If you’ve ever watched a drive launch solidly, climb too high and then stall out well short of your playing partners, you’ve seen backspin rob you of distance. Too much spin makes a ball balloon, curve more and fall straight down instead of chasing forward. For many golfers, fixing driver spin rates is the fastest way to gain yards without chasing more swing speed. Before we get into the solutions, we need to understand what actually creates that spin in the first place.
What exactly is spin loft?
At the core of the problem is spin loft. Spin loft is the difference between the loft you deliver at impact and the vertical direction your club is moving (the angle of attack).
- Dynamic loft: The loft of the clubface at the moment of impact which often has little to do with the loft stamped on the sole.
- Angle of attack (AoA): Whether the clubhead is moving downward, level, or upward when it meets the ball.
Subtract the angle of attack from the dynamic loft and you are left with the spin loft. The larger the gap, the more spin you create. A golfer who delivers 20 degrees of loft while hitting five degrees down has a 25-degree spin loft which is very high.
A player who delivers 18 degrees of loft while hitting five degrees up has a 13-degree spin loft—much lower, much more efficient.
Common causes of high driver spin
In most cases, golfers create too much spin on their drives through a combination of swing tendencies and strike patterns. Understanding the causes helps you know what to change first.
- Coming over the top: An out-to-in swing path usually comes with a downward angle of attack. The result is a wide spin-loft gap, often paired with a slice.
- Low-face strikes: Shots struck low on the face engage vertical gear effect. This lowers launch and increases spin—sometimes by 500–800 rpm on its own.
- Too much dynamic loft: Leaning toward the target or flipping the wrists at impact adds loft, widening spin loft and sending spin rates sky high.
- Equipment mismatch: A high-loft, high-spin head or a driver ball designed for spin can add rpms even if your delivery is decent.
How to fix it
Reducing driver spin doesn’t require a total swing rebuild. A handful of setup adjustments, targeted drills and smart equipment choices can help you shrink spin loft and find a more efficient ball flight. Think of it as learning to deliver the club in a way that launches high but spins low.
Adjust your setup
Small adjustments in address position can quickly change how the club travels through the ball.
Moving the ball forward in your stance, dropping your trail foot slightly back and teeing the ball high all encourage an in-to-out swing path with a more upward angle of attack.
Another thing to try is starting with pressure centered or slightly trail-side to prevent you from leaning toward the target—something that often increases loft and spin.
Work on drills to train better delivery
Changing spin requires changing feels. Drills are the fastest way to connect the mechanics with something you can repeat under pressure.
- Drag-and-Raise Drill: Place the clubhead on the ground near your trail foot, drag it forward with the handle ahead, then let the head rise as it passes where the ball would be. This trains the feel of hitting up while controlling loft—shrinking spin loft.
- Trail-Foot Drop-Back Drill: Step your trail foot back an inch or two, keep the ball forward and swing “out to right field” in baseball terms. This encourages an in-to-out path and a positive angle of attack, both of which help reduce spin.
- Strike Ladder Drill: Spray the face with impact spray, start at a normal tee height and gradually raise the tee until you consistently strike high-center. This trains you to find the part of the face that naturally lowers spin.
The ball matters, too
The 2025 MyGolfSpy Ball Test confirms that golf balls can differ by 800 or more rpm off the driver in realistic test settings.
That means the ball you tee up can add or subtract backspin by a similar magnitude to changing your swing delivery. For example, models like Tour S and the updated Kirkland Performance+ showed meaningful spin reduction with drivers compared to older “spinny” models.
But there are trade-offs. Balls that spin less often launch slightly lower or feel firmer off the clubface. The spin differences are more dramatic in irons and wedges. So if your short game or stopping power is critical, don’t pick a ball purely for driver spin reduction.
If you’re spinning over ~3,000 rpm off the tee with your driver and you have an average or faster swing speed, test a couple of lower-spin balls (especially urethane or high-compression ionomers). Compare carry and total distance on your best-strike shots, not just average mishits.
Equipment check
If your spin numbers hover around 3,000–3,500 rpm despite decent delivery, your driver head or loft may be working against you.
Switching to a lower-spinning head or reducing loft by a degree or two can drop spin by several hundred rpm. But if you’re hitting down steeply and swinging across the ball, no clubhead swap will solve it. In that situation, you’ll need lessons to improve.
What should my driver spin rates be?
Below are ballpark spin-ranges that many fitters/launch monitor sources call “sweet-spot” or “preferred,” depending on driver swing speed. If your spin is markedly higher or lower than the numbers for your speed, that suggests an opportunity to adjust spin loft, face strike, launch angle or gear.
| Driver Swing Speed* (mph) | Good Target Spin Range (rpm) |
|---|---|
| 70-85 (slower players) | 2,600-3,000 rpm |
| 84-96 (average midspeed) | 2,400-2,700 rpm |
| 97-104 (fast amateurs / lower handicaps) | 2,000-2,500 rpm |
| 105+ (very fast) | 1,800-2,300 rpm |
*These target ranges assume good strike, neutral-to-up AoA and an appropriate ball/driver. If any of those are off, spin will go higher than target.
Final thoughts
Backspin steals distance because it’s the product of a wide spin/loft gap and poor strike location. To fix it, you don’t need to swing harder. Adjust your setup to encourage an upward hit, train with drills that control loft and path, strike the ball higher on the face and match your driver and golf ball to your delivery. Get those right and your drives will launch higher, spin less and travel farther.
The post If Your Driver Has Too Much Backspin Here’s How To Fix It appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
