Sucking a Shot Back

[beung]

Some factors here:

The ball, you need a ball that will spin and has a cover that is willing. Anything less then a premium ball will not have as much spin.

Solid contact will put spin on the ball without you doing a single thing to make it spin.

The greens the pros play on are in perfect condition and you don't see the slopes that the holes are cut on when you watch on TV.

Why do you want the suck-back shot, because it looks cool? Is it going lower your scores? Do you land your approaches 5-10yrd beyond the hole all the time? I am guessing that, like 90% of the amature golfers out there, most of your approach shots come up short....so having more back spin is going to make you come up even shorter.

[Dent]

Why do you want the suck-back shot, because it looks cool? Is it going lower your scores? Do you land your approaches 5-10yrd beyond the hole all the time? I am guessing that, like 90% of the amature golfers out there, most of your approach shots come up short....so having more back spin is going to make you come up even shorter.

You are correct although, we could also be dealing with something else here. The suck-back shot less exagerated.

I always land short of the hole, but then I roll past it. I'd love to know how to stick my shot dead, In the sense of a suck-back, but not as much roll.

[beung]

You are correct although, we could also be dealing with something else here. The suck-back shot less exagerated.

If you are looking for the 2 hop and stop shot, those are more with wedges in your hand and not 8i or even 9i.

With 8i or 9i, I pretty much play to my carry distance and your are usually at the mercy of the green terrain when the ball lands. Aim for an area to land it, hit down on the ball, take a good solid diviot after the ball and the crisp shot should get you great ball control. The spin control will come with crisp contact, look at where the diviot started relative to where the ball was. If your diviot started before the ball (fat shot) it's tough to get spin as the club face isn't decending on the ball enough. Try hovering the club above the ground just behind the ball about 3/4 of the way up on the ball when you are at the range and hit some shots. That will make you get down to the ball, you may hit them thin at first but eventually you should be able to hit ball then ground.

[HotBite]

You are correct although, we could also be dealing with something else here. The suck-back shot less exagerated.

This is what I was asking how to do, My approach shots land pin high on average, and then roll way by. I don't care if I suck it back 2-3 feet, I just want to learn to stop the ball within a couple feet of where it lands, both on approach shots, and green-side chipping.

I use a pitching wedge or 8-9 for chipping and let it roll most of the time, but every round there are many times that I would benefit from being able to throw darts.

[RX Phoenix]

Pro's are playing with new wedges almost every round, the grooves are perfect and the clubhead is clean, hi-spin balls and pinching the shot produces the punch, skip, hop, and stop or the higher suck back.

Since you can't get free wedges every round, try using a groove sharpener tool before each round, clean and dry your club face before every shot, then trap the hi-spin ball.

[bm303]

I appreciate the replys. I was out at the range today and working on this with approach shots, and I realized that with my new cleveland wedges I could almost make the ball stop. I don't want to really "suck" the shot back, which seems to be very hard, but I was hitting approach shots that would bounce and then really slow down and only roll a few feet. It worked out well, now I think I have some more control on my approach shots and I can play the ball where I want it.

[erikpmort]

this is a great thread. Interesting. I would like to mention two additional factors, and ask how they affect spin:

Do blade irons and fewer degrees of bounce on wedges create more backspin because they can divot more easily?

[Dub]

I apoligize for the poor title, considering that I meant "how do I spin the ball back", not hit a flop shot. I know how to hit a flop shop but what I meant was how do I pull the ball back on an approach shot. Poor terminology on my part, so thanks for changing the title.

Others have no doubt answered this already....just throwning in my two cents worth.

You have to be playing a soft covered ball that is receptive to your grooves. I've found best results when I have a bit of a forward press prior to swinging...seems to promote a solidly struck ball which compress and rides the grooves nicely. Full swing is a "must do" for me. My best club for this for some reason unknown to me is my 8 iron. I get more "action" from the ball with this club than all others combined....could just be something quirky about my swing, though. I'll say this......over the years, that sucking back has hurt more than it's help me. For instance I'll stick it just beneath the flag and it'll suck back off the false front and roll for days back towards me. I prefer it hit and check. Sure does look cool when you put one in there past the pin and it comes back a bit. I don't get this often....maybe once ever dozen rounds or so.

[ROZE5150]

Most of spin generated can be contributed to equipment and conditions of the course.

Lets face it the pros are usually playing on courses that are in far better shape than our home courses, tight fairways and greens help alot when producing spin, but as for technique on those 30-70 yard shots you see a lot of pros set their clubface square to the target, then align their body left of the target (for a rightie) keeping your clubface square swing along the path of your body and instead of digging into the turf youll sweep across the turf passing the clubface through the ball with much more speed than you would if you chopped down into the ball, there for generating more spin. Depending on how hi or lowyou want to play the shot depends on where the ball is positioned in your stance and the angle of your wrists

[Guest]

Pro's are playing with new wedges almost every round, the grooves are perfect and the clubhead is clean, hi-spin balls and pinching the shot produces the punch, skip, hop, and stop or the higher suck back.

pros are not changing there wages every round maybe 6 mounths you must hit the ball first and once there is no dirt between ball and club it will spin you will under stand it more the better you get . Try this get two balls and put them in a bunker point them at the hole make sure they touch each other now hit the first one. that will spin off the other one and when it hits the green look at it spin

[Magnus]

I guarantee if you take a ProV1 and a new wedge......like a Vokey SM or Cleveland w/ Zip Grooves or a Callaway w/ MD grooves, and hit a pretty much full shot crisp, it will check and prob suck back.

[HotBite]

I guarantee if you take a ProV1 and a new wedge......like a Vokey SM or Cleveland w/ Zip Grooves or a Callaway w/ MD grooves, and hit a pretty much full shot crisp, it will check and prob suck back.

Using a Pro-v1 and a new 54 vokey spin milled, I cannot get a shot to check up around the green to save my life.

Any tips? I don't want to suck it back, but just to stop and drop it like Phil. (Obviously not as good, but you get the picture)

[pat8]

Make sure you're hitting the ball before the ground; hitting the ball more firmly might help (the harder you hit, as long as you hit it crisply, the more spin it will have). Soft greens help, but that's obviously not something you can control. Try and really "pinch" the ball between the ground and your club.

[HotBite]

Make sure you're hitting the ball before the ground; hitting the ball more firmly might help (the harder you hit, as long as you hit it crisply, the more spin it will have). Soft greens help, but that's obviously not something you can control. Try and really "pinch" the ball between the ground and your club.

That's what everyone always says. Even on a full swing I don't get a whole lot of spin, even when I hit it crisply.

On short pitch shots it's really hard to hit down on it and not hit it over the green.

[JaY_B]

pros are not changing there wages every round maybe 6 mounths you must hit the ball first and once there is no dirt between ball and club it will spin you will under stand it more the better you get . Try this get two balls and put them in a bunker point them at the hole make sure they

I'm pretty sure Padraig Harrington changes his wedges every week/every event.

Word of warning, be careful doing this as the ball can hit you in the face, although if you do it in a bunker you can actually hit 3 balls at once, not 2 In my opinion spin is largely over rated, It's not a known fact that pro's get too much spin and they work to avoid spin not to gain it. As long as you can stop the ball within a couple of feet of where you land it your going to be a pretty accurate golfer, spin will simply complicate issues.

[Magnus]

HotBite:

I wouldn't say it is so much hitting down on the back of the ball that will create the spin. In fact I play the ball middle to front-of-middle to actually utilize some of the bounce. It is the crispness you hit the ball with.....no other way to describe it. I can hit a ball off the fringe and get it to suck back a few inches on a 20 - 30 foot shot. Just practice. Get some prov1 x-outs to sacrifice, and drop some 30 yrds out, and practice, practice practice...prob not the answer you wanted, but Idk how else to describe it?

[itzzzberny]

after reading a lot of the posts. putting backspin is a lifesaver sometimes. especially if you encounter a pin tucked closely behind a bunker. you don't need to have this shot but it will come in handy once in a while. unless you play courses with easy pin locations.

[Ed1]

Get a SPIN DOCTOR RI wedge.... use the reverse grove (practice) face. Hit the ball as hard as you can and watch the ball draw back, but only use this when you're practicing by yourself. It's a fun shot but the wedge is not USGA approve I believe, but in the name of fun... swing on.