More Spin

[thegraduate18]

I need to get some more spin on the ball on my chip/lob shots onto the green.  The loft I am getting is fine but the ball just seems to roll much further (off the green) than I want it to.  Could it be the bounce is too much?  Or is it just how I am striking the ball?

[imtomtomim]

it's not spin that you need.  you need to account for the actual amount of roll out.

[thegraduate18]

  imtomtomim said:

Originally Posted by imtomtomim

it's not spin that you need.  you need to account for the actual amount of roll out.

What do you mean? Aim for closer to the green?

[slabm7]

  thegraduate18 said:

Originally Posted by thegraduate18

I need to get some more spin on the ball on my chip/lob shots onto the green.  The loft I am getting is fine but the ball just seems to roll much further (off the green) than I want it to.  Could it be the bounce is too much?  Or is it just how I am striking the ball?

You mean you want to get the ball the check and stop on your chip? If so then you have to play it off your back foot and strike down on the ball. That will get the ball to stop quickly on the green.

[LankyLefty]

Could really be either. To generate backspin so want to be swinging down on the ball and make contact with the ball slightly before you make contact with the ground. This will compress the ball into the grooves and generate spin.

If you are getting under the ball and scooping or lifting it to get that nice high flight then you are not compressing the ball into the grooves and not generating very much spin.

However if you have too much bounce it is also possible you may be doing it right some of the time but not being able to completely swing through the ball and get enough spin on it.

Another key factor in spin is the ball itself if you are playing a very hard covered ball or playing reused balls that have been underwater they do not compress as well into the grooves.

So are you drawing a divot? If so is it big or small and does it start in front or in back of  the ball? and What kind of ball do you play?

[imtomtomim]

  thegraduate18 said:

Originally Posted by thegraduate18

What do you mean? Aim for closer to the green?

Actually, the other way.  Aim further from the hole and account for how much the ball is going to keep moving after it lands.  A big mistake lots of players make is trying to get more and more spin so they can hit those shots that zip up on impact and sit or come back.  There are only some conditions where that will happen and it's not going to be reliable for more than a couple shots a round.  Spin is just a product of your shot that needs to be accounted for.

Trajectory is the most predictable way to judge the outcome of a shot.  You throw it up high and have it land steeply, it's not going to move too far from that spot.  You hit it lower, it's going to continue moving forward until enough friction has acted upon it to bring it to a stop.

Excess spin will make that ball kick in a less predictable manner, so if I'm hitting a lob to a pin, trying to drop it 6 feet in front and let it roll to it, excess spin would make that shot jump a bit in a different direction on first touch of the ground.  The chances of it progressing forward in the same line, at this point, is very low.

If you're consistently running it past, you're landing it too close to the hole.  If you're hitting 3 feet infront and it's running 10 feet past, you should have just aimed 13 feet infront of the pin.  Make more sense?

[thegraduate18]

  LankyLefty said:

Originally Posted by LankyLefty

Could really be either. To generate backspin so want to be swinging down on the ball and make contact with the ball slightly before you make contact with the ground. This will compress the ball into the grooves and generate spin.

If you are getting under the ball and scooping or lifting it to get that nice high flight then you are not compressing the ball into the grooves and not generating very much spin.

However if you have too much bounce it is also possible you may be doing it right some of the time but not being able to completely swing through the ball and get enough spin on it.

Another key factor in spin is the ball itself if you are playing a very hard covered ball or playing reused balls that have been underwater they do not compress as well into the grooves.

So are you drawing a divot? If so is it big or small and does it start in front or in back of  the ball? and What kind of ball do you play?

Lanky; right now I am taking a divot but a small one and I believe it is behind the ball.  Should I be taking a sizeable divot?  I am playing a Nike ONE Vapor.  One the swing should the angle on the back swing be steeper?

  slabm7 said:

Originally Posted by slabm7

You mean you want to get the ball the check and stop on your chip? If so then you have to play it off your back foot and strike down on the ball. That will get the ball to stop quickly on the green.

Slabm thanks for the advice. I will take it onto the course tomorrow.

[LankyLefty]

Generally on a backspin generating shot you will be taking a small divot just in front of the ball but that is not a hard set rule.

However imtomtomim is also right as from some lies enough spin to make a dramatic difference in stopping the ball is not possible. Rollout is inevitable and you should be aiming shorter of the stick and allowing for rollout.

However hitting down on the ball and taking a small to medium divot starting after the ball is still a very good thing to learn as it not only creates spin but allows for clean contact in tight lies and can improve ball flight.

Rollout is not avoidable though, so no matter how good you are at spinning the ball you've still got to account for it, but some spin certainly doesn't hurt.

[P-Town Golfer]

I like what imtomtomim is saying. I say get the ball on the green as soon as possible and have it roll to the hole instead of trying to flying just short of the hole and having it check up. Its much easier and you get more consistent if you just practice your bump and runs. Try it will different clubs like P wedge 52o and just experiment with different ones.

But some things I will check for is play the ball toward your back foot, set you hands just slightly ahead of the ball at address, have more weight on your left side (for right handed golfers) than your right (like 60-40), and then just swing your club like a putt and keep your hands ahead and do flip it. Doing these things will result in solid contact and hitting down on the ball. You will get some spin doing this because you are hitting down on the golf ball.