The Effect of Static Club Head Loft of a Driver on Golf Ball Launch Variables and Distance

Abstract

The driver is the club which receives the greatest scrutiny by golfers and the most marketing efforts by manufacturers. One characteristic often indicated and believed to effect driver performance is the degree of loft on the clubface. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect that the loft of a driver and gender has on golf ball launch variables and distance. The variables that were examined included club head speed, ball speed, launch angle, descent (impact) angle, total spin, carry, and total distance. Fifteen participants (12 male, 3 female) with a handicap of eight or lower were used to test three different degree drivers (9.5°, 10.5°, and 13°) on the variables listed above. Participants performed ten tested swings for each driver and the variables were measured. The data were analyzed with a two (gender) by three (club face loft) repeated-measures ANOVA. There were significant differences (p < .05) in total spin rate, descent angle, and total distance between the clubs. The male participants produced significantly greater values for the variables of club head speed, ball speed, descent angle, carry, and total distance when compared with the female participants. For the current study, the main finding was that the low lofted driver produced the greatest amount of total distance, 234.95 meters, compared with 226.57 meters for the high lofted driver and 232.58 meters for the medium lofted driver. This is likely due to the low lofted driver producing a lower total spin rate and descent angle than the medium and high lofted driver, resulting in a greater amount of run and total distance for the low lofted driver.