How often do you actually land the ball past the hole?

I bet most of you land short of the hole nine times out of ten... so what do you need backspin for?  I suppose that backspin would allow you to be much more aggressive with your irons and shots around the green eh?...  well, definitely keep in mind how backspin can simply put you further away from the hole.

For most tips here, I’ve added links to drills that will help you perform them properly. Here goes... the secrets to more backspin:

1) You need a high-energy ball with a soft cover. High performance golf ball's are imperative to creating spin. Distance balls have very hard covers and the grooves on the club cannot grab the ball enough to impart a lot of spin. Start spending $6 a ball, rather than a dozen and you will see a difference.

2) Your club's grooves need to be clean and clear. Grass and dirt in your club's grooves impede its ability to grab the ball's cover to impart spin.

3) Your angle of attack cannot be too steep. If your downswing is too steep and you trap the ball, the club will not be able to make contact with the lower half of the ball. Ideally you want to pinch the back of the ball between your club and the ground, this move should create a divot that starts after the ball. On the other hand, a shallow angle of attack isn't good either.  Your swing will shallow out coming into impact and will not have the downward momentum necessary to pinch the back of the ball to create spin (this is characterized by a lack of divot).

4) Acceleration This factor is by far the most important; you have to accelerate into impact to create backspin. To accelerate you have to have sound fundamentals for your swing to operate on.  You’d be surprised how such a simple move can have a dramatic affect on all parts of your game, especially around the greens. Slowing down in golf, is rarely a good thing.

5) Swing Speed Stemming from the previous tip, swing speed is very important in creating spin. To really get some spin on the ball you have to be sure you are creating lag on the downswing. This movement will maximize your swing speed, and it is essential to creating backspin.

6) Your lie must be clean. I think it goes without saying a fairway lie is far batter than a lie in the rough. This is because there is less grass for the grooves to sift through, leading to better groove on ball contact. If too much grass gets trapped between your clubface and the ball, you’ll hit a knuckle ball, also called a flyer, that will have a lower trajectory and less spin.

7) Your ball position must be in the proper place to allow for the proper angle of attack. Having the ball either too far forward or too far back in your stance will change your angle of attack dramatically. Ideally it should be near the center of your stance. Furthermore, improper ball position will force you to make unnecessary movements to ensure solid contact – these moves will detract from your solid swing and likely create miss-hits.

Incorporating these secrets into your golf game and you will see a dramatic increase in the amount of spin and control you have over your irons.

Don’t miss this one guys!

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• How To Make The Perfect Grip -22/04/2009
• How to Escape a Divot -27/03/2009
• How to Hit your Driver off the Deck -06/01/2009
• Hit A Ball Above Your Feet -16/09/2008
• Tips on How to Get Out Of The Rough -23/08/2008