How to get the ball to spin

[Iowa Hawkeye]

I could be totally wrong, but this is how I understand it. You have to accelerate through the ball. The short or slow backswing will control the shot distance and the acceleration of the club will spin the ball. To me it's like the hula hoop trick where you toss it out with backspin.

[shortstop20]

The ball will go further with more clubhead speed though as well, so you can't just make a slower swing to get the ball to spin less and expect it to go as far.

[erwintrace08]

To the original person who posted, from research, listening and reading, if you want to spin the ball:

1) Take a divot
2) Your Ball
3) Clean grooves

1) I've been told by a lot that I have a shallow or flat swing which I'm trying to fix. This is the reason why I don't have spin is that I don't take divots. If you watch golf on CBS, they show the compression of the ball being "pinched" and the ball rolling up the grooves of the club. Logically, that creates the backspin by "hitting down on the ball." If you are a "sweeper" or have a shallow/flat swing, you don't really hit down on the ball decreasing your chances of putting spin on the ball.

2) I use Titleist Tour Prestiges from Costco and they are like rocks. If I do take a divot (unintentionally), my ball will stop, but not move forward. So I agree with Grant and the others that the softer the ball (like the ProVs), the greater the chances of producing spin. IF the ball is hard, it does not catch on the grooves that well. IF the ball is soft, the ball will catch on the grooves and increase the spin.

3) You gotta clean the grooves. Just ensure you clean your clubs after each shot. If your wedges get old, they even have that sharpener which I believe is USGA legal called the groove sharpener you can pick up on ebay.

Last thing, this is golf and we are all trying to help one another out here. I don't think being critical on someone else's comments are cool.

This is golf unless you are drinking the Barry or A-Rod Juice, you might have some agro in you...lol

e

[Dub]

I thought most 12 handicappers knew how to hit the golf ball correctly? Pretty odd.

I'm not trying to be a tool or anything...but...that is the same thought I had while reading the thread. The OP is saying he's losing 5-7 strokes per round because he can't make it drop and stop.....or spin back.

I simply don't understand how this occurs. Every 12 hcp that I've played with (used to be there prior to injuries myself) has a fairly solid game. I can't see "not spinning" the ball being what keeps you from being a single digit hcp. Perhaps the course you play has very, very firm greens....if so then stay below the flag. Perhaps you have a very low trajectory and it comes in hot....switch to a different ball....I suggest the Bridgestone E5+ (high spin / high trajectory / great distance). Sounds like other things are in play, though.....you are a 12 hcp but don't take divots. Every lesson I've ever had....tip I've been given....or even "JohnnyMiller-ism" on golf commentary stresses the importance of hitting down on the ball. I recently bought my first dozen ProV1 balls. I got crazy backspin with my wedges and short irons (not uncommon for "suckback") and stop and drop with midirons....even my two hybrids came in soft.

[jorruss]

Spinning the ball isn't brain surgery: Play with a high spin ball, play on soft, fast greens and hit the ball solid with a short iron. Your clubhead speed and angle of attack will determine how much the ball spins.

It's quite funny to me how the mid to high handicappers want to be able to spin the ball back, while most better players and pros wish the ball wouldn't spin so much! I spun a ball back 30 feet on a fast and soft green during a US Open qualifier Monday. The problem was, I landed the ball pin high and was left with a 30 footer.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Spinning the ball isn't brain surgery: Play with a high spin ball, play on soft, fast greens and hit the ball solid with a short iron. Your clubhead speed and angle of attack will determine how much the ball spins.

I agree...backspin is really overrated. It kills your distance control. I cant tell you how many times i hit a wedge or a short iron, heard the ball fizz off of the clubface, and went "oh sh*t". I knew it was going to be a bad result without even looking up.

[SubPar]

You were chided because you're wrong. I'll say it again: though it's a great mental picture to "pinch the ball against the ground," the ball doesn't actually move downward at all. The forward motion of the club and the loft drastically outweigh the downward frictional force.

Tell it to the former pros calling the action on the PGA. I'll take their word for it.

SubPar

[iacas]

Tell it to the former pros calling the action on the PGA. I'll take their word for it.

Again, that's the

mental picture and the associated lingo. The ball is not actually "trapped" or "compressed" and none of them have ever said that this "compression" is why you get more spin from the fairway than the rough (because that compression doesn't happen) - that's true because of the grooves and the grass that gets in the way in the rough.

[Williamevanl]

I don't know about 5-7 strokes but I can see where he is coming from for two possible reasons. One, sometimes people hit their irons really short so it might be be that. I have seen people hit 5 irons from 120 yards no surprise the ball isn't going to stop if you land it on the green. Of the dozens of courses I have played there is one that is crappy but the greens are so quick/hard/dry and sloped that I can fade a 60 degree wedge from 90 yards hit the front of the green in the fareway bounce onto the green and then roll off the back. *with pro-v1's* While I can normally check up chip shots, on this course the weakest spinniest chip still rolls out 10+ feet.

The course is so short that it seems every second shot is 100 yards or less and I also feel like not stopping the ball probably cost be at least 5 strokes especially on all these shots. It's cool though I'm learning to spin the ball better simply because I have too.

So O.P are you playing one of these types of courses maybe?

[Wisconsin Golfer]

WOW, that is a lot of info to take in and to analyze, however it does make sense.

[Danattherock]

It might help to first determine why you want to spin the ball

The pros do it on tv. I get it. But keep in mind that the turf they are hitting off is very different than what you and I likely play on. They are striking the ball more cleanly than you and I. They have forged irons, high spin balls, perfect technique, plush fairways, etc... Lots of variables man. To my way of thinking, we should be happy to have the ball hit and check up. Spinning it back is cool looking, but perhaps not as neccessary as many think. If you don't agree, go buy a expensive high spin ball, make a decending blow and try to catch the ball crisply with a full swing. It would be easier to agree with me though. Ha ha .... Kidding man.

[bjw181]

Ball spin is the result of great contact...nuff' said.