Too often I hit what I think are great drives only to realize that the distance was not near what I expected. Although I hit my driver very well, there are times when my ball seems to fall out of the air for no reason. Well, after some research (in the past) I realized that I created too much spin on the ball when hitting my driver. Sometimes the RPM would be thousands of rotations above the accepted norm of approximately 2500 rpm when hitting my driver off the tee. The results is a shorter hit and increased frustration.
“A recent study showed that the average golfer has a 3,275 RPMs driver spin rate with a 12.6 degree launch angle, when the optimal “robot in the lab” relationship is 2,300 RPMs of spin with a 14.7 degree launch angle. The difference is 30 yards lost off the tee. It goes to show you that most amateurs are launching the ball too low with too much spin. Getting to 2,300 RPMs of spin is a very low number and not possible for most. However, it’s reasonable to think most golfers could realistically take a few hundred RPMs off of their drives.” (Graff Golf)
The above statement encompasses my long game to a tee; I struggle hitting the ball with too much spin with my driver. I find that my swing with my other clubs produces a steep angle of attack which transfer to the big stick. I have worked on this swing challenge for years and continue to do so to this day. As always, I will try to rectify my swing issues this year with, hopefully, better results.
I found a video that covers three many parts of hitting our driver well. There are many videos out there, but most say the what Clay Ballard talks about during this instructional video:
To swing the proper way and reduce spin with my driver is a challenge for my game. I understand the mechanics and will continue try and fix my current woes moving forward. The wider stance is the biggest challenge for me due to my physical abilities. It is something I can work on with increased stretching (I think). All I can do is try and see if I can come up with something that works best for my game. If nothing else, I am aware of the my spin challenges and will work to reduce this critical swing error.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
Controlling spin on every axis is the road to scratch I think. If we’re hitting tee shots with our drivers that balloon on us we’re either hitting a high shot into the breeze or we’re adding too much backspin. If it’s slicing or hooking we’re adding too much side spin. Unless of course, we meant to.
Clay’s directions if followed to the letter should bring a nice long ball with a relatively straight flight. It’s the set up we want when we want to bomb it. I’m not using it for every shot off the tee though. For instance I might not tilt the shoulders as much or at all hitting into the wind. Minor changes like that taken one at a time or in combination are how we control our trajectory and spin and pretty much everything.
I have a cheat for trajectory that works for me. I focus on where I want to bottom out and I level my shoulders accordingly. The closer I want to bottom out, the more level I want my shoulders. Want to hit a stinger that balloons on you? Set your shoulders the other way and hit down on the ball and take out what little loft you have and you see it take off low and balloon up. Add control of the face and the path of the swing and you have fades and draws on demand. You can hit all the target windows. High, low, middle, left, right, and center.
Not only that but you can control what the ball does on the green. You can land the ball high and soft or low with a ton of stop. A little draw or fade spin is useful for chips too. Controlling spin is the key to it all.
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Kevin,
You are correct that Clay’s direction is for a consistently long straight ball. I like you tip about shoulder tilt, I will have to give that a try in the spring. Thanks.
Cheers Jim
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