What Is Loft in Golf? A Guide to Understand Club Loft Angles
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Understanding Loft in Golf
What Is Loft in Golf?
Loft in golf refers to the angle at which the clubface tilts back away from the shaft. If the clubface were perfectly vertical, aligned directly with the shaft, the loft would be 0 degrees.
However, as the clubface tilts backward, pointing more toward the sky, the loft increases. This angle between the clubface and the vertical plane of the shaft determines the club’s loft degree and affects how high and far the ball will travel when struck.
To better understand loft, I like to think of throwing a ball at a book that someone is holding. If the person is holding the book straight up and I threw a ball at it, it would come straight back towards me. If they person began tilting the book backwards, when the ball bounced off of it it would come off higher, have more of an arc and land softer.
The same is is true with loft on a golf club, the more the club tilts back the higher trajectory, more arc and softer landing the ball will have.
How Loft Is Measured
The loft of each golf club is measured the same way. Using the shaft as straight vertical plane, the angle of the clubface relative to that vertical line will be the loft of that club.
A great way to think of it is to think of a traditional clock. If the big hand is pointing at the 12 and never moves, and the short hand slowly goes backwards to the 11, the angle between the two hands will be the loft. The further the short hand goes without reaching the 9, which would simulate the ground, the higher loft the club will have.
A driver will have only have about 9-10.5 degrees of loft. Being the least lofted club, the ball will go the furthest. The lob wedge is the most lofted club at 60 degrees of loft and is the shortest club in the bag distance wise. Other than the putter but that’s no meant to hit the ball far at all.
Why Loft Matters in Golf
How Loft Affects Ball Flight
Loft in golf is crucial and it’s why you see golfers using 14 different clubs when they play golf. Players want to make full swing with the golf club. If loft didn’t exist, players would have to hit the ball 150 yards and 90 yards with the same club. Which would be terribly difficult. Loft allows player to dial in their full swing distances. Hitting the same exact shot with two different lofted clubs, allows for each shot to go different distances.
How is this possible? Loft affects the ball flight. The lower the loft the flatter the club face and therefore the ball flight will be lower. Conversly, the higher the loft of the club the higher the ball flight.
This helps golfers navigate different shot around the golf course. Let’s say you find you self with a tree in front of you. its not that close to you so you could possible get it over the tree. You will grab a higher lof club. Maybe a sand wedge (56°) or lob wedge (60°) and easily make it over the tress.
Inversely, if you had the same shot but you were only 10 feet from the tree and you couldn’t get over it but you can maybe keep the ball under it, you would grab a less lofted club. maybe 5-iron(28°-32°) or a 6-iron(32°-36°) and easily keep it under the branches of the tree.
How Loft Affects Spin
Loft won’t only affect trajectory, it will also effect how much the ball spins. When you hit a higher lofted club, the ball will have more backspin. The higher the loft, the more backspin. Depending on how much backspin your ball has will dictate a few things.
- The distance your ball will travel:
When your ball has a lot of backspin, it will have a higher apex and travel shorter. - The amount of roll out:
When your ball hits the ground with backspin, it will bounce less and stop shorter. Sometimes, it may even spin backwards. Which can be a great tool for precision wedge shots. - The effects of wind:
When your ball has more backspin, winds will affect it more.
Loft and spin work hand in hand to create the total distance of your golf shot. Higher loft equals higher spin which leads the shorter shots. Lower lofts equals lower spin which leads to farther shorts.
Loft Across Different Types of Golf Clubs
Each club in golfer’s bag is design to achieve something a little different. Using loft along with club shaft length each club can perform different depending on a golfer’s need. Knowing the proper lofts for all your clubs will allow to achieve any task on the golf course.
Drivers and Fairway Woods
Drivers typically have the lowest loft of all clubs in a golfer’s bag other than the putter. They range from anywhere between 9° to 13° of loft. Usually the lower the driver loft, the better the player. A driver is designed to hit the ball as far as possible. It’s also hit off of a tee. Making it substantially easier to hit. This counter acts the low loft as it would be very difficult to hit off of the grass.
Fairway woods are like mini drivers designed with flat bottoms to hit off of the grass. You can tee it up on the tee box as well. But the majority of the time it will be off of the ground. These clubs are more forgiving and have more loft. Typically having around 12° to 13° of loft to help get the ball airborne much easier than a driver.
Irons
Each golf bag will have a set of irons. Typically ranging from 4-9 iron but can be 1-9. Long irons range from 1-4, mid irons from 5-7, and short irons from 8-9. The lower number, the lower the loft. The higher the number, the higher the loft. The longer irons are made for long shots, the mid irons for mid-range shots, and the short irons for shorter range shots.
Knowing this, we can make the right clubs selection when we have a shot to make. If you are unsure how far you hit your irons, consider using our yardage calculator.
Some beginners and even myself, an intermediate player, prefer to use hybrids instead of lower lofted clubs like long irons. They offer a little more forgiveness and allow us to easily get the ball airborne. It can be difficult getting used to long irons. You’re not going to get good at them overnight. You will have to practice!
Wedges
Wedges being the highest lofted clubs come in 4 types; Pitching Wedge (47°-53° ), Gap Wedge (50°-54°) , Sand Wedge (54°-58°) , Lob Wedge (58°-62°). Lofts can vary but out of the package Sand Wedge and lob Wedges are usually 54° and 60°.
Wedges are the most precise clubs in a golfer’s bag. With the higher lofts, they tend to be easier to hit. With the shafts being short as well, beginners can take to hitting wedges much easier then lower lofted, longer shafted, irons.
Wedges are used to hit shots typically within 120 yards from the target. They can be very precise as the higher loft will allow the ball to fly high and land softly. This will keep the ball close to where it lands. Making 100 yard shots, stay at 100 yards. This is very useful to make birdies as you can land it soft near the hole and have short putts.
Wedges are also used to hit chip shots. Short shots around the green that only require you to hit the ball a 5-10. The higher loft will allow you to finesse shots close to the hole.
Putters
Putters are usually the least lofted club in the bag. It is used for hitting the ball on the green. Surprisingly, the putter isn’t completely flat. It usually has about 3°-4° of loft. Allowing the ball to lift slightly upon impact and getting the ball rolling smoothly on the green.
Loft vs Lie Angle – What’s the Difference?
A very common mistake beginners make is confusing loft with lie angle. These are two very different things. The loft of a club, as previously explained, is the angle at which the clubface tilts back away from the shaft. The lie angle however, is the angle between the shaft and the ground when the club is perfectly flat on the ground or hitting surface. See Below.
The lie angle is important because it affects how the clubface will come into contact with the ball. For example if a 12 year old player uses his Dad’s clubs, they’ll be so long that when he naturally grips the club and puts it on the ground, the toe of the club will point towards the sky and he will have decreased the lie angle tremendously. This works the same for if a really tall person would use a junior set, the toe of club be touching the ground when the player naturally holds the club.
This is where club fitting comes into play. Most out of the box sets will fit alright for the average person. However, if your a taller person or a shorter person, you may benefit from getting a fitting to make sure that when you naturally hold the club, the lie angle is right for you.
If you want a basic understanding of what you may need to change to make your lie angle or any other club specs right for you, try our club fitting app QuickFit.
Choosing the Right Loft for Your Game
Beginner Tips to Follow
When it comes to selecting loft for your entire golf bag as a whole (each club), most out of the box iron sets or your grandfather’s set can start you off just fine. If you’re a taller or shorter person, it could benefit you to get a fitting and then perhaps your lofts may change. However, most lofts are fine.
However, when it comes to picking which clubs to start off with when you are a beginner, consider practicing more with the higher lofted clubs. These will be the easiest to develop your swing. A great start would be using your 9, 8, or 7-iron more often. This will allow you to gain confidence at the beginning of your never ending journey of getting better. Once you get the hang of those clubs, move the lower lofted irons and woods into you practice routine.
There’s no real secret on getting better but starting with higher clubs will give you early confidence every beginner golfer can benefit from.
Factors That Influence Loft Choice
Golf is without a doubt a very hard sport. Therefor, when it comes to making club choices every one will be different. Theres no one size fits all for club lofts and preferences. Some player with slower swings, will benefit from higher lofted clubs. This is especially true for woods and hybrids.
One club that has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years is the 7-wood. This has allowed players to hit a wood style club that has more loft and is more forgiving while still hitting the ball far, with less effort.
If you’re new to golf, and you do not have preferences or favourite clubs, I would suggest giving a ton of clubs a try and find out what you like. Knowing what lofts feel right for you will help you pick your clubs for the rest of your golf journey. Most people don’t take the time to nerd out over club specs, those that do, learn their game in greater detail.
Another big factor for loft selection can be where you tend to play golf. Some environments like midland areas aren’t as windy so higher lofted clubs aren’t pushed around by the wind. And the opposite is true, coastal golf courses that get crazy winds will push around balls with high flights. Therefore golfers may need to be equipped with less loft in those areas to cut under the wind.
Adjustable Loft Clubs – Are They Worth It?
New technology has allowed players to buy clubs with adjustable lofts. Mostly drivers but some 3-woods and hybrids are available as well. This can be very useful for player as they can have a driver with 10.5 degrees of loft as a beginner and then once they have developed a swing they are very happy with, they can lower the loft and try and gain distance with a lower lofted club. If that doesnt work they can always go back without need to actually buy any new equipment.
These adjustable clubs come with a universal tool that allows you to unscrew the clubhead and twist it in relation to the shaft to higher or lower the loft angle.
It is in no way necessary to have adjustable clubs in your bag. However, they are very useful. To a beginner, I’d say don’t seek them out but if you buy a new driver that was mad in the last 5 years, it will probably be adjustable.
If you are building a new set from a more experienced standpoint or want to get a fully fitted set as a beginner, consider using our app; QuickFit to get real information on what clubs may be better for you.
Conclusion
Understanding loft gives you a clearer picture of why each club in your bag exists and how it’s meant to be used. From controlling distance and trajectory to managing spin and shot shape, loft quietly influences every golf shot you hit. You don’t need to memorize exact degrees, but knowing how loft works helps you choose smarter clubs, plan better shots, and play with more confidence. As you practice and learn your tendencies, loft becomes less of a spec and more of a tool you can rely on throughout your round.
