Spin

Spin in golf refers to the turning motion that a player imparts on the ball. This can mean either back spin where the ball is spinning back towards the player and will check up better on the greens, top spin where the ball is spinning away from the player and will be harder to stop or side spin where the ball spins either left or right. Because the golf swing is a downward strike and all clubs have loft built into them, nearly all golf shots will have some degree of backspin.
Spin Lessons
Spin Drills
Spin Tips
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Strike Close for More Spin
For sand shots, to control the distance of your shot and the spin on the ball, you can alter how close to the ball you enter the sand. The closer you hit to the ball and the less sand you take, the more spin you will get and the further the ball will fly. The more sand you take and the further you hit behind the ball, the less the ball will fly and the more the ball will release on the green.
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Play it Forward for Optimum Spin
Play the ball forward of the center of your stance. This will help control spin which in turn will result in more consistent distance. If you are varying where you play the ball in your stance you will be imparting backspin on some putts and top spin on others. Top spin is ideal. With backspin, the ball may skid at first slowing the initial velocity and overall, you will not get that good accelerating roll to the hole.
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Ball Position Affects Loft and Spin
With a bump and run you can play the ball at various points in your stance. There are no rules, only preferences. The further back of center you play it, the lower the ball will come out and the less backspin and roll you will get. Playing it forward of center will allow the ball to check up quicker and have less roll out. In most cases a middle ball position works fine and can even result in more consistent strikes.