Here’s how you can rescue shots
What’s your go-to shot when you miss the fairway? Are you a wedge-it-out golfer or a grip-it-and-rip-it player? We’re looking at the best way to save shots.
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.
Mizuno ST driver options
The latest drivers from Mizuno’s ST series are packed with tech, and have multiple loft offerings to suit your approach to gaining distance off the tee.
The ST-G 440 driver will be your club of choice if you’re looking for total workability off the tee. This driver features two sole weights that can be pushed between the rear and front of the club to allow you to switch between ultra-low and mid-low spin options. With lighter material on the clubface, you’ll also be getting plenty of speed on your strikes. This driver comes in 9.0 and 10.5˚ loft options.
If you’re looking to build up more consistency on your strikes, you’ll get on well with the ST Max model. This Mizuno driver has a wide profile to boost your confidence when standing over the ball, and the 54g backweight keeps the head steady through your swing and resistant to twisting on impact with the ball. The ST Max is available in 9.5, 10.5, and 12.0˚ loft variations.
You may suffer from a slice in your drives, and if you do, the ST-X 230 driver will help your tee shots stay on the fairway. This driver features weights located close to the hosel to encourage draw-biased ball striking. Mizuno’s CORTECH chamber sits behind the face and acts as an additional energy source to help propel your ball off the tee for more distance on your shot. You can pick up this club in 9.5, 10.5, and 12.0˚ loft options.
It’s always essential to hit your drives well to set up your approach shot, and if you’re looking to build up consistency off the tee, you’ll enjoy playing with the ST-Z 230 driver. This club has been engineered to help your shots go straighter. The mass has been spread evenly around the clubhead to encourage a straight, stable ball flight, and the face ensures consistent ball speeds on your strikes. The ST-Z 230 comes in both 9.5 and 10.5˚ lofts.
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.
