was thinking of trying a 9 degree G400 or TM M6 that I have access to get used for a decent price. Any thoughts or what I could expect if I do this? Would the lower loft create distance or forgiveness loss? I currently hit it about 240 but a good strike gets me around 260. 

It could increase or decrease distance. It all depends on how you deliver the club and what would be your optimum launch and spin numbers. 
 

[mylesb21]

You’ll have to see what the launch numbers give you. I swing about 95mph and use 9* SIM (M3 before that) and have ideal launch and spin (+2 angle of attack, 145 ball speed, 2500-2800 rpms). I carry about 230-240, and hit drives 250-260 depending on fairway conditions. 
 

I will mention that at well manicured courses with firmer fairways respond well to lower drives. The runout can be so significant that a lower penetrating drive can outperform a standard trajectory drive. 

[Flyers99]

Yes part of my challenge is I spin it a little more than I’d like with a negative angle of attack. Based on the track an I am where I’d expect for yardage 

[BogeyParBogey]

I swing ~ 88 MPH with a M3 440 9* and am getting good ball speed and distance from it.  It depends upon your launch conditions.

 

Dave

[kcstock]

You just have to try it.

 

i have similar SS and use an 8.5* because I deliver the club at a positive angle of attack. 
 

May take you a few swings to adjust but you can always increase loft (which will shut the face a bit) and I may turn your fade into a straight shot or a draw. 
 

try it and see what works. Take both on a practice round and give them a tryout.

[johngalt312]

https://ping.com/en-us/blogs/proving-grounds/optimal-launch-and-spin

[Howard_Jones]

8 hours ago, Flyers99 said:

Yes part of my challenge is I spin it a little more than I’d like with a negative angle of attack. Based on the track an I am where I’d expect for yardage 

Angle of attach is N OT the reason for high spin values, a impact to low on the face is, and if you have a negative AOA and 95 mph club speed, then 9* of loft will make you loose carry distance.

We can use the formula Dynamic loft to launch = 0.84 for the driver, so if true loft changes from 10.5 to 9.0 we have 1.5 x 0.84 = 1.26 difference to launch, and at 95 mph you generate 247 rpms of spin for each 1.0 change of Dynamic loft = max 370 rpm spin reduction.

if you raise impact position on the face, for each 1/8" you move up, spin will drop with average 240 rpm, and launch angles goes up 0.35*, so we can improve spin with 750-1000 and launch with 1* plus just by moving impact 0.5 - 5/8* higher on the face than it is now

Stay with minimum 10.5* loft, and improve your impact to raise launch and cut off spin, just follow this DIY driver tune up and you can make it.
 

 

[Flyers99]

Thanks Howard. Makes sense in your explanation. I think I will save the money and stick with the 10.5 and work on trying to work on the swing. 

[nsxguy]

38 minutes ago, Flyers99 said:

Thanks Howard. Makes sense in your explanation. I think I will save the money and stick with the 10.5 and work on trying to work on the swing. 

 

Regardless of of how things actually happen, the charts and links given to you by others clearly show that distance is HIGH launch, not the low launch you're looking for, and LOW spin.

 

You have to get on a launch monitor and see your numbers. That will show you what you need vis-a-vis equipment to get your numbers better.

 

FWIW I don't think the G400 is a low launch head. Mid-to-high I would think. The LST OTOH is a lower launch head and is fade biased. So if your shot IS a fade the LST will tend to make it fade even more. The Tour Shaft, I believe, is a lower launch and spin shaft though but is that what you really need ?

 

Swing changes ? That's a different story and more difficult. Changing your angle of attack to increase launch and decrease spin ain't easy. But it CAN be done (been there, done that).

 

One caveat, especially about the low spin. Too low a spin rate and the ball falls out of the air too quickly, especially if the flight is low, the opposite of what you're looking for.

 

As well, with a very low spin rate your "off axis" strikes, i.e. curvature, can be greatly (and negatively) affected when the spin rate is very low. "Overcook" a draw with a very low spin rate and that ball darts low, to the draw side and goes nowhere but in the trees/water,,,,,,,, and quickly,,,,,,

 

Good luck.

 

 

[Howard_Jones]

1 hour ago, nsxguy said:

 

 

 

One caveat, especially about the low spin. Too low a spin rate and the ball falls out of the air too quickly, especially if the flight is low, the opposite of what you're looking for.

 

As well, with a very low spin rate your "off axis" strikes, i.e. curvature, can be greatly (and negatively) affected when the spin rate is very low. "Overcook" a draw with a very low spin rate and that ball darts low, to the draw side and goes nowhere but in the trees/water,,,,,,,, and quickly,,,,,,

 

Good luck.

 

 

I will have to correct you a little on this one.
Low spin alone is NOT a issue, the ball will not fall out of the sky, but low spin shots is very sensitive to how much tilt the spin axis can handle before we have a total failure, so players who struggles with a variable face angle and tilting of the balls spin axis, should be careful about very low spin values, while if the swing is rather constant, and face to path control good, we will make it just fine as long as we can get launch angle high enough.

One of the most successful driver fittings i ever made was a player at only 89.6 mph club speed, and spin values as low as the 1750 to 1950 range. This player had a "Rolex" like swing where path was like plus minus 0.1, and FA within 1* +/-.

With a launch angle of 16* he hits over and beyond Trackmans optimum chart for AOA+5, but this players AOA is 0.2 negative.....so even ball speed as low as 135 mph is not a issue with low spin values, its about getting launch high enough, and be in control of the balls spin axis.

Of out only 2 shots in this report, the longest is 199.4 meter carry, thats equal to 219.1 yards carry, or 4 yards longer than my own charts shows is possible from 135 mph. (and again, this player dont even have a positive AOA, .......try better than that from only 90 mph club speed)
PS! Numbers is metric and meters here:



The charts im using is based on Flightscopes algorithm

Edited September 29, 2020 by Howard_Jones