reducing spin on drives

[Sacman]

I have had a problem with my ball spin for my driver being in the high 3000's. This has caused me to lose distance and some times hit the ball off line. Does anyone have any tips for reducing ball spin with the driver?

[DufnerDip]

whats ur setup?

[Beachcomber]

Change balls?  Hit the ball higher off the face of the driver?  There are too many unknown variables to provide an accurate response.

[Sai-Jin]

Doesn't an aftermarket shaft do that? Stock shafts tend to hVe high 3000 spin rate

[luu5]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Change balls?  Hit the ball higher off the face of the driver?  There are too many unknown variables to provide an accurate response.

True. Hit more on level or upswing, unless you already do so.

[saevel25]

Hitting the ball higher on the face will decrease spin

Go to a lower spin golf shaft

Do not hit down on the ball with a driver, have an ascending blow

[Beachcomber]

You should also understand Attack Angle - and its importance and relationship to Spin (Launch and Loft).  Following is a Trackman driver fitting chart which shows that having a positive Attack Angle will reduce your Launch Spin - but increase your Vertical Launch.  So the ball will fly higher - but with less spin.  Ultimately, your Ball Speed increases, and the result is your ball will fly further - increasing both your Carry and Total Distances.

-5 is swinging down - descending blow at impact.

0 is level at impact.

+5 is swinging up - ascending blow at impact.

Watch this video by Joseph Mayo - which talks about a drill you can try with the driver.  This drill will help you understand how to hit up with a driver - and get a positive Attack Angle.

[Gator Hater]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

You should also understand Attack Angle - and its importance and relationship to Spin (Launch and Loft).  Following is a Trackman driver fitting chart which shows that having a positive Attack Angle will reduce your Launch Spin - but increase your Vertical Launch.  So the ball will fly higher - but with less spin.  Ultimately, your Ball Speed increases, and the result is your ball will fly further - increasing both your Carry and Total Distances.

-5 is swinging down - descending blow at impact.

0 is level at impact.

+5 is swinging up - ascending blow at impact.

Watch this video by Joseph Mayo - which talks about a drill you can try with the driver.  This drill will help you understand how to hit up with a driver - and get a positive Attack Angle.

Everything listed above is very good advice. However, most club golfers can not control their wrist angles with a driver. The single biggest factor influencing spin rate is dynamic loft. Thats why a pitching wedge spins more than a 4 iron. If you do not have access to a Trackman, I would suggest taking a high speed video of your swing to identify your handle location. Ideally we would like to see the handle slightly forward, raising through impact making a level or slightly ascending blow into the golf ball. The sad truth is you can change shafts, loft on the driver and nothing will make a difference if you can't control the amount of dynamic loft you are delivering to the golf ball.

[Jimbo Slice]

I'm going to jump in on this post, as I need much help with the subject. Like the above two posters stated. I'm under the impression if you focus and work on Angle of Attack, spin and launch will start to work themselves out. The post should be called "Angle of Attack" hehe.

It's mostly the swing and not the gear. I have a Nike driver and always hit it way up in the air. The shaft on that club busted a while back so I replaced it with a pro launch red shaft. The pro launch red is a low launching low spin shaft. After switching to the prolaunch red, there was absolutely no noticable difference in ball flight. I'm guessing trackman would have noticed some small improvements but if there where any, they where small. I then switched from a 10.5 to 9.5 driver face angle and this did not do much either lol. I've come to find out its mostly in the swing. Even with the new pro launch red shaft I still was hitting 7000-8000 rpm shots at times.

I just hit trackman yesterday, and my angle of attack is always negative, sometimes as low as -4.5 and spin numbers high as 8000RPM at times. Those numbers are about as bad as you can get off the driver when talking optimal ball flight for distance. Ill for sure try the drill out in the video, and any other hints or tips would be great for helping with AoA.

Is there any way to reduce ball spin rate, other then angle of attack?

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by Gator Hater

Everything listed above is very good advice. However, most club golfers can not control their wrist angles with a driver. The single biggest factor influencing spin rate is dynamic loft. Thats why a pitching wedge spins more than a 4 iron. If you do not have access to a Trackman, I would suggest taking a high speed video of your swing to identify your handle location. Ideally we would like to see the handle slightly forward, raising through impact making a level or slightly ascending blow into the golf ball. The sad truth is you can change shafts, loft on the driver and nothing will make a difference if you can't control the amount of dynamic loft you are delivering to the golf ball.

Gator Hater, thanks for the response.

Do you have any video - or photos/examples you can share that help illustrate how to properly identify the handle location(s) for the average golfer?  I say this as many folks on here (average every day golfer) do not have access to Trackman - and I'm sure would like to better understand how they can identify the handle location when reviewing their own swing videos.

I'll add from my vantage point some things that should help clarify to the folks lurking or reading this thread some images and video to help reduce spin - and hit the ball further...

First, make sure you understand Attack Angle.  So below -5 (hitting down) is not good - as shown in the previous post that I made with the Trackman data.  Therefore, you want to hit up on the driver.

So how can you do this with the driver?  How can you successfully hit up?  Well there are several ways... Here are a few:

(1.) Tee the ball up higher.

(2.) Tee the ball up further in your stance (closer to your target side foot/toe).

(3.) Ensure you have secondary axis tilt (look at Tigers head behind the ball in the below frames)

(4.) Right forearm straightens after impact (again - look at Tigers wrist condition through impact)

- The last point isn't easy to conquer for the average golfer - but if you do have a high speed video camera - you can dial into the specifics of your right wrist hinge - and handle location as Gator Hater states above.

If you can do 1, 2, 3 and 4 properly... You should be able to hit the long ball with the driver and minimize spin.  Then if you don't like your spin numbers, you just need to experiment with different driver lofts, shafts - and premium golf balls to reduce spin.

Here is a nice drill that Andrew Rice recommends to practice hitting up with the driver (ensures you'll have a positive attack angle).

The other item that not many folks know - is that there is indeed an optimal point on the face of the driver to make impact on the ball.  And this point is not the center of the clubface.  In fact, the optimal spot to hit the ball with the driver is slightly above the center - closer to the crown.  Again, watch the following video by Andrew Rice (Trackman validated) which highlights this phenomena.  Pretty cool information - and if you're a precise driver of the golf ball - and can consistently find center contact with the driver... Experiment a little to move the contact point closer to where Andrew describes in the video.  You just might get those extra yards you've been looking for.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by Jimbo Slice

I'm going to jump in on this post, as I need much help with the subject. Like the above two posters stated. I'm under the impression if you focus and work on Angle of Attack, spin and launch will start to work themselves out. The post should be called "Angle of Attack" hehe.

It's mostly the swing and not the gear. I have a Nike driver and always hit it way up in the air. The shaft on that club busted a while back so I replaced it with a pro launch red shaft. The pro launch red is a low launching low spin shaft. After switching to the prolaunch red, there was absolutely no noticable difference in ball flight. I'm guessing trackman would have noticed some small improvements but if there where any, they where small. I then switched from a 10.5 to 9.5 driver face angle and this did not do much either lol. I've come to find out its mostly in the swing. Even with the new pro launch red shaft I still was hitting 7000-8000 rpm shots at times.

I just hit trackman yesterday, and my angle of attack is always negative, sometimes as low as -4.5 and spin numbers high as 8000RPM at times. Those numbers are about as bad as you can get off the driver when talking optimal ball flight for distance. Ill for sure try the drill out in the video, and any other hints or tips would be great for helping with AoA.

Is there any way to reduce ball spin rate, other then angle of attack?

Jimbo,

1.) Indeed, Angle of Attack is important.  You need to read my post that I just made - which will help you swing up (positive angle of attack).

2.) You;re probably hitting the ball all over the face on the club.... You need to improve your swing mechanics so that you can consistently find your low point with the driver - and control your swing arc.  Once you do this - then you'll have more center contact - which will lower your spin numbers.  Right now your face and path is all over so your spin numbers are going to be high.  Make sense?

The point is - just because you fix your Angle of Attack - and optimize your equipment (shaft, loft, ball) - doesn't mean you have the swing mechanics to induce a lower spin rate.

[Jimbo Slice]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Jimbo,

1.) Indeed, Angle of Attack is important.  You need to read my post that I just made - which will help you swing up (positive angle of attack).

2.) Your probably hitting the ball all over the face on the club.... You need to improve your swing mechanics so that you can consistently find your low point with the driver - and control your swing arc.  Once you do this - then you'll have more center contact - which will lower your spin numbers.  Right now your face and path is all over so your spin numbers are going to be high.  Make sense?

The point is - just because you fix you Angle of Attack - and optimize your equipment (shaft, loft, ball) - doesn't mean you have the swing mechanics to induce a lower spin rate.

Understood....

Learning !!

[Beachcomber]

Good deal!  That is what this forum is for.  Hopefully we all learn something - and ultimately play better golf!!

[Jimbo Slice]

Trackman is ridiculous, I didn't think I wanted to learn about the fine mechanics of a golf swing. Then I seen a machine that can tell you exactly what your club head and face is doing along with ball flight, that's nuts. Well after hitting on trackman, and seeing some results, its safe to say I'm starting to obsess on angle of attack. I do understand there is allot more to it then just angle of attack, but that's basically what I plan working on in the near future. Once I see some small improvements with angle of attack, I'll start addressing some of the other numbers. I'm still so new, its hard for me to work on more then one thing at a time.

[Gator Hater]

Beachcomber...attached is a pic that demonstrates a neutral handle and a forward handle. Didn't think it was necessary to post a pic demonstrating major throw away. You get the idea. The player on the left is adding dynamic loft while hitting slightly down while Grant has the handle forward while delivering a slight ascending blow.

[onesome]

Originally Posted by Gator Hater

Beachcomber...attached is a pic that demonstrates a neutral handle and a forward handle. Didn't think it was necessary to post a pic demonstrating major throw away. You get the idea. The player on the left is adding dynamic loft while hitting slightly down while Grant has the handle forward while delivering a slight ascending blow.

Looks the opposite to me,guy on left has ascending impact and guy on right descending.

[Beachcomber]

Gator - thanks for posting an example.  It is good for folks to reference.

Originally Posted by Gator Hater

Beachcomber...attached is a pic that demonstrates a neutral handle and a forward handle. Didn't think it was necessary to post a pic demonstrating major throw away. You get the idea. The player on the left is adding dynamic loft while hitting slightly down while Grant has the handle forward while delivering a slight ascending blow.

[mvmac]

Who's this Grant Waite guy?