Help with High Driver Launch Angle

Morning All,

I am new to this forum and have enjoyed reading numerous posts. Everyone seems so willing to help. I hope that I may be able to retun the favor.

I just spent half a day getting my clubs fitted at the new PGA Tour Superstore here in Atlanta (little b-day present from the wife). Got the Mizuno MX-17 irons with graphite shafts, love em.

Other than just turning 50, here is my problem: I am using a new TaylorMade r5 Type D driver with an 8.5 loft. The shaft is an Aldila NV-65S (stiff flex). The launch angle on my drives average 14-16 degrees and my ball backspin rate is about 4,400-4,800 rpm.

Couple of questions: What could cause the high launch angle with an 8.5 degree loft and how can I get the backspin rate lower? Isn't ideal around 3,500 rpm?

Thanks in Advance,
john in fayetteville, ga

The probable cause of the high launch angle is hitting up on the ball (there's nothing wrong with that). The other potential cause is that you're not really swinging an 8.5° clubhead. It could be 9.5°, or even 10°. Get it checked out. If that's the case, then your spin is being generated by I would assume a healthy swingspeed.

If it's not the gear, then I'm not sure what you're doing to get all that spin.

You could try a lower lofted driver, as 14° seems to be the accepted best launch angle.

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A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

I hope the clubhead is 8.5 since it's new form the store. I will ask them to double check for me.

I have tried playing with the ball position. I just moved from the left heel to the left toe for alignment and it seems to have lowered the angle somewhat. My swing speed averages around 110 mph. I guess it may be time to pay for a lesson or two!!

Clubhead tolerances are +/- 1° for loft and lie.

In other words, if it's stamped. 8°, it could be anywhere from 7° to 9°. Some heads are even more out of spec (meaning it could be from 6.5° to 9.5° or worse). There's a story about Ernie Els swinging a driver a ways back that was labelled 8.5°, but actually spec'd out to 10.25° (back before higher lofted drivers were 'in').

Didn't realize that. Thanks for the info. Could I determine if the club is correct or does a pro shop have a machine they check it with?

If you've got a protractor, set your club in address position (properly soled), and measure the loft at the middle of the face.

IIRC, Wishon is the only company that makes a 'no roll face' driver, meaning the loft doesn't change from the bottom of the face to the top (meaning you can measure for loft anywhere on the face).

But, the place you bought it from should do it for free (otherwise you may have to pay a small fee)

Appreciate it. Soon as I get home from work I will borrow my daughter's protractor and see how things look. Any more thoughts on the swing speed versus the ball back spin rate?

I used to work for a club maker and you would not believe how off some clubs are. The funniest thing is when a guy would bring in some hotshot new iron and claimed he was hitting each one about a club further. Sure enough, we would put it in a loft machine and the 7 iron was a six iron loft and so and so on. Another good one was a gentlemen brought in a set and said he seemed to hit his 8 and 9 the same distance, turns out they were the same loft!!

....and then the shaft flex

I would HIGHLY advise anyone out there to have their clubs checked for loft and lie. You would be surprised what you might find. ESPECIALLY if you have that one or two clubs in your bad you can't hit, there might be an easy reason for it.

Sorry if this sounded like a soap box, just hits home.

I'm pretty sure the TaylorMade driver is pretty common. Are you guys saying that even with such a well known brand you need to get each individual club measured for loft or should it be same across all clubs with the same 'published' specs?

Another question I have, is the sweet spot right at the center of the head or should it be top of the center instead?

Thanks!

Anything that is mass-produced I would definitely check, even TaylorMade.

I am heading to my local PGA Superstore friday morning to do some more damage to my credit card. I am going to have them measure the loft angle on my TaylorMade R5 "8.5" while I'm there and see if it is accurate. I will let ya'll know the results.

Simon, not sure about other drivers, but I believe the sweet spot for TaylorMade is located in the center of the driver.