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Spin on Drives

• MoneyBLong 3 Posts

  Wed, Jan 12 2022 1:52 PM

  I can't seem to find a recent post about this, but I'm wondering if anyone has advice on the use of spin off the tee?  Spin isn't labeled Top and Bottom, but rather More and Less.  Anyone have any insight into this?

• Duphpherer 467 Posts

  Wed, Jan 12 2022 2:17 PM

  MoneyBLong:

  I can't seem to find a recent post about this, but I'm wondering if anyone has advice on the use of spin off the tee?  Spin isn't labeled Top and Bottom, but rather More and Less.  Anyone have any insight into this?

  Like a cue ball in pool, bottom causes backspin, top cause topspin. Different degrees of each cause more spin and influence distance. There is no sidespin, just push and pull, hooks and slices don't exist. 

  More roll vs more flight. Best to setup practice and see real world results with varying winds.

   

• protonc 645 Posts

  Wed, Jan 12 2022 3:53 PM

  To add, back spin (down) gets more distance.

• Duphpherer 467 Posts

  Wed, Jan 12 2022 7:47 PM

  .

• SamSpayed 5,018 Posts

  Wed, Jan 12 2022 10:06 PM

  MoneyBLong:

  I'm wondering if anyone has advice on the use of spin off the tee?

  In general, using 3/4 to full backspin off the tee will give you the most distance.  This varies according to the wind and the course.  For example, a lot of times you can get more distance on your drives at St. Andrews or Royal St. Georges if you use less backspin but hit the fairway mounds just right to kick the ball forward.

  It also varies depending on the Trajectory of your driver (eg. med/high vs. high) and the Spin of the ball you use.

  Try experimenting with different amounts of backspin off the tee and see what works best for you, your ball, and your driver.

• pmm711 5,708 Posts

  Wed, Jan 12 2022 10:34 PM

  SamSpayed:

  MoneyBLong:

  I'm wondering if anyone has advice on the use of spin off the tee?

  In general, using 3/4 to full backspin off the tee will give you the most distance.  This varies according to the wind and the course.  For example, a lot of times you can get more distance on your drives at St. Andrews or Royal St. Georges if you use less backspin but hit the fairway mounds just right to kick the ball forward.

  It also varies depending on the Trajectory of your driver (eg. med/high vs. high) and the Spin of the ball you use.

  Try experimenting with different amounts of backspin off the tee and see what works best for you, your ball, and your driver.

  But backspin into a wind will tend to shorten drives substantially.  I go full BS when that wind is at my back though...it's fun to watch that free rock go 320+.  Had I used another ball other than the free rock I would be in the 400 yard drive club and wouldn't be sitting at 399.69 yards...yep...that's my longest drive.  

• Cicero733 2,312 Posts

  Thu, Jan 13 2022 3:35 AM

  When hitting into headwinds, only add one or two ticks of backspin to overcome the effects of drag and add a few more yards to overall distance. You can experiment and see what is the optimum amount for your ball. Anymore than that will cause your ball to “balloon” and you will be trading horizontal distance for vertical distance. There are situations in which you want to minimize the effect of wind and keep your ball down low like at RSA #17. Use topspin in those situations. If you’re using just the rock then spin will have very little if any effect.

• pmm711 5,708 Posts

  Thu, Jan 13 2022 6:40 AM

  Cicero733:

  When hitting into headwinds, only add one or two ticks of backspin to overcome the effects of drag and add a few more yards to overall distance. You can experiment and see what is the optimum amount for your ball. Anymore than that will cause your ball to “balloon” and you will be trading horizontal distance for vertical distance. There are situations in which you want to minimize the effect of wind and keep your ball down low like at RSA #17. Use topspin in those situations. If you’re using just the rock then spin will have very little if any effect.

  Thanks for that!

• PureGro1 1,656 Posts

  Thu, Jan 13 2022 6:56 AM

  Pretty good info here...I would add

  Trajectory=Carry

  More Back spin should result in more carry with less roll, Does not mean longest distance. The wind and elevation of fairways will determine what spin will result in longest distance...IMO