This week’s blog topic is called, “What Makes A Golf Ball Spin?” When we refer to spin, we are looking at it from both a backspin and sidespin perspective. So let’s explore where we may want to achieve a higher level of spin with our more lofted clubs and when we are looking to produce lower spin with our longer clubs, especially with the driver to maximise distance.

Around The Green

Some key aspects that can greatly increase your opportunity of increasing spin around the green would include areas such as a premium golf ball with a urethane cover, golf balls without this are really going to limit your opportunity for creating spin.

Short, dry conditions are a key element, any moisture or long grass is going to reduce the friction between the clubface and the ball. Clean, dry, and relatively new grooves will also play a huge role in increasing the opportunities of creating spin.

These factors are going to help increase levels of friction which is one of the most important factors to generating spin.

From The Tee

Having the right equipment from a proper fitting, ensuring you have the right shaft and clubhead/loft is going to help reduce your spin. Golf balls can also play a small part in this but the majority of golf balls are low spinning from the tee but there are some more than others so a ball fitting can really help in this area.

Spin Loft

As much as the above are very important and make it very difficult to control your spin levels if the conditions and equipment are not adequate, the spin loft is incredibly influential on how spin is imparted on the ball, and I would recommend getting good at controlling these factors and then the above becomes the cherry on the top.

What Is Spin Loft?

Spin loft is a term used in golf to describe the 3-dimensional difference between the angle of attack (AoA), the loft presented at impact (dynamic loft), and the club face-to-path relationship. It’s a crucial concept in understanding how spin is imparted on the golf ball. For most golfers it’s best to understand it from a 2D perspective which would be the difference between the AOA and the Dynamic Loft. It is good to understand that if your clubface and path relationship are quite far apart then that would have an impact on the spin imparted on the ball and would be the contributing factor to the side spin. –

Coach Tim