Comments on: How to Put Spin on a Golf Ball

on 4/22/2008 F

on 4/21/2008 f

on 4/21/2008 This is really cheap but you can easily put backspin on a golf ball by putting a thin layer of wet sand on your club face. This increases the friction of the face of the club and on short chips will allow you to put an unbelievable amount of spin on the ball. I only do this when fooling around and never in serious play

on 9/25/2006 Spinning the ball on full shots is really all a matter of contact and clubhead speed. If you can contact the ball cleanly (no earth or grass before the ball), then you are going to add some kind of spin. By hitting slightly down you add backspin. If you have ever hit a shot that went into the air, then you have put spin on your ball. The problem is that most people want to add more spin. To get that work on hitting you wedges as high and as solidly as you can.

Remember that the pros are hitting soft (expensive), balls into fast and severely sloped greens, so they get a lot of action. They also hit the ball very cleanly with a lot more clubhead speed than you do. If you can hit the ball 250 yards or so with your driver though, you should see some spin in every short iron shot that you hit. The higher that you hit the more that you should see.

Weaker shafts help to promote spin and a higher ball flight, so that is an option for anyone that lacks height to their shots. The bottom line is you have to hit the ball super high to get the kind of action that you are looking for, yes there are time that the pros hit low spinners, but that is another technique altogether, and if you are having trouble getting a normal amount of spin forget that shot. Hit it high, clean and with high clubhead speed and you will see spin.

on 8/8/2006 Having a golf ball land and then spin backward 10 feet or so is something that many people just don't have the ability to do.

If you normally play high compression balls, forget about it. They just will not spin enough, unless you swing faster that John Daly.

The best that you can do is limited to your current club head speed. Yes, you can place the ball slightly further back than normal to get a little more backspin. But anything more than a ball width or so delofts the club too much negating any extra backspin because of the resulting lower trajectory produced (that is called a punch shot).

I tell my students to go by their driver speed. If you have less than 100 mph go with an 80 compression ball and play the ball back about an inch or so and live with what you get. Be aware that you will also get a lot more side spin than you are used to on miss-hits.

If you generate 100-110 mph go with a 90 ball and expect to see the ball one hop and stop for everything up to about a 4 iron. None of that stuff they see on TV though.

If you are one of the lucky ones who generate up to about 120 mph, go with a 100 ball and expect the same.

The higher swing speed people, 100-120 mph can expect a one hop back (maybe a foot or two) when hitting a fade with the compressions I recommend. If you really want to use a softer ball to get more than that (possible), be prepared to lose distance and suffer more penalty from miss-hits in general.

The truth is never what people want to hear. If your two iron doesn't go as high as your wedge than you would be much better served by learning how far your balls actually release on the green.

on 8/8/2006 To spin the ball back, you don't need to take a lob wedge only, a sand wedge can also be used and will go a little farther (which means higher, which means more spin).

on 8/8/2006 Put the ball on your index finger and apply side spin. You have spun the ball!

on 7/26/2006 To put backspin on your shot, take out a 56 or 60 degree club. Position your feet closer than you regularly would. Place the ball directly in front of your back foot. Make a downward swing, making contact with the back of the ball first and then the ground, making a divot. The ball should hop once and then stop. Works for me.

on 6/30/2006 When you take your stance to putt, just as you're going to take your backswing, push your hands forward in line with your left pec muscle.

on 6/30/2006 Take out your lob wedge or sand wedge (depending on the distance to the green) and have the ball back in your stance. I find it helpful to choke up slightly on the club. Hit the ball shallow, ensuring you hit the ball first and then swipe the grass throughly under the ball. Watch it softly creep back on the green, it's art work really, and quite simple if you don't try and make it difficult. ;)

on 6/30/2006 Having a golf ball land and then spin backward 10 feet or so is something that many people just don't have the ability to do. If you normally play high compression balls, forget about it. They just will not spin enough, unless you swing faster than John Daly.

The best that you can do is limited to your current club head speed. Yes, you can place the ball slightly further back than normal to get a little more backspin. But, anything more than a ball width or so de-lofts the club too much, negating any extra backspin because of the resulting lower trajectory produced (that is called a punch shot ).

I tell my students to go by their driver speed. If you have less than 100 mph go with an 80 compression ball and play the ball back about an inch or so and live with what you get. Be aware that you will also get a lot more side spin than you are used to on misshits.

If you generate 100-110, go with a 90 ball and expect to see the ball one hop and stop for everything up to about a 4 iron. None of that stuff they see on TV though.

If you are one of the lucky ones who generate up to about 120 mph, go with a 100 ball and expect the same. The higher swing speed people, 100-120, can expect a one hop back (maybe a foot or two) when hitting a fade with the compressions I recommend.

If you really want to use a softer ball to get more than that (possible), be prepared to lose distance and suffer more penalty from misshits in general. The truth is never what people want to hear. If your two iron doesn't go as high as your wedge than you would be much better served by learning how far your balls actually release on the green.

on 6/30/2006 Don't buy a Canadian tire wedge. Buy a Wilson Harmonized and scratch the face with an X-Acto-knife to roughen the face. Then use a ProV1 and hit the ball hard.

on 2/7/2006 Get a lob wedge and place it at the back of your stance and hit down on the ball.

on 11/22/2005 Set up with your feet a little closer together. Put the ball farther back in your stance. If you have problems hitting the ball clean and are always getting it thick, set up as if the ball is 2 inches ahead of where it actually is. It worked for me.

on 11/22/2005 Be sure to trap the ball with the clubface and hit the ball first.