What is the ideal launch angle for driver? How do you adjust your launch angle without reworking your swing totally (tee height, ball position)? I went to a demo day and while I am happy with how I hit the driver when I am swinging well, I was told that I could gain more carry with a lower launch...what is ideal? Keeping the ball down now entails more weight forward at address, and while I pull it off sometimes, at times it goes horribly wrong...is there a more consistent technique?
What is the ideal launch angle for driver? How do you adjust your launch angle without reworking your swing totally (tee height, ball position)? I went to a demo day and while I am happy with how I hit the driver when I am swinging well, I was told that I could gain more carry with a lower launch...what is ideal? Keeping the ball down now entails more weight forward at address, and while I pull it off sometimes, at times it goes horribly wrong...is there a more consistent technique?
The ideal launch angle depends on how you strike the ball and what your swing characteristics are. Mine isn't going to ba exactly like yours, even if we're hitting the same driver. Tee height and ball position will certainly effect your launch angle, but so will different shafts and even different clubheads. To really fine tune your launch angle so it works for you, and not against you, you'll need to be very consistent through impact. Then you can try different shafts to see which one fits your swing and helps you achieve your optimum launch angle.
I move the launch angle around on my driver. On some of our holes, I need a boring trajectory with some roll to maximize the distance, while on others, I need to hit it high enough to clear the trees in the corner of the dogleg.
I use a 10.5* w/R flex shaft, but can really move the trajectory around. With me, it is a matter of where I take my follow-through. More around my body gives me a lower trajectory while the feeling of "leaning back" through impact gets the ball flying higher.
Anyone else move the launch angle around like this?
usually, my normal ball flight is in the mid range and above on a solid strike. if i want a higher flight, i'll tilt my shoulds back just a touch and think higher, if i want a lower ball flight, i'll tilt my left shouler down just a little and look and think lower, this usually works. i saw this tip on TGC from Phil Mickelson's sister, Tina.
The ideal launch angle depends on how you strike the ball and what your swing characteristics are. Mine isn't going to ba exactly like yours, even if we're hitting the same driver. Tee height and ball position will certainly effect your launch angle, but so will different shafts and even different clubheads. To really fine tune your launch angle so it works for you, and not against you, you'll need to be very consistent through impact. Then you can try different shafts to see which one fits your swing and helps you achieve your optimum launch angle.
While I understand the variables such as swing speed, spin rate, etc., I seem to remember reading about an "ideal" angle of launch that maximizes the carry of the ball...somewhere in the 11 to 14 degree range...in the summers I get a better end result by hitting low and allowing for run, but now it is the rainy season here and with the soft fairways I am looking to maximize carry...
Ideal launch angles depends on your swing speed. The higher the swing speed a lower launch angle is ideal because with higher swing speeds, the ball doesn't need help to get up into the air. With lower swing speeds a higher launch angle would be ideal to maximize carry and distance.
I would think to ensure a consistent launch angle, ensure your ball position and tee height are the same everytime. Also a consistent swing would help as well.
Here's a website I found that calculates distance based on varying factors. If you know your swing speed, it could give you a good indication of approximately what launch angle you should aiming for.
I was surprised to see that if I fixed all the other factors and just raised my launch angle, I gained upwards of 25 yards. I have always tried to hit a lower trajectory drive figuring the roll-out helped my distance. I may try to start hitting the ball higher to see if I get better results.
While I understand the variables such as swing speed, spin rate, etc., I seem to remember reading about an "ideal" angle of launch that maximizes the carry of the ball...somewhere in the 11 to 14 degree range...in the summers I get a better end result by hitting low and allowing for run, but now it is the rainy season here and with the soft fairways I am looking to maximize carry...
11-14 is pretty accurate...you just want to make sure you are maximize your carry distance without having too much spin......A launch monitor is going to be your best bet to find this!
11-14 is pretty accurate...you just want to make sure you are maximize your carry distance without having too much spin......A launch monitor is going to be your best bet to find this!
If 11 to 14 is pretty accurate, why does the monitor show a gain of around 25 yards for me if I get 18 degree launch angle??? Just curious. My ball speed is around 145 and spin rate is around 2800. Just curious if this is an anomaly or not?
No easy answers here I guess...problem with the demo day I went to is each rep had a launch monitor set up on the range...to compare you had to work your way down the line and seems that each shaft/head combo was a different result when it came to launch angle and spin rate...enough to keep someone's weekend schedule full for months...
Ah, yes.... Demo Days.... that's when lefties like me get to stand around while right handers hit the ball... Oh, we can hit a couple of drivers, usually one or two degree choices, and usually a six iron.
November 30th, 2006, 07:01 AM
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