Low Spin Drivers and Side Spin

Equipment
#1

@jon Curious as to your thoughts on this… does a lower spin driver reduce the curve on a slice?

YES It lowers spin, so it would lower the amount of sidespin on the ball
Not Really It lowers all spin, so the spin axis will be the same, and the ball will still curve the same amount
No It impacts back spin, which means any side spin from swiping through the ball will move the spin axis more horizontally and the ball will spin MORE to the side because it has less backspin, and thus more tilt.

I have no idea the answer here… all three make sense to me… my feeling is the amount of spin a low spin driver is capable of removing will not drastically lower the spin rate, and a slice has a ton of spin on it… so it will probably slice about the same.

#2

A ball can only spin one way. Can’t have backspin and sidespin separately, it’s just how the backspin axis is tilted. So lower spin is lower spin. Assuming two shots are struck identically in terms of spin axis, the one with lower spin will curve less.

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#3

Right, but if the club design lowers spin through CG, and a slice generates spin through friction, you might end up with a more lopsided spin axis.

#4

No offense intended, but I don’t understand what you’re saying. Slice spin is created by the face being open to the path. Yes, friction is a part of that equation (that’s why they put grooves on clubs), but no more so with sidespin than with backspin

#5

We may be talking past each other, and the key I think is: how exactly does a “low spin” driver affect ball flight?

Does it do it by reducing friction between the ball and clubface? In which case all torques imparting spin to the ball should be equally affected.

Or does it do it by proportionally reducing torque resulting in backspin being applied to the ball versus other torque that may be applied… In which case, the spin axis should be tilted more, and your slice/hook would get worse.

I genuinely don’t know.

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#6

Yeah, that’s a good summary of what I was thinking!

#7

I hope I can splain this correctly. Using a driver you want to impart the least amount of spin as possible. Someone splained above a ball can only spin 1 way correct. With my Driver I want to impart the least amount of rpm’s possible. My SLDR imparts some of the lowest rates I’ve ever seen, like below 2100. I just don’t generate the big swing speed I used to. If your club face is open or closed at impact it will dictate a LtoR or RtoL spin. Closed creates a draw or hook, open creates a fade or slice. A driver like the SLDR, for me, limits the amount of spin so a poor over the top move, instead of slicing into the woods ends up a big fade into the rough. Obviously a square impact will lead to a nice shot in the direction you aligned, and hitting the ball on an upwards impact, center cut about 13-14 degrees will give you an optimal drive for you swing speed. Center hit let’s say 100mph, a 1-3 degree open face with a 2-3 degree AOA, and about 13-14 degree launch… yea you’ll push 280ish slick fade!