The Spin Behind The Golf Ball

Golf ball spins are crucial performance factors of a ideal golf ball flight trajectory. In any ball game, the effects of spin will affect the outcome dramatically and hence many golfers seek to master the spin behind the golf ball.

You may have just started this sport or may be looking to enhance your performance by adding a little more control into your short game. Where you starting from does not matter because i will highlight to you how the golf ball spins can affect your golf performance.

Golf ball can spin in a variety of directions. In general, you can spin sideways, forward or backward. For golf, it is natural that many golfers look into back spin and side spin more than forward spin. Forward spin is being over looked due to a variety of reasons.

We watch in amazement as how golfers like Tiger Woods put in amazing back spin to control the golf ball to their liking. Let us first understand why these spins are crucial in allowing Tiger Woods to work the golf balls like nobody's business.

Golf spin generates lift through a difference in pressure by scooping air forward in the direction of the ball flight.

So what is back spin? Back spin is the rotation of the golf ball backwards after it is being hit by the club face. When a back spin is applied, the air is scooped towards the back of the golf ball creating a higher pressure below and a lower pressure above. This is what will generate lift and cause the ball to stay in the air for a longer time. This allows golfers to control the approach shots and gain additional distance off club face.

What about side spin? Side spin is normally generated because of off center hits on the golf ball. This will result in a slice or a hook and a dispersion off the intended direction. To enhance your performance, side spin needs to be minimized to get a straighter trajectory towards your target. The only reason why you will want to generate side spin is on purpose. Good golfers will put side spin to "work" the golf ball when they want to.

The reason why forward spin is normally overlooked is because it is of the technique and the lower golf ball flight it produces. To produce a forward spin, the grooves of the club face needs to hit the golf ball slightly above the equator. And the result would be a high pressure above the ball which would tunnel the golf ball downwards. End result is a loss of distance which might not be ideal for many situations.

Hence, by applying the correct type of spin, you can generate distance control and tweak your shots to improve your game flow and game play. It can only be more interesting the more you play golf.