How to spin

[Williamevanl]

This is kind of a two part question and I'm sure it has been addressed before but I can't find it anywhere. After checking youtube the basic instructional tip was to keep your spine straight, ha :)

At what point are you able to spin the ball in golf and how do you do it? I understand the basics such as using high spin balls and having clean wedges but even in practice I am unable to bring the ball back. I have also heard that it comes down to club head speed but I can hit my 60 degree wedge 100 yards + with what feels like a very descending blow and I'm still unable to do it.

One thing I have noticed lately is that I can load the ball with a decent amount of spin if I stay very 'loose' with my arms unflexed almost like spaghetti noodle arms. Is there something to this maybe? What confuses me most is that I have seen people put enough spin on the ball to bring it back from very short distances, 40-50 yards so I'm convinced that they are doing something that I'm not.

[Dp132010]

Yeah I always wondered this too but thought it would just come with playing more. Wish golf was as easy as in the Tiger Woods Xbox games.xD

[thedub]

i'm curious to know too!!

[Cahal]

One thing that also comes into effect is being able to pinch the ball off the turf. To really get some spin you need to have finely cut fairways so sometimes the condions you play on will affect your ability to spin it.

I can get a decent amount of spin (more of a couple bounces then a check and tiny rollout but not really spinning it back) but from what I've read more on the subject it really comes down to great clean contact and having the ball come down on more of a steeper downfall (its tough to spin back a low boring shot)

[Daddy Golfer]

This is right out of Greg Norman's Web Instruction: www.shark.com

To play the shot, you need to have a combination of factors working in your favor, only one of which is your swing. First, it's absolutely vital that you have a firm, clean lie. The ball can be sitting on tightly clipped fairway, on hardpan, even a good lie in a bunker, but that's about it. Don't even think about making the ball back up from the rough.

Second, the shot should not be a long one. Since you need a fair amount of loft, don't try this shot with any club longer than a 7-iron. Third, the green should be firm -- not hard like a sidewalk, but firm. If it's hard, you'll be lucky to keep any shot on it. If it's wet, the ball will just plug. What you want is a green that is soft enough to accept the shot yet firm enough to let the spin take effect. It also helps if the green slopes toward you. If it slopes away, you'll have no chance of backing the ball uphill.

Wind conditions also play a part. The shot is much easier when played into a wind. A headwind will increase your backspin. But don't try it in a tailwind, which will propel the ball forward.

Finally, be aware that certain balls enhance your ability to apply backspin. Any wound golf ball or any two-piece ball with a cover designed to give maximum backspin is better than any solid-center or hard-covered ball.

So if you have the ideal equipment working for you, you have a clean lie, and you're hitting upwind at a firm green that leans in your favor, your chances of backing up your shot are very good. Now all you have to do is hit it.

That, I'm afraid, is easier said than done. Basically, backspin comes from hand speed through impact. The harder and more crisply you can apply the club to the ball, the faster you'll make the ball spin back.

It's also important to hit slightly down on the ball. One of the reasons I'm able to apply so much spin is that I have a fairly upright swing which enables me to hit down rather steeply on the ball. When I want to, I'm able to make impact with the top-back quadrant of the ball. I actually squeeze the ball down against the turf, applying enormous friction and backspin. I don't take much of a divot; it's more like a crease in the turf or a slackening down of the grass.

To get this sort of impact, you have to play the ball a bit back in your stance. But not a lot. Some people think you should position the ball well back, as you would for a punch or low shot. That, however, just produces another low shot that may skid and stop; it won't suck back. Instead, you have to play it just a bit farther back than normal, so that you can pinch the ball rather than crashing down on it. My best advice is to experiment with your ball position. When that pinch begins to be a smother, you've got the ball too far back.

You must grip the club more firmly for this shot, because although it demands fast hand speed, it doesn't require a lot of wrist action. The swing must be aggressive with the entire body. Keeping the wrists firm, swing forward forcefully with your arms, and lead through impact with your legs and lower body moving toward the target. Strive for that pinching impact, with as little divot as possible.

After a while you'll know by the feel of the hit whether you've put "juice" on the ball. It's a great feeling and a great sight to see the ball land past the pin and come back close to the hole.
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Something to note, putting backspin can be more trouble than it's worth. There have been lots of times where I wished I just had it check for a 5 foot putt instead of spun-back 12 footer. Ugh!

[dvldog]

On the gof channels "the Turn" this week they looked at this very subj. They said it was quiet lower body, increase arm speed (not hand speed), and low follow through. Like most golf shots, you would probably get 3 different answers if you asked 4 people.

[mutadayen]

You guys are all right and you are on the right track. The mechanics everyone has listed in this post is the proper way. Up until 2 months ago wasn't until I finally learned how to spin a ball back or make it stop dead off a second bounce. The big thing you guys didn't touch on were clubs. Your clubs have a major impact on spinning ability.

The example I can give is that I have a 2 year old 60 degree cleveland wedge and i just purchased 2 new wedges (taylormade 54* and 58* satin TP wedges). I also am considering a new 60* wedge because of spin. My cleveland wedge is and the club face (including grooves) feel smooth, which isnt good. They're worn down a bit because I practiced with it alot the grooves are no longer catching the ball and creating the desire spin. Using the new wedges, with the exact same swing, im generating the results I want (backspin for starters).

You may want to test that theory. Im not saying to go break the bank on a new club, but you can go to Dick's Sporting Goods and pick up an Acunity brand wedge or Golfsmith or whatever store you shop at just get a low end wedge with good grooves to test out this theory. I think the clubs make a big difference. The new higher end models are made specifically for generating a greater amount of spin (Cleveland Zip Grooves, TaylorMade Y-Grooves, etc)...

[mgolfer]

Ok here's how I did it.

1. Get a pro v1 or another high spin ball.
2. Clean your wedge grooves with a groove cleaner/whatever.
3. hit the ball first, then the ground. You will recognise the pure sound. The grooves will grip the ball as you hit down on itand create backspin.
4. It is much easier to spin the ball on softer greens, and it would help if there was a slight downslop as its much harder to spin it uphill. Also - sometimes the grooves may be worn out. You can get your wedges regrooved or buy a new wedge if needed. Titleist vokey spin milled wedges really do spin the ball, at the expensive of the ball's cover.

To be honest, when I span the ball decently first time it spun back too far. I would prefer the ball to just hop and stop because most of the time I hit it before the flag. Also for some reason I could only get spin with my pitching wedge and not my sand wedge :s
Backspin looks cool though :)

[obsessedgolfer]

try to take a divot a couple inches in front of the ball