Spin Loft Question

Equipment
#1

With a 99 avg mph driver swing speed (145 mph ball speed), I’m at about 250-255 carry hitting up 4-8 deg with a driver set at 12.5 deg.

Spin is around 2200-2300 on average.

My spin loft is 16-17, higher than it should be.

My question is… What would you do to lower that spin loft? I’ve seen folks like Adam Young suggest hitting the ball more towards the toe (which I do already) with a really low-lofted driver (think 7-8 deg).

If you’ve tried optimizing for spin loft to increase carry, how did you do it?

#2

I’ll tag @Adamyounggolf here and hopefully he’ll give you an answer!

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#3

At a smash factor of 1.47 and a distance efficiency of around 2.55, I’d say you’re already doing very well. Since your spin rates aren’t crazy high or anything, I wouldn’t be all that certain what reducing the spin loft could do to increase your carry at that same swing speed.

#4

What device did you use to measure ball speed?

What is your current launch angle?

We can reduce spin loft in a few ways, but we want to strike the balance between lower spin loft and not lowering the launch too much.

#5

It’s a GCQuad… Launch angle is between 14-18. Closer to 14 when I hit up 4 deg and around 18 when I hit up 8 deg.

#6

Your spin rate is pretty optimal. That launch angle is high, though. I’d look into a lower lofted driver with a low spin mid traj shaft. A fitter could get you set up pretty easily as it sounds like you’re swinging it well.

#7

Yeah, that’s why I’d love Adam to weight in on this b/c of stuff like this.

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#8

2.8+ carry efficiency? That’s a lot.

#9

Optimal launch is almost as high as possible, if you can spin it low enough.

My best distances come when launch is 17-19 deg and spin is below 2K.

I personally achieve this by keeping the ball position the same (I don’t put it way forwards) but I get my AOA up by titling my spine away from the target a lot through impact. This allows me to hit on the up without adding spin loft.

Also, hitting higher on the face and more towards the toe can lower spin and increase launch.

The above pic is inflated distance because I’m in Vegas (3000 elevation and 100 degrees F) and the quad algorithm loves high launch low spin.

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#10

What is a reasonably good smash factor when your clubhead speed is over 100mph (or your ball speed goes over 150mph)? Does it go lower as your speed get higher or remain static?

#11

It depends what device you are using to measure it, but a smash maxes out at 1.5 times clubhead speed.

This is the same regardless of speed. Even chipping a driver can achieve a 1.5 smash.

Sometimes, Trackman will report slightly higher, as it reads the head speed, not the face speed. Different parts of the clubface can be going a different speed to the mass of the head. E.g. the toe of the club moves faster than the heel

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