Loft and Length of Every Golf Club, and How to Measure Them

Two important factors when shopping for new golf clubs are the length and loft of the clubs. Golf club length is a measurable fitting tool that should be customized to the player. The loft of your clubs is a major factor in determining the distance you hit each club. It’s important to be familiar with both loft and length, so here’s an overview as well as how to measure your clubs with accuracy.

The loft of a golf club is the face angle in relation to the shaft line (perpindicular to the ground).

With rare exceptions, putters are the least-lofted golf clubs, with just a few degrees of loft. To the naked eye, the putter face appears to be perpindicular to the ground, because it has just a few degrees of loft.

The loft of each club impacts the trajectory of your shot. Lower-lofted clubs produce lower, more penetrating shots that fly farther. Higher-lofted clubs produce higher shots that do not fly as far.

Loft, specifically in irons, varies by manufacturer. The constant is that game improvement irons are usually stronger (lower) in loft than players irons like muscle backs and blades.

RELATED: Golf Irons Explained: Types and How to Choose

For example, a TaylorMade Stealth (game improvement) 7-iron has 28 degrees of loft while the TaylorMade P790 (players) 7-iron has 30.5 degrees of loft, but both clubs are 7-irons. The reason for this is that game improvement irons are created for players who need more help with distance than players who fit into more advanced clubs.

Iron loft has changed significantly through the decades. Mainly, lofts have become stronger, which allows manufacturers to sell "more distance" since a 28-degree 7-iron produces more distance than a 30.5-degree 7-iron, when everything else is the same.

In addition, shaft technology, paired with the stronger lofts, allows players to hit the ball higher while adding distance. Here is an example of how some popular Titleist 7-iron lofts have changed through the past 30-plus years:

• Tour Model (1985) 7-iron: 37 degrees
• DCI Black (1993) 7-iron: 36 degrees
• AP1 (2003) 7-iron: 33 degrees
• 718 AP1 (2018) 7-iron: 30 degrees

The important thing to remember about lofts is that they should be gapped appropriately to accommodate the top and bottom of your bag (your hybrids and wedges). High-handicap players shouldn’t get too caught up in the loft of their irons as long as a certified club fitter is getting you properly fit.