• Ping Driver Loft Adjustment
• Ping G30 Driver Loft Adjustment Chart

There is a good chance that you are reading this post because you are looking at ways to increase how far you drive the ball which leads you to wanting to know what is the best loft for a driver. Overall, having an advantage of distance from the tee is a huge benefit (especially when combined with accuracy.)

For the 2020 holiday season, returnable items shipped between October 1 and December 31 can be returned until January 31, 2021. You may be charged a restocking fee up to 50% of item's price for used or damaged returns and up to 100% for materially different item. Standard length with PING Tour 65 & 75, Rogue White 130 MSI 70 and Tensei AV Orange shafts is 45 1/4'. Lie angle is an average of the five adjustable loft positions indicated on the hosel. The default swingweight with the PING Distanza shaft is 1 point lower than standard; Available in right.

There are many different ways that you can get extra yards into your golf drives and in this guide we’ll explore exactly how the right loft is beneficial and go into which is the best loft and why.

Once you have the right one you can be more confident with your tee shots. It is reassuring knowing that you are in a better position to hit the ball longer and you don’t need to worry as much about if it is right for you.

See Also:Best Driver Shafts For Distance

What Is The Best Loft For A Driver?

The driver loft that you choose can depend on your clubhead speed. If your swing speed is above 90mph then a 9.5 – 11 degree loft will give you the best angle of attack. Golfers who swing faster than 120mph would require a loft below 9.5 degrees and those golfers with a slower swing below 90mph would be better choosing a loft between 11.5 – 17 degrees for the optimal launch angle.

As you can tell above the loft is so important to get right when choosing a new driver because depending on the height of the loft, it can have a different outcome on the trajectory of the drive. If you are in the market for a beginner golf driver or senior driver then your requirements will be different to a low handicapper driver or mid handicapper driver.

This is because the optimal loft of the golf club can differ dependent on the level of ability of the golfer. By understanding the answer to the question ‘what is loft in golf?’ you put yourself in a better position to make the most out of your game, especially when it comes to driving the ball off the tee.

A good place to start when choosing one is to choose one that has adjustable loft such as the Callaway Mavrik and can be altered as the speed of your swing changes.

As we’ll cover in more detail later in this post, there isn’t a one size fits all approach to finding the best loft for distance and hitting the golf ball far as this has a lot to do with club head speed of players of differing ability affecting the desired loft required.

This confusion can often lead new golfers to ask themselves ‘what degree driver should i get?’ or ‘what loft driver should i use?’.

Driver Loft Chart

The below driver loft chart (source: wishongolf.com) illustrates the correlation between clubhead speed and loft. This shows that it is a myth that a low launch angle will mean greater distance in all cases.

As you can see in the chart, the launch angle that you choose can affect the distance of the drives.

However if your swing speeds are faster, especially when it is 100 mph or over then the lower angle of attack of the club actually provides extra driver distance than using a driver with a higher loft.

A popular speed is between 80mph and 90mph and this is where many golfers make a mistake as they will opt for a 9.5 degree when really a loft of 11-13 would be the best driver loft for 90mph speed to hit the ball as far as possible.

What Do Pros Use?

As you would expect professionals on the PGA Tour see a fast swing speed. As you can see from the above swinging faster will correlate to having less loft.

The average driver clubhead speed on the PGA Tour is 113 MPH and 94 MPH on the LPGA Tour with even faster ball speed (TrackMan) which indicates that they will require less loft, typically a 9.5 degree loft for their driver (especially the longest hitters on tour).

Best Distance Driver Loft

So that is how things look for professionals on tour but for you the ideal loft for distance is totally dependent on your own individual game. If you are a beginner golfer we would typically recommend a driver with a high loft attack angle of between 12-14 if you are looking to add extra distance as the probability is that your clubhead speed is lower. This additional loft will help to provide you to increase your average driver distance while focusing on improving your technique and increasing club head speed.

Alternatively if you have a handicap below 10 then you may wish to try a club with a lower loft angle of around 10-13 degrees as this will help add yards to your game as the chances are that you have a higher mph than golfers with a higher handicap.

It is also recommended to have an understanding of your own club head speed on a regular basis. There are a couple of easy ways to do this. Firstly, you could go to your local golf club for a fitting where they should be able to calculate this for you. Otherwise, you may wish to purchase a Sports Sensors Swing Speed Radar which will be able to measure this for you and allow you to track your progress without breaking the bank compared to expensive alternatives.

Best beginner Driver Loft

Quick Summary: The ideal loft for beginners would be between 12-14 degrees due to slower swings.

The best loft on your driver for beginners is dependent on the average club head speed generated but typically in this range I would recommend a beginner golfer purchasing a driver that is between 12-14 degrees in loft to get optimal ball distance. This loft would be recommended and allow beginners to find the best driver for a high handicapper.

An ideal driver that would accommodate this loft would be the Taylormade M2 or the Callaway Mavrik Max.

As your speed improves the loft of the driver should decrease in accordance to this. This will help to make sure that you maximize ball distance by using as much loft as you need.

The best way to stay on track is to use a simulator (You can view our top picks here). You can then track your key stats on a consistent basis to track any changes.

Best Seniors Driver Loft

Quick Summary:The ideal loft for seniors should be between 10.5 – 13 degrees depending on the individual golfer.

The best loft on your driver for seniors follows a similar pattern to that for beginners in the sense that senior golfers usually see their club head speed decrease. Therefore, the loft required for maximum distance will increase.

Depending on the performance level of the senior golfer in question the best loft for senior golfers should be somewhere between 10.5-13 degrees.

The best choice of here would be one of our choices of the best drivers for seniors such as the Taylormade RBZ Driver.

Average Driver Loft

Ping Driver Loft Adjustment

An average loft if you are unsure would typically be a 10.5 degree ranging up to a 12 degree. Unless you have exceptionally fast club head speed for an amateur we would advise against using less loft such as a 9.5 degree starting out.

9.5 vs 10.5 Driver

Something that is often considered among amateur golfers is when comparing a 9.5 Vs 10.5 Drivers. As you can see from the above chart chances are that as a beginner you would hinder yourself greatly with a 9.5 driver and a 10.5 driver as a beginner is a much better choice. This also gives you plenty of room to grow as your game improves. However, to really maximize your game starting out the question shouldn’t be whether you choose a 9.5 vs 10.5 driver and instead whether to choose a 10.5 vs a 12 driver.

Summary

In summary, there is not a one size fits all when trying to answer the question ‘what is the best loft for a driver?’. However, as you can see from the above the answer to this question won’t always remain the same as it can change both when you move from a high handicapper to a low handicapper and when you move from a junior to senior golfer. This is because of the typical correlation with golf clubhead speeds at these points. Typically the lower your golf handicap the faster you will swing and the less loft you will need for the angle of attack on your drives. You can check your current golf handicap here.

Ping G30 Driver Loft Adjustment Chart

By choosing the best loft for you, you can be certain that in your bag you have the best loft on your driver for distance so that you are getting the right attack angle and gaining maximum golf ball distance off the tee at all times on the golf course.

Ping G400 Vs G400 Max Vs G410 Plus Driver (Specifications)

What is the Difference Between a Ping G400 Max and G410 Plus Driver?

The Ping G400 Max is characterized by increased distance with forgiveness and stability. The club has a straight and long design that helps it to render a high total moment of inertia.

The Dragonfly technology helps to keep the center of gravity as low as possible. The textured face helps in minimizing spin because of the increased friction.

The Ping G410 Plus features increased ball speed and forgiveness as its highlights. The club incorporates movable-weight technology to achieve the desired ball flight by adjusting the center of gravity.

The G410 has a lightweight eight-setting aerodynamic hosel. The streamlined shape helps to lessen the downswing drag and increase ball distance, velocity as well as clubhead speed.

The following are some differences players have noticed between a Ping G400 Max and G410 Plus driver.

• The Ping G410Plus offers more adjustability over the Ping G400 Max with a little compromise on forgiveness. The latter supports only two lofts while the former is available with more loft options. Similarly, the hosel adjustment in the G400 Max is less than that of the G410 Plus.
• The Ping G410 Plus has various fitting options to match your swinging when compared to a Ping G400 Max.
• The Ping G410 Plus renders slightly more distance and better dispersion than the Ping G400 Max because of its counterbalanced shaft.
• The Ping G410 Plus has a better sound and feel when compared to the Ping G400 Max driver.
• The Ping G400 Max is more forgiving and has a higher moment of inertia than the Ping G410 Plus.
• The Ping G400 Max has a lower spin and head launch in comparison to the Ping G410 Plus driver.

What is the difference between a Ping G410 and the G400 Max Driver?

The average club speed, ball speed, carry distance and total distance of both the Ping G410 and the G400 Max drivers are almost at par.

However, there are some differences between the two drivers as given below.

• There are lesser chances of hooks occurring with a Ping G410 in contrast to the G400 Max driver. Also, the G410 minimizes the chances of the ball going to the left in comparison to the G400 Max.
• The Ping G410 also renders more forgiveness on less perfect strikes and helps in hitting fairways better when compared to the Ping G400 Max driver.
• The Ping G410 is better fitted as well as encompasses a better sound and feel when compared to the Ping G400 Max.
• The Ping G410 has comparatively more efficient turbulators and enhanced dynamics than the Ping G400 Max, which increases the ball speed through the air.
• The Ping G410 has a higher moment of inertia than the Ping G400 Max because of its ability to maintain the weight at the perimeter.
• The Ping G400 Max has an average higher launch angle and an average lower spin rate than the Ping G410 driver.

How to Adjust Ping G400 Driver Lie Angle Settings

You can adjust the lie angle settings of a Ping G400 driver by changing the settings of the loft. In other words, de-lofting helps in marginally altering the lie angle of the driver.

The loft settings can be changed from neutral to either the big or small plus as well as the big or small minus. The plus and minus settings can help in flattening the lie by about 0.7 degrees.

On the other hand, the small plus and minus can be used to flatten the lie by close to 2 degrees.

When the loft is changed to the small plus or minus of 0.6 degrees, the lie gets dropped by 1 degree less than the average lie angle of 58 degrees. This means that the loft alteration reduces the average lie angle to 57 degrees.

In contrast, when a variation to the loft is made to the big plus or minus of 1 degree, the lie angle gets dropped by 0.2 degree lesser than average to 57.8 degrees.

Distance (G400 Max Vs G410 Plus)

The Ping G410 Plus driver offers more distance than the Ping G400 Max for most players. However, the distance may not be very significant for some of them.

The following are some inferences made by a few golfers after having played thrice with each of the golf clubs.

• You can swing an average distance of 236 yards with the Ping G400 Max driver. On the other hand, their carry distance with the Ping G410 driver is 240 yards.
• They cover an average total distance of 258 yards when playing with the Ping G400 Max driver. In contrast, with the Ping G410 driver, it was 259 yards.
• The clubhead and ball speeds with the Ping G400 Max are 97mph and 142mph respectively. The corresponding speeds with the Ping G410 Plus are 96mph and 143mph in the same order.

The Ping G400 Max comes in two different loft options of 9.0 degrees and 10 degrees. Both lofts can be adjusted by a plus or minus of 1 degree.

The two models have an average lie angle of 58 degrees. In comparison to this driver, the Ping G410 Plus is available with three loft variants of 9.0 degrees, 10.5 degrees and 12 degrees.

All three lofts support adjustment by a plus or minus of 1.5 degrees. They feature an average lie angle of 58.5 degrees.

G400 Vs G400 Max

It’s worth noting that there are many differences between the Ping G400 and the Ping G400 Max although some of these differences tend to be negligible.

• The Ping G400 has a head size of 445cc whereas the Ping G400 Max comes with a head size of 460cc that gives the G400 a smaller footprint.
• The Ping G400 offers players a slightly higher clubhead speed when compared to the Ping G400 Max driver because of the enhanced aerodynamics.
• The Ping G400 Max has been found to be more forgiving than the Ping G400 driver by some golfers.
• The Ping G400 tends to have a slightly lower launch angle and lower spin rate than the Ping G410 Max while the latter driver has a higher moment of inertia.
• The Ping G400 Max has a much better feel and sound combined with better looks according to most golfers when compared to the Ping G400. However, some players have felt the other way too.
• The Ping G400Max is a better choice for players with a high handicap over the Ping G400 that is more suitable for mid-handicappers.
• The Ping G400 Max driver has a tighter dispersion when compared to the Ping G400 driver.
• The Ping G400 features slightly more fast and slow ball speeds of about 162.1mph and 153.9mph when compared to approximately 161.7mph and 156.6mph for the Ping G400 Max.
• The Ping G400 delivers long and short total distances of nearly 307 yards and 276 yards respectively while the same distances with the Ping G400 Max are about 302 and 285 yards.
• The Ping G400 Max offers more control and accuracy along with a slightly higher angle of attack over the Ping G400 for a few golfers.
• The Ping G400 is easier to swing for some players along with a faster swing speed as against the Ping G400 Max because it has a smaller clubhead.
• The Ping G400 Max is often a good choice over the Ping G400 for those who want to hit an extra fairway for every round.
• According to some golfers, the Ping G400 is a neutral club without any left or right bias while they feel that the Ping G400 Max has left and fade bias.
• The Ping G400 Max is often more consistent when rendering off-center shots and presents lesser chances of snap hooks or power draws in comparison to the Ping G400 driver.

G400 Max Vs G400 LST

A few differences between the Ping G400 Max and the Ping G400 LST drivers that are worth keeping in mind are given below.

• The G400 Max is available with lofts of 9 degrees and 10.5 degrees with a +/-1 degree adjustment. On the other hand, the G400 LST comes with options of 8 degrees and 10.5 degrees with the same level of adjustment.
• The G400 Max driver has an average lie angle of 57 degrees while this angle is 58 degrees for the G400 LST.
• The G400 LST is a better option over the G400 Max for players who have a considerably low spin rate and backspin.
• The G400 Max has a slightly bigger head size of 460cc when compared to the G400 LST that has a head size of 445cc.
• The G400 Max has a marginally lower head weight of 206g in contrast with the G400 LST with a head weight of 208g.
• The G400 Max has a slightly lighter swing weight of D3 as against the D4 swing weight of G400 LST making it a better choice for fast swingers.
• The G400 Max often offers a higher launch and better ball speed in comparison to the G400 LST. The average ball speed with the G400 Max is higher by around 1.2mph.
• The G400 Max is worth considering over the G400 LST for golfers who find it challenging to hit fairways.
• The G400 Max tends to be more forgiving and capable of delivering straighter shots when compared to the G400 LST.
• The G400 LST is a good choice over the G400 Max for those who want to achieve as much total distance as possible. However, some players have experienced otherwise also.
• The G400 Max has a louder sound than the G400 LST when the ball hits the driver and appears more massive. However, these features don’t appeal to some players.
• The G400 Max tends to have a better dispersion than the G400 LSTand helps golfers in determining easily how consistent their accuracy and distance are on the golf course.

G400 Max Vs G400 SFT

The following are some interesting differences between the G400 Max and G400 SFT drivers.

• The G400 Max supports lofts of 9 degrees and 10.5 degrees while the G400 SFT offers lofts of 10 degrees and 12 degrees. Both drivers provide a +/-1 degree adjustment for their lofts.
• The G400 Max has a head size of 460cc that is considerably larger than that of the G400 SFT, which has a head size of 445cc.
• The G400 Max has a slightly larger head weight of 206g compared to the G400 SFT that has a head weight of 203g.
• The G400 Max has a heavy swing weight of D3 against the G400 SFT with a swing weight of D1, making it more suitable for slow swingers.
• The G400 SFT is a better choice than the G400 Max for those who want less spin and their shots to go as straight as possible.
• The G400 SFT offers a better feel of the face in comparison to the G400 Max for some golfers.
• The G400 SFT often helps in achieving a higher ball speed and promoting more face closure than the G400 Max.

G400 Max Vs Taylormade M4

The following are some differences between the Ping G400 Max and Taylormade M4 drivers.

• For some players, the G400 Max has slightly lesser clubhead and ball speeds compared to the Taylormade M4.
• The G400 Max offers a marginally lower carry distance and total distance in comparison to the Taylormade M4.
• The G400 Max features a higher launch angle and spin as against the Taylormade M4.