Too much spin?

[Wedgie]

Played yesterday and backed up a Z Star about 5 feet playing an uphill, down wind par 3. Granted the greens were a bit soft but should I be backing up an 8 iron or is that too much spin? For reference I usually play 2 piece balls that hop and stop and they never back up. My concern is I’m losing distance and lots of it.

 

 

 

 

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[GB13]

First off, the requisite stupid question; did you notice any distance loss?

Second, if you can get some time on a LM, you can try different balls to see the difference in spin and distance and decide what gives you the combination you want.  

Also, I'd usually take the ball I like best on and around the greens, even if I lose a little distance. I can lower my scores more with better green side control, than with 5 extra yards. 

[Wedgie]

First off, the requisite stupid question; did you notice any distance loss?

Second, if you can get some time on a LM, you can try different balls to see the difference in spin and distance and decide what gives you the combination you want.  

Also, I'd usually take the ball I like best on and around the greens, even if I lose a little distance. I can lower my scores more with better green side control, than with 5 extra yards. 

 

Yeah, sorry, I didn’t want to bore everyone with details. I played 5 balls on that hole. 3 Optix Duo Soft, 1 Top Flite D2+ Feel and the Z Star. I kept hitting balls because they all came up way short. The 4 cheap balls were one hop and stop. They all landed on the green with in 10 feet of each other but about 10 yards shorter than what I would have thought.

 

 

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[puttingpirate]

It's soft greens. I played yesterday and the greens were so soft that my balls would move 15-20ft back. When usually they stop within a foot from the pitch mark. I wouldn't worry about it.

[perseveringgolfer]

3 hours ago, puttingpirate said:

It's soft greens. I played yesterday and the greens were so soft that my balls would move 15-20ft back. When usually they stop within a foot from the pitch mark. I wouldn't worry about it.

^^^^ This.

You can back up a 3 iron more than 5 feet on some greens here when they are very soft.

As PP said, don't worry about it. You're on the green as you wanted- be happy.

[revkev]

I wouldn't even begin to consider distance while playing outdoors in Rhode Island in February.  It's colder than summer, you'll loose some distance for that, where the ball is landing is wet, you'll loose some distance from that, where you're hitting from is wet, you'll loose some distance from that.

Glad you got out to play - I always loved when I could sneak out during the winter when I lived up north - it felt like I was stealing!

[PlaidJacket]

Personally I've found; it seems anyway, that firmer greens can make a ball continue spinning - biting more. Or perhaps not dissipating the spin as much. I'm not really a spinner per se'.  But don't softer greens absorb the impact more therefore reducing spin? Beats me.

[puttingpirate]

5 hours ago, PlaidJacket said:

Personally I've found; it seems anyway, that firmer greens can make a ball continue spinning - biting more. Or perhaps not dissipating the spin as much. I'm not really a spinner per se'.  But don't softer greens absorb the impact more therefore reducing spin? Beats me.

It’s the other way around. On a soft green the ball -bites- more into the green and spins a lot more. On a firm one it bounces and while in the air it looses spin and usually bites on the second jump.

[PlaidJacket]

14 minutes ago, puttingpirate said:

It’s the other way around. On a soft green the ball -bites- more into the green and spins a lot more. On a firm one it bounces and while in the air it looses spin and usually bites on the second jump.

I suppose that's what I'm thinking about. I much prefer a firm green as oppose to soft or spongy ones.