Should You Use A Low-Spin Driver?

When brands release new drivers there are often a number of different models within a range, designed to achieve different things. These could be in the form of draw-biased drivers for slicers of the golf ball, or a low-spin model, designed to eke the optimal yardage out of your golf game.

Now that sounds great on paper, but the question remains, should you be using a low-spin model? It's worth remembering that your driver is one of the most important clubs in your bag, as it is generally the club you will use to tee off on most holes.

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It's crucial then that you find the right model for you and now is arguably the best time to check out the array of new drivers on the market, with TaylorMade, Callaway, and Cobra amongst the many brands releasing low-spin drivers, along with their other models.

But how do you know if you need a low-spin driver? Well, the easiest way to establish this is through a custom-fitting session where your spin rates will be established using one of the best launch monitors, and matched up to a suitable head profile. 

In the absence of a launch monitor and trained PGA Professional, however, there are a couple of things you can look out for yourself. Firstly, simply observe your ball flight. In an ideal world, for optimal distance, we would want to see what is often referred to as a 'rainbow flight'. This is, as you would imagine, a flight that when viewed from side on, would resemble a rainbow or an arch, synonymous with a strong high-launch and low-spin profile. If you don't feel that this is the flight you are seeing, and the ball is rising excessively in flight before dropping steeply, then this could be a very good indication that a low-spin head could improve your distance output.

Something else to look out for is a disproportionate distance loss when hitting into the wind. Now, obviously, we will all hit the ball shorter against the breeze, but with the right spin profile, this distance loss should be manageable. You can even use your regular playing partners as a guide here. If, for example, you notice that your drives are alongside your buddy on the calm or downwind holes, but when turning back into the wind you are all of a sudden lagging well behind, then once again this could be a sign that you need to look at a lower spinning driver model.

Something to be aware of, however, is that most manufacturers reduce spin by moving weight closer to the face to change the CG location. Generally speaking,  even on the best low-spin drivers, when this happens the MOI, or stability of the driver is somewhat reduced, making it slightly more volatile and placing more of a premium on the quality of the strike.

Weigh this up when making any purchasing decisions and wherever possible, seek out a good club fitter before any final decision.

Our Top 3 Low Spin Drivers

TaylorMade Qi10 LS

Another solid, high-performing ‘better player’ driver from TaylorMade. Things haven’t moved on drastically from the Stealth 2 Plus from a performance perspective, but significant aesthetic improvements are evident.

We loved the aggressive ball speeds on the Qi10 LS, along with some seriously low spin. This driver will really please players looking for a stronger more penetrating ball flight. 

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond

An exceptional driver in the low spin market. The looks, sound, feel and ball data are exactly what we look for in this category. The new grey crown is a significant upgrade from the original Paradym Triple Diamond and the overall forgiveness has increased too.

We found this to be one of the most playable of the low-spin drivers we have tested in 2024, with some really good dispersion numbers, particularly on mishits.

Ping G430 LST

We found the Ping G430 LST to be a hugely impressive driver that does a great job of balancing distance with consistency. This is an extremely low-spin driver with a truly broad appeal that has the high tech looks and powerful feel to match the all round performance.

The G430 range as a whole is an exceptional family of drivers with multiple options to choose from to dial in your ball flight requirements.