How to spin the ball on the green

[ScottL]

okay, i did this once the other day and now Im hooked. I do not know how I did it either, just chipped on with my 60* and it spun back about 6 feet. Was totally awesome!

Now, can someone give me some tips on how to purposely do this?

[DavidFehertysBike]

Why do you want to spin back your ball 6 feet? It looks cool, but unless you hit the ball past the hole alot then you dont want you approach shots sucking back that far. For a full LW shot, i dont want that thing moving more than 8 inches in any direction...

[Keg0brew]

In the simplest way possible...back spin occurs when you make a decending blow onto the back of the ball. If you hit the ball first, and then the grass making a divot, you will impart backspin on the ball.

That said, IMHO, the ultimate goal should be not to spin the ball back, but make it stop on a dime. Too much backspin is hard to control.

[$2 Nassau]

I like it when it just takes 2 bounces and stops dead. That's when I know I hit a good short iron shot.

[Phil]

Clean wedge, urethane ball, good contact

[right handed phil mickelson]

Now what you don't want is to have it stop in it's divot on the green. That's happened to me about 3 times in the last week. Backspin is imparted on the ball due to a downward blow, striking cleanly, and getting under the ball. Its having a clean club face and sharp grooves, and not getting too much grass in between the ball and the club face. Do that and you're all set!

[jamo]

Now what you don't want is to have it stop in it's divot on the green. That's happened to me about 3 times in the last week. Backspin is imparted on the ball due to a downward blow, striking cleanly, and getting under the ball. Its having a clean club face and sharp grooves, and not getting too much grass in between the ball and the club face. Do that and you're all set!

If the ball does stop in its own divot, cant you fix the pitchmark after marking the ball and then replace it?

[Scottydoint]

If you were chipping, it must have been on a severe upslope with fast greens and spin had nothing to do with it. You can't just spin back a chip shot like that.

[Zeph]

If the ball does stop in its own divot, cant you fix the pitchmark after marking the ball and then replace it?

Yes you can, with relief, so if you're accurate with the wedges, landing in the pitch mark is not a bad thing. I'd rather land in it than spin back some feet. Like other here, I prefer the ball to bounce twice then come to a pretty much complete stop.

[Kingfisher]

okay, i did this once the other day and now Im hooked. I do not know how I did it either, just chipped on with my 60* and it spun back about 6 feet. Was totally awesome!

The other guys have answered the technical part of this (ball, grooves, impact quality), but I'm questioning your apparent obsession.

What would the point of 6 feet of spin be if the ball lands 12 feet short of the hole and the spin takes it to 18 feet away? A rational player would much rather the ball drop and stop, rather than having it spin away from the pin?

[NotAStick]

I don't mind a little backspin on a well-struck, full-swing lob wedge approach. I tend to land them about hole-high expecting them to stop. Some release a tad, others pull back a tad.

what's really annoying is when I land a shot 3 feet short of the pin and think "swish" as I wait for it to bounce and stop...... and then it sucks back down the hill and off the front of the green. Gak.

That said, it's much easier to back a ball up when you're shooting directly into the wind. It's almost impossible to do it downwind. That may have played into your previous shot.

[ryohazuki222]

Is it so hard to figure out why one would want it to spin back?

1) Golf is played to be enjoyed. If you think it's cool to spin the ball back then you want to know how to make it more enjoyable. You guys didn't read the article (that I completely believe) about the poll of golfers who were happier just hitting solid shots than scoring low? It all depends on your priorities.

2) If a pin is in the front of the green, being able to spin the ball back is an amazing and useful and practical skill. Not only does it change your mindset into immediately going for the heart of the green so you can spin it back (as opposed to trying to land it in th 2 yards between the fringe and pin..... but because of the change in mindset you're playing higher percentage golf.

As per the topic. I'm still trying to figure it out. Nothing was cooler than watching my brothers and dads faces when I hit my old dirty v-groove wedge out of some hard dirt under a tree.... seeing it land on the green, bounce, and race backwards. From about 30 yards out. And you know what? I landed that ball right where I wanted it, and if it had rolled out like normal it would have been right next to the hole. Was I angry that it spun back and left me with a bogey? No.... I was fascinated with what just happened and still am. I've read many topics on this, but really can't figure out how to do it on purpose.

[Kingfisher]

Is it so hard to figure out why one would want it to spin back?

Yes, unless you are able to make it happen in a controlled and consistent manner.

2) If a pin is in the front of the green, being able to spin the ball back is an amazing and useful and practical skill. Not only does it change your mindset into immediately going for the heart of the green so you can spin it back (as opposed to trying to land it in th 2 yards between the fringe and pin..... but because of the change in mindset you're playing higher percentage golf.

Perhaps (as long as you can make it happen in a controlled and consistent manner). How about the times when you don't find the heart of the green and spin the ball off the front edge? Also, how many pins out of 18 are tucked on the front edge and how many of these would you be approaching with a club that can generate sufficient spin - not many. There's nothing wrong with just finding the centre of the green and having a birdie putt anyway?

I landed that ball right where I wanted it, and if it had rolled out like normal it would have been right next to the hole.

How often do you land the ball right where you want it to? In this case, by your own admission, the spin left you further from the flag than you would have been with no spin? Each to their own I guess.

[ryohazuki222]

My point was moreso that some people play golf for score.... and other play just to hit good shots and enjoy it. I can't count the number of people I've seen so happy with that once in a blue moon shot that makes their day (or week or year!).

It's been discussed everywhere that "Everyone" hits it short. Same problem plagued me. Until I TRIED to hit it long and get it to suck back. You know what happened? They didn't suck back, but I was hitting more greens and landed short less.

I think it's a shame that every one of the "how do i suck the ball back threads" turn into something like this.

I guess we just have different ways of thinking. If I'm aiming and hit the heart (or back!) with the thought process of the green and suck the ball to the front fringe where its likely to stop soon (ie no fear of flying the green), I'll almost always be in better position than if I hit it short because I did the sterotypical underclubbing because I was afraid hitting it flush would fly the green. Point being that being able to suck the ball back promotes aiming for pin high with no fear of not holding the green -- as opposed to being afraid of flying or not holding a green. In my experience the former has yielded much better misses.

Then again, that goes back to the debate of whether it's better to be past the green or short of the green....... and I'm guessing it's just the courses I've played, but there's usually nothing but trouble past the green and I don't want to be there.

[Kingfisher]

My point was moreso that some people play golf for score.... and other play just to hit good shots and enjoy it. I can't count the number of people I've seen so happy with that once in a blue moon shot that makes their day (or week or year!).

I'm not knocking you, as I respect that everyone is entitled to his opinion as much as the next guy. You're right about different ways of thinking!

Maybe my mindset is that golfers (especially newbies) should learn to walk before they try to run - Learn to hit the percentage shot instead of the hero shot. Percentage shots are repeatable, but hero shots are not and usually end up putting the golfer in more trouble!

[Leftygolfer]

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting it to spin. Like most, I am not looking to suck it back, but I do want it to hit, bounce, bite. It is just good contact and a decending blow taking a divot after the ball. If you strike the ball well it will spin if it is a high quality ball. I know being able to spin my wedges to stop has been a great asset to me and I know I can control it better with spin and not rolling out.

[Shorty]

This is a perfect example of people see something on TV that pros do, and assume that it will make their own game look impressive, irrespective of whether it leads to better scoring. The shot you're better off learning is to hit it 6 feet short of where you want it to end up. Why would you want it to spin back? Because it "looks cool?" That's ridiculous. A ball spinning back is a natural consequence of a ball hit properly, most of the time, but it doesn't necessarily leave you closer to the hole. Given that most amateurs are often short of the pin to start with, it will cost you shots. Even with the pros, watch how often shots that pitch close to the pin often spin back and cause the ball to roll off the fron t of the ball. They spend a lot of time trying to take spin OFF the ball.

[Williamevanl]

I don't know if its the courses around here but I have played with over a hundred strangers and I have never seen someone spin a ball back 6 feet.

It must not be a common problem to have. Well unless you're a pro.