Learn To Spin Your Approach Shots To Get It Close To The Pin!

Have you ever been amazed to see Tiger fly his ball over the pin only to have it spin back to within inches of the cup

, or maybe even into the cup? Lucky, right? How many times have you seen it done while watching the PGA? That many? So there must be more than just luck involved, don't you agree? Let us examine what it takes to experience that kind of luck.

It begins with ball selection. I don't mean brand of ball but basic construction. All manufacturers produce two basic types of balls, two piece and three piece. The three piece has a hard center core wrapped in an elastic, compressible substance and covered with a relatively soft, mold-able material like Balata. This is the type favored by the Pros because they have a more pronounced "feel" when struck squarely, and the softness of the cover produces a more controllable spin. Then there is the fact that the Pros get them for free and may be paid for their endorsement.

The two piece has a solid, but compressible core covered by a tough, durable material like surlyn. It was produced after WW II as more and more people took up golf and found that the three piece ball felt like they were hitting a rock and was very easy to cut. It gets to be an expensive hobby if you need two dozen balls or more to complete an 18 hole round. The two piece does not cut or deform easily and may last several rounds with no noticeable loss of performance. Of course, they do not have the "feel" of the three piece and the tough cover makes it harder to spin and control.

Golf club faces are normally grooved. There are specifications imposed on the club manufacturers limiting the size and shape of the grooves so as to avoid any player having an unfair advantage in shaping shots and controlling the flight of the ball. Serious stuff for a gentleman's game.

When the club is swung properly, the leading edge of the club will still be descending when it first makes contact with the ball at, or just below, the equator of the ball. The club continues in its downward arc, through the ball, striking the ground at the point at the front of the balls original lie, and continuing down and through the turf, removing a divot immediately in front of the balls original position.

The downward motion of the club face "pinches" the ball between the club face and the ground. The ball is compressed and the grooves in the club face bite into the cover of the ball. This causes the ball to start to rotate backwards toward the club face, rolling up the club face away from the "pinching" force of the ground beneath the ball. WALLA, BACK SPIN!!

That is all there is to it. Sounds easy, but it is not! I have played with 9 and 10 handicappers who have been playing for 10, 12, even 15 years, and they have never spun an approach shot closer to the hole! Why not? Mostly because they are too anxious and do not finish the shot. I keep telling them, "Follow through and finish high!" Slapping down on it will give you the initial bite, but you have to get it rolling up your club face to really get it spinning. Once you learn to do that you can play around with shortening your back swing and changing the angle of impact to produce the shot you need.

Choose the right ball for your strength and club head speed. Keep your club faces clean and your grooves free of debris. Hit down and through those approach shots and finish high to get it spinning. Do all that and you will hold more greens and have a lot more truely make-able putts. See you on the next tee.

by: Philip Fox

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