Hi AM,

It's really not as difficult as you and others think. You need 3 things to make this work in your game. First you need a good wedge that has sharp groves So yes you might need a new wedge. Second, it's recommended that you have a good quality ball like at ProV1 that will give you higher spin numbers. Third, you need the proper swing technique. By compressing the ball, as opposes to scooping it, you will make the ball run up the face of the wedge producing a very high spin rate that will give you the check-up you are looking for. Ask your club pro for a quick demo. They and most other better players do this regularly as it is how they all have learned to hit a golf ball. They do not make a conscious decision to do it, it is just a result of using good technique and good equipment. Hope this helps.

DV

It's all about trajectory of the ball, spin of the ball, angle of attack with your clubs. There are many how tos out there on Youtube with different ways to get your ball to check up. It'll take some effort and its a very specific type of swing. Every teacher has a different method of teaching it

There are a lot of different ways, from my experience, to get a ball to check or spin back. First off, to get spin back, you need really good grooves. It's much more difficult with worn grooves. To either make a ball spin or make a ball check, you do have to take a normal/fast swing (which you don't usually do on a practice green). It cannot be a half swing on a short shot and it's the easiest off of tight fairway. You have to hit the ball first.

Lastly, you will also see different results with different balls. I can make the regular ProV1 spin crazy back, but with the same shot, the ProV1x will only come back a little. Those practice balls (if that's what you're using on the practice green) won't spin like a good ProV1.

Hi Andrew, ... some important thoughts to keep in mind when you're trying to or wanting to play this type of shot.

Firstly, you need to be on the short grass -- if you are in the rough at all, the longer/taller grass impacts the ability of you to strike the ball cleanly and as such reduces the amount of spin that you can put on the ball.

Secondly, you need to make sure that you have good, clean grooves on your wedge face. Make sure that you clean them before trying to execute the shot. As in the case above, the clean grooves will help you impact the ball, gripping the cover and putting the desired backspin on the ball.

The technique is hard to demonstrate with written words so I would suggest that you go to YouTube and do a search with keywords of golf shots, backspin, checking on the green, something to that effect. I thought that there was an instructional video on the TT site, but I was not successful in locating one. Perhaps some of the TT staff can clarify/assist.

Regarding your wedges -- they are your tools and Vokeys are the "gold standard" in golf ... so it goes without saying that a fresh set of wedges will have the cleanest finish to produce spin, etc. However, wedges and their grooves/milled finishes, etc. do last a long time. There was some information on the TT site about the wedges and their longevity, etc. so maybe a Vokey specialist or TT concierge/staff can assist with that too.

All the best Andrew and I hope you found some of this useful.

Clean contact on a decending blow with the ball is as big of factor if not bigger than the wedges and ball. Make sure you are doing that first. If so and still no spin, then check the wedges and type of ball.

A urethane ball is going to check more than a surlyn ball.

It takes practice and sometimes some lessons from a Pro. When you want the ball to check and stop, backspin comes from hitting the ball cleanly, then making a divot after impact. It's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it on shots into the green.

I have had some success by opening the club face a little and bringing the grip and shaft through the swing and holding off on hinging the club. Givers the ball a chance to ride the face of the club and put some of that backspin on it. I'm far from proficient and I don't know if I'm doing it "right", but that's my formula.

70% of your weight on your front foot and hit down on the ball don't sweep it

You are in the correct track on both accounts. On the idea, see your local pro. On the wedges, go get fitted- I think Titleist Thursdays are still on. Check out the SM6 grinds- just making a clean contact makes a Titleist ball spin pretty good.

Make sure you are compressing the golf ball. Hit ball and then turf. New wedges will only help so much. It's more in the technique of striking the ball. I still play a 5-6 year old 56 degree wedge and still get a good check up on full swings and pitch shots.

Lots of variables involved in getting a ball to check.

A lot of times on the course I see people amazed when my ball spins back or checks. Immediately I ask them which ball they are playing. 9 times out of 10 they are playing a Mojo, Pinnacle, or some other beginner ball. A great place to start getting your balls to check more is to play ProV1's. They are soft and spin more than other balls.

How old are your wedges? How are the grooves? Not to say you can't make a ball check with older wedges and worn grooves, but fresh grooves definitely help.

Finally, it comes down to your swing. Harder to make the ball check with a half swing. Hitting down on the ball with a full wedge will usually give you some pretty good spin. If you're sliding the club under the ball it shouldn't roll too much, but probably won't check.

Pinch the ball against the ground by playing the ball back in your stance and swinging down onto the ball so the club hits the ball first. You also should have fresh grooves via new wedges...it will be a lot easier to do!

It could be a variety of things. It could be dependent on how old your wedges are. The most likely problem is technique or It could also be to what ball you are using.

Considering 'Short Game' is the scoring zone, I would personally get a lesson.

The way in which you strike the ball is more important than the type of wedge. Being crisp with a downward strike will help. I would recommend a lesson to follow up. It worked for me.

I've never really been able to make them check up either, mine roll out a little. But the guy I play with can only check them up, he can't figure out how to make them roll. So it goes both ways. Whatever your game is, stick to it.

Hi Andrew, I posted a response yesterday (20.09.2016) -- not sure why it has still not made it to the boards when everything else has been updated.

However, in case there is a "glitch" ... I will reiterate my thoughts here and hope that this is not a double post or if it is, please forgive me.

Firstly, I see that you are using a good ball -- Pro V1/Pro V1x series. They have great covers, urethane/urethane blends that allow you to put some good spin on the ball.

Secondly, you need to be on the short grass (read fairways) in order to promote good clean contact between the club face and the ball. It is more difficult to put enough spin on a ball when hitting it from the longer grass as the grass, dirt, etc. gets in the way of the club face and ball.

Thirdly, make sure that your wedges are clean ... clean face and clean grooves. They are your tools and I rely on my Vokeys as they are IMHO, the gold standard in wedges. If your grooves are worn out and the face of your wedges are smooth and have lost all milled finish, then consider replacing them.

The other main and important part to this is your technique. It is extremely difficult to describe this with words alone so I tend to encourage you to look for a video (Butch Harmon has some on wedge play on You Tube).

I truly hope this is helpful to you Andrew ... there are few things nicer than hitting that shot to the green "pin high" and the ball checks up nicely for you!

Hi Andrew,

I found one of the videos that I had in mind about the low check spin shot. It is on the Titleist You Tube Channel. In the video, Jordan Speith shows how to set up and play the shot that you are looking for.

Here is the link below:

www.youtube.com/watch

I hope this helps! It's a great shot to pull off when needed and it impresses the heck out of your buddies when it is well executed. :-). There are lots of great instructional videos on the Titleist channel.

D.

Ahhh spin... it's a beautiful thing. First I would suggest that you ensure your grooves are sharp and clean. Dirty and dull grooves kill spin. Also be sure you're using a good ball. The ProV1 or 1x is perfect. Using a range ball is probably the worst thing you can do.
After that it's all about making sure you hit down on the ball and clip it clean. When I want to his a spinner I think of striking a match. You want the wedge to clip the ball with a good aggressive blow. Clean grooves, a good ball and a strong strike is really all you need.

Like others have said, play a softer ball (ProV1). Put the ball back in your stance, 70% of your weight on your front foot. Make a strong, descending blow to the ball, hitting the ball first, do not un-hinge your wrists through impact. You should get plenty of spin on the ball. Again, other factors to consider are your grooves and the softness of the greens, as well. Best of luck...