Question about backspin

[Backspinalot]

Hi,

So I have noticed that a lot of the times when pros get backspin with their wedges, the ball almost is rolling or skipping along before it zipps back and at my course (greens are decent and somewhat fast) when I hit like a full wedge, the ball takes one hop and immediatly starts coming back. Is this because it is a different type of greens or hardness or does it have to do with amount of backspin and trajectory?

[TourSpoon]

The shot you are referring to is the low flying wedge from 40 or so yards that comes in low, skips a few times, and spins out. It is different than a full wedge which takes a hop then spins because of the trajectory and it is not a full shot. If you see a guy playing the "skipper" as I call it chances are that he will take your money. It takes some precise contact along with a premium ball played back in your stance to produce the kind of spin to get the ball to behave like this. IMO it is one of the coolest shots in golf.

[Gerald]

Last weekend I was playing with a +1.5 handicapper who shot way over a green, ended 15 orso yards behind, hit the skipper back to the hole, I thought he thinned the shot, it was coming low and fast to the pin, looked as if it would go over way over the green, but landed about 2 meter before the hole, hopped and it was stone dead less than 2 ft. of the hole ...... easy par !

I have been trying to play this shot in practice a lot, but hitting a high spin ball with a near new Vokey means ...... saying goodbye to the $5 ball soon......

My personal best results came from the Bridgestone B330RXS and my set's PW.......

Still a very tricky shot to play in a tournament, if you hit it a bit less perfect, you'll be in more trouble than before trying to hit that ball.....

[saevel25]

Its taking a severe angle of attack downwards at the ball. I don't play on good enough greens, and my wedges dont have the grooves to do it. I can do a one hop and check up, so i know i can give a little bit more here and there, but nothing like that. But new wedges will be comming after i get a new 3-wood.

[jamo]

It's influenced by a bunch of things. Angle of attack (which relates to backspin), launch (and descent) angle, the grooves in your irons, quality of contact, and the hardness of the greens.

[GolfHippy]

I wish I could get a lot more backspin. Having confidence with the ball around the green would help me. If I could stop the ball on a dime I would play a bit more bolder.

[ohiolefty]

(Striking) Ball first is a good place to start.

[Backspinalot]

No, I have no problem getting backspin it is just when I do the ball hops once forward and comes back like 5 feet and when the pros get spin the ball hops and skips a few times before it zips back. It is just out of curiousity why i am asking. Is it the amount of spin they get or does it have to do with the greens or what?

[Harry SasQuatch]

The pros generate more spin than you or I do. Even using the same high spinning ball they usually have a higher swing speed and make better contact. Put that on a speedy yet receptive green and the palls will zip back. When they play on firmer greens they have trouble stopping them, much less zipping shots back.

The "skipper" is one of my go to shots from about 40-100 yards. You can play it with any wedge but it's going to come in low and check. I  can control my distance a lot better with the low shot, especially in the wind. The main thing you have to remember is to hit the ball first and the best way to do that is create a steep attack angle by putting 90% of your weight on your front foot and the ball way back in your stance. Don't shift much weight during the swing, keep forward and swing almost entirely with your arms. You definitely want to hold off on releasing your wrists too, it's kind of played like a really hard chip. The ball doesn't zip back much using this shot since it's coming in so low but it will take a hop or two and stop dead. On fast yet receptive greens you can get it to come back a few feet but usually not all the way to your ball mark. Try it next time you're out on the course, it's a fun shot to play.

[Backspinalot]

yeah, I know what you are talking about, sometimes I even open the face when I play that shot (just slightely or else the ball won't grip the grooves) so the ball goes just a tad higher trajectory but with a little more spin. Have you ever noticed when sometimes you play a flop shot and you make ball contact before grass, the ball comes off lower and checks up a lot

[Bryan SD2]

The #1 factor here is the ball.... at least from the perspective of "how do I hit that shot??"  Vokey or not... if it's a NXT Tour, or a AD333 or one of the "spinny" balls one step below premium, forget it.

[Backspinalot]

Yes, I know, I am using Callaway X Series Jaws wedges (60 degree) with fairly new grooves (Not CC) and a ProV1x.

[Bryan SD2]

Ok, thanks for sharing, you have some nice gear.  With a 6.4 cap, I knew that you were aware of the ball factor, but was not sure if others were...  I've played with guys who tee up NXT's ro NXT Tours and wonder why my Srixon Z Star does the moonwalk with an eight iron and their rock hits the green lifeless with their wedge.  At that point, if they are that uninformed, I press if we're in a game.

Back to the shot....

I'm guessing that this has now become a case of trajectory.  I personally don't feel there is that much difference in RPM/spin on your shot, which takes one hop and sucks back, as compared to the "skipper" as it's been coined...  the shot that takes a couple of low hops before it grabs, right?

I need a new SW (somewhat worn Vokey 56/10), and my irons are ancient, so I don't even try it that much anymore.

I'm also guessing this shot might be more difficult to hit with the slightly lower, skipping trajectory, with a 60 degree SW, new grooves or not.  I have good luck with lower, high spin shots with my 52 degree gap wedge, but then again, I don't carry a 60 and prop never will, so take with a grain of salt please.

[WilsonWedgeMan]

I've also seen many , MANY Pros put too much backspin on the ball, and it ends up waaaay further from the cup than where it initially landed ...I say drop and stop is still the prefered shot to many golfers.