Coupled-channel and dispersive-optical model analyses of published neutron scattering and reaction data for 27 Al, 59 Co, and 93 Nb at incident energies between 0.1 and 80 MeV have been performed. The resulting potentials are used to place constraints on the determination of the spin-spin interaction from published spin-spin cross-section measurements. For the three nuclei, the strength of the central real spin-spin potential, which was taken to have a surface plus volume shape, was found to be small. Volume integrals for this central potential component were determined to be in the 4 -7 MeV fm 3 range and to decrease somewhat as mass number increases.