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Peak Height, Spin, And Decent Angle Are More Important Than Loft

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Thrillbilly Jim

Thrillbilly Jim

DillyWood Express #2
Albatross 2024 Club
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These facts have been stated numerous times on THP. But, you will always get the “loft jacking” counter-argument. And, that’s ok. Everyone is welcome to your opinion here. But, this video just really hits the nail on the head about how club design and performance drives the numbering system, not just loft.

 
One could argue the case he made best was speed mattering more. Lol
 
Thrillbilly Jim said:
True. But, speed varies so much per person.
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Peak height, spin and descent depend very strongly on speed. Clubhead speed. Which in turn means peak height, spin and descent vary per person.

There's no substitute for clubhead speed. Everything about golf club and ball design fiddles about at the margins but speed is created by the golfer.

I swing a driver at a little over 80mph. There is no clubhead designer in the world who can make an iron (whether it has a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 on it) that's going to let me hit a 150-yard shot that lands at 50 degrees and spins at 6,000rpm. Yet @tahoebum's 150-160mph scratch golfer, for example, can probably create that sort of shot with almost any style of iron, even a simple forged blade.
 
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OldandStiff said:
One could argue the case he made best was speed mattering more. Lol
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Speed matters a lot. I would argue you need driver ball speed of 150mph to be a scratch golfer. Having 160mph plus makes it easier. Speed equals potential.
 
Thrillbilly Jim said:
These facts have been stated numerous times on THP. But, you will always get the “loft jacking” counter-argument. And, that’s ok. Everyone is welcome to your opinion here. But, this video just really hits the nail on the head about how club design and performance drives the numbering system, not just loft.

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For those who have enough speed, things like accuracy, consistent distance control, flighting, and workability become higher priorities than hitting a 190+ yard 7 iron. Compared to a decade ago, see a lot more good golfers playing a mixed set or having “players distance“ sets that have more help in the design with the mid and long irons so they get the best of both worlds. Tech is fun especially when those approach shots are over 160 yards.

When you think about it, almost all of us are still playing 2 or 3 wedges that are still a muscle back design that hasn’t changed much other than having lots more options with sole shape and grinds. My gap, sand, and lob wedge look identical and are the same lofts in the SW and LW as what I played 40 years ago. My gap wedge and PW also looks the same but are 1° stronger than 1999 when I began playing a GW. With the wedges, loft jacking or high tech distance and forgiveness enhancing design is not needed and those are the clubs that often matter(along with the putter) when I’m shooting a low number. They are not cavity back and don’t incorporate any thin face, tungsten weighting, stronger lofts, or other high tech features. If the grooves were still fresh, I could substitute my 8 iron through LW from 40 years ago and not find any difference in my ability to score and would lose only a few yard s of carry distance with with the 8, 9, and PW because of those slightly weaker lofts.
 
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Watched Matt Blois’ video yesterday and went away from it thinking that a golfer with a lower swing speed might have had different results.

His final conclusion though that people should not worry so much about the number on the bottom of the club but what results they deliver for yardage, trajectory and whether those meet a golfer’s needs is what stuck out to me.

My main goal this year is to have 14 clubs in the bag that I have complete confidence in because they all reliably perform the way I want them to when I do my part.
 
Browndog said:
Watched Matt Blois’ video yesterday and went away from it thinking that a golfer with a lower swing speed might have had different results.

His final conclusion though that people should not worry so much about the number on the bottom of the club but what results they deliver for yardage, trajectory and whether those meet a golfer’s needs is what stuck out to me.

My main goal this year is to have 14 clubs in the bag that I have complete confidence in because they all reliably perform the way I want them to when I do my part.
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My testing of golf clubs always centers around three questions.

Can I consistently hit 200 yard drives and keep them between the tree lines?

How well can I stop a 150-yard shot to a firm green?

How confident can I be when trying to a 100-yard shot close to the hole.

Nothing to do with numbers on the clubs or lofts or anything other than accomplishing those three, basic full-swing tasks.
 
Thrillbilly Jim said:
True. But, speed varies so much per person.
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Exactly. It does. And Matt basically says that he's getting that height through speed.

I'm all for not caring what number the club says. A yardage is a yardage. The number on it just lets us know which one goes which yardage when we reach into the bag. And I like the idea behind the vid and the people it will reach. I think his own words and the dynamic loft exaggerations he did show he's not the best example for the argument you're making though.
 
Great video, Cobber, thanks for sharing it.

The club length discussion was interesting. I'd be interested in seeing what his numbers are with OL. Ball speed rules.
 
Is this the same guy from a different youtube channel too? He looks familiar. If it is, he also can smoke a golf ball so a hard person to make relatable lol, but he's not wrong. THP has been saying this for years. Maybe he's a member.
 
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