What Is Loft in Golf?
Loft is the angle of a golf club's face, measured from vertical. A club with more loft sends the ball higher and shorter with more backspin; a club with less loft sends it lower and further.
Loft is the main reason a golf bag holds so many clubs. Each one has a different loft, which gives a different height and distance from the same swing.
A simple way to picture it
Stand a club on the ground with the shaft upright. A putter's face is almost vertical, with only a few degrees of loft. A driver's face tilts back a little. A lob wedge's face points well up towards the sky.
When the club meets the ball, the loft directs the strike partly forwards and partly upwards. The more the face is tilted back, the more of the energy goes into height and spin rather than forward distance.
Typical lofts by club
| Club | Typical loft |
|---|---|
| Putter | 2-4° |
| Driver | 8-12° |
| 3 wood | 15-16° |
| 5 wood | 18-19° |
| Hybrid | 19-25° |
| 5 iron | 23-27° |
| 7 iron | 28-34° |
| 9 iron | 38-42° |
| Pitching wedge | 43-48° |
| Gap wedge | 50-52° |
| Sand wedge | 54-56° |
| Lob wedge | 58-62° |
The ranges are wide because makers differ. Game-improvement irons tend to have stronger lofts (fewer degrees) than traditional blades, so the number on the club isn't a fixed measurement. For distances by club, see the golf club distance chart.
What loft does to the ball
- Launch angle: more loft, higher launch.
- Spin: more loft, more backspin. Backspin helps the ball climb and stop on the green.
- Distance: less loft, more distance, as long as you have the club speed to get the ball in the air.
- Curve: more loft means less sidespin effect, so wedges curve much less than drivers. That's why a slice is usually worst with the driver.
- Roll: high, spinning shots stop quickly; low shots run out. More in carry vs roll in golf.
Static loft vs dynamic loft
The loft stamped on the club is its static loft. What matters to the ball is the dynamic loft: the angle of the face at the moment of impact.
You change dynamic loft with your hands and setup:
- Hands ahead of the ball, with the shaft leaning forward, takes loft off. The ball flies lower. This is what good iron players do.
- Hands behind the ball, or a flicking, scooping action, adds loft. The ball balloons, goes shorter, and contact often suffers.
- Opening the face adds loft, which is how a flop shot goes so high.
This is why "trying to help the ball up" backfires. The loft is already built in. Trust it and hit down on the ball with irons.
Loft, bounce and lie: not the same thing
- Loft is how far the face tilts back.
- Bounce is the angle on the sole that helps wedges skid through sand and turf. See sand wedge vs lob wedge.
- Lie angle is the angle between the shaft and the ground at address, which affects direction more than height.
Why golfers carry different lofts
The Rules of Golf allow up to 14 clubs. A sensible bag has even gaps in loft, usually about 4 to 5 degrees between irons, so each club covers a distinct distance. Big gaps leave awkward yardages; overlapping lofts waste a slot.
See loft at work in Mashy
Mashy is a good way to see loft in action without a range. The game's clubs run from the 7 iron down to the lob wedge, with full carries falling from 150 yards to 66. Pick a hole in Practice mode and play it once with the 9 iron and once with the lob wedge at full power: the extra loft costs about 60 yards. Then watch how the ball bounces and rolls differently depending on whether it lands on the green, the fairway or the rough.
Frequently asked questions
Does more loft mean more distance?
No, usually the opposite. More loft sends the ball higher with more backspin, which means a shorter carry for the same swing. The exception is a player with low swing speed using a very low-lofted club: they may not launch the ball high enough, so a little more loft can actually help their distance.
What loft is a 7 iron?
Most modern 7 irons have between about 28 and 34 degrees of loft. Game-improvement sets sit at the stronger, lower end, while traditional blade irons tend to have more loft. Older 7 irons from a few decades ago were often weaker still, which is why distances by club number aren't directly comparable over time.
What is the most lofted club in golf?
In most bags it's the lob wedge, usually 58 to 62 degrees. Some specialist wedges go up to 64 degrees or more, but they're rare and hard to hit well. The putter has the least loft of any club, typically only a few degrees.
Can you change the loft of a golf club?
Yes. Many drivers and fairway woods have adjustable hosels that change loft by a degree or two. Irons and wedges can be bent stronger or weaker by a club fitter, usually by a couple of degrees. You also change the effective loft on every swing through hand position and face angle.
Why do wedges curve less than drivers?
More loft creates more backspin compared with sidespin, so the ball's spin axis tilts less and it curves less. That's why a wedge shot with the face slightly open flies fairly straight, while the same fault with a driver can produce a big slice. It's also why beginners often find short irons easier to hit straight.