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Get a better understanding of spin loft

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One of the most misunderstood facets of the Trackman is the measurement of “spin loft” and what it means for a golfer’s game. I want to take a few moments of your time to help you understand some of the points about spin loft that will help you put it in perspective for your game.

First let’s get a few definitions out of the way:

  • Spin loft: The difference between dynamic loft and attack angle at impact.
  • Dynamic loft: The loft of the club at impact.
  • Angle of attack: The vertical angle at which the club is moving at impact.

Spin loft on Trackman

In the example above, the dynamic loft at impact for this iron shot is 19.8 degrees. To calculate spin loft we also need the angle of attack, which is -5.3 degrees. Taking the dynamic loft and subtracting the angle of attack [19.8 – (-5.3)] gives us a spin loft of 25.1 degrees.

So now that we know the spin loft variables and how it is calculated, you probably want to know what it actually mean in the real world? Below I’ve listed a few things to keep in mind.

Obviously golfers cannot measure spin loft without a Doppler radar launch monitor like FlightScope or Trackman, but as more people gain access to these machines the term of “spin loft” will become more common. Get ahead of the curve and understand why spin loft actually matters.

  • Spin loft, or the difference between the dynamic loft and your angle of attack, can help you determine your compression of the golf ball.
  • Compression is NOT determined by your smash factor. Smash Factor only shows the ratio between club head speed and subsequent ball speed at impact.
  • The greater the spin loft you have, the more the ball will spin, but only up to 45 degrees of spin loft. After that, the ball begins to “slide” up the face and friction is lost between the blade and spin is reduced.
  • The lower the spin loft, the more compression is felt by the player within reason, as there are ranges that each club should fall within.
  • Hitting downward does NOT create more spin, as commonly thought. Only increasing spin loft can create more spin.
  • You can spin the ball more by maintaining a consistent angle of attack and maintaining the club’s static loft at impact (up to a 45 degree spin loft).
  • Usually when people try and hit “down,” they also reduce dynamic loft as well, thus reducing spin.
  • The less spin loft you have the greater the ball’s spin axis will tilt right or left.
  • Drivers have less spin loft and curve offline more than wedges, which have greater spin lofts and won’t curve as much.
  • Gear effect and a very narrow spin loft can increase the ball’s spin axis outside of the normal ranges produced through the face-to-path relationship.
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Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

11 Comments

11 Comments

  1. Jason Hawk

    Jun 23, 2014 at 10:29 am

    So if the ball starts to slide after 45 of spin loft, with a 60* wedge (assuming a very shallow attack angle) the clubface should be leaned forward to 45* for maximum spin?

  2. Jim Benjamin

    Jun 10, 2014 at 10:47 am

    I find this very interesting. I have a Swingbyte analyzer which is fairly cheap and it shows my loft at impact 31.7, attack angle -9.1 so my dynamic loft is 40.8 with a 7 iron. I checked and my Ping I25 loft is 33 degrees. I hit the ball very high. I thought my left wrist was breaking down at impact but maybe not. I only hit my 7 iron about 150. I’m a big guy and don’t have a good lower body move. I get more speed with a releasing arm swing than with a pivot. My forward shaft lean was 15 degrees. I guess I just need more swing speed.

    • tom stickney

      Jun 10, 2014 at 2:32 pm

      I would assume you are “throwing” it a touch at the bottom…increasing your dynamic loft at impact thus causing the high ball flight, but it’s hard to say without seeing you.

      • Jim Benjamin

        Jun 10, 2014 at 8:17 pm

        If you equate “throwing” with “releasing” you’re probably right. When I tried out my I25’s the pro said I was holding on through impact trying to release the club with my body which was slow. It’s hard to get 360 pounds to turn fast. He wanted me to release the club through impact more. I then started more of a Jim Flick swing the arms and let the body respond and hit the ball further and more solid.

  3. cody

    Jun 8, 2014 at 11:53 pm

    question. you said “You can spin the ball more by maintaining a consistent angle of attack and maintaining the club’s static loft at impact (up to a 45 degree spin loft)”.

    Can you go a little more into what you mean here? thanks.

    • tom stickney

      Jun 9, 2014 at 11:54 am

      Sure…once the difference between the AoA and the DL becomes greater than 45 degrees, friction is lost and the ball won’t spin as much. See http://www.andrewricegolf.com and purchase his wedge project for more on “spin loft mountain.”

      • Mike

        Jun 10, 2014 at 6:55 am

        Andrew is the director of instruction at the club I belong too and he really knows what he is talking about.

  4. Philip

    Jun 8, 2014 at 10:43 pm

    Ok, cool! That explains better why my low spinner works as well as it does. I thought it was because I was coming down on the ball and trapping it due to playing it back in my stance and using my LW. However, when I compare my LW (60) played back in my stance to my PW (46) they are very similar in loft.

    So if I want to maximize my spin into greens I should be playing my PW more than my GW, or when I play my GW/SW/LW I need to play them further back in my stance when I need maximum backspin.

    • tom stickney

      Jun 9, 2014 at 11:55 am

      You’ll have to experiment, it all depends on the amount of dynamic loft you have at impact…some players can’t deloft the higher wedges as much thus they need less loft for more friction and thus more spin

  5. KK

    Jun 8, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    Good stuff! Thanks.

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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