Spinning the golf ball is one of the hardest things to do from around the greens, but it’s one of the most valuable assets you can add to your game. The ability to make a good score when out of position could be the difference between saving par or a dreaded double-bogey, so it’s well worth investing some time to practice the skill.
With that in mind, we enlisted the help of Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach and short game expert Dan Grieve to share two key shots you must add to your arsenal…
Why is spin important?
Getting the ball to check, spin and stop in the correct places will set-up crucial scoring opportunities that could save your scorecard. We see tour professionals do it all the time, often with apparent ease, but in truth it can be tough for amateurs to master.
To put it simply, it’s all about creating friction. This tends to be heavily linked to the ground conditions and the equipment you are using. As you will see in the video above, we were playing off dry Bermuda grass, in perfect conditions, whereas with the wet and muddy lies that so many of us will be used to, you will lose a lot of that friction.
How can I increase spin with my wedges?
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
The first thing you can do to increase your chances of creating spin occurs before you even hit a shot. If moisture sets in between the clubface and ball, you won’t see it grip into the grooves through impact. If you are practicing on the range, or out on the course, make sure to clean away any ‘green gunk’ that has accumulated in the grooves of your wedges as this will kill your control when it matters.
To generate maximum spin, it’s so important to ensure you are using the best wedges, with clean grooves, and a premium golf ball.
Shot 1: The low check and release to a back pin
It goes without saying that picking the right shot at the right time will immediately improve your chances of lowering your score on any given hole. When making contact for a low flighted spin shot to a back pin, you must get the ball to make contact with the grooves.
I call this a ‘release one’, which is a chip and run style shot. We want to encourage a release through the action, which is basically how the clubhead swings through the ball, with the butt of the grip finishing somewhere near your front hip in the follow through.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
You can do this with any of your wedges, but the difficulty increases with more loft. Start with the ball on your back foot, and create a little bit of shaft…
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