If you were to ask almost any golfer "how to spin a golf ball", they would almost certainly think you were talking about backspin. Knowing how to impart enough backspin on a golf ball can minimally control your ball as it hits the green, and if you are extremely proficient at it you can make the ball reverse its direction and come back to you. This ability will certainly come in handy with a tight pin placement, as you will be able to get the ball closer while your shot has greater margin for error.
But more often we should think of spin to shape the ball in the direction we want it to go. This certainly came in handy for Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters, when on the sudden death hole he had to hit the ball out of trees, then quickly hook it so it had a chance to get on the green. As we know he made a remarkable shot under pressure, putting the ball on the green and winning the tournament on that hole.
Without the ability to shape the ball left-to-right (Watson is left-handed) and hook the ball just the right amount, he likely would have lost the tournament on that hole. The reason why h or any golfer can shape the ball in either direction is, of course, being able to spin the ball. And much like putting backspin on a ball, it mostly involves technique and practice. Of course when we see our ball slice or hook out of bounds, we have either put too much spin on the ball or spun the ball inadvertently.
A few golfers can hit the ball a decent distance and hit it dead straight consistently, but very few. With most everyone their natural swing is going to be a little inside-out, producing a draw, or outside-in, producing a fade. If you try to become too perfect and try hitting the ball straight, most of the time you will not achieve perfection and it will shape, or spin one way or the other. One of the most disconcerting things that can happen to a golfer is not knowing which way the ball will spin. This leaves him little margin for error when lining the shot up.
So on the driving range; decide if you want the ball to draw or to fade. Then go through the following checklist:
1. Grip. If you want to spin the ball to create a draw, us a strong grip to help keep the club-face slightly closed through impact.
2. Alignment of the feet. To create a draw of the golf ball, close the stance a little. This will maintain a swing path that goes from inside the ball to outside through impact.
3. Shoulder position. For creating a draw, keep the front shoulder from opening up, keeping the club-face moving through the ball longer at impact.
Obviously, to create spin that will cause the ball to fade, do the complete opposite of the above. Shaping the ball left or right merely means spinning the ball clockwise or counterclockwise and only a small amount of spin will be needed to effectively shape the ball right or left.
Spinning a golf ball will allow you shape a golf ball, therefore to Improve Your Golf Short Game by getting the ball closer to the hole in difficult circumstances. Putting Backspin on a Golf Ball can be done with technique and practice. Sean O'Kelly is an avid golfer and writer living in London.
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