What creates spin? : Spin Loft

Wanted to write a quick article on spin and increasing or decreasing spin.    If you are looking to make a change where should you start?  Let’s start with Spin Loft and what that is.  Below is an image from GolfTec showing what creates Spin Loft is the difference in Attack Angle and Dynamic Loft.

Let’s take a look at reducing spin on a driver.  The image below was a well struck shot.  As a reminder due to the drivers bulge and roll it will change the spin quite a bit on a miss hit.  You can see that the driver presented 13.3* of loft at impact but because it was traveling up 2.2* that resulted in a spin loft of 11.1* and a low spinning driver. To reduce spin on a driver first is having a solid strike, low face impact spins more, and second is to reduce the Attack Angle and Dynamic Loft in order to narrow the two vectors.

Now let’s take a look at a wedge shot.  Here the goal is to create the opposite condition in order to create spin.  There is a point that the Spin Loft becomes too great, usually around 55*, where the spin starts to go down.  Also any debris between the ball and wedge will drastically reduce the spin.  This shot launched at 35* and if I if we wanted to launch it lower without crossing the spin thresh hold on Spin Loft we could tilt the vectors down.  Option would be to move the ball slightly back to increase the attack angle and add more rotation in order to get more shaft lean at impact.  That will move both Attack and Dynamic Loft keeping the Spin Loft the same.

Now lest talk about hitting a flighted shot into the wind.  The goal on this shot is to have a low launching shot that is not spinning too much.  Option one would be to go up a club, say form a 7 iron to a 6 iron, to reduce the Dynamic Loft part of the equation.  Next option would be creating more shaft lean without increasing the attack angle.  This is done by adding more body turn in order to keep the handle moving before the club head passes at the bottom.

For the YouTube video that corresponds to this article CLICK HERE.  This video covers a spinning shot and a flighted 7 iron.

Another video on flighted iron shots: CLICK HERE.

For a great drill to help reduce the spin loft on the drive by moving the attack angle from down to up and help with the moving the swing direction out to the right CLICK HERE. Players who swing under 100mph will benefit from a slightly upward attack. Those swinging over 100mph and higher may choose to give up some carry distance to get the ball on the ground sooner for control.