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.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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