You're Correct!

We have all seen the top professionals in the world hit some lovely wedges shots where the golf ball takes one bounce and spins back close to the hole. Some club level and beginner golfers are amazed at how this is done and almost seems like a magic trick.

So how can you create this back spin on the golf ball?

The science behind the shot is that the clubs delivered loft verses the clubs angle of attack (spin loft) on the ball creates a friction which slides the ball up the face for a split second and creates a high spin rate on the golf ball. More spin is created with more friction and more speed.

In order to hit a wedge shot where the ball spins back upon landing, there are a few things which must happen to help achieve this shot:

• A tight lie
• A ball then turf contact with a slight descending blow on the golf ball
• Create around 45 degrees of spin loft
• Deliver a high amount of club head speed
• Your grooves must be relatively new and clean to create friction
• You need a new and premium quality golf ball to help create friction

The majority of players are likely to spin their 48-54 degree wedge more than they will their 60+ degree wedge.

Be careful when playing for back spin as it is difficult to control the amount of spin. Top players try to control their spin by getting the ball to stop upon landing rather than producing a violent amount of uncontrollable back spin.

Hitting down too steeply on the ball will normally result in de-lofting the club face too much to generate a high amount of spin. We only require a slightly descending blow on the back of the ball to generate back spin. Too steep an attack will result in an inconsistent ball then ground contact, and is likely to produce some thin and ground first strikes.

Wrist action can contribute to creating a high amount of club head speed which can contribute to increasing back spin. The issue with too much wrist action is inconsistent strikes and poor club face and club path control. Use the body and arms to generate your speed.

Most people think that their lob wedge will create the most spin, but this is not true. There is a formula called Spin Loft Mountain. Spin Loft Mountain shows there is a peak spin loft to create the most back spin. If too much loft is delivered at impact, the ball pops up off the club face due to less friction and therefore less spin is created. You may find your sand wedge or pitching wedge spins more than your 60 degree wedge.