Reducing driver spin rate

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Damon Lucas

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Shaft flex and type of ball. Period!:) ;)

Definitely interested to hear your opinion and knowledge as it pertains to this comment.

I had a TM staff fitting day today, and they said the opposite!

They said the head and face dominate the equation with angle of attack secondary, and the effects from shaft flex pretty minimal.

They test all their components on the MATT system and on Trackman.

Sample size of all golf swings that have been tested run well over 160,000.
 

Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
Definitely interested to hear your opinion and knowledge as it pertains to this comment.

I had a TM staff fitting day today, and they said the opposite!

They said the head and face dominate the equation with angle of attack secondary, and the effects from shaft flex pretty minimal.

They test all their components on the MATT system and on Trackman.

Sample size of all golf swings that have been tested run well over 160,000.

TM is right ;)
 
Based on going for testing on a luanch monitor I need less spin (but I like my Titleist 905R and am hesitant to change). I took out one of the new Cleveland Hi-Bore drivers on demo and found, probably for the first time, a club I really hated and really could not hit. Most other drivers I've fiddled with have been within a fairly tight range but this driver I was hitting low snap hooks with. Weird. I can not understand why it would be so different?
 
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Exactly, shaft and ball choices are for fine tuning launch conditions. The COG placement of the head along with the loft you choose are the two dominant factors when it comes to spin.

Here's my quick list in no particular order which can all be bought at retail:

Hibore XL Tour
Hibore XL (with upgraded shaft)
Callaway FT5/FTI tour series and new FTI LCG models
Cobra L4V (with an upgraded shaft)
TM Burner TP Version 1*

I might be missing some but those are what jumps off the top of my head.

*For those who are curious, the V1 TP Burner was a limited retail release but then recalled because it launhed too low and spun too little for the golfing masses. However they are still floating around people's hands and you can get them from people who have tour sources.

Jim,
If you are not refining or fine tuning a fitting then the fit is non-existant.
 

Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
Jim,
If you are not refining or fine tuning a fitting then the fit is non-existant.

I really don't mean for this to be taken the wrong way but i have given numerous fittings and yes you do have to fine tune and find the right ball and the right shaft and even at times the right overall weight of the club and even the swingweight because it all effects a person's swing.

HOWEVER

you should first fit for driver type and loft before you start messing with shafts and/or balls because the right driver and loft will get you 80-90% of the way there and the shaft/ball combo will be that remaining 10-20% depending on the player.

I just hate to see how some people think that they can simply change shafts (within the same flex range mind you) and reduce spin by 800-900rpm or do magical things to their launch angles. I remember one time when i was giving a fitting that the person had come from someone else and they told them they had to change all this stuff. I looked at him and it was A SWING ISSUE and not an equiptment issue. We changed some setup stuff around and we dropped 850rpm on his spin rate.
 

Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
Jim, Would bottom weighting a driver with lead tape reduce spin rate?
Thanks

No, it also won't effect fading or drawing the ball either. You are simply adding more weight to create a higher swing weight. However lead tape does generate a whole lot of placebo effect though ;)
 
No, it also won't effect fading or drawing the ball either. You are simply adding more weight to create a higher swing weight. However lead tape does generate a whole lot of placebo effect though ;)

Jim - it may not affect the spin rate, but it could increase launch angle due to the lowering of the center of gravity. Given the small change by using lead tape, it probably would not be measurable.

Bruce
 
I really don't mean for this to be taken the wrong way but i have given numerous fittings and yes you do have to fine tune and find the right ball and the right shaft and even at times the right overall weight of the club and even the swingweight because it all effects a person's swing.

HOWEVER

you should first fit for driver type and loft before you start messing with shafts and/or balls because the right driver and loft will get you 80-90% of the way there and the shaft/ball combo will be that remaining 10-20% depending on the player.

I just hate to see how some people think that they can simply change shafts (within the same flex range mind you) and reduce spin by 800-900rpm or do magical things to their launch angles. I remember one time when i was giving a fitting that the person had come from someone else and they told them they had to change all this stuff. I looked at him and it was A SWING ISSUE and not an equiptment issue. We changed some setup stuff around and we dropped 850rpm on his spin rate.

Great post.
 
Exactly, shaft and ball choices are for fine tuning launch conditions. The COG placement of the head along with the loft you choose are the two dominant factors when it comes to spin.

Here's my quick list in no particular order which can all be bought at retail:

Hibore XL Tour
Hibore XL (with upgraded shaft)
Callaway FT5/FTI tour series and new FTI LCG models
Cobra L4V (with an upgraded shaft)
TM Burner TP Version 1*

I might be missing some but those are what jumps off the top of my head.

*For those who are curious, the V1 TP Burner was a limited retail release but then recalled because it launhed too low and spun too little for the golfing masses. However they are still floating around people's hands and you can get them from people who have tour sources.

Fine list. The XL and XL Tour are low and very low spinning and the L4V ain't half bad with stiff tipped shafts either. I have a V1 Burner and they are quite low spin for sure.

Perhaps the major one to add is the venerable (to many) J33R 460cc, with the addition that this sucker needs a decent swing to keep it under control. Not very forgiving for 460cc, especially directionly. Those that it fits however swear by it like no other. VERY low spin with penetrating launch. On the component side the Geek DCT comes straight to mind.
 

Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
Ok, you had mentioned you changed a student's set up stuff, can you share the things you would recommend in a set up to reduce spin rate versus not changing shaft, flex, etc.?
Thanks

Make sure:

- ball is far enough forward
- swing path is in/out
- face isn't too open at impact
- enough axis tilt to hit up on it
 
Not sure what to think..

I went for a fitting at Golf Galaxy -- the "best" according to their launch monitor for me was the Hibore XLS 9.5 Gold stock shaft (R) numbers were (approx) Launch Angle: 12-14, Spin 2600-3600 (avg 28/29) swing speed 90-100 (avg 95). My current driver Hibore with a Prolaunch Blue 65R at 10.5: Launch Angle 14-17, Spin 3000-3400, Swing Speed (Same Range Avg 94). Projected distances (which the fitter told me to ignore) were 242-260 with the XLS and 216-232 with my current driver. I also tried the Hibore XL at 9.5 and had very similar spin characteristics as the XLS but launch angles were lower at 10-14 (most around 12).

Went to a different store where the fitter had me hit my current driver -- spin, launch angle, and swing speed matched golf galaxy (on a different machine). The fitter told me that (by his charts) -- I had the correct numbers for my swing speed and recommended that I stick with what I have. Said I could possibly lower Launch Angle and Spin by installing something like the Prolaunch Platinum shaft (and others that I don't remember) at about the same shaft weight (all had a firmer tip and were mid bend point).

Should I keep looking or stick with what I have? New shaft?

thanks,

steve
 
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