Another question from a student that I’m sure many of you would like to know the answer to.
Q. How do I get more backspin on the ball?? Every time I get it on the green it rolls further than i want.
There are a couple of ways to look at this:
1. Spin happens when the shaft of the club leads the club face at impact. Meaning the handle is way ahead of the club face (or leaning forward). This creates a descending angle of attack causing backspin. Most golfers are flipping the club head into the ball or hitting with their wrists throwing the club head at impact. This wrist action has the opposite affect on the ball making it skull or roll too far. So if you want spin, keep the shaft in line with your front arm and don’t let your hands change… use your body rotation for the source of power. Also the amount you open the club face before you setup adds more spin (but you sill can’t flip… just turn)
2. Really good players do not rely on spin because it is not constant from green to green. It looks cool but you are never sure what the results will be. Learning to control the roll (like just tossing a ball short of the hole and letting it roll up to the hole and stop) is by far the best way to play golf. You will score better over the long run. This too is about having the shaft in line with the front arm and not flipping but not as much “lean” or not as much ahead of the club face with the shaft. Just pick a landing spot and anticipate the roll to the hole… takes a little practice but pays off big.
3. Very advanced players know how to use “Gravity” to stop the ball. Make it sit down like it is stuck to Velcro. This technique is all about the angle of descent or the angle the ball impacts the green. Nothing to do with spin. For example, if you throw a ball straight up and it comes down and hits the green, it doesn’t roll very far does it?… hummmm. You get it. If you can hit a shot high and imagine the trajectory coming down into the green, you can stop the ball almost anywhere. Learn to picture the ball falling out of the sky and use gravity for great results… Thanks for listening… Ross
Hint! : Look at your hands at your finish to see what you did through impact. They should look exactly like setup if you actually did keep your hands from flipping. Practicing this and learning to control the shaft will change all aspects of your game BIG TIME … Ross