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How Important is Proper Spin Direction?

Working with son on LL pitching I noticed something odd about the spin of his 4 seam fastball. I took a suggestion and used a black marker to make a dark black stripe on a baseball so I can make out the spin direction better.

We tested it out and to my surprise, the 4 seamer wasn't anywhere close to spinning on 12 to 6 o'clock orientation (as it comes to you from an overhead pitch). Sometimes it would be as bad as a gyroball (i.e. you saw NO stripe as the ball flew to you. LOL, it's a gyroball!) His best friend is a better and harder throwing pitcher and he played with the ball and he wasn't close to a 12 to 6 spin direction either.

So what is going on and should it be corrected? Maybe I should first ask whether it is correct to assume that proper spin direcion is needed to get movement on the ball.

I don't see many posts on using a striped ball to look at spin so that's why I am wondering if it is important at all.

It seems we teach proper grips and wrist action but we never check to see if the right spin is imparted.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks. - Confused Dad

P.S. One more question, on a 4 seamer do pitchers snap the wrist hard to impart spin or just let it roll off the fingers? I keep hearing how a sinker is a fastball but with downward wrist snap but I just cannot picture how that would impart topspin. Thanks again.
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