Side Spin

The rotation of the ball around its vertical axis, which causes the ball to curve laterally in flight. Side spin combined with backspin produces the total spin axis tilt that creates draws, fades, hooks, and slices.

In modern launch monitor reporting, side spin is typically expressed as a component of spin axis rather than as a standalone number. A few hundred rpm of side spin produces a gentle draw or fade; 1,000+ rpm produces an aggressive hook or slice.

Side spin is one of the harder metrics to measure accurately, and is the metric most likely to differ between launch monitors used on the same shot.