Trying to impart backspin on a golf ball is something all golfers would like to do, but few can. It requires a pure strike on the ball, reasonable club head speed, and knowledge of what you are trying to do. But if you can accomplish this shot, it will do wonders for your short game.
Factors you need to consider if you are going to put backspin on a golf ball:
1. The golf ball. It should have a soft covering, as the soft cover will allow the grooves of the club to penetrate deeper into the ball. This will allow more time for the ball to stay on the club face (even if it's a millisecond), which will give the club face additional time to impart spin on the ball.
2. The lie of the golf ball. The ball must have a clean lie, as any obstruction such as grass or leaves, especially if they are wet, will greatly hinder the ability to spin the ball.
3. The set-up. Put the ball in the middle, or slightly back from middle of your stance. Place most of your weight, about two-thirds, on your front foot. All of this will naturally cause a steeper swing path to the ball. Open the stance slightly, and open the club face just a little, which will prevent the club face from digging into the ground. Instead it will have a bouncing effect off the ground and to the ball.
4. The swing. As you swing down and through the ball, keep the club face open as much as possible. This will increase the amount of time the grooves of the club will be on the golf ball, allowing it to grab the ball. As the club face contacts the ball and then cuts under it, reverse spin, or backspin will be imparted on the ball.
5. Other factors to consider. It is easier to create backspin when working into a headwind and when the greens are soft, and obviously will work better when the green slopes toward you. Also, the more loft on the club, such as that with pitching wedge, the more backspin you should be able to get.
The whole idea with putting a lot of backspin on the ball is to create as much contact, or put another way friction on the golf ball. This friction will cause the ball to spin. Because the momentum of the club face is going forward and we want the ball to spin backward, making this all happen becomes quite a bit more complicated. So think of the action as striking a match to light it. You would naturally want to keep the match head on the surface for as long as possible to create the most friction. That is what we will try to accomplish with creating backspin.
One last little secret I will leave you with, and that is an older club with rusty grooves has been found to give more backspin to the ball. I have this old sand wedge I picked up in 1970 at Ft. Benning, Georgia when I was stationed there. Obviously it is showing its age, but it can really put backspin on a ball. Is it illegal? Well, I haven't asked, and I'm not going to.
Being able to create spin on a golf ball will be a big help to your Golf Short Game, which is the quickest way to trim strokes. Using the Pitching Wedge Loft to create backspin may be the easiest along with the lob wedge. Knowing how to use these clubs requires a lot of practice, thought. Sean O'Kelly is an avid golfer and writer living in London.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_O'Kelly
No comments:
Post a Comment