The mystery of backspin
Kerry from Cranbrook, B.C. asks:
I’ve often seen the pros’ shots hit the green and spin back to the hole, and yet I have never seen that happen on my local course. How exactly do they accomplish that feat?
I decided to ask Rob Anderson, golf pro extraordinaire and top instructor in B.C. for two years running, to answer Kerry’s question.
It’s all about backspin…when you see a shot spin backwards, the ball essentially has a greater ratio of backspin to forward momentum than a shot that does not spin back. That’s a pretty straightforward explanation, but achieving it isn’t. The amount of backspin a shot has is relative to the conditions of play (how well-groomed the turf is, how soft or firm the surface of the green is, the moisture content of the turf, wind, topography, etc.). It depends on equipment—(on the) clubs and ball used. It also depends on the abilities of the player.
So, when a top-notch player hits a nice firm wedge from 75 yards or so off of a perfect lie to a green that is firm, yet receptive, with a wedge that has a milled face and grooves and a ball that has a high spin rate, he or she will be able to stop that ball dead, or even spin it back!
Thank-you Kerry, for the question, and thank you Rob, for the answer!