Golf Information

Backspin Advice


Lately, I have received many requests for 2 things.

1. Advice on how to hit backspin (always a common request) 2. Advice on the short game in general.

Honestly, the first thing that you need to realize about creating backspin is that it's a very tough shot to accomplish, let alone control.

The second thing that you should realize is that there are very few situations where this shot is actually needed.

In my opinion, the best shot to master is an approach shot that bounces once, and then stops on a dime. This shot is not easy to accomplish either, but is more realistic and much more effective in the vast majority of cases.

So I'll get in to the basics of this shot now, but please realize that an entire book could be written on this subject, and it would still be very hard to incorporate into a recreational game.

Here are the basic conditions that must be met before the shot even occurs. If these factors are not in place, don't try to create backspin.

Conditions must be completely dry - (the club face, and the ball included)

You must be on the fairway - (grass can't get in between the club and the ball)

Green's have to be very nicely kept - (very short)

Now, let me clarify. Those are the conditions that must be met before the shot even occurs. So hopefully, you are beginning to see just how difficult this shot is and why it doesn't come highly recommended from someone who focuses on making golf simple.

I was thinking of ways to describe the action necessary to create backspin, and I came to the conclusion that the best analogy is one of placing spin on the cue ball in billiards.

Side Note: They say that good pool players are also good putters. So if you want to sharpen your putting skills, I would advise learning billiards as well. It will help you to develop steady hands, "learn to see the line", and it will also teach you alot about spin.

In Pool, to create backspin you have to hit downward on the cue ball with a significant amount of force. Notice that players chalk up before hitting a shot requiring a lot of spin (dry). They also go at the ball with a very steep angle. And they hit the lower portion of the ball.

All of this is necessary in golf as well. The ultimate goal is to "pinch" the ball between your club and the fairway. You must take a downward blow at the ball, you must add a fair amount of velocity to your swing speed, and you must make clean contact with the lower portion of the ball. It is all of these factors combined that make this shot so tough to complete with any accuracy.

It's also essential to have a new ball (preferably a high spin/soft-cover ball), and a newer (clean) club that has some of the grip left on the face. As the ball compresses into the grooves on the face of the club, backspin is created.

On a final note; it's important to realize that if you make course management the foundation of your game, you will rarely be in a situation where you need to use backspin. Course management is one of the true keys to golf. I'm going to publish a newsletter on it in the next few weeks as well, so be on the lookout.

David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to http://www.golfswingguru.com


MORE RESOURCES:

University Club at LSU Enhances Golf Amenities With ProLink GPS
SYS-CON Media, NJ - 4 hours ago
(OTC Bulletin Board: PLKH) and the world's leading provider of Global Positioning Satellite ("GPS") golf course management systems and digital out- of-home ...


Looking for a holiday gift for a hard-to-buy-for person?
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
If you're like thousands of people this holiday season trying to find gifts for hard-to-buy-for loved ones and friends, Sandestin(R) Golf and Beach Resort, ...


Top 10 golf resorts
CNN International - 2 hours ago
Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina is among Coastal Living's top 10 golf resorts. Four legendary courses, three luxurious lodgings, ...


Top 10 stupid gifts from chickens to toilet golf
MSNBC - 3 hours ago
Potty Putter contains everything you need for an exciting round of golf without leaving your seat including a putting green for around the toilet, ...


Earthtimes (press release)

Element 21 Golf Announces 250% Growth in Retail Outlets
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
(FRANKFURT: BJQ), the leading manufacturer of advanced Scandium Alloy golf and fishing equipment, announced today that it has expanded distribution for its ...
Element 21 Golf Announces 250% Growth in Retail Outlets CNNMoney.com
all 9 news articles


Stuff.co.nz

Reuters Summit-HSBC to host World Championship Golf
guardian.co.uk, UK - 23 hours ago
By Larry Fine NEW YORK, Dec 3 (Reuters) - US PGA Tour chief Tim Finchem said on Wednesday that Asia would be the new frontier of professional golf and let ...
PGA Tour purses likely to flatten The Associated Press
2009 Champions Tour rookies: Russ Cochran PGA Tour
Golf-Allenby's dying mother tells him to go win PGA tournament Reuters.uk
Fox Sports - Al-Bawaba
all 631 news articles


GOLF: Lamielle shares top spot in PGA Q-school
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL - 10 hours ago
LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Sarasota's Joey Lamielle fired a 7-under-par 65 Wednesday to claim part of a three-way tie after the first of six rounds at the PGA ...
Local golf: Ex-FGCU golfer Lamielle tied for lead at PGA Tour Q-School Naples Daily News
Can a guy named 'Major' go all the way at q-school? He hopes so PGA Tour
Former ASU Golfer Shares Lead at Q-School WJBF-TV
The Desert Sun - International Herald Tribune
all 61 news articles


GolfDigest.com

Wie could join other Hawaii newsmakers
Honolulu Advertiser, HI - 7 hours ago
If she thought Stanford was tough, it's nothing compared to the five-day qualifying — golf's school of hard knocks — in which one mistake can be magnified ...
Teen stars Wie and Hurst travel different roads toward LPGA Tour PGA.com
Out of the Rough Sports Network
This week's golf lineup MiamiHerald.com
ESPN - The Associated Press
all 225 news articles


Stuff.co.nz

HSBC Champions Event to Become World Golf Championship Event
Waggle Room - 2 hours ago
Not many details were revealed, but Finchem let the cat of the bag when he was talking about Asia as the next golf frontier. "In today's world, a lot of ...
Reuters Summit-Tiger comeback provides 2009 PGA golf story line Reuters.uk
PGA lining up new sponsors as autos and banks slump Reuters
PGA Tour Chief Finchem Says Prize Money to ‘Certainly Flatten’ Bloomberg
Reuters South Africa - PGA Tour
all 27 news articles


Reuters South Africa

Immelman seeks happy home-coming at golf Nedbank Challenge
AFP - 15 hours ago
"There were many different things that I had to find time to deal with and learn how to handle them," he told the South African edition of Golf Digest. ...
Golf: Stenson leaps into five-stroke lead at Sun City Channel News Asia
Golf-In form Karlsson says accuracy is key at Sun City Reuters.uk
2008 BWYA winner at Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Challenge The Swazi Observer
SkySports - Independent Online
all 162 news articles

Golf - Google News

home | site map
© 2006