We talk a lot about loft when we fit. But most of the time, we’re talking about static loft—the number stamped on the club. That’s a starting point. But in a fitting? That number alone doesn’t tell the full story. The loft that really determines launch, spin, and ball flight is the dynamic loft—the one delivered at impact.

Last week we talked about Spin per Degree, which is a great deep-dive spec for understanding strike quality – specifically in wedges, but also for irons. Dynamic loft is a key part of that equation, and this one should be a staple for you—whether you’re fitting clubs or coaching swings. If you’re trying to make sense of launch, spin, or trajectory—it’s where you start. Better yet, Dynamic loft can be used for every club in the bag. As we’ll see later, it offers invaluable insight as to WHY that 9-wood might be a better option for a player than a 5-iron or even a 5 hybrid.

So what is it? Dynamic Loft is the actual loft the clubface presents to the ball at the moment of contact. Not in the backswing. Not halfway down. Right at impact. And that’s what makes it so useful—it’s measured in the same instant as launch angle, so you get a true apples-to-apples snapshot of what the club did and how the ball responded. Launch angle tells you how the ball left. Dynamic loft tells you why.

It’s measured relative to the ground, not your swing path. Launch monitors like Trackman and GCQuad read it right when the ball is struck—factoring in everything from shaft lean and face orientation to strike location and head design. Think of it as the final answer to the equation you’ve been building all swing long.

Why does it matter in a fitting? Because it’s not just about how far the ball goes—it’s about how it got there. A player might be using a 7-iron with 30° of static loft, but if they’re delivering 28° of dynamic loft, it’s going to behave very differently than someone delivering 22°. Two players. Same club. Wildly different results.

A fast ball striker—say, someone swinging their 7-iron around 90 mph—is often delivering dynamic loft in the 19–21° range. That’s a strong strike. The ball launches low-ish, spins in the 5,000s or low 6,000s, climbs with proper height, and drops with bite. But if another player delivers 26–28° with the same club, now we’re looking at a much higher launch, softer spin rates, and likely a flatter descent.

We also use it to understand set makeup. On paper, a player might think a 5-iron and a 5-hybrid are interchangeable because they both have around 24° of static loft. Add in a 9-wood at 23°, and now you’ve got three clubs that, loft-wise, are neck and neck. But when you put them on a launch monitor? It’s the dynamic loft that tells the real story.

Same carry, but completely different trajectories. And one might work better than the others depending on how the player delivers the club. That’s why dynamic loft—not just static loft—is the key to building the right bag. For most players, you can simply say, “Wow, look at the height” is enough. Others need an explanation. Still others will say that flight is too high. Understanding this spec is what helps you stop guessing and start explaining why something works. Next week, we’ll dive deeper into this.

It’s also a coaching tool. Let’s say a player’s wedge launches high and floats with no spin. It might not be the ball or the grooves. It could be that they’re adding loft through impact—flipping the hands or hanging back. When you show them that dynamic loft is 45° with a 54° wedge, you’ve got a teachable moment. Same with irons—if you’re trying to create forward shaft lean or lower trajectory, you can track improvement by watching dynamic loft numbers drop (in a good way).

And here’s the big idea: Dynamic Loft is the better alternative to “delofting” or “adding loft” as vague concepts. We don’t have to describe it. We can measure it. It gives you real insight into a player’s delivery—and when paired with attack angle, it tells you almost everything about how that ball is going to launch and spin.

Use launch angle to track the ball.

Use dynamic loft to understand the player.

In fitting, it helps you tune the right setup. In teaching, it gives you feedback that’s not up for debate. In set makeup, it explains why two clubs that look the same on paper don’t perform the same on the course.

It’s a number that tells the truth.

Next up: We’ll take this same concept and apply it to set makeup. What happens when three clubs have the same static loft, but very different ball flights? We’ll show you how dynamic loft helps you hedge your fitting decisions and match a club to a swing—not just to a number on the head.

Happy Fitting!!!

Jim Yeager, PGA