Drop your addiction to golf ball spin
Drop the “spin” addiction & drop strokes.
I get it. I get it. I understand that golfers want to copy their professional heros. It makes it fun to be able to play the same course and use the same equipment as the best golfers in the world and create a fantasy in our mind about a connection we make there. You know, if Tiger Woods plays a certain kind of golf ball, then it only makes sense that I should play that brand or type of ball right? If the pros hit low pitch shots that spin and check right at the flag, then that’s what you should do right? WRONG.
You don’t play the same game as Tiger or VJ or Ernie. You don’t hit 300 yard drives, you don’t need to hit 200-yard 5 irons to protected flags that need backspin to get the ball to stop, and you don’t need to know how to “work” the ball right and left. YOU need to hit the ball straight and keep it in play!
One of the greatest short game players and teachers of our day, Stan Utley, teaches us to forget about shots that rely on backspin to stop next to the hole. In his book, he says that even HE doesn’t have the hand speed that those pros have to do that.
stop trying for spin and go for straight
Using balls and trying to make shots that spin more make you slice or hook more. That increases your odds for more shots missing the fairway and green and lost balls.
I got down to a 5 handicap playing those “rock” balls and I totally credit them for my getting there. Remember, our game is not to try to score more birdies, it’s to avoid balloon scores.
Lose the “I’m cool” factor about making the ball dance on the greens…it’s not about emulating your favorite pro, it’s about YOU SCORING LOWER! Use your common sense in deciding what to copy from pros.
I want you to go out to the course on a non-competitive round with the idea that you are going to roll everything up to the pin on purpose. You are going to bump and run as much as possible just to see what happens. Leave the lob wedge in the bag unless you absolutely have to fly over some hazard and have no room to run.
I’ll be you will be pleasantly surprised about your scores and add a new dimension to your game that you didn’t know you had. I would love to hear your comments below.
Craig,
I have emailed several times trying to access your website. I am/was a member with password, but no place to enter it.
At least tell me to jump in a hole or something, but, would really like to be able to access the online books, etc.
Help,
Dell Sanders
Hi Dell, I will email you directly about this. The Break 80 Without Practice bonuses have moved.
Greens and fairways,
Craig
I agree. I am thinking of going to a ball that spins less and flys straighter.
You mention Utley saying even he does not have the hand speed to create back spin. In my opinion it isn’t hand speed that does it, but rather the precise pinching of the ball at contact. You see pros getting considerable back spin on very short shots. Certainly this isn’t created by hand speed. Curious as to your thoughts on this.
Well, I think it depends on how far away you are from the green. You don’t need much hand speed when the regular full swing
generates enough club speed to create the friction for spin. Closer to the green, more pros than amateurs have enough hand speed.
Yes, of course, the lie is the big variable. Just passing on advice from Stan Utley and agreeing with. No advice is one-size fits all.
Hi thanks for the blog I changed to a low spin ball and found I hit more fairways and I am happier bumping and running the ball to the flag. i often chip in now where as with the high spin balls I was always short of the hole. i do however sometimes have afew down hill puts.
Excellent advise. Only the TV cameras catch the ball spinning out of control anyway.
I am happy to land on the green and don’t need lots of back spin to take me back off it. However, I do like the ball to stop and stay near the pitch mark, maybe a couple of inches behind it.
As long as you can say to yourself that the soft ball isn’t costing you more missed fairways, then keep doing it!
Having recently reached the grand old/young age of 80 and having spent the last 30 years endeavouring to create back spin! Could not agree with you more! My best rounds in previous years, and now, are achieved by relaxing and playing the simple straightforward game with no frills.
I’ve seen many seniors destroy the whippersnappers with their consistent game. The object of the game is to score lower is it not? Nice job Dave!
I agree wholeheartedly with you Craig, but only if you really struggle with bad hooking or slicing especially off the tee. I am playing around 12hcp now and usually hit it a good 250 or better off the tee and am reasonably good 150 and in. I play Prov1( I buy them for $16 per doz at Walmart used!). I find them much more forgiving when chipping from grassy areas around the fringe. Also when it comes to putting feel, they are the best that I have played and absolutely help me feel more confident when addressing the putts and chips.
Kevin
Hi Kevin, I’m for anything that gives putting confidence. But you’ve got to ask yourself the next time your ball is just barely out of bounds or barely
off the fairway and into the rough if that shot wouldn’t have stayed a little straighter with a hard cover ball.
I could’nt agree more with the coments in this article many amateurs put to much emphasis on wanting to do what the Pros do.Sure we would all like to be looong but whats the point if you end up in an unplayable position(or OOB) which is costing you shots,when a shorter tee shot middlish of the fairway just means maybe 1/2 clubs more for your next shot alot more encouraging hitting the green in regulation and having 2 putts for your par.I personaly would settle for shooting par each hole all day long.As for being able to put spin on the ball to get it to backup or stop dead at the hole the majority of amateurs are not that consistantly accurate enough that it would make any difference whatso ever to our game or scores.Also those that know say that most amateurs come up short of the hole anyway so why do we need to be able to spin it ? which would only take us further away from the hole putting more pressure on putting (which is the part of the game that most neglect) If we where to play sensible golf instead of MACHO our scores would generally improve and handicaps drop which would result in most of us getting less frustrated and alot happier at the 19th.
Well said! I couldn’t have done better. Thanks Ron.
Hi Craig. I’ ve been doing this “bump and run” for some time now, having decided that whenever I pulled my lob wedge – chances were pretty darn good that I would’nt like the results. At least with the bump and run I have a good chance of getting closer to the flag and stopping it than with the lob. Great advise for anyone who wants to seriously reduce their scores or improve their chances of getting close and scoring.
And by the way, I really like the improved “you” on your web page.
Have a great time this weekend.
George Dalton
Thank you George. Obviously a Break 80 Without Practice owner who has realized the benefits 😉