Page 10 Backspin
In the last article we talked about topspin and how it would start to help you to develop more power. Let’s start this time to think about how we can generate height on your shots.
One of the biggest problems that tends to plague golfers is topping or thinning the ball, which of course will make life difficult for if you want the ball to land and stay on the green. More often than not we will see the ball chasing over the green and into trouble. If this is your problem then please read on as what I am about to tell you will help with that.
So what would be the cause of the dreaded top or thin?
The statement that I hear most of all is “My head came up”! In all honesty this probably only happens in about 5% of all topped shots. This thought would really be something that I would love you to take out of your mind.
Let’s start to think about the real probable cause of that bad shot. For this we have to start to think about
how the club head is moving at the moment of impact with the ball. In my opinion the topped shot tends to rear its ugly head when we are trying desperately to get the ball airborne. The natural reaction when we are trying to make something go in the air is to make a movement upwards. If we do this when we hit a golf ball the chances are we will make contact with the ball more towards the equator, or middle of the ball.
If we want height with our golf shots we have to first of all understand how the golf club is designed, and secondly which part of the ball to make contact with. The golf club is designed with an
angle called loft. The loft is designed to impart backspin on the ball, that’s its job. This thought is something that must be at the forefront of our thought process.
So, if we know that the club head will impart backspin on the ball which part of the ball must the club make contact with? If we hit the equator, or the middle of the ball, we will thin or top it. If we hit the South Pole, or the bottom of the ball the ball will climb. It really is as simple as that.
Golf as we know can be a game of opposites. In many other sports if we want something to move upwards we would make a movement upwards. In golf if we want a ball to go upwards we have to have a slight movement downwards which would keep the club head lower to the ground. If the club head remains low to the ground the club will work in the way it is designed. The loft will impart backspin on the ball and the ball will climb. I am sure that many of you will have seen the professionals on the television taking divots out of the ground. This is a by product of the club travelling downwards at impact. So don’t be afraid if this starts to happen to you on the course.
In short if you try to help the ball up in the air you will probably thin or top the ball. If you focus more on the club staying low to the ground through the impact area the club will give you the height. This is the key to generating backspin.
Adrian Rudge, PGA Advanced Golf Professional.
If you would like any information about lessons with Adrian please contact him on 670 291 788 or by email at:
adi.rudge@
yahoo.com. Adrian is based at Greenlands Golf.
QF Focus Magazine
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36