Backspin Advice

Lately, I have received many requests for 2 things. 

1. Advice on how to hit backspin (always a common request) 
2. Advice on the short game in general.

So I have decided to focus my next two newsletters on these subjects. Today the focus will be on backspin, and in the next few weeks I'll get one out on putting and chipping, and then following that will be course management. 

Honestly, the first thing that you need to realize about creating backspin is that it's a very tough shot to accomplish, let alone control.

The second thing that you should realize is that there are very few situations where this shot is actually needed. 

In my opinion, the best shot to master is an approach shot that bounces once, and then stops on a dime. This shot is not easy to accomplish either, but is more realistic and much more effective in the vast majority of cases. 

So I'll get in to the basics of this shot now, but please realize that an entire book could be written on this subject, and it would still be very hard to incorporate into a recreational game. 

Here are the basic conditions that must be met before the shot even occurs. If these factors are not in place, don't try to create backspin. 

Conditions must be completely dry - (the club face, and the ball included) 
You must be on the fairway - (grass can't get in between the club and the ball) 
Green's have to be very nicely kept - (very short)

Now, let me clarify. Those are the conditions that must be met before the shot even occurs. So hopefully, you are beginning to see just how difficult this shot is and why it doesn't come highly recommended from someone who focuses on making golf simple.

I was thinking of ways to describe the action necessary to create backspin, and I came to the conclusion that the best analogy is one of placing spin on the cue ball in billiards. 

Side Note: They say that good pool players are also good putters. So if you want to sharpen your putting skills, I would advise learning billiards as well. It will help you to develop steady hands, "learn to see the line", and it will also teach you a lot about spin.

In Pool, to create backspin you have to hit downward on the cue ball with a significant amount of force. Notice that players chalk up before hitting a shot requiring a lot of spin (dry). They also go at the ball with a very steep angle. And they hit the lower portion of the ball. 

All of this is necessary in golf as well. The ultimate goal is to "pinch" the ball between your club and the fairway. You must take a downward blow at the ball, you must add a fair amount of velocity to your swing speed, and you must make clean contact with the lower portion of the ball. It is all of these factors combined that make this shot so tough to complete with any accuracy. 

It's also essential to have a new ball (preferably a high spin/soft-cover ball), and a newer (clean) club that has some of the grip left on the face. As the ball compresses into the grooves on the face of the club, backspin is created.

Getting into the impact position is a whole different ball game. You can find great information in "The Simple Golf Swing", although creating backspin is not covered.

On a final note; it's important to realize that if you make course management the foundation of your game, you will rarely be in a situation where you need to use backspin. Course management is one of the true keys to golf. I'm going to publish a newsletter on it in the next few weeks as well, so be on the lookout.

 

The traditional golf swing is the reason why golfers fail to improve.”

It’s also why overall handicap levels have NOT decreased over the past two decades despite improved technology.

The traditional golf swing leaves golfers feeling frustrated and before you’re ever able to get any better you regress to your old bad habits.

This does nothing but waste your time and hard earned money.

And that’s the reason why I spent a year developing this simple swing system.

First and foremost--I created this system for myself. Yup, I was your typical frustrated golfer. I read all the “right” magazines and books, watched numerous training DVDs and took lessons from a golf pro.

Completely frustrated with the lack of results I was seeing, I set out to develop a swing that ANY golfer—regardless of ability or age—can learn quickly and easily.

The result is…

The Simple Golf Swing System™

I put it all in one system. A system that breaks the swing down into five simple steps every golfer can master in a surprisingly short amount of time.

It’s easy.

It will put all the pieces to the puzzle together for you.

I’m analytical by nature and have a background in engineering.

I subscribe to the creed:

Work smarter. Not harder.

And whoever made up the saying “No Pain. No Gain.” should be beat repeatedly with a 5-iron. (Just kidding. I don’t subscribe to violence, but you get my drift) That has NO place in my system!

- Getting your Hands Through the Ball at Impact

Have you ever thought about what your hands and forearms are actually doing at the moment of impact? If not, please give this a try because it's one of the most important parts of the swing. The Simple Golf Swing explains this move, and others, in much more detail.

Try to get into the impact position, like you are about to make solid contact with the ball. Now flip your trailing wrist like you were casting a fishing pole. This is referred to as a wrist break, and it's not a move that you want to make in golf. So if you are trying to "flip" your hands through the ball at impact, this tip may help you understand the correct way to make this happen.

If you put a wrist watch on you'll be able to visualize the correct moves to make. As your leading arm approaches impact the watch face should be getting close to pointing exactly down the target line, or to the flag. Now simply ROTATE the watch face so it's pointed at the ground. With a club in your hands, you'll see that this move makes your trailing wrist and forearm "flip" on top of your leading wrist and forearm.

You also see that this will help to "close" the face of your club nicely, that will both reduce your slice, and add distance. This is the correct move to be completing through impact.

It's important to note that your forearms should be working together as well. Try to keep your forearms as close to each other as possible through the impact zone. If you can master this move, you'll find increased distance and it will also do wonders for your slice.

The Golf Swing

There is a very useful method that many accountants use called "The cost/benefit analysis". You may be familiar with it. The analysis is done to cut the company costs that do not provide a specific benefit. It's done on all the different costs of the company, and then the accountants can then analyze which costs provide a lot of benefit, versus which costs provide little benefit. Then quite simply, the costs that provide little benefit are cut.

The golf swing is really quite complicated. The reason that I wrote "The Simple Golf Swing" was to get rid of all the unnecessary movements that end up causing many golfers trouble. To do this, I applied the cost/benefit method, but I did it in golf terms.

Just as an example, we'll use the wrist cock. In analyzing the golf swing, I found that the wrist cock at the top of one's backswing, produced great results for a few golfers. However, for the vast majority of golfers, it actually proved to cause MANY inconsistencies.

So it was simply cut out of "The Simple Golf Swing". That may sound too simple of a solution, but it really works. You'd be amazed at the consistency that is added by removing this one small move. See, the difference is that golf magazines or videos, want you to spend countless hours of your time correcting this small move. You would have many disappointing rounds if you tried to do that. It's simply not worth it for most golfers.

I agree that you must have a significant wrist cock to compete on the professional tour. However, it has been proven to me many times over that you do not need a wrist cock to hit the ball 250 down the middle of the fairway. You do not need that extra 40-60 yards that professionals need. All you need to break 80 is to be able to hit the ball 220-250 yards down the middle of the fairway. More importantly, you need to be able to do this every time.

Other examples of what you could easily cut out of your swing would be the following:

Lateral (horizontal) movement to achieve the proper weight transfer All lower body conscious movements. (The Simple Golf Swing will help you to make the correct lower body movements happen automatically, and cut out all the unnecessary actions)

Extended backswing

Those are just a few examples. The list goes on and on, but the point of all this is that "Simple is Better" for the vast number of golfers.

Two Important Tips

3-Feet from the Hole

The most important aspect of putting is to decide on your line before the stroke. The only thing to be thinking DURING the stroke is how hard you need to hit the ball. Control how far the ball rolls by controlling the distance you bring the putter back during the backswing. The length of the forward swing past the ball should ALWAYS match the length of the backswing. 

When determining the "line" for the putt, pay particular attention to the lay of the green within a three foot radius around the cup, as your golf ball will be rolling fairly slowly, and therefore will break more sharply within that area near the cup. You need to determine where you want the golf ball to be when it is entering that three-feet-away radius. Always attempt to putt the ball so it will go about one foot past the hole if it misses. If it misses, watch the break PAST the hole, because that will give you the line for the tap in.

Get out of the Sand 

Sand play around the green really is a different concept. Here's all you need to know to have great sand play...Open the blade of your sand wedge so that it is directed about five feet to the RIGHT of the flag. Open your stance so the tips of your feet and shoulders are aligned with each other such that you are aiming about five feet LEFT of the pin. 

When you swing back, only swing the clubhead as HIGH as your right shoulder. Don't use more than about 60% power on the swing. The clubface should slice ACROSS AND DOWN THROUGH the sand, behind the ball. More than any other shot on the course, follow through is essential to lift the ball out of the sand. If you want the ball to stop more quickly, hit the sand about 1 inch behind the middle of the golf ball. If you want the ball to run, you need to hit about 2.5 inches behind the middle of the ball. Use this method and your days of poor sand play are behind you, but of course nothing comes without practice. Find a course in your area that has a chipping green with a bunker you can practice out of. After a while, your confidence will skyrocket.

 

A Word on Your Finish

The goal of the golf swing is to make solid impact with the ball. I think that everyone would agree there. However, don't neglect a proper follow-through because the ball is already gone. You can actually correct many of the problems with your swing by analyzing your finish. 

Here's a quick check to get you started. Step up to a ball, take your regular swing, but hold your finish. Now look back at your forearms. What you should see is an X. Your arms should be completely crossed. The middle of your forearms should be where the X crosses. Not your wrists, or your elbows, but the middle of your forearms.

Now, if you don't see that X, it means you are blocking the ball, and not releasing correctly. You're also giving up a ton of power and distance. 

"The Simple Golf Swing" system will teach you how and when to release your hands through the ball at impact. Your slice or block will be gone. GUARANTEED.

 

Just click on the banner for more.

A weak Grip?

Experiment with a Weak Grip 

In my experience, a weaker grip adds power and height to the average golfer's shot. I recommend at least experimenting with it. When you take your grip, V's should be created between the thumb and pointer (index) finger of your right and left hand. For my example, I'll use the right-handed golfer. Most golfers learn from the beginning, to make both of the V's created point at the right (back) shoulder. The result is a fairly strong grip. Here are the steps you should take if you are interested in trying a weaker grip.

1. Put the strong grip on the club. (Both V's pointed at your right shoulder)

2. Don't move your left hand

3. Keeping your right pinky in place, unlock the rest of your right hand, and rotate everything over the top of the grip. Your left thumb should be totally enclosed by your right palm. Now the V formed by your right hand should be pointed more at your head, or maybe even toward your left shoulder. 

This new grip is going to feel strange at first, and may not work with your particular swing. But with certain swings, this weak grip is the missing link.