YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q: IS THERE AN OPTIMAL TEE HEIGHT WITH THE DRIVER? How high you tee the ball affects carry distance, as does your angle of attack into impact. If you optimise attack angle and launch, your drives get longer. In most cases, swinging up on the ball with the driver is the recipe for more dis- tance. But if you don’t want to monkey with your swing shape, one easy way to add distance is to change the tee height. To test this idea, we used the Golf Laboratories swing robot to simulate a typical attack angle (2 degrees down) and swing speed (95 miles per hour). The robot hit balls with a 10.5-degree driver out of the geometric centre of the face to produce a carry distance base- line. Then we set the tee higher or lower and had the robot hit below and above centre at .3 inches and .6 inches.
Picking a Shaft Flex Isn’t Always a One-and-Done Deal Q: How you deliver the club at impact – known in launch- monitor lingo as angle of attack – will IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP THE SAME SHAFT FLEX THROUGHOUT MY SET? BEND GAME LPGA player Charley Hull knows how to flex it.
Let’s look at the results: Centre strike: 241 yards
.3 inches below centre: 232 yards .6 inches below centre: 219 yards .3 inches above centre: 244 yards .6 inches above centre: 237 yards
determine if you’re better off with a shaft that has a reinforced tip to keep launch and spin down or if you need a more lively one for higher launch. In some cases, you could benefit from having both in the bag. For example, a descending impact with the driver will impart excessive spin on the ball, which might require you to play a shaft that’s stiff from end to end. On the flip side, the same descending blow with an iron helps optimise launch and spin, so it’s possible you might not need a robust shaft through the rest of your set. A fitter can help you determine if it’s better to maintain the same launch and spin profile from club to club or make some adjustments along the way. A beefy shaft in the irons might not work for touch shots inside 70 metres, so don’t be surprised if you wind up with something softer in your scoring clubs.
We don’t like answering questions with “It depends,” but choosing shaft specs comes down to the player you are and what you’re trying to accomplish. The flex, weight and length of the shaft all influence how a golfer times the release of the clubhead at impact, which is critical for consistent contact. Complicating things a bit is the fact that there’s no universal flex spectrum across the industry. Another wrinkle is a shaft’s “EI profile,” which is a measure- ment of the stiffness along the entire shaft – not to get too far in the weeds. More than with any other piece of gear, it’s imperative that you seek out a qualified clubfitter to discuss shaft op- tions or, at the very least, use a launch monitor to establish launch, spin and carry baselines for all of your clubs. It’s hard to know without some good data if you’re playing the right flex.
If you tend to hit low on the face – a common mis-hit – your launch is likely too low and spin is too high. That’s why a strike .6 inches below centre went 219 yards compared to 241 on centre. In short, you might add 20 yards – still hit- ting down on the ball – just by raising your impact point with a higher tee. Answers by Golf Digest’s equipment editors Mike Stachura, E Michael Johnson and Jonathan Wall
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GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 91
JUNE 2025
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