"Ram 10.5° vs DeChambeau 4.8°"... What Is the Best Driver Loft for Amateur Golfers?

Selecting the Right Loft According to Head Speed Increases Distance, and a Lighter Shaft Is Perfect to "Swing Freely"

Driver loft should be selected according to head speed to achieve long drives.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyunjun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Find the optimal loft."

Jon Rahm (Spain), ranked 2nd in the world, recently secured his first win of the season in Mexico. His long game stood out. With drives reaching up to 360 yards, the advantage gained from tee shots amounted to 5.57 strokes over four days. Interestingly, his driver loft is 10.5 degrees, but actual measurements show it can reach up to 11.2 degrees. This breaks the common misconception among most Korean amateur male golfers that "the lower the loft, the better the player." We explored .

First, here is Titleist's analysis of the 'correlation between head speed and loft.' According to robot testing, those with head speeds over 100 mph achieve maximum distance with lofts of 10 degrees or less; 90-100 mph with 10-11 degrees; and 80-90 mph with 11-12 degrees. The average head speed for Korean men is 90 mph, so a loft of 11-12 degrees is appropriate. This is quite different from the reality where 9 to 9.5 degrees is preferred. The same applies to seniors who favor high-rebound clubs. Proper loft is necessary for a high launch angle.

Shaft flex is similarly important. Long drives require a flexible swing, and during the downswing acceleration, all energy must be transferred to the ball at impact. This means the shaft should be light and soft enough to swing freely. Some amateur golfers even achieve greater distance when testing with women's specs. This is a point to remember for golfers who insist on using at least Stiff Regular (SR) flex.

A shaft that is too stiff for your body will cause the clubface to open at impact, reducing the chance of solid contact. This not only decreases distance but also leads to critical mishits like topped shots or slices. Golf equipment manufacturers are now subdividing regular (R) flex into R1, R2, R3, etc. It is worth noting this trend. From steel to graphite, find your own 'perfect loft and shaft' that offer better control.

What about shaft length? The trend is moving from 45 inches to 45.5 inches and even 46 inches becoming standard. Naturally, a longer shaft is advantageous. Experts analyze that every additional inch adds about 8 yards. The problem is consistency; if the swing arc gets larger but the center is missed, it becomes useless. Missing by 0.5 inches can result in a loss of up to 20 yards. If you cannot control it, it is wiser to adjust to 45 to 45.5 inches from the start rather than gripping lower.

The unconventional golf club experiments by 'Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) have become a hot topic. He uses a Cobra King 7.5-degree driver at 45.75 inches but made news at the December 2019 Presidents Cup, an international golf competition between the World and the USA, by bringing a 4.8-degree model. He is even pushing toward 48 inches. However, DeChambeau emphasizes that the key to long drives is "above all, solid contact," stating, "You must hit the ball precisely on the sweet spot to maximize energy."