A golf club’s loft – the angle of the clubface relative to the shaft – helps determine how high you’ll hit the ball. All else being equal, you’ll hit the ball higher with a higher-lofted club, although the more loft a club has, the more distance that is sacrificed. Lofts of specific clubs are fairly standardized but can vary among different manufacturers. Additionally, standard lofts have changed a bit over time. If you want to check the loft of your clubs, or perhaps you wish to buy a used club and the owner doesn’t know its loft, you can check it yourself with the proper tool.
Step 1
Purchase a loft gauge or golf protractor. There are expensive versions of these devices that won’t be worth your while, unless you’re going into the club-measuring business. But there are manual devices available for less than $100.
Step 2
Place the clubface on the base of the loft gauge, as if you were grounding your club behind a ball to line up your shot.
Items you will need
- Loft gauge or golf protractor
Step 3
Place the club’s shaft into the attached vise on the side of the device, but don’t lock the vise yet.
Step 4
Square the clubface on the base. Different gauges may have different mechanisms, but the gauge is likely to contain a straightedge that you’ll slide against the clubface to make certain it’s square.
Step 5
Lock the shaft into the vise by turning the locking wheel clockwise.
Step 6
Double-check that the clubface is square. If it isn’t, loosen the vise, realign the club with the straightedge and retighten the vise.
Step 7
Slide the included protractor against the center of the clubface. If the protractor contains a locking device, turn it clockwise to lock the protractor against the clubface.
Step 8
Read the loft number at the top of the protractor.
