What is a 10.5 Degree Driver
The degree of the driver is what helps in determining the angle of the ball in a game of golf. If you have been unable to consistently hit the ball higher or lower, than required, the problem might lie with the degree of your club or driver.
Golf drivers can be classified as low loft, middle loft, and high loft based on the amount of degree.
A 10.5 degree driver falls within the middle loft driver range. This middle range is ideal for golf players with a good swing speed that ranges between 90 mph to 115 mph.
The loft of a club or a driver can range anywhere between 7 degrees to 20 degrees. Choose a driver with higher lofts if your swing speeds tends to be low.
10.5 Degree Driver Specifications Chart
| 10.5° Feature | 10.5 °Specs |
|---|---|
| Loft Range | Middle |
| Ideal for | Golfers with 90 to 115 mph swing speed. |
| Backspin Produced | Low |
| Sidespin Produced | Low |
| Average Distance | 217 yards |
| Length | 45.5" |
Benefits of a 10.5 Degree Driver
The benefit of using 10.5 degree driver can help you achieve good hooks and slices whereas a higher degree driver will promote more backspin. A 10.5° driver will cause the golf ball to travel straight without much side spin.
Each player will have his playing style. It’s important to identify the right driver with the correct loft angle to help achieve accuracy, speed, and distance.
Remember that using a club with a lower loft angle will result in greater speed of the ball. The ball will travel at a lower angle with less backspin and will be able to cover a greater distance as opposed to a higher loft.
If you have a swing speed of around 105-110mph, then a 10.5-degree driver will be the best choice for you.
Average Distance Using a 10.5 Degree Driver
The average distance you can expect when using a 10.5 degree golf driver is 217 yards. This is based on the average club head speed of 85mph.
Both the 9.5 degree as well as 10.5° drivers will give you decent coverage in terms of distance. The determining factor is the speed with which you hit the ball.
It has been found that 85-90mph is the average speed for beginners and amateurs.
If you have a speed of over 90mph, then a 10.5-degree driver can help you achieve a good distance of about 220 yards (201 kms).
The key to maximizing your distance is to increase the launch angle while keeping a check on the backspin. Too much backspin can make the ball comedown vertically. Too little backspin can also be dangerous as it can make the ball come down too soon. You will have to find the optimum amount of backspin and speed necessary for the ball to travel the distance.
How to Hit a 10.5 Degree Driver
Right from how well you hold the driver to how well you balance your shots, everything is important when it comes to hitting the perfect shot in golf.
It is important to balance your posture correctly while swinging. How fast or how much force you use to drive a shot will determine the distance the ball will travel.
At the same time losing your balance will make the ball drastically lose distance.
The mistake made by most rookie players is that they tend to rush hitting the shot.
Instead, pause for a moment before taking your shot. The club or the 10.5-degree drivers should ideally take a split-second break at the top of the curve before it hits the ball. This will help you gain maximum impact.
Difference Between 9.5 and 10.5 Degree Drivers
The degree of the driver determines the distance covered by the golf ball. If your swing speeds are around 100mph, then a 10.5-degree driver is ideal for you.
Most people make the mistake of thinking that their swing angles are higher than what it actually is.
Excessive backspin can make the ball travel along a straighter line than with more sidespin. This is one of the things that makes it ideal for any beginner or amateur to use a 10.5° driver.
Even a lot of experienced golfers prefer using a 10.5-degree driver to ensure optimum stability for their shots.
The necessary trajectory of the ball can be easily achieved using a 10.5-degree driver as opposed to a 9.5-degree one due to the nature of its launch angle.
Too Much Loft When Using a 10.5-Degree Driver
If your hooks and slices are not perfect, it may mean that there is too much loft on your driver. One of the crucial factors for this is the speed of the ball.
If your speed is consistently above 95 mph, then a 10.5-degree is ideal for you otherwise you might want to consider switching the driver to one with a lower angle.
10.5° Driver Loft Distance Chart
| Club Head Speed (mph) | 8.5° Loft | 11° Loft | 12° Loft | 13° Loft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 79 | 88 | 91 | 94 |
| 60 | 125 | 134 | 135 | 138 |
| 70 | 151 | 165 | 168 | 172 |
| 80 | 194 | 207 | 210 | 213 |
| 90 | 227 | 238 | 240 | 241 |
| 100 | 260 | 270 | 267 | 264 |
| 110 | 293 | 289 | 285 | 280 |
8.5-Degree Vs 10.5-Degree Drivers
The degree in the driver refers to the loft angle. The 2-degree difference between an 8.5-degree driver and a 10.5-degree driver may not seem much to a common man but to a golfer, it will make a lot of difference.
One of the main differences between the two drivers is the height of the ball.
The 10.5-degree driver will carry the ball to a greater height as opposed to the 8.5-degree driver.
If you are confident of having a good swing speed then the 10.5-degree driver will be the perfect one for you.
The face angle and lie angle also vary for the two drivers. The ideal combination of these two factors will help carry the ball a long distance while still maintaining its speed.
10.5-Degree Vs 11.5 Degree Drivers
The main concern for players who think of switching from a 10.5-degree driver to 11.5-degree one is whether there will be a significant loss of distance.
There is bound to be an added backspin due to the increased launch angle. This may not significantly interfere with the distance factor in most cases.
A close watch on the launch monitor can help determine your exact parameters while using both the 10.5-degree driver as well as a 11.5-degree club.
A lot of people have experienced some distance loss due to the higher backspin and launch angle. If your speeds are less,then,it is better to go in for an 11.5-degree driver as it can help you deliver better.
10.5-Degree Vs 12 Degree Drivers
Using a driver with a lower degree of loft will not allow the ball to take on a high altitude. This will make the ball go lower and straighter towards the target. This can help in increasing the distance traveled by the ball.
A driver with a 12-degree loft will have a higher altitude and allow the ball a wider trajectory. This can, however, impair the distance covered by the ball.
If you are looking to improve your distance, then a 10.5-degree driver might be the ideal one for you.
If on the other hand, you are looking to work on your accuracy, then a 12-degree driver might turn out to be the best one for you as the accuracy is known to increase with loft.
Is a 12 degree driver better? Read my answer
10.5-Degree Vs 13 Degree Drivers
13-degree drivers might sound like a good chance for people looking to freshen up their game. These drivers are known for giving greater accuracy to the player with a bit of compromise on the distance. It is easy to hit the ball in a straight line and also cover a decent distance.
While it is true that higher degree loft angles cannot cover much of a distance, switching from a 10.5-degree driver to a 13-degree driver might work for some people looking to improve their straight shots and accuracy.
10.5-Degree Vs 14 Degree Drivers
A 14-degree driver will have a more closed clubface compared to the 10.5-degree driver. In general, 10.5-degree drivers are considered pretty standard and most people find it easy to adapt to this driver.
If you are experiencing issues with the angle of the trajectory, then it might be time to consider trying out a 14-degree driver.
The backspin tends to be more in the case of a 14-degree driver while the sidespin will be considerably less.
If you are aiming to hit longer distances with less of a spin, then sticking with the 10.5-degree driver would be the best solution.
In the case of a 14-degree driver, the ball flight will be more pronounced and more straight compared to the other drivers.
The Best 10.5-Degree Drivers to Use
The best driver is the one that will help you increase your accuracy while reducing your number of mishits. Once you have decided that the 10.5-degree driver is what you need, then you will have to decide exactly which club to buy.
The lightness or heaviness of the driver can also be an important factor to be considered while choosing a driver. These factors will decide how far and how straight the golf ball will travel.
Below I have given two of the best 10.5 degree drivers available on the market.
- TaylorMade M3 is one of the best drivers found in the market at a reasonable price.
- Titleist 915 d2 also makes it to the list of the top drivers in the 10.5-degree category.
Taylormade Burner 10.5-Degree Driver
The Taylormade Burner is one of the lightest drivers designed to help hit the distance. The shaft is lighter than the normal 10.5-degree drivers and weighs only 48 grams.
The overall weight of the Taylormade Burner is less than 300 grams.
This is very noticeable while handling it. The shaft is designed to be about an inch longer than the average driver. While this can help get a longer range of control, it may disperse the ball over a wider angle.
With regard to both distance and accuracy, this may be a good deal. This driver is ideal for amateurs and beginners looking to cover a good distance with decent accuracy.
Titleist 915 d2 10.5-Degree Driver
This is a classic clubhead with a pear-shaped top. It costs around $450 and is considered worth the cost. The 915 d3 tries to maximize the 460cc allowance without making the clubhead look really big.
The forgiveness offered by the driver is really good and surprisingly for beginners, this is a good deal. Due to the flat surface of the clubhead, it is easier to hit with greater accuracy.
Titeist’s 915 dt driver is consistent in its performance but may lack a bit on the workability aspect. A must-have for an amateur, it is considered an overall good investment for the serious golfer.
Is a 12 degree driver better? Read my answer