C
Clarity News Hub

Who should use a 10.5 degree driver?

Author

William Rodriguez

Published Jan 22, 2026

A 10.5-degree driver will be best for golfers who have a slower swing speed or don't hit the ball on an upward attack angle. Average golfers typically hit downwards on the ball and they don't have the fastest swing speed, and since that's the case, a 10.5-degree driver is likely the choice.

What pros use a 10.5 degree driver?

At the WGC-HSBC Champions, Dustin Johnson took the title using a TaylorMade SLDR driver with 10.5 degrees loft. Although TaylorMade has recently been touting the benefits of "lofting up" with its new driver, it's actually been a trend on the PGA Tour for more than a decade.

Is a 10.5 degree driver more forgiving?

The primary benefit of the 10.5-degree driver is that it is more forgiving than a lower lofted driver. When you take loft away from a club, you make it harder to hit. Generally, the less loft a club has, the faster a player must swing the club to get the distance and launch results they need.

Do I want a 10.5 or 12 degree driver?

10.5 degrees is the median loft of drivers used by most golfers. They are suitable for many players, and if you're not experiencing detrimental issues to your game, then 10.5 may be just right for you. 12-degree loft drivers will create less spin and height naturally, without faster swing speeds.

Do pro golfers use 10.5 driver?

Most professionals on the PGA golf tour are using a driver with a loft between 9 and 10.5. The golfers will change the loft based on the shaft they have on their club and how the shaft impacts the ball flight as well.

15 related questions found

How far can you hit a 10.5 degree driver?

On average, golfers who use a 10.5-degree driver hit the ball 237 yards but can range between 210 and 280 yards. The reason the gap is so high is that each golfer swings the club at a different speed, they hit the ball at different attack angles, and they hit the face of the club in different spots.

What degree driver does Tiger Woods use?

RELATED: Tiger Woods hopes to walk the walk at Masters

When Woods showed up at the 2021 PNC Championship, he had a new TaylorMade Stealth Plus 9-degree driver in the bag, equipped with his familiar Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60TX driver.

What degree loft should my driver be?

Anywhere between 8.5-10° will usually suffice. If you have a mid swing speed of 95-104 mph, a driver loft of between 10-11.5° will normally be a good starting point.

What degree should my driver be?

Choose a loft to try based on your assessed club-head speed. If it is between 95 and 104 mph, a 10- or 11-degree loft will be appropriate. If it is between 105 and 115 mph, a loft between 7 and 9 degrees should be considered. Golfers with club-head speeds below 85 mph should use a loft angle between 14 and 20 degrees.

Is a 9.5 or 10.5 driver better?

Drivers are typically lofted between eight and 11 degrees, so clubs with lofts of 9.5 and 10.5 are the most common. For golfers that tend to hit their drives too high, a 9.5 degree driver is the best option for their game, while regular players will usually opt for a 10.5 degree driver.

What loft driver does Rory use?

Rory's driver is a 9º head, with the hosel adaptor set a notch lower so the loft plays more like 8.5º. The sliding sole weight is in a pretty neutral position, and the shaft is a Fujikura Ventus Black 6X tipped one inch (to make it play stiffer).

What driver does Bryson Dechambeau use?

Bryson was using a Cobra King Radspeed driver which had only 7.5 degrees of loft but in 2022 he has switched to a Cobra LTDx which only has five degrees of loft.

What degree driver do most pros use?

Driver lofts used by the top 100 PGA Tour golfers range from 4.2° all the way up to 12.4°. The most common degree of driver is 9° with 36 players choosing that loft. 10.5° and 9.5° are the next most used lofts making these 3 loft choices the preference of over 60% of the best 100 players on Tour.

What driver does Cameron Smith use?

A highly technical player known for his metronomic touch with the putter, his golf bag is full of clubs that pay testament to his versatility and tact. Smith opts for Titleist clubs in the main, playing with a Titleist driver, 3-wood and 7-wood as well as the new Titleist Vokey Design SM9 wedges.

What degree loft driver does Dustin Johnson use?

When Johnson showed up on Monday to the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, he had two drivers in the bag that he was testing. Both were 10.5-degree TaylorMade Stealth Plus drivers equipped with LA Golf DJ-Series prototype shafts.

What degree loft is Bryson Dechambeau's driver?

With a loft of just 7.5˚, Bryson's Cobra King LTD Pro driver is close to long-driving contest specs to complement his powerful physique and is fitted with an LA Golf AXS Blue 6 X shaft.

What do the degrees on a driver mean?

The lower your swing speed, the more you'll benefit from a club with greater loft. A “Golf Digest” study of drivers with a variety of lofts concluded that players with average swing speeds will hit the ball farther with an 11-degree driver than a driver that's lofted by 9 degrees.

What driver does Justin Thomas use?

Driver. Thomas switched to the Titleist TSi3 driver shortly after it was released in 2020 and used the same Mitsubishi Diamana ZF shaft for nearly three years. The TSi3 drivers come with a five-setting movable weight in the back of the head to help players and fitters create a draw or fade bias.

What driver does Jordan Spieth use?

Jordan Spieth uses the Titleist TSi3 golf driver.

What driver does Brooks koepka use?

At the top end of the bag, Koepka has a new Srixon ZX7 driver at 10.75 degrees, equipped with a Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 70 TX shaft that he's used for years. Like Koepka said, he matched up his previous specs, so it makes sense he didn't switch up his driver shaft even though he switched the heads.

Does lower loft driver go further?

It's the same with the driver. If you have a golfer with a very high clubhead speed (i.e. the hose on full blast) they'll need a lower loft to get maximum distance. For a slower clubhead speed (i.e. the water pressure is lower) they'll need a higher loft to get more distance.

Does driver loft affect slice?

Driver loft to reduce a slice

More loft equals more backspin, this backspin creates a more stable flight and minimises any negative effects of side-spin. Some golfers may argue that a 12-degree driver will lose them too much distance.

What driver do long drivers use?

Miller uses a Callaway XR 16 LDA driver with a Fujikura Joe Miller proprietary 3x shaft that is 50 inches in length (the USGA limit is 48 inches, but for long drive the limit is 50 inches).

What driver does Jon Rahm use?

Rahm's Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS driver is set up for high launch and low spin. It's not uncommon for pros to play a 10.5-degree head and turn the loft down to hit a fade, but Rahm's more than content playing his driver in the standard loft, neutral face angle setting.

What golf ball does Brooks koepka use?

His ball is a Srixon Z-Star Diamond and it has been reported that it was a big factor in him signing with the brand. Speaking to Golf.com Koepka said; “To be honest with you, that ball is what I practiced with on the range. I used to practice with that ball all the time.