Any Golf players on here?

[pmanson]

Hi All

I've started playing Golf regularly again just a quick question about something i've never been able to do! How do I put back spin on the ball? I want to be able to land it on the green and get to either stop dead or bounce back not roll forwards! I'm guessing I need to address the ball differently to normal but I not sure how!

Thanks,

Phill.
(Handicap = Me!)


Edited to say the title should say Golfers not Golf Players! Not with it today!



>>> Edited by pmanson on Wednesday 13th April 13:37

[Incorrigible]

Don't worry about it until you're in the low teens handicap wise

BTW do you drive a Chimaera Scruffy

[pmanson]

Incorrigible said:

Don't worry about it until you're in the low teens handicap wise BTW do you drive a Chimaera Scruffy

Unfortunatly not! Poor Student here!

[swanboy]

I'd agree with incorrigible.

I've been playing more than 10 years, never got my handicap below 20 and only hit backspin by accident.
But if you want to know the theory...

Normally when you or I strike the ball off the ground, the club is at its lowest point, i.e. the club is travelling roughly horizontally at the point of impact, this should put neither top or back spin on the ball.
If you watch the pro's, particularily off the fairways, they take a big divot when they strike the ball. This is because the club is still on the way down i.e. the lowest point of the swing is actually in front and below the position of the ball.
This imparts backspin onto the ball as the club cuts down the back of the ball on impact.

Similarily this is why we are taught to play tee shot with our woods with the ball further forward in our stance, so that the club is on it's way back up, putting topspin onto the ball adding distance and causing the ball to kick forward on landing.

Hope this helps...

Now can anyone cure my slice?

[z1000]

I used to listen to all the advice , keep your head still , keep your left arm straight , now its just "keep your chin up"

[lotuslad]

Not even worth trying until you can consistently get good contact with the ball. It takes good, clean contact and dirt-free grooves. FWIW try imagining the ball is just to the left of where it is (if you're RH) and you'll probably start making better contact.

And tip of the day is: don't listen to all the amateur coaches out there. Just go out, whack the ball around and enjoy yourself. When you start reading all the books, listening to theories, etc it becomes less enjoyable. If you really want to improve, get a few lessons from a pro.

[Plotloss]

The hard way:

Dont bother until you're in single figures.

The easy way:

Take your golf clubs to an engineer and get them to machine the grooves square rather than v shaped.

Hey presto, back spin.

[Nuggs]

pmanson - I used to play a lot of golf, although I've been out for a couple of years with dodgy knees (and funnily enough, the older I get the better I was).

Backspin is generated by the clubhead making 'perfect' contact with the ball, in such a way that the ball is 'pinched' by the leading edge, which forces the ball up over the grooves of the club, thus generating the spin.

A really easy way of learning how to get BIG backspin (don't even think about hitting a long/mid iron like this) is this:

1. Take a pitching wedge and address the ball with it just an inch forward of the centre of your stance*

2. Place another ball just 1/4 inch in front of the one that you've set up to hit.

4. Take your swing on a nice steep swingplane.

5. On the downstroke try to hit the ball in FRONT

6. With a little practice, you should be getting the ball that you addressed (i.e. the 'behind' ball) to get up nice and high with lots of lovely spin. You'll top the ball in front but don't worry about that (if you can get them both up with spin, you could start a travelling golf show)

However, I have to say that in realiity backspin just comes with time and practice, as you start swinging on a nice plane and striking the ball well...

It also helps if you use a nice soft ball (spin's almost impossible with a rock-like budget ball) like a Pro V1 or a Callaway 'soft'.

HTH

*I always play a 1-iron/driver off my left heel, a PW an inch forward of middle and the other clubs between the two on a 'sliding scale'. Putting the ball towards the middle of the stance should help you to get spin...