Instruction
How to hit the low spinner
One of the most frequent questions I get about the short game is how to hit the low spinner — you know, the one that hits the green, takes one big hop and stops. It is the only shot amateur golfers seem to want as much as a 300-yard drive, and there’s good news. Unlike a 300-yard drive, the low spinner is a shot that most golfers can actually learn to hit.
To pull it off, you need to know how to hit the shot and why it flies the way it does. To show you both, I’ve used a tool called BodiTrak’s Balance System that will show you where my weight and center of pressure was during the swing. I’ve also used my Trackman, so you’ll be able to see what the ball was doing as well.
As you might be able to see in the image above (click to enlarge it if you can’t), I’ve altered my normal set up for this shot.
- The ball is a touch back in my stance.
- My spine is more centered at address, and it’s not as tilted to the right as it would be for a normal shot.
- My hands are a touch more forward than normal, but not so much that would make the shoulders point too far to the left.
- My weight is 55 percent on my front foot.
From here I make my normal backswing. Please note a few things at the top.
- The arms are around chest-to-shoulder high. This ensures that I will move from “short to long” and accelerate through the ball.
- My head has stayed centered to the top (look at the photos on the wall behind me). I don’t want it to move forward or backward in route to the top because that can cause a faulty pivot motion on the way down.
- The rear leg knee has straightened a touch, which has caused the forward leg to bend toward the ball. This helps the weight stay on the forward foot during the backswing.
- Most of my weight (77 percent) is on the front portion of my left foot at the top, not the heel. As you can see above, 67 percent of the weight on my front foot is on my toe while 33 percent is on my heel. If you are too “heel heavy” at this point, you will have a tendency to swing too much out to in on the downswing.
Here’s how you should transition into impact to hit the low spinner.
Note: I have left the double frame in the photo on purpose so you can see what the shaft lean was before impact as well as just past impact.
- My head has not moved backward through impact — if anything it has slid a touch forward. Be careful with head motion, as this side-to-side motion can alter your low point at impact.
- My head, sternum, zipper and hands are all “stacked” at impact. This shows that everything has and is moving together through the downswing.
- Before impact, the shaft is lagging behind the hands and through impact it is leaning forward. That delofts the club as it hits the ball.
- As my left leg begins to straighten through impact, the weight is moved back toward the heel of my front foot — 61 percent heel vs. 39 percent toe. Your weight will naturally do this, but if you keep moving into your left toe through impact you will tend to have legs that are too “soft” through impact and that will alter your low point.
- I have a touch more weight on my left foot at impact (84 percent) than I did at the top (77 percent). This is due to my head moving slightly toward the target on the downswing.
Let’s examine the Trackman data for the shot above so we can see how our different pivot motion alters our impact relationships.
Note: For example purposes I really flighted this wedge down so you could understand how it’s done — thus the extreme numbers.
- When hitting these shots it’s your goal to NOT hit downward too much. You just want to “bruise” the turf as my buddy Andrew Rice says. Just hitting down more will NOT increase spin.
- My dynamic loft is 32.1 degrees at impact, showing that I have delofted my wedge from its normal loft of 54 degrees. Some of this is due to me hitting the shot low on the face, which through vertical gear effect lowers my loft even more at impact.
- The ball is launching at a very low 19.2 degrees, creating the desired low, penetrating ball flight. It’s height of 21.4 feet. The normal launch for a 54 degree wedge is somewhere around 28 degrees with a height of 75 feet for the average amateur.
- On this shot, which carried 60 yards, we have created a spin rate of 8187 rpm. That’s enough to stop this ball after a hop or so on the green.
The first time you do this, it probably won’t work like you want it to. Why? It’s all about your pivot and its control of your dynamic loft during impact. If you have a faulty pivot, as we’ll see below, your Trackman numbers will suffer.
Here is the correct top position we described earlier. We saw that the key to spin was to keep the weight forward so the low point was in the right place — then you can deloft the club without hitting the ball fat. Below is what I usually see when people struggle with this shot.
- The head has fallen backward as the weight moves into the rear foot from the top. I had 77 percent of my weight on my forward foot at the top, but now 54 percent of my weight has gone to my rear foot.
- When your weight moves from the forward foot to the rear foot, it will tend to move your low point backward as well.
- The right shoulder has moved too much “downward” as the weight fell back, moving the low point even farther backward.
- So what’s the net effect of this faulty pivot? In an effort not to hit behind the ball, the players will “throw” their hands into impact and as in the double-frame screenshot a few photos above. You can see the shaft pass the hands, which adds loft raising the ball’s launch and reduces spin.
Let’s look at the Trackman numbers on this swing.
- Together the faulty pivot and the throwing of the hands caused the dynamic loft to go up from our earlier (extreme) example of 32.1 degrees to 46 degrees.
- With Angle of Attack being constant between the two shots, a dynamic loft of 46 degrees will raise the launch angle from 19.2 degrees to 35.2 degrees giving us a higher ball flight at almost 40 feet.
- When your dynamic loft goes up at a certain point the ball will begin to “slip” up the face on your wedge shots. This loss of friction lowers your spin rate as you can see above.
- This loss of dynamic loft and friction will hamper your ability to flight the ball down with spin. This shot above will come out higher and tend to roll out more.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Dan H
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:17 pm
Here’s a cool video with a study on it comparing a new wedge to a one year old wedge using Trackman numbers: https://youtu.be/PeOboLZcUuY
manlong
Sep 15, 2015 at 3:01 am
Nice article, now I understand why I can do the check, hop and stop….thanks Tom. I do not have all the equipment’s necessary for this test so I do not know how I can do this without learning all the techniques. At least I can direct my flight buddies to this article to understand it more.
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Mike
Jan 7, 2015 at 11:11 pm
Please explain how “hitting the shot low on the face which through vertical gear effect lowers the loft even more”
E.G. than hitting it in the middle of the face.
Thanks,
Mike
“My dynamic loft is 32.1 degrees at impact, showing that I have delofted my wedge from its normal loft of 54 degrees. Some of this is due to me hitting the shot low on the face, which through vertical gear effect lowers my loft even more at impact.”
Neil Murphy
Dec 19, 2014 at 7:52 pm
Great article Tom. I have the same setup using a Boditrak mat and TM. More articles correlating the two would be really good.
Can I just clarify something? Did you use the bounce of the club or the leading edge when hitting the low spinning wedge?
KK
Dec 13, 2014 at 1:45 am
I have to agree with the others, a short summary paragraph at the end would have been nice.
Ty
Dec 14, 2014 at 10:11 am
Guys, cmon…
Why are you on this forum? TO learn and get better. Typically people on this site are taking a bigger interest in the game of golf and everything that goes along with it. So why are we never satisfied with FREE write-ups that people take a lot of time to put up. This was a well written article that if you take the time to read it, will appreciate. Like the shot he is describing if you don’t take the time and want the quick fix, you might pull it off now and again….orrrrr you could read, re-read, and re-read again if necessary to actually understand all that goes behind making this shot possible so that in your practice (this is required) you can consistenly pull this shot off and add it to your bag of tricks.
In summary, read the whole articles, practice, and enjoy your new skills.
Thanks Tom!
Tom Stickney
Dec 17, 2014 at 1:01 am
Thx ty
muckleskelp
Dec 30, 2014 at 2:52 pm
Well said
Tom Stickney
Dec 14, 2014 at 8:19 pm
Next time.
Adam
Dec 12, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Look all you haters. Tom took the time to write a piece on how to skip/check a shot using science and tools to collect
and show that data. If you don’t like or understand what he said I’m sure he’d be willing to break it down without
people bashing him.
Tom Stickney
Dec 13, 2014 at 12:23 am
Thx Adam
MarkC
Dec 10, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Tom, great article, interesting tool, the BodiTrak’s Balance System. Very insightful data from it. I tried to work on this shot towards the end of last season and now I will focus more on where my weight is. But I also ended up digging the deep trench. Any tips on what I can do to get rid of that digging?
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 5:56 pm
Marc–try to sweep it a touch more. It’s hard to do while leaning the shaft forward but it’s necessary
Shortgame85
Dec 10, 2014 at 9:34 am
This is a great and helpful article, very well written. The funny thing is, I have executed this shot by accident several times. Now, thanks to this excellent explanation, I can practice this shot with deliberation. I can’t wait for it to warm up a little so I can get to work!
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 9:55 am
Thx sg
Science Nerd
Dec 10, 2014 at 8:01 am
Tom, Thanks for the instruction and data to show how certain shots “work.” Question: Someone posted a comment about the first shot appearing to roll out more than the second shot. Do devices like Trackman, Flightscope, et al accurately portray how a golf ball will act when it hits the green? I tend to think not as all of the monitors I have hit on (the ones at golfsmith, golf galaxy) shows tons of roll out on mid irons when I tend to see very little to none on the course in real life. -Doc Todd
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 9:56 am
Science– the rollout is based on PGA tour firmness fairways. I only look at the carry, landing angle, and spin.
Nathan
Dec 10, 2014 at 4:50 am
I figured how to do this shot repeatably not so long ago.
New wedge
New 2015 prov1 ball.
2 weeks practice total of 10 hours
Even delicate shots, and all the way to half swing, low and one hop and stop.
Simple.
I think it’s the ball dude!
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 9:57 am
Nathan. Ball is key.
Ben
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:14 am
Agreed. Trying to hit this shot with a Top Flight or a Pinacle probably won’t work.
tom stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:35 pm
Ben– if you could spin those back we’d all be impressed! 🙂
Rod
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:14 am
I’m sure this is a great article, if I could comprehend it. That’s no disrespect to the author more about myself. As an enthusiastic but unaccomplished weekend golfer I would appreciate more pearls of wisdom about having as solid a game as most leisure golfers can expect. A high number of golfers take up the game in middle to later years and don’t have the physique, coordination, finances, etc but still want to enjoy their golf to a reasonable standard. Breaking 90 for example would be a great target for many. How can we achieve that given all our limitations would be a reasonable starting point.
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 9:58 am
Rod. It’s a tough game but fun.
Ben
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:13 am
Golf is not a game you can get better at without meaningful practice. The pearls of wisdom are no mystery. Take lessons and practice what you’ve been taught on the range.
Scoring is in your short game. Spend at least %50 of your practice time chipping and putting not just banging balls on the driving range with your driver.
butette
Dec 9, 2014 at 11:52 pm
The Trackman pictures look to me like it tells a different story. The second shot has less roll out than the first shot which is supposed to check/spin more.
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 9:59 am
But– the spinner shot was hit extra low to show the difference. Not 100% accurate. Roll out on tm based on PGA tour fairways not greens.
Naru
Dec 9, 2014 at 10:53 pm
>Tom, thank you for the excellent article. I’ve been wondering for LONG time how PGA Tour players hit the low approach shot that stops after one hop on the green. It was fascinating when I first saw tour players routinely practice this shot from 45~60 yards off the green during practice rounds.
**2 Questions**
1) Is gap wedge (51~54 degrees) the ideal club to hit, producing the most spin rate and keeping low trajectory?
2) Do you keep the follow through the same length as the backswing, or abbeviated?
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:00 am
Naru– thx. 54 is usually better. I go short to long.
golfiend
Dec 9, 2014 at 10:35 pm
I think there will be a backlash against trackman among amateurs in the near future. Many things can be learned from ball flight and also how the ball reacts when hitting the green. If you’re flipping and trying to help the ball up, the ball is not going to bounce and check. Learn the technique on how the clubhead hits down on the ball — weight on leading leg/foot, shaft lean with hands in front of clubhead with a flat left wrist. Sounds simple doesn’t it. Not so easy to execute, but keep experimenting until the light bulb turns on.
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:01 am
Golf- tm is only a tool not the dictator
Gus
Dec 9, 2014 at 10:22 pm
Lovin the Furyk pic. Dude’s an underrated master of spin and short game
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:01 am
Gus– he’s unreal
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golfwb
Dec 9, 2014 at 9:53 pm
Why are you guys complaining?
It’s a hard shot, lots of factors go into it.
If y’all continue to complain, I’m sure Tom would have no problem never writing a piece again.
If you really want to learn how to hit the shot, when his suggestions are “wrong”, how about you actually pay for a lesson.
I’m younger than most of you posting and I can honestly say, grow up.
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:01 am
Golf– thx
Earl
Dec 9, 2014 at 9:27 pm
Nothing like snark and arrogance from a teaching pro. If you took the time to write the piece, answer them in a professional manner. But then again, no one here is paying you $100 for a lesson.
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:04 am
Earl– everything is inside the article. Just takes time to digest. Some of my articles are deeper than others; I write for all levels. Grow tired of people who want to skim the article and go…this is not one if those pieces. Hence the snarky comment. You are correct. I shouldn’t have reacted that way. Thx
Earl
Dec 10, 2014 at 12:15 pm
Thank you for the response
tom stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:36 pm
My pleasure sir
Doug Williams
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:43 pm
Way over my head, too! Never seen a Trackman and really don’t have an appreciation about spin and what it means. Or, if I were to be exposed to one – I don’t think I have a clue what the data means. I always enjoy your articles, but I guess it’s like when my daughters talk about the latest app for their smartphone – I just can’t relate.
Tom Stickney
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:46 pm
Guys…come on…look at the photos…keep your weight forward so you hit the gound in the correct place and lean the shaft a touch forward at impact without digging a trench. That’s it.
WILSON
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:51 pm
then why didn’t you just write that?
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:04 am
Wil– I did.
WILSON
Dec 12, 2014 at 5:08 pm
Tom, You’re the man. That is all, Carry on.
Jeremy
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:54 pm
Tom, I’m a busy man, I don’t have time for all your fancy egghead data. Just, please, in 10 words or less, teach me how to win a major. Kthxbye.
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:05 am
Jer- then skip it.
Tom Stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 10:06 am
Jer– sorry hit the button…wrong reply! Shoot a really low score! 🙂
cb
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:22 pm
love your articles as usual tom. quick question about the weight. is their a drill or tool that a person can use at home or on the range to really feel where the weight is? unfortunately the closest place with a balance board, like the one you’re using, is not really close to me. i know from my past experience with balance boards, that after looking at the info its interesting to see where your weight actually is despite where you thought it was.
Tom Stickney
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:47 pm
Try a slight downhill lie to feel what I’m describing.
Eagle006
Dec 9, 2014 at 7:42 pm
Got to agree with the above comment, information overload for me I’m afraid. Tom, I enjoy your articles on here, but in this case the Boditrack stuff offers me very little of any practical use and just confuses the issue if anything. As suggested, some simple set up and swing keys to this would have been much better.
Tom Stickney
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:07 pm
Eagle- how can a tool that shows weight not help you?
Jeremy
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:51 pm
There are no simple fixes. This is an advanced shot. It’s a lot of information and very helpful for those who know how to use it.
tom stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:37 pm
jer–thanks…written for the ones who want to know the how and why
nikkyd
Dec 9, 2014 at 6:59 pm
Ok tom. Now the gear effect of the clubface actually tilting or de lofting makes absolute sense, but how does a wedge shaft make a difference in this shot? Softer tipped shaft or what? I play 37″ x100s in my wedges and cannot seem to keep the ball down. With the stock s flex shafts i could actually feel the face “folding over” , now my wedges are like rebar. But i guess i like that feel. So long story short, does the shaft flex affect this shot more or less?
Tom Stickney
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:06 pm
Nik– I would assume yes, but that’s not my expertise.
nikkyd
Dec 9, 2014 at 9:19 pm
Fair enough! Thank you for an honest answer mr. Stickney
tom stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Contact Scott Felix at Felix Clubworks at Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville, Tennessee he’s my go to guy on club stuff- he’ll know
Mikec
Dec 9, 2014 at 6:54 pm
Way too much scientific info and detail to consume for the avg weekend player. How about breaking it down in to no more than 4 simple steps, if you were teaching the shot. The info is all in there, but way too long a read. Good for the gear-heads, but how about a conclusion/take-away tips?
Tom Stickney
Dec 9, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Mike- not for the average player.
Derek
Dec 10, 2014 at 12:08 am
This and all the other comments like this baffle me.
You clearly did not read the article.
You don’t need to be a science expert or trackman genius to understand what Tom is saying. Frankly, I’ve never seen or used either of the machines he mentioned HOWEVER he does very clearly state that to achieve this shot you need to ensure you have a majority of your weight on your LEADING foot while maintaining some shaft lean and not taking too large of a divot – more “brusing” the ground as he describes.
He also teaches you how to make a manageable backswing to achieve this shot. Morevoer he also mentions that this shot isn’t for the faint of heart.
If you did not understand it the first time, maybe try re-reading it. This article was actually quite well written. The only missing piece of information was what club he used but he was clearly using some kind of wedge (Gap or PW) based on the distance…
Try taking some responsibility in the information being provided to you by a person under no obligation to teach you anything.
Well don Tom.
Mikec
Dec 10, 2014 at 12:12 pm
I did read the article.
I know the shot and hit the shot (used to be a real staple in my bag, got away from me a bit) and am a single digit cap.
My only point was for me (and I know it’s all choice, “don’t read the article”) is that I like Tom’s stuff and was excited to read about the shot, and then found it a frustrating read as it was like a puzzle to get all the bits out of how to hit the shot. There was no wrap or conclusion/take-away/sum-up of keys to how to hit the shot.As I said, it’s all in there, but it takes a long time to piece together with a lot of charts/a technical data/numbers, that I am not really interested in. That’s all. I have a right to comment about what I thought of the piece. This is why I love WRX, as you would never see an article that detailed in GolfDigest, all I am saying, is for the lesser gear-heads (me), but still proficient players (8 cap), give me a “wrap-up” in layman’s terms.
tom stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:40 pm
mikec- keep your weight left, lean the shaft forward, bruise the ground, and it will fly lower with more spin. Enjoy
Mikec
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:42 pm
Thanks Tom!
tom stickney
Dec 10, 2014 at 1:39 pm
der– thank you sir…at the bottom of the trackman screens in the article it lists the club used…should have mentioned it