The old expression was “Speed kills,” but when it comes to your driver, it might be better to think of it as “Spin kills.”
It doesn’t matter who you are, if you want more distance off the tee, you’re going to have to control the amount of backspin off your driver. And almost always that means less spin. Today’s drivers feature lower centers of gravity than those of just a decade ago, and thus shots from drivers across the board are lower-spin than they used to be. What we see in our Hot List testing is how many drivers are not just “low-spin” but are consistently launching with less spin.
In simplest terms, when shots launch with too much spin the ball flies with too much “up” and not enough “out.” It also means that those slices and hooks could be more damaging. In reality, though, the push for the lowest spin possible misses the point. What you really want is consistently lower spin.
J.D. Cuban
What we’re talking about here is the level of spin a driver is producing on shots all across the face, not just the lowest spinning shots. Impacts lower on the face will spin the most, while shots that happen higher on the face will fly with reduced spin. This is largely the result of the relationship between the impact location and the head’s center of gravity, although there are other factors that can contribute to make spin more consistent. But you’re not going to get consistent distance if a shot slightly lower on the face launches with dramatically more spin than a shot slightly higher on the face. Callaway’s Evan Gibbs, director of research and development for woods, explains what the right spin for a driver really means.
“Our goal is to lower spin the most on the low face impacts, maintain or increase spin a touch on the high impact locations, which should increase your probability, or your likelihood, to hit shots in that optimum spin window,” he said.
Generally speaking, that optimum spin window is probably 2,300 to 2,700 rpm, but it can be a little higher for slower swing speeds and perhaps a little lower for the highest swing speeds. But remember, we’re not talking about a straight-line quest for the lowest spin number. You may get a center impact that is very low spin but that means a higher-face impact will end up not having enough spin for the ball to stay in the air.
It’s also true that lower spin should be more of a focus for higher speed players, while launch is more important to players with swing speeds in the mid-90s (miles per hour) and below. Indeed, in a typical simulation a high-speed player will gain more total distance by reducing spin by 20 percent than he will by increasing launch by 20 percent. The opposite is true for swing speeds under 95 miles per hour. That’s why our group of low-handicap players, most of whom swing the driver at more than 100 mph, makes for a good test group to find the drivers with the consistently lowest spin.
J.D. Cuban
Using the launch numbers from the Rapsodo MLM2 Pro launch monitors, which tracked more than 20,000 shots, we sorted the field of drivers based on the lowest normalized spin. In other words, we found the group of drivers that tended to launch with less spin than the average spin of the group of drivers each of our players hit. These drivers didn’t necessarily record the lowest RPMs, what these drivers consistently produce is less spin for each player relative to that player’s average spin for all drivers. That stat is important because our players are not robots. They hit the ball across a large face area so consistently low spin reflects how little difference in spin might exist for a wide range of the impact area.
A couple of things to think about as we look at drivers that universally decrease spin:
- Check your loft. Generally speaking, just like a 9-iron spins more than an 8-iron, more loft on your driver will increase spin. But if you’re looking at a lower-spinning driver, you may have the option to use the adjustable wrench to increase loft slightly. This will provide an easier launch without the penalty of excessive spin. Higher launch combined with lower spin optimizes total distance.
- As we’ve been saying, you’re after consistently low spin on your driver. So don’t completely ignore those reasonable mis-hits, the kind of shots that are probably going to crop up a few times a round. Make sure your fitter is tracking that range of low to high spin on those mis-hits to make sure mis-hits aren’t leading to strange anomalies in flight and total distance.
- Depending on your clubhead speed, because the CG is closer to the face, low spin drivers may feel more rigid and play less forgiving than standard models, particularly for average to moderate swing speed players. Conversely, a deeper CG creates the potential for more dynamic loft at impact and more stability, which for many moderate swing speed players will feel softer and easier to hit. Of course, a low-handicap player with sufficient speed might find those higher-flying drivers less easy to control and less solid-feeling at impact.
- One note on our collection of drivers here: There are some low-spin models not on this list that didn’t qualify because not enough of our low-handicap players were fit into those models to produce enough hits for a meaningful sample. Some of those models that also could be worthy of your personal research on low-spin drivers: Ping G440 LST, TaylorMade Qi4D LS, Titleist GT4.
Here’s a look at the lowest spinning drivers for our low-handicap players:
false Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond $700 | Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Gold $700 This more compact shape (450cc) targets better players with faster swing speeds who are looking for less spin and a flatter trajectory. The innovative three-layer face uses an ultra-thin titanium layer supported by an inner layer of carbon composite joined to the face by a polymer mesh. Its shorter front-to-back size makes it especially appealing to players who like to work the ball off the tee. The carbon fiber’s strength allows for an intricate variable-thickness pattern on the titanium face. AI modeling created an amorphous rippled face pattern that yields more micro deflections that improve ball speed, launch and spin control. Except for the titanium face, the entire driver head is made from lightweight carbon composite to free up mass for a lower center of gravity. An aerodynamically sleeker, movable 10-gram weight at the rear perimeter allows players to make adjustments among various neutral and fade settings. MOI rating: Above Average Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) BUY NOW DETAILS
“The overall look of this thing just screams tech. Everything looks like you could get this thing dialed in to maximize the most you could. The next thing is the ability to hit bad shots and never lose control of spin. The spin was always good. So if you’re playing into the wind or down to the wind, you gonna get good shots.”—Jason Guss, 0-handicap, driver distance: 260 yards
false Cobra OPTM LS $600 | Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Gold $600 With more internal weighting toward the front, this model is for players focused on lowering spin and those favoring a compact shape for enhanced workability. Like others in the OPTM family, this model uses balanced internal weighting to minimize the way the head might wobble on a mis-hit to increase consistency in trajectory and spin. Three movable sole weights (11, seven and three grams) allow golfers to tweak ball flight among neutral, low and high. They also add forgiveness and minimize spin. The LS is the most aerodynamically efficient model in the OPTM lineup and has a raised rear portion and compact shape to optimize swing speed for the fastest swingers. Thin-ply carbon-composite panels (about one-third the density of titanium) save weight in the crown and sole to improve perimeter weighting and lower the center of gravity. The variable-thickness face has 15 zones for better flexing on off-center locations. A 33-way adjustable hosel, the most diverse in the game, accommodates tweaks to ball flight from low to high and left to right. MOI rating: Moderate Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps 9, 10.5 degrees (with 33-way adjustable hosel) BUY NOW DETAILS
“Has a good bit of pop to it. A high swing speed is not getting the added spin out of this club that I see with others. So still getting the rollout, still getting all of the the added benefits you want performance-wise.”—Robert Shaw, plus-2 handicap, driver distance: 305 yards
false PXG Lightning Tour $650 | Golf Galaxy 4.5 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Gold $650 Built with shaping input from the PXG tour staff, this compact model offers low-spin and caters to those who want workability. A new face design looks to align the way the face deflects with the way the ball compresses at impact for a more efficient energy transfer. The more efficient face flexing comes about through a stiffer spined sole design that controls detrimental vibrations. Large carbon sections in the crown and sole create more space for improving movable weights and stability on off-center hits. Three movable sole weights in the front heel, the toe and the rear center (one at 15 grams, two at 2.5 grams) allow players to tweak spin, launch and draw/fade bias. An etched face milling pattern provides a secondary level of spin control, particularly in wet conditions, to reduce dispersion. Top 5 in Forgiveness, low-handicaps MOI rating: Above Average 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) BUY NOW DETAILS
“I love the look at address. To me, it sets up like you can see the loft, and that makes you not want to help it up. Ultimately, that allows me to swing aggressively.”—BK Suhr, 2-handicap, driver distance: 300 yards
false Titleist GT3 $650 | Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Gold $650 It has a more forward center of gravity than the GT2 and works best for golfers with a repeatable impact location looking to maximize ball speed. The weight track is forward in the sole to allow the golfer to dial in the preferred center of gravity for better energy transfer and more directional control. A lightweight thermoformed polymer piece wraps around the crown to meet the sole on the heel and toe sides to maintain Titleist’s preferred sound and feel. The lightweight crown piece saves weight so that the center of gravity is slightly forward and lower from past models for increased ball speed and less spin. A slightly raised rear section and smoother lines and curves from crown to sole create better aerodynamics for increased swing-speed potential. A new variable-thickness pattern includes a ring encircling the back perimeter of the face to maximize ball speed. MOI rating: Moderate Top 5 in Performance, low-, middle- and high-handicaps 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (with a 16-way adjustable hosel) BUY NOW DETAILS
“This driver consistently produced the highest ball speeds, while mis-hits, and hits off the center of the face were very consistent throughout. For someone who likes to work the ball and hit different windows with the driver, I think this is as good as it gets as far as blending forgiveness with that capability.”—Wesley Gilmore, plus-3 handicap, driver distance: 290 yards
false Tour Edge Exotics LS $500 | Golf Galaxy 4.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Silver $500 This compact head (440cc) favors higher-speed players seeking lower spin and a flatter launch angle. Adjustable tungsten front and rear sole weights (18 and five grams) let a player dial in a preference for lower spin (heavy weight forward) or higher flight and more forgiveness (heavy weight to the rear). Carbon-composite panels comprise much of the crown, skirt and sole, accounting for an 80 percent increase in coverage compared to past models. The titanium chassis includes a thin ring that runs the circumference of the rear perimeter to provide additional structure and stability during off-center impacts. The titanium face insert features dozens of pyramid-shaped indentations to create targeted flexing across the face for more consistent ball speeds. The deeper face aligns with tour preferences, but its relatively higher stability on off-center hits will provide added forgiveness for the most aggressive swings. MOI rating: High 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) BUY NOW DETAILS
“Really love the carbon fiber finish to the head. Found it had quite a lot of get up and giddy up too. Also, off-center hits were very forgiving.”—Jack Bingham, 1-handicap, driver distance: 280 yards
false Wilson Dynapower LS $600 | Golf Galaxy 4.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Silver $600 This more compact head (445cc) should appeal to better players with higher swing speeds who are looking to reduce spin to optimize distance. Features the smallest heel-to-toe and front-to-back length of the current Dynapower family. Aerodynamic enhancements, including a taller, rounder crown, are designed to reduce drag. More carbon composite in the crown pushed closer to the face yields a center of gravity that is 23 percent farther forward compared to the 2023 Dynapower Carbon without sacrificing stability on off-center hits. AI-driven algorithms running thousands of simulations created a variable-thickness face designed to improve ball speed across the face. A lighter, more open internal hosel structure saves additional weight while freeing up the heel side of the face to flex better. The face curvature better aligns with the head’s stability on off-center hits so that mis-hits on the toe and heel work their way back toward the center line better than before. Front and rear sole weights allow the golfer to toggle between low spin and greater forgiveness. MOI rating: Above Average 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (with a six-way adjustable hosel) BUY NOW DETAILS
“It has an awesome little ‘ting’ sound to it when you hit the sweet spot. Heel balls, toe balls, were all still carrying my target distance, so it has that forgiveness factor. I’d say it outperforms people’s expectations.”—Alan Cooke, 3-handicap, driver distance: 270 yards
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
