Most recreational golfers probably don’t know their driver spin rate, let alone every golf club in the bag. However, ask elite Tour pros for these numbers and most would have a fairly good idea of what they are, for they spend hours on the range perfecting their equipment and tinkering with different ball flights.
What Is Spin Rate?
Spin rate is the amount of spin on the golf ball immediately after impact, and it has a major influence on the height and distance of a shot. There are many factors that affect spin rate, including club and ball design, friction, and impact location. However, spin rate is generated primarily by club speed and spin loft.
As a very general rule of thumb – and it’s important to note that there’s no one size fits all to driver spin rates, because everyone delivers the club differently to the ball – you’re probably looking for something in the region of 2,000 to 3,500rpm with a driver, but this depends on a number of factors.
PGA Tour Average Spin Rate
According to Trackman, average spin rates from the PGA Tour in 2022 for each club in the bag was as follows:
- Driver, 2,686
- 3-wood, 3,655
- 5-wood, 4,350
- Hybrid, (15-18°), 4,437
- 3-iron, 4,630
- 4-iron, 4,836
- 5-iron, 5,361
- 6-iron, 6,231
- 7-iron, 7,097
- 8-iron, 7,998
- 9-iron, 8,647
- PW, 9,304
These numbers might not mean a lot, but let’s consider what happens if your spin rate isn’t right. If you create too much spin at impact, the ball tends to start off low, before ballooning up into the sky. Conversely, if you don’t generate enough spin, the ball will have a tendency to just drop out of the air. In both cases, carry and total distance will be short of where it could be.
Rory McIlroy's numbers makes for an interesting case study. According to the latest stats provided by the PGA Tour, the Northern Irishman averages 2,324.8 off the tee at the time of writing, which is below the Tour average of 2,570.6 and one of the reasons why he hits the ball so far.
Interestingly, the average in 2007 was 2,814.2. This decrease of 300rpm over a 16-year period is proof that one of the reasons that drives are going further is due to lower spin.
For comparison, according to Trackman the LPGA Tour average spin rate for driver is 2,611, and 5,943 for 6-iron.
How Pro Spin Rates Compare To Amateur Golfers
- Male scratch or better (driver), 2,896 v Female scratch or better (driver), 2,831
- Male 5-handicap, 2,987 v Female 5-handicap, 3,027
- Male 10-handicap, 3,192 v Female 10-handicap, 3,207
- Male 14.5-handicap, 3,275 v Female 15-handicap 3,287
