Make Spin

I think this might be my first tip that I'm posting here since I re-vamped things a little bit. Over the last couple of days here in Niagara Falls, Ontario we have been experiencing some gorgeous nice weather. For the first time in a while I found myself with time and feeling decent enough to get some practice in. A nice change... quality me time with different irons and a new driver. Both Tour Edge Exotics.My two sessions were a bit different than each other where yesterday I added some short game work to the 4 hours worth of practice I spent. With my lack of playing time this year I honestly feel like I lost another year and with a lack of play if one aspect of the game can go in downward spiral quickly it's green side play. Yesterday I was employing balls from OnCore Golf and a Cradlz by Stinger device that I received to test and review. Watching some video of my pitching I saw a mistake that I didn't feel like I was making. So I thought that since it was fresh in my mind I would talk about it.

Photo: alexandertothgolf.blogspot.com

It happens almost every round that you play. You've missed a Green In Regulation and what's worse is that you've short-sided yourself a little. If you're on the fringe things aren't so bad because you definitely have the use of your putter at your disposal to hole it out or get it close. But you aren't on the fringe and there is too much real estate between yourself to utilize a specialty shot like a "Texas Wedge". So there you are and you take a wedge... or iron (green side doesn't automatically make it a wedge shot) and you've seen the guys and gals on Sunday afternoon on the various tours chip and make the ball stop. You try the same thing but instead you hit your chip and run it well past the hole. What happened to the spin?

Photo Credit: alexandertothgolf.blogspot.com

In a lot of cases two things might have occurred. The first option is that your club head got ahead of your hands and you flipped. The second option is a very, very good possibility. You decelerated on the stroke. Regardless of the distance for the shot you have to make if there is one thing that you you should never do is decelerate or give up on the shot. This is what I observed on my play back. While there was no lack of enough "swing" to make the shots I was making... I was clearly tentative. In order to get the spin that you require you have to accelerate through the ball... much like a driver or any other full shot. The combination of "trapping" the ball by having your hands lead the way through the ball and acceleration is what creates the spin. A deceleration will put "lazy spin" on the ball meaning that it will want to spin but it's almost like the golf ball says "Ummm... no!" and upon hitting the putting surface it just skips along. Accelerate and make that ball check. Below is a quick list of the set-up to achieve the spin.

1. Open up your stance slightly.
2. Weaken your grip. (If you normally see 3 knuckles on your top head lean more towards 2 or less)
3. Your ball position should be off of your trailing ankle. If you need to pop the ball up a little bit place it more towards the lead heel.
4. Place 90% of your weight on your leading side.
5. Pre-set your hands ahead of the ball. Doing this programs the hands or handle of the club to get through first.
6. If the shot is your basic chip rock the shoulders like a putt. Do not let your bottom hand "take over the stroke". Light grip pressure.
7. See the shot... rehearse the shot  and get a feel for how much stroke you need. Practice the acceleration. (Pre-Shot Routine)
8. Reset... step in to the shot by repeating 1-6.
9. Make the shot.

Do not do this. Deceleration causes a lack of spin and makes you prone to chunking chips and pitches. Not to mention coming up short.

I hope that this helps you lower your score by a stroke or 3.

Until The Next Tee!