We all love it when we hit that shot that draws back quickly 5-10 feet after landing like it was on a string, right?
Well, putting backspin on a ball isn’t easy. You need the proper technique and the right conditions to do it. You also need the right ball.
Putting backspin on a golf ball is like putting backspin on a cue ball. To do that you hit downward on the bottom half of the cue ball with significant force. Putting chalk on the stick’s tip, striking the ball at a steep angle, and increasing the velocity of the cue stick as it moves toward impact also helps.
To put backspin on a golf ball, the goal is to “pinch” the ball between the club and the fairway. You not only need to hit downward on the ball with a fair amount of force, you also must make clean contact on the lower portion of the ball. It’s essential to have a clean (or new) club with some grip left on its face and a new ball when putting backspin on a ball.
The combination of all these factors—angle of attack, force, and clean contact—puts backspin on the ball. Coordinating all these factors in your swing is why it takes several golf lessons to learn.
You also need certain conditions to do it. Below are the three conditions you need before hitting the shot. If these factors are missing, forget about putting backspin on the ball.
• Conditions must be fairly dry • You must be on the fairway • Greens have to be in good shape
I use backspin when I need to hit a pitch-and-stop shot. This type of shot is best used from about 25 to 30 yards away when you have an obstacle— bunker, water, rough, rocks— between you and the green.
Obviously, you can’t hit the ball on the ground or on a line, like a line drive in baseball. You need to hit a high shot over the obstacle. If you put enough backspin on the ball, it takes a bounce or two and stops.
Ideally, you’d like to hit the green about 10 to 15 feet from the pin and stop the ball a few feet from the hole, leaving you a short putt. Of course, if it goes in, that’s even better. If you fail to put enough backspin on the ball, however, it probably will roll off the green, especially if it is slanted or hard-baked.
I recommend using a 9 iron or, better yet, a pitching wedge in my golf tips. The wedge has a high loft, is heavy, and a large flange, which prevents it from digging into the turf. The divot need not be big or deep. Remember to keep your head down until your right arm pushes it up—a fundamental all good golf instruction emphasizes.
I use a high spin/soft cover ball for pitch-and-stop shots and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the shot. A brief golf lesson on balls explains why.
One of best tips is this: At address make sure your hands are set a few inches ahead of the club's face. Keep this setup through the shot to ensure a firm crisp descending blow.
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