Is spin overrated?

[brettfan]

Interested in feedback from the community:

My feeling is that most golfers are chasing the "perfect" shot.  That pitching wedge that hits 7 feet past the hole and then spins back to a foot.  I would agree, there is absolutely nothing better in golf than the way that looks. Also, the chip/pitch shot that goes bump, bump, and then spins back... hitting that makes you feel like a BOSS!!!

On the other hand, in my experience in playing this game for a while, with people of many different skill levels, I think spin tends to hurt average players far more than it helps.  Aside from the skulled shots, it seems that most pitches and chips i see (when hit like the player intends) check up way short.

Furthermore, playing a ball with lots of spin means that with long shots there is a bigger chance that it ends up in the lake or in the trees.

It's true, sometimes you get short-sided on a green and need it to stop quickly... but in my experience this actually happens (where you are really and truly short-sided) maybe once a round.  Is the advantage of this one (or maybe two) shots a round worth all the times when all that spin hurts you?   Furthermore, how many of those short-sided shots do you actually get up and down on, even with your ProV1 or B330?

Additionally, those high spin balls are much more likely to hook/slice into the sh*it off the tee-box.  If your high-spin ball makes that happens even once a round can you really tell me that increased spin around the green makes up for those two wasted shots.  Seems unlikely in my experience.

Not trying to toot my own horn but I'm not a hacker and one of the things that has helped me the most is playing a ball that goes straight (or at least straighter than my old ball, the Pro V1x) and learning to deal with roll-out.

Just my opinion... really looking forward to feedback from the "peanut gallery".  :)

Go Royals!!!

[Dave2512]

For me not useful in season for full swing approach shots. Not accurate enough to be that precise, just trying to hit greens, and soft, shaggy muni greens usually means balls are inches from the deep ball mark. Around greens I keep the ball on the ground when possible.

[brettfan]

I see you are a 7 Handicap... it seems to me that struggling or higher HC golfers are more obsessed with spin and good or pretty good golfers are more concerned with keeping it out of trouble and hitting greens.  Obviously really golfers want lots of spin but why would most of us who are light-years away from them tryi to emulate their game when we don't have their swing?  Just my opinion...

[rkim291968]

I believe it is overrated.  It can/will work against high handicappers - losing distance, slicing off fairway.

[Shorty]

The only people who think that balls spinning back is a cool thing are idiots who know nothing about the game.

I have seen many short shots end up even shorter due to spin and ones that start off looking great end up at the front edge because of spin.

Spin is only a good thing when it is controlled.

Good players spend more time trying to take spin off the ball than applying it.

Of course it's useful and that's the beauty of balls like the ProV1, but spin for its own sake is about as cool as a 300 yard carry into the water or into someone's back yard.

[iacas]

I think that spin is overrated for use by average players, but I don't know that I agree that players are attempting to use it so much as you seem to think. Most don't play premium balls, have clean grooves, or pitch and chip from super clean lies often enough to even think about getting spin.

I agree that when it shows up, they're often surprised (and thus short).

I do think amateurs could benefit more from learning to control contact and trajectories.

[saevel25]

I think that spin is overrated for use by average players, but I don't know that I agree that players are attempting to use it so much as you seem to think. Most don't play premium balls, have clean grooves, or pitch and chip from super clean lies often enough to even think about getting spin.

I agree that when it shows up, they're often surprised (and thus short).

I do think amateurs could benefit more from learning to control contact and trajectories.

Pretty much this^^

I find zipping the ball back to be over-rated. To me it brings in a lot of unwanted variability into the shot.

I rather have a shot that bounces once and stops, or bounces and then rolls out a bit. I think it is much easier to judge how a ball will roll out than it is trying to gauge how much spin is required to zip it back 15-20 feet.

[Keith White]

In January I played the monthly medal in cold and windy conditions.  I spent the whole round feeling a little disappointed that I didn't hit the ball as I desire.My natural game was in play, low flight and running on.  I kept it straight all day and was net 67 to win the comp.  After that I tried to improve the swing and have not improved my scores.

Sometimes I play with this guy who collapses his arms in the backswing, hits it low, and rarely spins it.  He knows his game, he's more consistent than me, his handicap is 6 lower than mine.  I learnt a lot from playing with him recently. My hours on the range trying to hit high spinning compressed irons and then shooting around 90 while he cards around 82 ??

I don't have the time or coaching to do what I want to, and ironically I can play better without it.

There's my food for thought.

[Patch]

I have been golfing for several decades now. I have never thought much about spinning a ball back on the green. Maybe a few times, by accident it happened, but that's about it. I just never developed the correct swing technique to pull that shot off. Swing Technique is one of the keys. Although I am certain that grooves help individual golfers create their own maximum back spin, I can also recall a "trick" swing golfer at a demo days, with the correct swing technique, using a smooth faced club, could spin a ball back on the green to some degree.

I am also of the opinion that the condition of, slopes, and even the type of grass being used on a green can help, or prohibit the amount the ball spins backwards.

I think golfers who have the correct swing  technique, and other conditions to spin the ball back, tend to use it too many times, which causes them more grief than they realize.

In my case, I create enough spin on my approach shots where the ball drops, and hops a couple of time before stopping. Trajectory is my best friend for stopping the ball near the pin. Been that way for as long as I can remember. Except on chip shots of course.

[Keith White]

I have been golfing for several decades now. I have never thought much about spinning a ball back on the green. Maybe a few times, by accident it happened, but that's about it. I just never developed the correct swing technique to pull that shot off. Swing Technique is one of the keys. Although I am certain that grooves help individual golfers create their own maximum back spin, I can also recall a "trick" swing golfer at a demo days, with the correct swing technique, using a smooth faced club, could spin a ball back on the green to some degree.

I am also of the opinion that the condition of, slopes, and even the type of grass being used on a green can help, or prohibit the amount the ball spins backwards.

I think golfers who have the correct swing  technique, and other conditions to spin the ball back, tend to use it too many times, which causes them more grief than they realize.

In my case, I create enough spin on my approach shots where the ball drops, and hops a couple of time before stopping. Trajectory is my best friend for stopping the ball near the pin. Been that way for as long as I can remember. Except on chip shots of course.

Smooth faced club giving backspin, kinda questions the hype around certain grooves and proves the swing is more key perhaps?  Ironically I chose the Cleveland "zip groove" wedges after I saw an independent video proving they generate higher spin rates, which should help me.  I will be sticking more to my natural game in future and aiming for consistency based around what I can do, and if it spins, it spins.....

[shortstop20]

Smooth faced club giving backspin, kinda questions the hype around certain grooves and proves the swing is more key perhaps?  Ironically I chose the Cleveland "zip groove" wedges after I saw an independent video proving they generate higher spin rates, which should help me.  I will be sticking more to my natural game in future and aiming for consistency based around what I can do, and if it spins, it spins.....

I believe the main job of the grooves is to assist in creating spin from the rough.

[Patch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patch

I have been golfing for several decades now. I have never thought much about spinning a ball back on the green. Maybe a few times, by accident it happened, but that's about it. I just never developed the correct swing technique to pull that shot off. Swing Technique is one of the keys. Although I am certain that grooves help individual golfers create their own maximum back spin, I can also recall a "trick" swing golfer at a demo days, with the correct swing technique, using a smooth faced club, could spin a ball back on the green to some degree.

I am also of the opinion that the condition of, slopes, and even the type of grass being used on a green can help, or prohibit the amount the ball spins backwards.

I think golfers who have the correct swing  technique, and other conditions to spin the ball back, tend to use it too many times, which causes them more grief than they realize.

In my case, I create enough spin on my approach shots where the ball drops, and hops a couple of time before stopping. Trajectory is my best friend for stopping the ball near the pin. Been that way for as long as I can remember. Except on chip shots of course.

Smooth faced club giving backspin, kinda questions the hype around certain grooves and proves the swing is more key perhaps?  Ironically I chose the Cleveland "zip groove" wedges after I saw an independent video proving they generate higher spin rates, which should help me.  I will be sticking more to my natural game in future and aiming for consistency based around what I can do, and if it spins, it spins.....

There is another school of thought I have read about that the grooves also allow the moisture, and other debris to be channeled away at impact with the ball.  Much like the tread on a tire when driving through a rain storm.

[iacas]

There is another school of thought I have read about that the grooves also allow the moisture, and other debris to be channeled away at impact with the ball.  Much like the tread on a tire when driving through a rain storm.

That's what they do. On wedges the corners can also have a very small effect, but the main purpose of grooves it to channel away debris and moisture so that the metal can touch the urethane.

[natureboy]

There is another school of thought I have read about that the grooves also allow the moisture, and other debris to be channeled away at impact with the ball.  Much like the tread on a tire when driving through a rain storm.

I think this is largely right, I've seen some write-ups (including this: http://www.andrewricegolf.com/andrew-rice-golf/2014/5/to-go-milled-or-not-milled) where even moderate swing speeds generated about the same amount of spin with a smooth-faced club. In the rough (and on slightly fat contact) the primary advantage of the grooves is to channel away the grass juice which does reduce friction between the face and the ball.

On very short pitches and chip shots, I'm not sure enough swing speed is generated fort he same effect to apply and the old sharper edged grooves may have helped add spin by biting the cover a bit and increasing the friction.

[georgep]

I like it when, on a well-struck shot, the ball (on 8-PW, anyway) hits on the green, takes a hop forward and then spins back near the ball mark. I think that is about the perfect amount of spin, because it's much easier to judge carry yardage than what might happen with roll out or spin back. I just wish it happened more often. While they are crowd pleasing, it seems like most of the times when I get a really long zip back, it ends up off the green. I play a urethane covered ball most of the time, mainly for short game bite. But a friend of mine generates a ton of spin despite playing harder covers all the time. He still pulls them back more than I do, but I'll take my amount of spin any day (I will trade for his 3-wood distance, however, since he often hits it past my driver).