Spin is essential to controlling your golf ball.
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Welcome to Play Smarta regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you play smarter and better golf.
One of the best shots to watch the pros hit is the wedge shot stops on a dime. It always gets oohs and aahs from the crowd, and it’s one that weekend warriors try to emulate every time they do it.
This shot is possible due to rotation. When you capture a shot only in just the right conditions, the ball will spin and control to perfection.
But shooting with a hop-and-stop is not the only one the reason rotation is important in golf. In fact, spin is essential to almost every shot you hit—and in ways you may not even realize.
Why rotation matters
The amount of spin you put on the ball depends on several key factors: 1. the type of club you are hitting and 2. how you are delivering the ball to the ball.
For example, a high pitched wedge will produce more spin than a lower pitched long iron. This means the wedge will have an easier time getting airborne and will stop quicker when it lands on the green.
Controlling the amount of spin you put on the ball is one of the keys to knowing where your ball will end up. Once you can add or remove spin at will, hitting shots close to the pin becomes much easier.
However, your goal should not always be to put as much spin on the ball as possible. You must produce spin in an acceptable range for any given shot in order to have the most success. Below, we describe the dangers when there is too little or not enough spin.
Not enough rotation
When you don’t have enough spin, your ball will likely roll a little lower and fly further than you expect. The ball will also have a harder time stopping on the green once it lands.
Too much rotation
When you have too many spins, the opposite effect will occur. Your ball will come up much higher than normal (ballooning) and not fly as far as you might expect – especially if you’re hitting into the wind.
