Wondering if adjusting your driver loft open face?
Yes it will. Decreasing your driver loft will open face!
In this post, I’ll explain what loft and face angle is and how adjusting driver loft affects the face. Plus, I’ll go over why this matters and give you some tips for adjusting your loft.
Table of Contents
Loft Vs Face Angle
Let’s start with the basics. The loft is the angle of the clubface relative to the shaft.
Most drivers have around 10-12 degrees of loft.
Also Read: 10.5 vs 12 degree driver
A higher loft means the ball is going to launch higher but with more spin, which can rob you of some distance. Lower loft equals lower launch and less spin, so the ball should roll out further.
Simple enough, right?
The face angle is basically how open or closed the clubface is pointing at impact.
An open face is going to make the ball start right for a righty (left for a lefty), while a closed face sends it the other way. That’s how you get those hooks and slices we all love so much.
Does Adjusting Driver Loft Open Face?
Yes, adjusting driver loft can affect the face angle.
- If you increase the loft, it will close the face angle
- If you decrease the loft, it opens the face angle.
Let me explain:
Most adjustable drivers have a part that moves the club’s shaft in relation to the head to change how high or low the clubface is angled.
When you adjust the loft higher, the part that moves the shaft also turns the clubface slightly.
So, when you increase the loft, the front edge of the clubface points more towards the center, making it close in slightly.
When you lower the loft, the opposite happens.
The part that moves the shaft tilts it back and turns the clubface so the front edge points more away from the target line.
Also Read: how long does it take to regrip golf clubs
That’s what makes the face open up a bit more.
Why This Matters for Golfers
Being able to control both the loft and face angle is a big deal.
When you understand how these two things work together, you can make smart adjustments to get the trajectory and shot shape you want.
For example, if you want to hit the ball higher and farther (so you increase loft), you might need to tweak the face angle slightly open to avoid hooking or drawing too much.
On the other hand, if you’re aiming for a lower, more penetrating shot (so you decrease loft), you might need to adjust the face angle slightly closed to prevent slicing or fading too much.
Other Effects Of Increasing Loft On Driver
There are other effects of adjusting the loft too. Increasing it will give you a higher angle, reduce side spin and generate more backspin.
Let me go over these:
Launch Angle
Increasing the loft on your driver means your shots will launch at a higher angle.
This is good for people with slower swings because it helps get the ball up in the air faster, giving it more carry distance.
But if you’ve got a faster swing, you might prefer a lower launch angle for a flatter, longer flight.
Sidespin Rate
Loft can also change how much the ball spins sideways, and will affect its curve.
Usually, increasing loft reduces the slide spin. When you raise the loft, it tends to close the clubface a bit, which can help avoid slicing.
Backspin Rate
Generally, more loft means more backspin.
This will reduce your distance.
But if your swing is slower or moderate, a bit more backspin can actually be good. It keeps the ball in the air longer, giving it more carry distance.
So, the extra backspin works well with the higher launch you get from raising the loft.
Tips For Adjusting Driver Loft
My advice? Don’t go messing around too much on your own at first.
Get one of the pros to take a look at your swing and explain how you might want to set up your adjustable driver. They can crunch the numbers way better than we can.
Using alignment sticks to check your face at address is also a good trick.
Or you can get an impact tape that shows where exactly you’re striking the face.
If you are making changes to loft and face angle, it’s best to make small, incremental adjustments rather than drastic changes.
This will allow you to better understand the impact of each adjustment on your ball flight.
After making adjustments, head to the course or a launch monitor to test the new settings and evaluate the results and decide if further adjustments are needed.
Also Read: Hooking driver but not irons
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that loft and face angle are kind of a packaged deal with adjustable drivers these days. Changing one is going to affect the other.
But knowing that little trick allows you to dial in certain ball flights way more precisely.
So don’t be afraid to experiment a bit under the watchful eye of someone who knows what they’re doing.