Golf ball spin influences the lift and direction of the golf ball. There are three types of spin: backspin, sidespin, and top spin. Backspin causes the ball to lift in the air and creates the flight trajectory. Typically for a driver you want to spin between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm. This creates a parabolic arc (launch and descent angles are the same) to maximize distance. For a pitching wedge you can spin up to 10,000 rpm. This causes a high flight and a soft landing. Sidespin is the spin axis in which the ball rotates either to the right or to the left. Too much right side spin and the ball will slice. Too much left side spin and the ball will hook. A perfectly straight shot has almost no sidespin. Top spin is the last type and it is the most dreaded. This is when you hit the ball above the equator (middle of the golf ball) and cause the ball to rise for about 20 yards and then plummet back to the ground. Once you see this shot, and we all have, you will know that you impacted the ball to high on its cover and can adjust to hit it lower and get the ball back to flying properly.