Can driver spin be lower for this ball speed and LA or is it too low?

thepinkbomber · May 22, 2023

I know we have some serious experts on this forum and I greatly appreciate your insight. Curious if driver spin for the average launch characteristics below are too low or could we get more distance by increasing (or even decreasing)?

The objective is get maximum total distance including roll. Plays events on all conditions - soft, medium, hard fairways so looking for performance on average firmness.

Control is no issue since average fairways missed are ~4 with shots still at the flag most of the time.

Ball speed: 134 mph

Launch Angle: 15.0 degrees (varied +/- 1 degree but 15 is typical average)

Avg Back Spin: 1954 RPM (varied +/- 129 RPM)

It was only 8 swings but they were all pretty consistent.

Playing the new Paradym 9*. Deliberately hits 5.5 avg up and on face above center slightly toe biased. Face / AoA measurements today are with Foresight Quad in 4 dot mode. Again, on purpose to get these numbers. Can drop spin a lot more by increasing AoA a little more but teeing higher and hitting even higher in the face so if the answer is go lower its possible. Can average out at 6.5 up but then the small draw becomes a bigger sweeping draw on the few that go above the average so averaging 5.5 up seems like a sweet spot. The angle descent is between 34-35 which seems good for carry and roll at this ball speed.

This is measured today on foresight quad with TM TP (non X) balls. The launch conditions are the same measured with TM4 same ball. The smash factor on TM4 is typically 1.50 and no measurerable ball speed loss for hitting higher in the face to get the LA up more.

Tried setting to 10* to test the idea of needing more back spin at these balls speeds. LA/BS go up as expected. Most people talk about more spin for this type of ball speed but outdoors where truth lies it seems to not roll out as far with the 10*.

Curious what data anyone has on this?

Thank you.