Without going on to a launch monitor, is there an empirical way to tell

[Hamfist]

If I am a high-spin hitter?

I ask because I was hitting a Cobra Fly-Z 4-5 hybrid last night, and it felt quite good. Doing a little surfing for reviews, it said it's not the best choice if you are a high-spin player, since it is a high-spin generating club, and it could cost in distance loss. And I hit it too short already.

 

[aljaklaw]

does the ballflight balloon up? are your distances similar to your previous hybrid?

 

[Hamfist]

does the ballflight balloon up? are your distances similar to your previous hybrid?

It was in an indoor simulator, so actual ball flight was unseen, the sim'd ball flight was pretty high. I was getting distances all over the board, (due to being me, lol) but probably close to the current gamer. The loft was at 23.5 degrees, versus 21 degrees on the current hybrid. I can adjust the loft down to 22 degrees, so it might actually end up as a similar distance. The thing that really jumped out at me was the feel of the ball strike. The swing weight is a D2.5, so that may have had something to do with it. I felt like I was hitting the ball really solidly.

 

[ddec]

its pretty hard to tell without seeing the ball flight, but a good fitter or a pro could help you out. However, don't get sucked in to the whole spin is the devil thought process. It's part of the equation that has over variables that contribute to how well that club will or will not work for you.

 

[ntanygd760]

You aren't really a high spin player. All though you don't have no spin, I would say medium. If you are worried about it just get a heavier shaft, tip a regular or move up to stiff.

Or get fitted by someone who knows what they are doing.

You could also go to the protracer range down by you. Hit a few hybrids and find your launch angle, ball speed, distance and peak height then go to flight scope optimizer and enter your ball speed and launch angle then mess with the spin till you get the same peak height and distance. Not sure how accurate that will be but it would give you an idea. https://flightscope.com/products/trajectory-optimizer/

 

[-CRW-]

Most people describe a normal/reasonable amount of spin as having a uniform arc, while excessive spin results in a "ballooning" ball flight that seems to make a sharp rise or almost knuckleball type move (but upward from its path).

 

[leftshot]

So based on your statement that you "hit it too short already" I doubt you are a high spin player. Having said that, if it were me, I wouldn't make a move without doing the following.
1. Swing my gamer hybrid and the Cobra Fly-Z on a range with a launch monitor. Simulators have been known to be quite far removed from reality.
2. If the Cobra Fly-Z shows promise, I'm still getting fitted on a launch monitor. Shaft changes and other adjustments can make a big difference in distance and dispersion. I also need to know where I end up. What's the gap with my next club up and down the chain? Have I now made another club obsolete? Created a big gap that I now need another club to cover? Need to pick a different face angle for the Cobra Fly-Z.

 

[McLovin]

this is probably oversimplified, but would you say your typical ball flight spends a lot of time in the air, then descends almost perpendicular to the ground with very little rollout? or would you like more carry and less rollout? if the former, i would think you are on the higher end of spin. if latter, could probably use more spin.

i'm a pretty low spin player. i remember last year hitting an xr16 driver on a launch monitor jb had on the range, and he said i could play a 12 or 13* driver because my spin was so low i needed the launch to maximize distance. it's also the reason i had to weaken my irons 2*, i just couldn't launch them high enough and spin them enough to keep them in the air. i need spin.


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[Hamfist]

You aren't really a high spin player. All though you don't have no spin, I would say medium. If you are worried about it just get a heavier shaft, tip a regular or move up to stiff.

Or get fitted by someone who knows what they are doing.

You could also go to the protracer range down by you. Hit a few hybrids and find your launch angle, ball speed, distance and peak height then go to flight scope optimizer and enter your ball speed and launch angle then mess with the spin till you get the same peak height and distance. Not sure how accurate that will be but it would give you an idea. https://flightscope.com/products/trajectory-optimizer/

Well, since you've seen me play, this is probably pretty accurate.

The club has a stiff shaft in it now, so that may have an effect.

I don't think Stonebrook has the Protracer that has launch monitoring.

 

[Hamfist]

Most people describe a normal/reasonable amount of spin as having a uniform arc, while excessive spin results in a "ballooning" ball flight that seems to make a sharp rise or almost knuckleball type move (but upward from its path).

Ah, very interesting. I don't have the ballooning ball flight from what I've seen on my shots.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

I am quite familiar with the red trajectory.

 

[Hamfist]

So based on your statement that you "hit it too short already" I doubt you are a high spin player. Having said that, if it were me, I wouldn't make a move without doing the following.
1. Swing my gamer hybrid and the Cobra Fly-Z on a range with a launch monitor. Simulators have been known to be quite far removed from reality.
2. If the Cobra Fly-Z shows promise, I'm still getting fitted on a launch monitor. Shaft changes and other adjustments can make a big difference in distance and dispersion. I also need to know where I end up. What's the gap with my next club up and down the chain? Have I now made another club obsolete? Created a big gap that I now need another club to cover? Need to pick a different face angle for the Cobra Fly-Z.

I'm going to take my current club in tonight to do a head-to-head comparison.
As to the club bumping another from the bag/gapping, this would replace my current hybrid, which is my "anything longer than 160" club. I would use it to simply move the ball down the fairway on 4's and 5's, and off the tee on 3's that are longer than 160. (I'm a bunter when it comes to distance.)

 

[Hamfist]

this is probably oversimplified, but would you say your typical ball flight spends a lot of time in the air, then descends almost perpendicular to the ground with very little rollout? or would you like more carry and less rollout? if the former, i would think you are on the higher end of spin. if latter, could probably use more spin.

i'm a pretty low spin player. i remember last year hitting an xr16 driver on a launch monitor jb had on the range, and he said i could play a 12 or 13* driver because my spin was so low i needed the launch to maximize distance. it's also the reason i had to weaken my irons 2*, i just couldn't launch them high enough and spin them enough to keep them in the air. i need spin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Kind of hard for me to judge. I'm going to defer to Ntanygd760's opinion, since he's witnessed my ball flight from a better angle. He says I'm mid-spin, so I'll roll with that.

 

[McRock]

Try a lower spinning ball?

~Rock

 

[JB]

If I am a high-spin hitter?

I ask because I was hitting a Cobra Fly-Z 4-5 hybrid last night, and it felt quite good. Doing a little surfing for reviews, it said it's not the best choice if you are a high-spin player, since it is a high-spin generating club, and it could cost in distance loss. And I hit it too short already.

A couple of things to note here.
First, the Fly-Z is not a high spin generating club. Do not let what you are reading fool you. In fact its not that much different (in my experience less) than what you have now.
Another thing to note is that spin on its own is not a distance robbing static number. It can easily be altered and manipulated for the right fit for a golfer.

 

[Hamfist]

Try a lower spinning ball?

~Rock

Rock, currently I use W/S zips, and have nooooo clue what they are spin-wise.

 

[McRock]

Rock, currently I use W/S zips, and have nooooo clue what they are spin-wise.

Yea, I've never gamed the Zips, so I don't know either. I'm guessing its not that high of spin assuming its a surlyn cover. JB had sound advice and comment on the clubs you are looking at. I was just offering an alternative, because I'm a huge fan of using a club if it feels good, and just thought maybe a different ball could make it perfect for you.

~Rock

 

[ntanygd760]

Well, since you've seen me play, this is probably pretty accurate.

The club has a stiff shaft in it now, so that may have an effect.

I don't think Stonebrook has the Protracer that has launch monitoring.

Pretty sure if you enter your email into the screen it will email you the ball speed, launch angle, distance and peak height of your last however many shots. You can get a decent idea of the spin from that.