Hybrid or utility iron?
Golf is never a clean-cut easy game, and we often find ourselves in unfavourable lies. When disaster strikes, which club do you reach for to get your game back on track?
Equipment
What is your driver loft?
If you ask any player what their favourite club in the bag is, it won’t be long before someone mentions their golf driver.
There’s just something about getting the big stick out and sailing the ball down the fairway that feels amazing. One of the most enjoyable views in golf is when you’ve sent the ball flying far and straight, and you have the satisfaction of watching it come to rest neatly in the middle of the fairway. It’s a glorious feeling.
Do you ever stop to think how incredible it is that we can propel a small hard golf ball hundreds of yards? Striking the ball just right can largely be down to natural ability and practice, but it’s the tech inside the drivers that allow us to hit it as far as we do.
A golf ball will also travel a certain path through the air, and this is ultimately determined by your club’s loft. Today we’d like to cover the impact selecting a specific driver loft can have on the shape of your shot.
Why does driver loft matter?
So, what is loft and why does it matter?
By and large, the slower a golfer’s swing speed or club speed, the higher the loft needs to be to optimise carry, and forgiveness. Essentially, playing with the best driver loft for your game will give you the best result down the fairway.
Every golfer has a different swing, so the optimal degree of loft will vary from person to person. That being said, a good rule is the more loft you have, the more likely you are to get the ball nicely airborne off the tee.
If you have a slower swing speed, you’ll benefit from a high lofted golf driver. This additional loft will help your ball maintain flight, a great option for this kind of golfer would be a driver that has a loft of around 12-14˚.
Should you tend to power through the ball when you’re teeing off, a lower lofted golf driver would be better for your play style. Having a faster swing means you’ll generate more ball speed, which generally means you won’t need as much loft as a slower-swinged player. If you generate strong swing speed, an 8.5-10˚ lofted driver will be sufficient for your needs.
PING G430 driver options
The latest drivers from PING’s G430 series are packed with tech, and have multiple loft offerings to suit your approach to gaining distance off the tee.
With a face designed to generate consistent shots and a head crafted for greater forgiveness, you’ll certainly enjoy playing with the G430 Max driver. This club has a 3-position tungsten weight that you can shift to give your shot a draw, neutral, or fade shape. Thanks to the unique internal structure, this club also produces a pleasing sound when you strike the ball just right. You can pick up the Max in 9, 10.5, and 12˚ loft options.
PING’s low spin driver model, the G430 LST, is very light and workable. The unique Carbonfly Wrap on this club merges the heel and toe sections of the skirt to offer a low center of gravity. This allows for a solid, compact clubhead that produces plenty of launch. This is a strong club to consider if you know just how you like to work your shots. The LST comes in 9, and 10.5˚ lofts.
You may suffer from hitting the ball wayward off the tee, and if you do, the G430 SFT driver will help you stay on the fairway. SFT stands for Straight Flight Technology, and the 22g tungsten backweight promises dozens of yards of shot correction to either the left or the right. This is the ideal club of choice to help you hit it far and straight! This club comes in a 10.5˚ loft.
If you’re looking to play with a driver that will give you exceptional accuracy off the tee, we’d recommend PING’s G430 Max 10K. Building on the Max driver, this club is extremely forgiving, and with a record MOI setting clubhead, you’ll be playing some super accurate strikes. Featuring a light and wieldy construction, the Carbonfly wrap crown will help you pop the ball in the air for plenty of launch. This club is available in 9, 10.5, and 12˚ lofts.
An excellent club built for women golfers, PING’s G Le3 driver is incredibly lightweight and flexible. PING has given this club an agile titanium body, and the Vortec cavity helps you generate exceptional ball speeds. The G Le 3 clubhead also has a low center of gravity and a high MOI to help you hit it high and straight. This driver comes in an 11.5˚ loft, and features a trajectory tuning hosel that allows you to change +/- 1.5˚ either way.
These drivers are simply fantastic, and while a lot of the tech involved can be a bit confusing, we’re here in the pro shop to give you a hand if you’re looking to pack your bag with a new driver.
How to find your perfect driver set-up
When you visit us in the pro shop, we’ll be able to get you sorted with your ideal driver through a custom fitting. A custom fitting is a process whereby we look at your ability, how you strike the ball, and then pair you with the clubs that will best compliment how you play.
We’ll be able to consider how you strike the ball, and determine your optimal driver spin rate through studying your angle of attack. We’ll work out the correct loft for your swing speed and get you set up with a club that will see you flying straight and far off the tee.
The thing is, if you don’t consider these factors and get your kit professionally tailored for you, you’ll likely not be getting the most out of your golf performance. We’d be delighted to get you sorted with a custom fitting and set you on the path to lower scores, we’re open and available in the pro shop.
