Creating spin: Which ball works best?

[Everardo]

This is a topic talked about by Meskegman (Jeff) and Tech (Peter)

First of all, make sure that you're not playing with a "Top Flight" or any other $12 per dozen or per 24 ball... they will hit the green and bounce off without fail. Just about any ball in the $19 and up range is going to spin enough to keep the ball on the green, especially during this time of year. I play Noodles, Titleist NXT Tours... basically a soft cover on a two piece ball. I rarely have trouble with a ball getting away from me on the green unless I'm hitting the ball low, which I don't generally do on purpose (heh, heh).

Just like Jeff says remember that to create more spin you need to hit down on the ball. If you're trying to increase spin a better ball will definately help but remember that you'll also get more spin on all your other shots too which sometimes is unwanted. The ball only spins one way and depending on how you hit it, it could be backspin or sidespin.

I've gone through a couple ball fitting sessions and it's been a long process to find which ball(s) work best with my game not just which one gets me great drives. I bought two sleeves of several different balls and I tried them in different scenarios. I chipped, pitched, putted and drove with all of them making notes along the way about which ones performed better for me. I do this over several days/weeks to make sure my results are consistant. I noticed that some balls I drove well but didn't like the way they felt when chipping or putting or their durability. Some spun fantastic around the greens but I got too much spin on drives. I wanted a ball that I could get good results driving with but that performed well on shots 125 yards and in where over 50% of my shots come from. So far I've narrowed it down to 4 balls that work well for me and I just keep repeating my tests with each ball to see whch one I like the best. Good luck in your search!

[Rafcin]

when I hear about recreational golfers like us talking about "trying to get more spin" I always think of the anecdote about Arnold Palmer I once heard.
In one of the Pro-Am, at a 175 yds par 3, Arnie hit a 7 iron 5 feet past the pin and had the ball spinning back to a gimmie range (yes, it was back in the days ).
Amateur playing partner said "WOW, how about you teach me how to spin the ball back like you just did Arnie?"
Palmer responded with a question "How long do you hit your 7 iron son?"
"150 yards" was the response.
"So why the heck do you want to spin it BACK?????" asked Arnie....

[mediaguru]

So true. Most amateurs are short but they want spin...

PROV1 is THE ball. I can spin it like a mother if I want to (and sometimes when I don't want to).

[Tech]

LOL, I heard that one too, except it was with Jack Nicklaus.

The anecdote has a valid point; regardless of it's authenticity, that if you struggle with distance, you probably don't want to learn how to decrease it further.

However, I'm not in that situation. I find myself struggling on 150yd in when I land the ball on the green, or hit over a bunker, and cannot keep the ball on the green . It would also be nice to hit it past the pin and have it roll back or just stop.

[Tech]

dear god, no wonder why Muskegman refered to you as the "resident ball expert"!
Is there a cheaper way of finding a good ball?

What were the 4 that you found that worked for you?

[Everardo]

dear god, no wonder why Muskegman refered to you as the "resident ball expert"!

I really don't know how I got the title but maybe because I'm so anal about finding "the one"

Of the ones I've tested here are the four that I like the best, in no particular order Bridgestone B330-S Maxfli BlackMAX Callaway HX Tour Srixon Z-UR Although I haven't tried the new Pro V's or the Nike Platinum...hmmm

[Leftie_power]

I think this whole thing ain't about spinning the ball back, it's flying your irons to the green and stoping them on the green, for those of us who don't play links courses this is important because it's very tricky running the ball up on most american "non-links" style courses. It's not just the ball you use(even though it's an important factor) it's about how you hit the ball. Next time you are on the range put a tee a cpl inches outside the ball, parellel with the back of the ball, this will help you determine the spot were you are entering the ball, you need to then tweak so that the spot where you enter the back of the ball and the spot you hit the ground are the same. So you hit the ball first, and you hit thru and release the club (ie. right hand fully released, almost turning over the left hand thru impact) . If you hit down on the ball and hit it crisp you so should hit the ball much better, and with more spin. It's not bought hitting the ball shorter as you say, it's bout hitting it better.

[iacas]

I like the Pro V1x where I play because:

1. I can still work the ball when I want to without accidentally hitting a big hook or slice
2. It's got a flatter trajectory
3. I generate plenty of spin already, particularly with irons, where they hit and stop (not spin back)
4. My greens, while not "squishy" soft, are well maintained, even this dry summer, to allow for some grab.

If I had to choose a second ball it'd be the B330. Not the S, that's like the V1. Then the BlackMax or Nike's balls - though I tend to forget which is most similar to the V1x (the black, I think).