Driver spin, how much equipment and how much technique?

Like everyone I am forever trying to max out distance by improving launch/spin numbers.

There are heaps of threads on drivers and shafts and how important a fitting is, but I'd like to know if it is just about fitting, or if there are any things I can do with set up, swing etc to get my numbers down.

I currently swing it around 100, and play an old TM Superquad tp 9.5 fitted with a Quattro tech 65 stiff. I launch around 12-15 and my spin is usually 2500-2800 on centre strikes.

Any advice on where I should be at and how to get there with technique would be greatly appreciated.

Unless you are hitting up a lot then you actually need more spin with a 12-15 launch....especially if your launch is under 15. With that low of spin, your ball is dropping out of the air too soon...spin isn't always a bad thing...it's what helps the ball stay in the air. Instead of trying to chase optimum numbers, make your swing better then get a club fit to you. Let the fitter worry about producing the numbers and you work on making your swing the best/most consistent it can be.

Numbers look fine. Good combo of distance vs able to control it

You can play with your numbers here:

https://flightscope.com/products/trajectory-optimizer/

Your ball speed is probably 147 or so with 100 chs.

When it comes to distance with the driver, you're basically trying to find an ideal of longest hang time and lowest spin. So try and keep that in mind.

My #'s were roughly 13-15 degree launch at 162-165 ball speed. I find it imperative to keep the spin rate down because the potential of balloon balls at that speed and launch is too great. If I don't spin it enough, there's less of a potential loss of distance.

When I went to Fujikura on their ENSO machine, we found my spin rates to be around 1,800 to 2,000 rpm (I hit up +5 on the ball). That was certainly sufficient and could produce some pretty long drives and carries of 272-280 yards.

But eventually we found a switch to a different shaft (Speeder Evolution IV) which is softer in the butt section and mid section. That brought up the spin rate a touch (2,000-2,300 rpm), but it also gave me more hang time and over 15 tee balls I was longer off the tee, had a longer max and min distance and a smaller deviation.

I would recommend finding the lowest spin shaft/head combo and then work your way up until you can find something to produce that optimal hang time/spin rate combo and produce the longest carry distance.

The problem with the older driver heads is that the CoG is located more in back of the head which increases spin rates. The current day heads have the CoG moved up closer to the face to reduce spin. Personally, I think you're probably good at 2,500-2,800 with a 12-15 degree launch and 100 mph club speed.

RH

When it comes to distance with the driver, you're basically trying to find an ideal of longest hang time and lowest spin. So try and keep that in mind.

 

My #'s were roughly 13-15 degree launch at 162-165 ball speed. I find it imperative to keep the spin rate down because the potential of balloon balls at that speed and launch is too great. If I don't spin it enough, there's less of a potential loss of distance.

 

When I went to Fujikura on their ENSO machine, we found my spin rates to be around 1,800 to 2,000 rpm (I hit up +5 on the ball). That was certainly sufficient and could produce some pretty long drives and carries of 272-280 yards.

 

But eventually we found a switch to a different shaft (Speeder Evolution IV) which is softer in the butt section and mid section. That brought up the spin rate a touch (2,000-2,300 rpm), but it also gave me more hang time and over 15 tee balls I was longer off the tee, had a longer max and min distance and a smaller deviation.

 

I would recommend finding the lowest spin shaft/head combo and then work your way up until you can find something to produce that optimal hang time/spin rate combo and produce the longest carry distance.

 

The problem with the older driver heads is that the CoG is located more in back of the head which increases spin rates. The current day heads have the CoG moved up closer to the face to reduce spin. Personally, I think you're probably good at 2,500-2,800 with a 12-15 degree launch and 100 mph club speed.

 

 

RH

RH - when you say newer heads have CoG closer to face, what years are we talking, 2014+ or a bit earlier?

Thanks for your above answer btw.

I currently swing it around 100, and play an old TM Superquad tp 9.5 fitted with a Quattro tech 65 stiff. I launch around 12-15 and my spin is usually 2500-2800 on centre strikes.

Any advice on where I should be at and how to get there with technique would be greatly appreciated.

My advice is to stop doing this:

Like everyone I am forever trying to max out distance by improving launch/spin numbers.

And if needed, find something else to obsess over besides those numbers :-)

Besides, changing your swing to chase numbers is usually a terrible idea. If you feel the need to change, make sure you find some other source as a basis for those changes (like the actual quality of the mechanics).

When it comes to distance with the driver, you're basically trying to find an ideal of longest hang time and lowest spin. So try and keep that in mind.

 

My #'s were roughly 13-15 degree launch at 162-165 ball speed. I find it imperative to keep the spin rate down because the potential of balloon balls at that speed and launch is too great. If I don't spin it enough, there's less of a potential loss of distance.

 

When I went to Fujikura on their ENSO machine, we found my spin rates to be around 1,800 to 2,000 rpm (I hit up +5 on the ball). That was certainly sufficient and could produce some pretty long drives and carries of 272-280 yards.

 

But eventually we found a switch to a different shaft (Speeder Evolution IV) which is softer in the butt section and mid section. That brought up the spin rate a touch (2,000-2,300 rpm), but it also gave me more hang time and over 15 tee balls I was longer off the tee, had a longer max and min distance and a smaller deviation.

 

I would recommend finding the lowest spin shaft/head combo and then work your way up until you can find something to produce that optimal hang time/spin rate combo and produce the longest carry distance.

 

The problem with the older driver heads is that the CoG is located more in back of the head which increases spin rates. The current day heads have the CoG moved up closer to the face to reduce spin. Personally, I think you're probably good at 2,500-2,800 with a 12-15 degree launch and 100 mph club speed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RH

Ping G series says hi.

RH - when you say newer heads have CoG closer to face, what years are we talking, 2014+ or a bit earlier?

 

Thanks for your above answer btw.

I would say so.

The SLDR was the first driver I recall moving the CoG closer to the face. I think TM over-did it as the launch angles were too low and caused them to design drivers with high lofts.

There's a video from BeBetterGolf where he's at the Not allowed because of spam lab and they have him hit the R7 vs. the M1 and Brendon hits the M1 about 25-30 yards further than the R7.

I think with the M1, TaylorMade found a better design that allowed for higher launch and low spin. Then Callaway followed suit with their SubZero models. The Rogue SubZero is quite the low spinning model driver. So are the new Wilson Staff drivers.

RH

The SLDR was the first driver I recall moving the CoG closer to the face.

The concept/practice is a lot older then that. It's been around at least as long as the higher volume heads have been. The SLDR was certainly the first one to take it to extremes but one of the R510 TP marketing claims was a "forward-positioned cg for low, penetrating ball flights". There were others as well, r9 SuperDeep comes to mind.

Also as an aside - the advent of deeper faces was largely for the same reason - more vertical gear effect and less spin.

I swing at the same speed as you with averaging 103. I used to have a spin rate around 2700-2800. My driver was the titleist D2 9.5 degree set at B1 with an oban 4 75 gram stiff shaft. I was fitted with this driver and previous ones through club champion. My carry was 240. Recently i tried out the Taylormade M3 440 using the exact same shaft and my spin rate dropped to 2200-2300 and that increased carry distance to 250 and it also cleaned up my dispersion.

I currently swing it around 100, and play an old TM Superquad tp 9.5 fitted with a Quattro tech 65 stiff. I launch around 12-15 and my spin is usually 2500-2800 on centre strikes.

Any advice on where I should be at and how to get there with technique would be greatly appreciated.

 

My advice is to stop doing this:

 

Like everyone I am forever trying to max out distance by improving launch/spin numbers.

 

And if needed, find something else to obsess over besides those numbers :-)

 

Besides, changing your swing to chase numbers is usually a terrible idea. If you feel the need to change, make sure you find some other source as a basis for those changes (like the actual quality of the mechanics).

Thanks for the advice. I don't want to change the mechanics of my swing, was more interested in little set up changes like ball position, weight distribution, spine angle at address etc.

I guess I'm having a hard time coming to terms with age and loss of distance. I can't really afford to shell out big bucks for a new driver, but I might have to upgrade. A couple weeks ago I hit a cobra LTD and I got 10 yards over current combo. I like the feel of my club but I know the old head is holding me back. Might look for a newer driver cheap and swap my shaft into it.

90% swing 10 percent equipment

I currently swing it around 100, and play an old TM Superquad tp 9.5 fitted with a Quattro tech 65 stiff. I launch around 12-15 and my spin is usually 2500-2800 on centre strikes.

Any advice on where I should be at and how to get there with technique would be greatly appreciated.

 

My advice is to stop doing this:

 

Like everyone I am forever trying to max out distance by improving launch/spin numbers.

 

And if needed, find something else to obsess over besides those numbers :-)

 

Besides, changing your swing to chase numbers is usually a terrible idea. If you feel the need to change, make sure you find some other source as a basis for those changes (like the actual quality of the mechanics).

Thanks for the advice. I don't want to change the mechanics of my swing, was more interested in little set up changes like ball position, weight distribution, spine angle at address etc.

I guess I'm having a hard time coming to terms with age and loss of distance. I can't really afford to shell out big bucks for a new driver, but I might have to upgrade. A couple weeks ago I hit a cobra LTD and I got 10 yards over current combo. I like the feel of my club but I know the old head is holding me back. Might look for a newer driver cheap and swap my shaft into it.

Sorry. I probably wasn't clear as I meant to be. While I believe that advice is valid no matter how good or bad your numbers might be :-)

My main point was really that the numbers you have really are very good. I don't see much gain in distance coming from obsessing over trying to get the 'perfect numbers'.

You said those numbers were when you got good center face contact. The only question I'd ask is how consistent is that center face contact. If there is room for improvement in that aspect of your results, that's the one thing that would be worth pursuing.

90% swing 10 percent equipment

I am very tempted to believe this.

I spent some time with a GC2 LM for the first time in quite awhile just tinkering with the Cally Epic and Rogue. I was getting ~2,000 spin rate with a Epic 10.5, launching around 14 and the better contacts had a 255-265 carry and 20 more yards of role. I was a little surprised, so I tried the Rogue and it was not much different even though the shaft was totally different. I went to my car to get my Cally Big Bertha Alpha to compare and the Epic was longer in total yards by 15. So I had to buy it! And I was happy with by older driver.

Took the Epic to the course for the first time and sure enough, it was a bit longer. I didn't test a bunch of shafts, didn't try to see what got better spin. I tried three shafts and went with the one that felt the best, meaning I could handle it, and still had more yards. I am surprised how low the spin numbers are on drivers these days. Can't imagine why I would go with a Sub Zero. At the same time, I have a tough time believing that if I get the spin numbers to 2800-3000 that I will end up with even more yards. Maybe...