How do you produce backspin with your golf wedges?

Question

i am currently playing on a handicap of 8 and im normally good at judging my short irons, except i never know when im going to produce backspin (i only use pro v1's or callaway ix's). i know the wind effects it but my spin really doesnt seem to be consistent at all and its costing me a lot of shots. sometimes my shots spin backwards off the green, while other times they kick forward (even when i feel like i have timed them perfectly and made perfect contact???)... how do you judge if your going to put backspin on the ball? thanks

Answer 1

If you want some real good help guides I have a website with links to the guides I used and found to be very helpfull.

http://www.golfguide.synthasite.com

Take a look. these guides helped they me greatly.

Answer 2

Your problem is an inconsistent golf swing. You don't  hit a shot the same way twice. You can use any type golf ball and if the shot has been hit properly ( ball then turf ) you can impart backspin. But what good is your backspin if you can't guage it properly? You may think you are making proper contact but the results tell you differently.So normal shots to the green are as effective as any with backspin . You just have to become a shotmaker and an 8 handicap should know how to hit his wedges without asking .

Answer 3

Being an 8 handicap, you are aware of the term "hitting down on the ball".  The key is to not be afraid of hitting down on the with a wedge.

I am a low handicap too.  I sometimes experience the same thing with my game.  The best advise I can give it to check your set-up.  Is the ball far enough back in your stance?  Lastly, the rhythm and tempo of the swing are as equally important as the set-up.  

Go to the range or your club and practice at the chipping area with different distances and challenges.  Be aware of your set-up and the rhythm and tempo of your swing.

This should correct the problem.

Answer 4

Hi Friend As a British PGA golf/coach,in my experience the best way to get backspin is to really hit down on the ball,not try to get under the ball.

  To get more precise information please hit this http://tinyurl.com/5j2tpa

Answer 5

I have this problem a lot as well and it is a very hard question to answer.

My only suggestion is to maybe to practice your chipping until your confident enough to KNOW how the ball is going to react.

Don't worry your not the only one with this problem!

Srry if I didn't help much....

Answer 6

wbaker77 makes an excellent point - conditions of the greens you are playing on have a dramatic effect on backspin ( soft,fast greens maximize your backspin while very firm greens will release forward more ) also - the type of golf ball you play has a huge effect - 3 piece urethane cover balls will always backspin from a cleanly struck shot (even 6 or 7 irons) 2 piece surlyn cover balls rarely backspin, but will 1 hop and stop on clean hits.

Answer 7

Hi,

Regularly sharpening the grooves on your wedges will help bring backspin consistency.

Answer 8

The kind of backspin you seem to be talking about comes only as a result of a near perfect strike.....or conditions of the green.  A hard fast surface on the green will not accept ball spin as well as a soft green will.

Answer 9

Im 14, with a handicap of a 4, and short game is my thing. You want to have a step impact with a low follow through. And make sure you accelerate through.

Answer 10

Ok so.. Firstly sorry to go off the subject a bit but you dont know how to spin the ball yet you are using prov1s??

Most golfers start using prov1 balls as they get to single figures. Why? NXT Tours fit most good players because they react better with slower swing speeds and dont slice so much if you tend to hit fades. If the pros could change their balls during a hole im sure they would use an nxt tour off the tee and prov1 into the green. But it all depends what player you are. In my opinion inside 140 yards the prov1 is best ball as it stops quick, feels soft, easier to take length off soft shots, alot easier to hit closer shots as you can get more agressive. Anyway back to the question..

Backspin comes from:

1.  Good strike - if you strike the ball good whatever the distance the grooves in the club and the ball will do it all for you every time.

2.  Excelleration through the ball - do not quit on it the faster the club excellerates the more spin you will get.

There are different ways of spinning the ball, they are..

Stopping the ball dead - This comes from the ball being hit high like a lob shot getting the wrists to get the clubface past the hands at impact. (this is rarely a good shot to try and pull off as the distance is hard to judge)

loads and loads of spin!! (40-80yards) - This happens through hitting down on the ball most effective through swinging slightly out on the backswing with and open face aiming left of flag with the ball nearer back of stance cutting across the ball on downswing like a slice. More slice action the more side spin obviously. this is a good shot to play into a flag at this length with a sand or gap wedge as if you dont play it quite right you can get away with it. just make sure you hit the ball first then it doesnt matter what the size of the divot is like.

Check shot - This comes from nipping the ball off the grass, the tighter the lie the easier the shot will be. If your on a burnt out hard fairway with not much grass then this shot is easy. Just take the ball cleanly with the ball near the back of stance and dont use much wrist action, you will see it bounce a couple of times and stop if hit low and you are the right distance away with the club you have (10 to 40 yards) the further away you are the harder it is. Some guys i have played matchplay against can do this from 150 yards!! this isnt a shot pros play anymore from long distances. Make sure you dont use pitching wedge for any of these shots as you wont have enough loft for the shots.

Also..

Has anyone tried this shot..

I call it the Stunn shot - (1 - 5 yards) basically from junior days of messing about around the practice green i learnt a shot ive never heard being taught before. its where you hold a lob wedge behind the ball asthough you are putting the ball so with the same stance and set up but the grip is not a putter grip, and you hit the ball to the flag from a very short distance and stop the ball as it lands.

This is done by not using the wrists. If you even slightly use them it wont work which is why you cant play the shot from more than a chip distance from flag. This shot is a life saver when chipping onto fast downslopes. You make sure the hands aren't ahead of the ball through impact by keeping the club vertical the whole time.

Understand all this? Maybe alot to take in.

Answer 11

All these answers are good, but I'd also add that the spin can be very unpredictable when chipping from the rough, it depends what sort of lie you get