Friday, February 7, 2014

Tell me something about ball spin rates when hitting iron shots. Too much spin vs too little spin?

In my experience, you really can't focus on the spin numbers you get from hitting shots on launch monitors. There are so few launch monitors that can read spin accurately AND consistently because this is without question THE most difficult launch parameter to read. Plus so many people hit shots on launch monitors using range balls or very worn balls so that too significantly affects the readings.

What you have to do first and foremost with spin is to take the complete common sense approach - WATCH THE FLIGHT SHAPE OF YOUR SHOTS to determine if you do or do not have any spin issues. Too much spin always shows up as a fast rise up. followed by a steeper fall down, almost like you shot a duck out of the air. Too little spin never flies as far nor does it achieve as high of a trajectory. Good ball flight can still be a high trajectory but the travel of the ball is more parabolic and the downward flight is gradual and not super steep.

Unfortunately if a golfer truly does have a too much spin or too little spin issue going on, the remedy 99 times out of 100 is a swing technique change and NOT a shaft or a clubhead change. Shaft and clubhead changes can only make SLIGHT differences in spin, not major changes. When it comes to CG differences in heads and spin, this is really not something that works very often for the main reason that the actual vertical CG location in heads of the same type of design (like among all forgings) is SO CLOSE from model to model that you just don't see anything close to a significant difference in spin or flight shape when jumping from one model to the next.

The reason is because so many of the models of the same type of head design are so close to each other in head height and sole width - the two most predominant design elements that affect where the CG is in the head. So do start looking more closely at your ball flight shape to first see if there is even remotely any issue with spin because seeing it with the eyes in the form of flight shape is much more reliable than trying to focus on numbers coming off launch monitors that can be very suspect in their accuracy.

No comments:

Post a Comment