Getting the ball to check on sub-par greens.

[Brent]

Let me first say that I am in no way a skilled golfer, and this is only my first season, but there is one aspect of this game that I have found quite difficult to understand. My home course is a semi-private course, and the greens aren't exactly perfect. I honestly don't know if they are Bent Grass or Bermuda, but the club pro/greens-keeper likes to burn them a bit so he waters them during the day (is this bad?)

If I hit the ball far enough that it lands on the green, it simply rolls over. I guess it might help if I hit the ball a bit higher, but I have quite a bit of forward shaft lean on most shots... Would this make my trajectory lower? I guess my question is.... Is it possible to get a ball to check, or possibly spin back, on a green of this nature.

I'm not somebody who want's to distort their distance ( I see a lot of them around here ), just because I want to be able to put back-spin on the ball, but I'm tired of playing links golf in Illinois!

[flanagan]

Based on the information I'm gathering from your post, etc. I am guessing it is not necessarily the greens that are the problem. I agree that hard, baked out greens will be a problem for anyone, if that is what you are trying to describe, but you really haven't described what it is about the greens that is the issue. However, it also sounds like the way you hit your irons is not conducive to the kind of backspin and checking you are looking for. Good technique and a good spinning ball (which is the kind of ball you may not need to be playing) will do as much as can be done with the conditions.

[out_in_30]

the harder you hit the ball, the more spin it will have and the higher it will go. if you swing softer and dont pinch the ball off the turf, it wont have too much spin. Its also harder to spin balls that are really hard and made for distance.

regarding the forward shaft, ideally you want your hands slightly ahead of the ball.. if you go too much forward you will start to notice the club face opening up.. this can make for compensations in other parts of the swing in order to get the ball going straight.

[mirv]

lee trevino says...

[Brent]

Thanks for the video, Mirv. I believe I've seen that before, but may'be I didn't get enough out of it. I usually play the ball back quite a bit, and I know I don't have it to far forward. I am going to try to make my swing a little more vertical, and hopefully that will help me to put a little spin on the ball.