How to Lower Spin on a Driver

Co-authored by Michael Metz and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: December 28, 2022 References

Drivers are usually the first clubs you reach for on the golf course, which makes them super important for getting distance. If you notice that you’re getting a lot of height but not a lot of length with your driver, you could be dealing with too much spin. Thankfully, there are a few different ways you can lower the spin on your driver to get the maximum distance and start your game off right.

Question 1 of 12:

Why does my driver have so much backspin?

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You might be hitting the ball too low on your golf club. A good shot is made by hitting the golf ball dead center on your club. As Golf Teacher Michael Metz explains, "the most efficient you can be on a driver is high center on the face." So, if you’re going too low or off to the side, it could cause your spin rate to go up. Metz goes on to suggest, "what I have my clients do is we usually take some foot spray and spray the face and then when the ball makes impact with the face, we can see where it's made impact and how to improve from there." You can also check your positioning by sprinkling baby powder or antifungal powder on your golf club before hitting the ball; then, check the mark made in the powder on your club to see where the ball made contact.^{[1]
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Your angle of attack could be too high. This is the most common reason that golfers have too much spin on their drivers. According to Golf Teacher Michael Metz, "a toe strike or a heel strike vastly changes consistency." As you swing your club, pay attention to the angle you’re making before you hit the ball. The higher the angle is, the higher your spin rate will be. To lower your spin rate, simply lower your angle of attack as you swing the club before you make contact with the ball.^{[2]
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Question 2 of 12:

Should there be more or less spin on a driver?

Ideally, you’d want less spin on a driver. The more spin your driver has, the less distance you’re going to get. According to Golf Teacher Michael Metz, with more spin often comes more height: "Height of shot is dictated on speed and spin. [...] The more speed you put on this shot, the more the ball is going to spin and with more spin comes a higher trajectory." While there’s no perfect number for every golfer (it varies greatly depending on what kind of course you’re playing and personal preference), in general, a lower spin is better.^{[3]
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- If you have a scope, you can actually measure the RPM (rotations per minute) of your ball. However, it’s not necessary, since you can tell from the height of the ball if your spin was too high or not.

Question 3 of 12:

How do you hit a driver correctly?

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Set yourself up with your weight on your back foot. Position your body so that the golf ball is just inside your front foot before you swing. Tilt your body slightly backward to put all of your weight on your back foot, or the foot furthest away from the ball.^{[4]
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Turn your front shoulder toward the ball when you swing. This will help you get a full range of motion for the most distance. Think about swinging the club back so far that your front shoulder lines up with the golf ball.^{[5]
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Swing your body through the moment of impact. The looser your hips and wrists are, the better you’ll hit the ball. As you swing downward toward the golf ball, follow through so your hips face your front foot at the very end of the swing.^{[6]
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Question 4 of 12:

How high should you hit your driver?

Aim for distance over height. There’s no hard and fast rule on how high you should hit your driver, since every golfer is different. However, when you tee up, try to think about launching the ball forward, not up. This will give you a much longer range, and you’ll have less spin, too.^{[7]
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Question 5 of 12:

Do pros hit down with a driver?

No, pros hit straight with a driver. Hitting down with your driver can actually cause more backspin, leading to less distance. If you want to hit like a pro, think about getting your attack angle completely level with the ground.^{[8]
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- Less backspin also means that the ball will roll further once it hits the ground.

Question 6 of 12:

How do you hit a driver straight every time?

Swing down before bringing your club forward. Your natural instinct might be to aim for the golf ball, but that can actually cause a ton of height and not a lot of distance. Instead, as you start your downswing, think about gently grazing the top of the ground with your club as you head toward the ball.^{[9]
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Research source}Golf Teacher Michael Metz instructs, "Imagine the ball is on a saucer like you put a cup of coffee on [which is] underneath the sand. The ball is the center of the saucer. So you're always trying to hit a saucer sized amount of sand out of the green and never touch the golf ball. Always a saucer underneath the golf ball."
- When you first practice this, you’ll probably get a few miss-hits—that’s okay! It just takes time.

Question 7 of 12:

Should I lower the loft on my driver?

Lower your loft to 9.5 degrees. Higher lofts usually make the ball go up higher in the air. If you’re aiming for distance, stick to around 9.5 degrees on your driver. However, if you’re new to golf, you may want to stick with a 10.5 degree loft, since it can be easier to use.^{[10]
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- Consider the weather, too. If it’s a windy day out, it’s better to hit low than high. A 9.5 degree loft will help you with that.

Question 8 of 12:

Why is the driver so hard to hit?

It’s the lowest lofted club that you use. This means it gives you the most ball speed, which is hard to control. Even professional golfers sometimes struggle with keeping their driver straight and lowering their backspin. It just takes practice!^{[11]
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Question 9 of 12:

Why am I hitting the ground first with my driver?

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You might be dropping your weight too low in the downswing. To fix this, keep your back straight as you shift your weight onto your back foot. Try not to bend your spine, and keep your shoulders square instead of leaning over to the side.^{[12]
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You could be releasing your club too early. To fix this, tee up your ball and take a practice swing over the ball, trying not to hit it. Listen for the “swoosh” as you swing your club; if you hear it before your club is over the ball, you could be releasing too early and swinging down too low.^{[13]
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Question 10 of 12:

How high should I tee my ball for a driver?

A small portion of the ball should sit above the driver. This is usually the highest you can tee your ball. The extra height will give you more of an angle so you can focus on distance as you swing your club.^{[14]
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- If your ball is too low, it could be causing excess spin.

Question 11 of 12:

How do I fix a slice with a driver?

Point the club face toward the ground in your setup. According to Golf Teacher Michael Metz, "a slice is a depth issue. Depth of the swing is how far back you can turn your chest and where your hands are at the top of your swing." If your shots tend to skew right, or slice, it’s probably because your club face is hitting the ball at an angle. Golf Teacher Michael Metz suggests checking your hand position: "The hands are typically in front of their body, which only allows them to swing over the top [...] So, for somebody who's slicing, I would definitely think about turning deeper or getting more of your backs to the target. And then when you start to take your downswing, pull your hands closer to body and make sure you keep turning your chest. [...] If you're looking at the golf ball as the golfer, let's say 12 is the top, 6 is closest to you [...] you want to feel like you're going to hit that ball somewhere at 4 o'clock. Start slow." Make sure that the club face points downward toward the ground on the downswing before you hit the ball.^{[15]
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- This might feel like your club is a little bit too closed off at first, but that’s okay. If you’ve been dealing with a slice for a while, you may need to overcorrect it to fix it.
- You can also check that the club face points toward the ground on your follow-through.

Question 12 of 12:

What driver helps with a slice?

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The TaylorMade SIM Max D Driver is very forgiving. This driver has a very low center of gravity, meaning that it can reduce side spinoff. It’s great for long, smooth shots, even when you don’t hit the ball perfectly in the center of the club.^{[16]
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The Cobra Men’s F-Max Offset Driver is tailor-made to reduce slice. It’s not the prettiest or the most customizable, but it has more mass in the driver head to give you a larger surface area when you hit the ball. If you only care about anti-slice, this is the driver for you.^{[17]
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