The Weekend Golfer

 

Lessons - Putting Spin on the ball

Landing the ball in the middle of the green right next to the flag only to have it run of the back of the green is so frustrating and can distract you from your game. The way around this is to put back spin on the ball. Be aware though this is very challenging and should only really be attempted by players with a handicap under 20.

The basis of the shot is actually very simple, but pulling it off in rhythm and gaining the desired outcome is very difficult. Start of with your stance. Have your feet slightly closer together than usual. Also position the ball around your back foot. Next your grip. You may want to choke the club a little, that is to position your hands further down the grip than normal. Your grip should just be normal, but should be solid, as keeping the club steady is extremely important. For this shot, you need to use a club with enough loft to obtain the desired result. A flop wedge, lob wedge, a high degree(60 and over) are all acceptable. Sand wedges and pitch wedges can be used but require more skill to put the spin on the ball. Now for your swing. When swinging the club, you should keep it closer to your body than usual. One good way of thinking about this is swinging on a steeper plain. Swing back to normal height then consider your follow through. Aim to hit the ball just before it is in contact with ground. You need to focus on getting it up in the air by getting the club underneath the ball. Then follow through by taking a long but shallow divot. It is like you are scooping up the ground. Now continue through as normal.

Some other important points are that you need to keep the grooves on your club face clean. These are essentially what provide the contact with the ball and will give it spin so clean contact is needed here. Clean contact is needed all throughout the shot. If you make even the slightest of errors when striking the ball shot shot will not go where you want it. This shot requires a lot of delicacy and poise, which is why it is so hard and impossible for beginners. The type of ball used will help here as well. A soft ball, often with spin written on the side of them, will be much easier to apply spin to, than a hard ball, which is design for distance. Ask your pro for help when choosing a suitable ball. As a side note, spin is easier to play on higher trajectory shots, such as approach or pitch shots, but it can be played on your longer shots. Finally this shot does require practise. Spend some of you time on the driving range applying spin to your shots. Start with your high irons and eventually, you may be able to hit lower irons with back spin as well.

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