On golf courses across the land, amateur golfers curse their luck after an approach shot that requires a wedge. “If only that had spun back” or “I just needed it to check” are common thoughts in such positions. Failing to get the ball to spin with a wedge is something that holds any number of players back. We’ve all seen the pros hit those eye-catching shots, the ones where the ball appears to be going far beyond the pin, only for it to grip and dart backwards 15 feet, and while such shots are the preserve of the pros for a reason, there are certain things that can be put in place which allow amateur golfers, even those who don’t spend an awful lot of time on their game, to put spin on the golf ball when using their wedges.

Expectations

First and foremost, it’s important to set out your expectations, and being realistic is key. If you’re a once-a-month golfer playing off a handicap of 24, then it’s probably a step too far to think you’ll be crashing the ball over the flag and ripping it back to two feet from the cup. If you’re not a pro, you don’t need to play like one. Moreover, you don’t need to TRY and play like one, because the reality is, you won’t be able to, and not just because the guys we see on TV possess a level of talent that the average golfer simply cannot comprehend. Remember that the pros have the luxury not just of handpicking the best equipment, being supremely talented and being able to work with the best mentors, but they benefit from the best playing conditions, conditions that the regular player rarely gets to experience. Those on the European and PGA Tours play on pristine courses, usually in perfect weather conditions, and believe it or not, these things directly impact spin.

This leads us into the fact that there are things we can control and things we can’t. Conditions, whether it be the weather or the state of the golf course, are beyond our control as golfers. The bottom line here is to ignore what we can’t control and focus on what we can control.

Why spin?

Before we get into what we can control, let’s talk about why we want to put spin on a golf ball. Being able to apply backspin with your wedges will not only make pins more accessible, allowing for more scoring opportunities, but if you know you can apply the necessary spin, then you’re going to play with more confidence, and we all know that a confident golfer is a better golfer.

And it’s not just about achieving that attractive shot that rips backwards upon landing on the green. Getting the ball to stop on impact due to applying backspin is handy too, as it will allow players to be more efficient in terms of distance control, leading to lower scores, which is the overriding goal for most players.

How to apply spin

Let’s now have a look at how to get spin on a golf ball. To keep things simple, let’s break it down into three key parts, the recipe for spinning success if you will. And the ingredients are equipment, technique, and conditions.

Equipment

Now, equipment is a big thing. And let’s be honest, if you’ve got brand new, high-quality, expensive wedges, then you’ve got a better chance of applying spin to the golf ball than a golfer using a run-of-the-mill wedge that they’ve had for ten years. That’s just a fact, but you don’t necessarily need to have top-of-the-range equipment. There are plenty of affordable wedge options that will do the job. What’s truly important is the relationship between the surface of the club (club face) and the ball. For the surface of the club to do the best job it can, the grooves need to be clean. Before hitting a shot, make sure that the club head is clean and the grooves are all visible, free of grass, dirt, sand, mud, or anything else. The club head also needs to dry. Anything on the club face, even if it’s just water, will directly affect the relationship between the striking surface and the ball, which will prevent spin being applied. So, make sure you’re hitting with a clean and dry club face. Naturally, the effectiveness of the club face and grooves on it will deteriorate over time, which again will prevent a player from creating maximum spin. A newer club will typically spin more than an older club.

The loft of the club will also play a part on how much spin you generate. Unsurprisingly, greater loft will aid the spin of the golf ball. So, take a loftier wedge if spin is your goal. For example, a 60-degree wedge should allow you to generate more spin than a 50-degree wedge. Lastly, on equipment, use a soft-covered ball. Soft covered balls can more easily penetrate the grooves on the club face and will thus interact with the surface of the club for slightly longer than harder balls, creating more friction, leading to more spin.

Technique

Technique wise, there are a few things we can do to improve the chances of hitting the desired shot. Having an open stance, playing with a slightly open face, and having around 70% of your weight on your front foot can aid the application of backspin when hitting a wedge shot. Having the ball in the middle of your stance, along with most of your weight on the front foot should allow the club to have a downwards angle of attack, which creates more spin. Think of football/soccer. If you volley the ball, striking downwards with your foot, backspin is applied, and the ball rotates backwards as it travels, allowing it to hold up and check as it reaches the ground. Golf and football are two separate entities, but the principle here is the same. If you strike downwards on the ball with your wedges, creating enough friction, backspin will be applied, causing the ball to check on landing. When you see the pros hitting those shots that grip the green and dart backwards, it’s because they’ve struck down on the ball, and they’ve done so cleanly, with enough velocity, generating large amounts of backspin.

Conditions

As mentioned above, course conditions will also affect how much spin you can apply. For example, to generate the maximum amount of spin, you need a clean lie, the sort you typically find on the fairway, as this will allow for a solid, clean strike of the golf ball. Being in the rough will prevent a player from generating maximum spin, as longer grass between the ball and the club face prevents optimum contact and hinders the generation of spin.