Spin on drives - good or bad?

[Moxley]

OK, so I know the deal with the fast swingers that they want less spin to get more distance. The slower swingers perhaps want more spin to keep their ball carrying. All fine. I'm somewhere in the middle , perhaps on the slower than average side. 

Here's the thing, I'm rarely bothered about distance off the tee , but very bothered about being on the fairway. With this in mind, would I be in thinking that creating more spin (low tee , hitting down), will increase backspin thus reducing the affect of sidespin, or is it the reverse - that increasing spin of any time will magnify sidespin?

 

[iacas]

It's more about the amount of spin loft you generate.

Hit up 5° with a dynamic loft of 15° and you have 10° of spin loft (assuming no sideways motion of the clubhead). Hit down 5° with a dynamic loft of 5° and you have a spin loft of 10°. Same amount of "spin" in total, if all else is equal (contact location, clubhead speed, etc.).

That said most people who hit down generate more backspin, because their loft doesn't follow 1:1 along with the AoA path.

But… you're probably better off hitting the ball far and learning to control your spin axis tilt ("sidespin") by improving your golf swing a little, or for example if you slice, just aiming a bit right and playing a straight pull down the middle of the fairway or something. As a temporary solution.

[Moxley]

Good explanation, thanks Erik. 

[Tim S]

I agree. Spin is good, if it is backspin. Any other spin and the ball goes left or right.  Less spin and the ball isn't in risk of slicing or hooking but just being knocked out of the air. Hitting down on a drive is tough for us ams. So, I like a lower ball flight, which I "feel" like gives me a bit more overspin and roll, and less chance for the ball to balloon far left or right. If it drifts, it won't drift far.  

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Tim S said:

I agree. Spin is good, if it is backspin. Any other spin and the ball goes left or right.  Less spin and the ball isn't in risk of slicing or hooking but just being knocked out of the air. Hitting down on a drive is tough for us ams. So, I like a lower ball flight, which I "feel" like gives me a bit more overspin and roll, and less chance for the ball to balloon far left or right. If it drifts, it won't drift far.  

Less “backspin” means it’s easier to tilt the spin axis and the ball will curve more easily.

No good drives are hit with anything close to topspin. Generally you want to maximize carry, not roll.

[Tim S]

13 hours ago, iacas said:

Less “backspin” means it’s easier to tilt the spin axis and the ball will curve more easily.

No good drives are hit with anything close to topspin. Generally you want to maximize carry, not roll.

I was talking about my feel, not physics. Just said it badly. You're right, of course.