Golf Club Loft Angle

Golf Club Loft Angle Loft angle, or just loft, is the angle of the clubface in relation to a perfectly vertical clbface. Imagine drawing a perpendicular line from where the bottom most edge of the club face meets the ground. The angle that is formed between this line and the line of the clubface is the golf club's loft. GolfSpyder can help you learn about golf club loft angle, the affects it has on your golf game, and whether or not clubs with standard loft angles are right for you.

The loft of a golf club is directly related to how high and how far a golf shot can go. The longer the golf club, the lower the angle of loft, the lower the golf balls trajectory and the farther the golf balls flight. The shorter the golf club, the higher the loft angle, the higher the golf balls trajectory and the shorter the golf balls flight.

Golf clubs with standard loft angles will suit most golfers. The purpose in selecting a different loft for your club(s) would be to help correct a tendency to hit consistently lower trajectory or higher trajectory shots than would be normal. It is not often recommended to adjust the loft on most clubs, with the exception of the driver and wedges.

Use the charts below as a guide to help you learn about standard golf club loft and to find out how to select an appropriate loft for your driver and wedges.

Standard Loft Angle

Golf club manufacturers have done extensive research into finding a standard loft angle for each golf club that will be suitable for most golfers. Use the chart below to see what the industry considers to be standard. Not all club manufacturers follow the same standards for loft, so your golf clubs may have a loft that is slightly different than what is shown.

Standard Golf Club Loft Angle Chart
Club	Loft Angle Range
Driver	8 - 13 Degrees
2 Wood	12 - 15 Degrees
3 Wood	12 - 17 Degrees
4 Wood	15 - 19 Degrees
5 Wood	20 - 23 Degrees
6 Wood	22 - 25 Degrees
7 Wood	25 - 28 Degrees
1 Iron	15 - 18 Degrees
2 Iron	18 - 20 Degrees
3 Iron	21 - 24 Degrees
4 Iron	25 - 28 Degrees
5 Iron	28 - 32 Degrees
6 Iron	32 - 36 Degrees
7 Iron	36 - 40 Degrees
8 Iron	40 - 44 Degrees
9 Iron	45 - 48 Degrees
Pitching Wedge	47 - 53 Degrees
Gap Wedge	50 - 54 Degrees
Sand Wedge	54 - 58 Degrees
Lob Wedge	58 - 62 Degrees

Loft Angle Adjustments

While many golfers will find that "standard" club loft angles are good for them, you may feel that your swing warrents an adjustment. It is important to choose the proper loft angle for your swing type and ability level. GolfSpyder only recommends that you select a different loft for your driver and wedges. The loft angles for the other golf clubs should be fine for most golfers. It is best to consult with a professional club-fitter if you feel that you need a loft adjustment on the other clubs.

Driver Loft Angle

There are two important factors to consider when selecting the loft angle for your driver. Swing speed and angle of attack. Golfers with higher swing speeds will generally benefit more from a driver with a lower loft angle, while a slower swing speed usually dictates a higher loft angle. The exception to this rule depends on the golfer's angle of attack.

Angle of Attack

The angle of attack represents the angle of the clubhead's path as it travels toward, and then makes contact with, the golf ball. Your golf swing could produce a zero angle of attack, meaning that the clubhead is traveling level with the ground at impact. But your swing is much more likely to produce a positive angle of attack (traveling below the ball and moving up through impact), or a negative angle of attack (coming down at the golf ball and moving below the ball after impact). A positive angle of attack requires less loft while a negative angle of attack would require more loft.

It is important to know what type of angle of attack your golf swing produces before deciding on a driver loft angle. Golfspyder offers a few guidelines to help you determine the angle of attack of your golf swing.

Negative Angle of Attack

You most likely have a negative angle of attack if your swing has some of the following swing traits:

Steep swing plane
Casting, or over the top motion
Reverse pivot on the backswing
Early wrist break during the takeaway
Swaying forward on the downswing
Playing the ball too far back in your stance
Your high lofted driver produces a lower trajectory shot than is normal

Positive Angle of Attack

You most likely have a positive angle of attack if your swing has some of the following swing traits:

Flat swing plane
Inside to out swing path
Falling back on the rear leg during the downswing
Early wrist break during the downswing
Playing the ball too far forward in your stance
Your low lofted driver produces a higher trajectory shot than is normal

Use the chart below as a reference for selecting driver loft. You should always consult with a trained golf club fitting professional to ensure that you are getting the best loft to suit your golf swing.

Driver Loft Angle Selection Chart
Swing Speed	+ve Attack	Level Attack	-ve Attack
Under 75 mph	14⁰ - 17⁰	13⁰ - 16⁰	12⁰ - 15⁰
75 to 90 mph	12⁰ - 15⁰	11⁰ - 14⁰	10⁰ - 13⁰
90 to 100 mph	10⁰ - 13⁰	9⁰ - 12⁰	8⁰ - 11⁰
100+ mph	9⁰ - 12⁰	8⁰ - 11⁰	7⁰ - 10⁰

The more positive your angle of attack the more you may want to stay near the lower end of the loft range for your swing speed. The more negative your angle of attack the more you may want to stay near the higher end of the loft range for your swing speed.