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Longer drives

• mcomptonbaker 13 Posts

  Thu, Jan 19 2012 9:31 PM

  hey just wondering how to get the longest drive. front or backspin??

• bigdaddie1 2,694 Posts

  Fri, Jan 20 2012 10:32 AM

  Big tailwind at STA

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Fri, Jan 20 2012 10:57 AM

  hi

  sometimes different spins help differently... depending on the hole.

  on #16 sta i hit ts and hope for downhill bump, on cabo #4 i hit bs and hope for 340 carry. and so on :)

  -wgticon

• Cleworthy 3,468 Posts

  Fri, Jan 20 2012 11:59 AM

  Keep in mind that top-spin takes loft off the ball, so a little top will help especially with head winds but too much can also work against you.  Back spin gives you more loft to ride a tail wind but you wont get much if any roll out.  Of course driver and ball make a big difference.  Experiment with your own equipment is the best advice I can give you.  C

• TarheelsRule 5,563 Posts

  Fri, Jan 20 2012 12:26 PM

  What Cleworthy wrote is correct.  Generally with wind behind you riding the wind with more b/s will actually result in a longer drive and the reverse is true into the wind.

  The longest drives that I have hit are generally a result in catching the backside of a mound at St Andrews.  After hitting Legend it seems that most of the mounds are just out of reach and a drive of over 350 is rare, even with better clubs.

• LeonDelBosque 1,551 Posts

  Fri, Jan 20 2012 8:56 PM

  I think you get longer drives with no spin at St.A and RSG because the ball runs so far; everywhere else, usually backspin (little wind or downwind). Into the wind I use no spin and really, really try to ding it. Some people swear by backspin on drives, always, but to me it accentuates mishits, especially into the wind. 

• Azza2011 2 Posts

  Sat, Jan 21 2012 12:02 AM

  I personally always put forward spin on the ball when driving when I can because it makes the ball go further especially with a tail wind

• gr8flbob 592 Posts

  Sat, Jan 21 2012 2:05 AM

  Azza2011:

  I personally always put forward spin on the ball when driving when I can because it makes the ball go further especially with a tail wind

  What do you mean by 'forward spin'? With a tail wind, back-spin will give the longest total distance ... less roll but much longer carry. Personally, in headwinds of less than 10mph or so, I still use a bit of back-spin - about 1 or 2 dots down. Higher headwinds, I gradually add topspin, to a max of about 3/4 top.

   

• Azza2011 2 Posts

  Sat, Jan 21 2012 2:30 AM

  I personally always put forward spin on the ball when driving when I can because it makes the ball go further especially with a tail wind

• TarheelsRule 5,563 Posts

  Sat, Jan 21 2012 10:41 AM

  He means top or over spin.  This will result in a lower flight and generally more roll out.  At some courses this can give you a longer drive but if carry is an issue then you can't use this technique.  I find that with my driver (R11), I can get more distance by using about 1/2 backspin when the wind is behind me on St Andrews, Kiawah and RSG.  At other courses I use full b/s on all my drives with no wind or wind behind.  Once in a while I will take all the spin off to get a little more roll but I'm not sure the decline in carry distance is fully offset by a little more roll.

  I have noticed that since we moved back at STA, the driving for me is less.  I rarely bust out a 350 yard drive while before I hit those all the time there.  Part of it is the mounds and ridges that seem to be right where our balls land.  To get a really long drive at STA you need to land on the back side of a mound which results in those 400 plus yarders.