Driver fitting guru's - advice required

[Chris32]

After a Bridgestone ball fitting day I have the following specs - see attached PDF

Driver is a FT-9 Tour 9.5, Fujikura ZCOM Six Pro shaft stiff flex. Specs say it sits 1* open, which is about right considering i can't hit it left!

I really like the driver and hit it quite well, judging by the spin rates the head/shaft suit me pretty well??

Launch is a little low, but I do tend to hit down on it a little bit.

I should get more distance if I go higher loft right?

With higher loft, it should go straighter?

Or should I just tee it up higher and hit up on it?

[Captain Nemo]

Tee it higher and let rip!

[BrisVegas]

Launch angle and squareness of hit are the only things holding you back. There's 33 yards to be gained by optimising those two.

[virge666]

You need more loft mate... about 2 degrees.

10.5 driver anywhere...

also the pro v1 is a better ball for your swing.

[Chris32]

Cool, thats what I thought

Also, I have been told that every degree a driver sits open, it takes that off the loft - so if my driver is 9.5 and 1* open, its effectively 8.5

So if that theory is correct, then if I got the FT-9 non tour, which is 1 degree closed at 10*, it should play 11* - is that right?

If i got up in loft, in the same head or similar, the spin rates should still be reasonable?

[LarryLong]

Just looking at the results - interesting that the 'recommended ball' figures are maybe just fudged a little bit. Whoever put this one together should get in touch with the major parties and offer his services for the election.

Head speed is somehow faster with the Bridgestone ball. Didn't know a ball could do that, but wow! That's great. Also interested in how they could recommend a ball that gives you an even lower than optimal launch angle and twice as much sidespin, but I guess the straight hits are going to go further because of the increased clubhead speed. :)

The big conclusion is definitely that you could benefit from more loft on the driver from those figures.

[Toolish]

I have never understood fitting a ball for a driver...much rather have a ball I liked at the other end of the hole. That said if you can get one that does both good luck to you!

[virge666]

Cool, thats what I thought

Also, I have been told that every degree a driver sits open, it takes that off the loft - so if my driver is 9.5 and 1* open, its effectively 8.5

So if that theory is correct, then if I got the FT-9 non tour, which is 1 degree closed at 10*, it should play 11* - is that right?

If i got up in loft, in the same head or similar, the spin rates should still be reasonable?

No . . . ignore open and closed heads - they add/reduce bugger all... and an open head ads loft NOT reduces it.



The big conclusion is definitely that you could benefit from more loft on the driver from those figures.

+1


I have never understood fitting a ball for a driver...much rather have a ball I liked at the other end of the hole. That said if you can get one that does both good luck to you!

The ball will have more change in spin and launch rates than the shaft.

At 110mph, you will need 11-12 launch angle and a sub 3000 spin rate.

Lastly - your smash factor is shit. You need to get more club on the ball.... smash factor is the ball speed divided by the head speed. 1.5 is great, 1.4 is average for a good player, 1.34 is utter tripe. You are miles off plane.

[Chris32]

Good to know Virge, I do swing a little over the top which makes my contact less than perfect I guess

Larry, I hit the ProV1 first, so it was 6 swings from cold, only a stretch, so the ones with the Bridgestone ball was after those, so I was warmed up a little.

More loft it is then

[henno]

No . . . ignore open and closed heads - they add/reduce bugger all... and an open head ads loft NOT reduces it.

I am so nervous in saying this to virge, but I think I disagree. Obviously the measured loft will increase as the face opens, but that means that at impact if the face is closing slightly to be square to target and the actual loft at impact will therefore be less than the measured loft at address. The reverse goes for closed drivers: because slicers of the ball are opening the face at impact in order for the face to be square to the target the actual loft at impact will be more than the measured loft at address.

That makes sense in my head anyway.

[TourFit]

Correct henno...!!

Sorry Virge.

[virge666]

That makes sense in my head anyway.


Correct henno...!!

Sorry Virge.

I am with you both - but you are using a dynamic example basing it on the chance that the playing is closing or holding the face through impact. Simple fact remains - a 9 degree drive that is two degrees open will play with more loft than a 9 degree driver with a 2 degree closed face. The idiot holding the grip is a variable . . .

Unless I am missing something... TF ???

[henno]

Well, that makes sense but I am just using a constant - that being a clubface square to target at impact. If the clubface is not square to target, all bets are off as to what effective loft the club has no matter who is steering it. Assuming the clubface is square at impact then what I said above should stand true every time.

[3oneday]

Too hard, I'm sure someone is googling away :)

[Chris32]

Funny thing is they had hi speed camera's and they were coming flush out of the middle. You could even see the ball compressing on the face

So the poor smash factor Virge is down to me coming outside in causing in-efficient energy transfer to the ball?

[3oneday]

New driver needed.

[Chris32]

New driver needed.

You saying there is a problem with your ex-stock :)

[Captain Nemo]

Agreed!

[mint]

just went through the exact same problem mate and I agree with the above.. New Driver. I ended up with a 11.5 deg and a heavier shaft.

[Captain Nemo]

lol

[Flavzz]

I think a lot of ppl are playing lower lofted drivers than they should be myself included.

[virge666]

Funny thing is they had hi speed camera's and they were coming flush out of the middle. You could even see the ball compressing on the face

So the poor smash factor Virge is down to me coming outside in causing in-efficient energy transfer to the ball?

Yep Glancing blow issues....

[TourFit]

Open faced...closed face...more loft...less loft...

Can I add the common bugbear of angle of attack into this equation. Probably the biggest variable of them all.