Backspin..Stick it close

A lot of players ask how to achieve golf backspin? It’s one of the most difficult shots in golf to perfect and is also one of the most rewarding.  Even a monster drive down the middle of the fairway doesn’t have the same feel as “sticking” one by the pin from 120 yards for an easy one putt. The margin for error in your stroke is very small, so consistent practice is required. Let’s look at some backspin tips that’ll get you on your way to knocking a few strokes off your scorecard.

The Ideal Conditions and Club Selection

The ideal conditions for putting a spin on the ball are a fairly dry course, hitting from the fairway, and well-maintained greens. If the grass is too long, the ball doesn’t meet enough resistance from the ground to force it up the grooves of the club face. The longer grass also gets trapped between the ball and the clubface taking away the spin. If the cut of the greens are too long, the grass will absorb the impact of the ball and reduce the spin.

When to use golf backspin:

• Over bunkers, water or other hazard
• On greens that slope downward away from your shot position
• On small greens
• When approaching uneven ground in front of the green negating a bump and run.

While it’s possible to put backsspin on the ball with most clubs, you’ll want to learn the process with a wedge. You can always adapt the process to lower loft clubs once you perfect the stroke.

Before you try to master golf backspin where you shoot past the pin and roll it back as if on a string, its best to learn the techniques by getting the ball to bounce once and stop. That way your target is always at the flag and not 15 feet past. Once you get your distance can “stick it” close to the pin consistently, you’ll have a strong base for practicing a drawback.

Many pros liken the golf backspin shot to a billiards shot. To put backspin on the cue ball you hit downward on the bottom portion of the ball. The same is true of the golf shot; you want the clubface to make clean contact with the bottom portion of the golf ball to create spin. A controlled swing is critical.

5 Factors to Making the Perfect Shot:

1. Use a good, quality golf ball, preferably, soft-covered that allows for maximum spin. There is a tradeoff here that you need to be aware of. If you slice or hook your drives, a soft-covered ball will compound the problem due to the higher spin rotation. If you normally hit the ball straight, then go ahead and purchase some high spin golf balls.
2. Keep the grooves of your golf clubs clean. The ball gets its backspin from “grabbing” onto the grooves. Wipe your clubs after every shot during your round. There are also golf kits that attach to your bag that contain groove cleaners and brushes. A small expense to incur for improving your score.
3. The ball should be positioned near your back foot with your hands slightly ahead of the club head. As you complete your downswing the club head should hit the bottom portion of the ball forcing it to climb up the grooves. You should leave a small divot after striking the ball.
4. Always accelerate through your swing. Commit to the shot and be confident in your swing speed. Problems arise when you decelerate before impact.
5. Practice, practice, practice. It’s a difficult shot to master. When you get to the driving range, only take out your wedges and maybe an eight or nine iron. Concentrate only on those clubs and practice “attacking” the pin with confidence.