How important is greenside spin in a golf ball?

[Wieskemp]

I'm not necessarily new to golf, but in my quest to get to scratch, I've started to investigate only playing one specific ball. I find my game has excessive spin off the tee (no roll out on my drives) and I find even hitting into the green on full shots I would be happier with less spin (especially PW/AW). I've tried making some changes to my swing by hitting up on it more, but I'm wondering if a lot of this could be solved with a more appropriate golf ball. 

My research has led me to believe less spin-off the driver and long shots typically equals less spin around the green (duh). This leads me to my question, how important is greenside spin? Obviously, the short game is critical to good golf, so I don't want to trade off one issue for another. That being said, I've never found that I've really wanted more spin around the green except in the rare shot where I'm hitting over an obstical or have short sided myself. 

Has anyone else gone through this? I'd love to get some thoughts so that I can make a decision on a ball for the season before all the buy 3 get 1 deals finish. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

What type of golfer are you in terms of spin? High, low, mid? 

I'm a high spin player especially with irons so I usually look to for low spin balls. However I play with plenty that need more spin.

Check out the new Callaway Chrome Tour X and new TP5 or Maxfli Tour series. All are new and could be your answer. Bridgestone would be the other that's a near must check out as they are know for providing spin!

[cnosil]

11 minutes ago, Wieskemp said:

I've started to investigate only playing one specific ball.

I find my game has excessive spin off the tee (no roll out on my drives) and I find even hitting into the green on full shots I would be happier with less spin (especially PW/AW). I've tried making some changes to my swing by hitting up on it more, but I'm wondering if a lot of this could be solved with a more appropriate golf ball. 

how important is greenside spin? Obviously, the short game is critical to good golf, so I don't want to trade off one issue for another. That being said, I've never found that I've really wanted more spin around the green except in the rare shot where I'm hitting over an obstical or have short sided myself. 

Has anyone else gone through this? 

My opinion on your questions/comments

1.  yes,  the general recommendation is player should play one specific model of ball for purposes of performance consistency.

2.  no roll out could be for multiple reasons such as too steep of a descent angle, soft ground, and possibly too much spin.   I doubt it would be too much spin.   How much spin are you getting off your driver?   Do you have launch monitor numbers?

3.  Greenside spin is specific to you.  Some players play more of a bump and run style so spin isn't that critical. others want more spin to have the ball check up quickly.   You could also use height to stop the ball instead of spin.    

 

What you are really looking for is ball fitting to find the appropriate ball.   Most recommendations are start with short game and make sure the ball does what you wand and then work back toward the green to make sure performance doesn't suffer.    

[TJ Hall]

I’ve had to try a variety of balls, but I generally look for green side control and go out from there.  I have not struggled with too much spin with woods/irons, generally if the ball works around the greens I have been happy with it.

[HBaum]

You didn't say what type of ball you play but you should play a 2 piece or three piece. I get roll out from my prov1 but when I play a prov1x I get too much rollout on the green.

[ShooterMaGavin2405]

Greensude spin is important to me. I am a mid spin player and love to have that bite around the green…especially with my short game. 

[Wieskemp]

Wow thanks for the feedback everyone! I'll try reply in order:

@GolfSpy_APH - I'm fairly confident I'm a high-spin player as well. I haven't done a ton of readings but my typical ball flight off my long clubs starts low and climbs up and seems to just drop out of the sky at the end. Being taller, I have a steeper angle of attack which from what I've read increases spin. For that reason I was looking at the new AVX or -ProV1x. 

@cnosil - Thanks for your feedback. I don't have a lot of spin numbers, but I did it once and the guy said my spin was very high. Unfortunately I live in Canada and it's too cold to start practicing around a green which is why I'm asking the question. 

@HBaum - I'm a little embarrassed to say, but up until now I would play any of the higher-tier balls, without realizing they were significantly different (eg. TP5 vs TP5x). I tried Kirkland for a bit but the casing would damage too easily on a full iron or driver swing. 

 

I guess as a follow-up question as well, how much of a difference would you say it would make? I've figured I've spent $200+ on a 2 iron I swing maybe 3 times a round, spending $200+ on golf balls for the year should be a good investment. 

[cnosil]

14 minutes ago, HBaum said:

You didn't say what type of ball you play but you should play a 2 piece or three piece. I get roll out from my prov1 but when I play a prov1x I get too much rollout on the green.

I think you mean 3, 4, or 5 piece golf balls;  2 piece are generally rubber core balls designed for distance and little spin.  

Surprised you get more spin from a ProV1 since the ProV1x is designed to be the higher spinning ball.

[cnosil]

1 minute ago, Wieskemp said:

Wow thanks for the feedback everyone! I'll try reply in order:

@GolfSpy_APH - I'm fairly confident I'm a high-spin player as well. I haven't done a ton of readings but my typical ball flight off my long clubs starts low and climbs up and seems to just drop out of the sky at the end. Being taller, I have a steeper angle of attack which from what I've read increases spin. For that reason I was looking at the new AVX or -ProV1x. 

@cnosil - Thanks for your feedback. I don't have a lot of spin numbers, but I did it once and the guy said my spin was very high. Unfortunately I live in Canada and it's too cold to start practicing around a green which is why I'm asking the question. 

@HBaum - I'm a little embarrassed to say, but up until now I would play any of the higher-tier balls, without realizing they were significantly different (eg. TP5 vs TP5x). I tried Kirkland for a bit but the casing would damage too easily on a full iron or driver swing. 

 

Based on your described ball flight,  you are probably a high spin player.    I'd stay away from ProV1x since it is a higher spinning ball;  AVX might be a good option.   Kirkland are really high spin balls.    I'd suggest looking at the link I added below and sort the tables by spin numbers and you can see how the various balls perform.   

https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guides/golf-balls/2023-golf-ball-test/

Where do you impact the ball on the driver face?   Low, high?  Lower on the face will increase spin.   

Unfortunately you are in a try it and see or guess what might  work kind of play since you don't have spin numbers or can't actually try balls yet. 

[RTH1]

Really depends on the shot you're trying to play...I need a ball that has enough spin around the greens to stop or run out depending on the shot I play. ProV1's work the best for me in that regard.

[HBaum]

31 minutes ago, HBaum said:

You didn't say what type of ball you play but you should play a 2 piece or three piece. I get roll out from my prov1 but when I play a prov1x I get too much rollout on the green.

 

[HBaum]

I would go with Vice then if your thinking of cost, I loose a lil distance off tee, maybe 15 yards but still excellent ball, and they have a test sleeve for u to see which ball u like.

[injectedcutty]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

What type of golfer are you in terms of spin? High, low, mid? 

I'm a high spin player especially with irons so I usually look to for low spin balls. However I play with plenty that need more spin.

Check out the new Callaway Chrome Tour X and new TP5 or Maxfli Tour series. All are new and could be your answer. Bridgestone would be the other that's a near must check out as they are know for providing spin!

I love the bridgestone tour BRX for my game. The spin version kicks my tail off the tee, but the B-RX fits well. In high school I always played Precept EV extra spin and I could spin the hell outta those balls! I'm a fan of the Maxfli balls as well. The ball lab tests really made me try them again and I usually keep some in my bag.

[chisag]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

Greenside spin is specific to you.  Some players play more of a bump and run style so spin isn't that critical. others want more spin to have the ball check up quickly.   You could also use height to stop the ball instead of spin.   

 

... Most really good players really want both. I used max spin in the soft midwest conditions but here in the desert I play more bump and runs than any other shot. But there are certainly times I need as much spin as I can get as well as other times when I need some spin but a little roll out. Obviously all 3 shots dictate a different technique, but a ball the spins too much or too little makes playing all 3 shots more difficult. 

... Not so much the ball but the idea is the same. When playing the Cobra challenge this summer, the Snake Bite wedges spun too much for my game. Kinda came to a head for me when I was in the rough, chipping downhill to a pin 8 feet from the fringe and sloping away from me so the play was a LW with plenty of spin landing in the fringe and let it release just a little, rolling out to the hole. I landed the ball where I wanted but was shocked when it stopped in the fringe like it landed in glue, jumping forward only about 1". I have never hit a ball from the rough into the fringe and had it stop dead like that. 

...  I don't think most will find much difference with say a Maxfli Tour X, a high spinning ball and the Maxfli Tour S, a lower spinning ball on a routine bump and run, but the difference would be very noticeable if they are short sided and trying to one hop and stop a pitch shot. So finding the ball that matches your short game is always a great idea.

[Josh Parker]

I personally want spin on greenside. I use a variety of shots around the green.  I just switched to the Maxfli Tour X and have been very happy with it. 

[Rob Person]

I generally play the Chrome soft triple track, it checks nicely on approach shots, and is pretty workable green side. Off the tee numbers remain average for me no matter what ball I hit. The new Chrome tours have a test going on, and I'm still waiting on trying those.  The srixon Q stars have my attention right now though. Better tee distance and flight. Green side they check well too

Hope you find your happy place in this all. There certainly is enough brands out there!

[Javs]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

What type of golfer are you in terms of spin? High, low, mid? 

I'm a high spin player especially with irons so I usually look to for low spin balls. However I play with plenty that need more spin.

Check out the new Callaway Chrome Tour X and new TP5 or Maxfli Tour series. All are new and could be your answer. Bridgestone would be the other that's a near must check out as they are know for providing spin!

I am right there with you. I don’t need help with spin. I have been told I could spin it on a parking lot. I always seek the lower spin premium balls. 

[PhilM75072]

14 hours ago, HBaum said:

I would go with Vice then if your thinking of cost, I loose a lil distance off tee, maybe 15 yards but still excellent ball, and they have a test sleeve for u to see which ball u like.

Which model of Vice balls are you referring to? The MGS ball test and my own experience being a "slow" swing speed player is that the Vice Pro and Pro Plus are tow of the longest balls for me.

 

I'm no ball expert, but I thought the purpose of multi-layer balls is to provide the best of both worlds. The "core" is what drives the distance for drivers and longer clubs, and the cover dictates spin on those short shots around the green. Am I wrong in that understanding? Finding and using a ball that best suits one's game usually tends to be somewhat of a compromise that depends ultimately on one's performance preference.

[RickyBobby_PR]

19 hours ago, Wieskemp said:

I'm fairly confident I'm a high-spin player as well. I haven't done a ton of readings but my typical ball flight off my long clubs starts low and climbs up and seems to just drop out of the sky at the end. Being taller, I have a steeper angle of attack which from what I've read increases spin. For that reason I was looking at the new AVX or -ProV1x. 

Aoa and spin aren’t necessarily related and the most part it’s not the cause for spin. Spray you club face with foot powder spray and see where you are contacting the face. If you are getting lots of spin it’s from too much dynamic loft, low on the face (combo of those two), swing path and even with a mid 3 hdcp can happen. I’ve seen several swings on another forum from similar hdcp and lower that have path issues.

Also search diy driver tuneup and use that to fix spin.

To the question it depends on the shots you are trying to play but you want a ball that will react to the shot you are trying to hit and to have it do it consistently.

[lukafred]

On 3/10/2024 at 1:54 AM, Wieskemp said:

I'm not necessarily new to golf, but in my quest to get to scratch, I've started to investigate only playing one specific ball. I find my game has excessive spin off the tee (no roll out on my drives) and I find even hitting into the green on full shots I would be happier with less spin (especially PW/AW). I've tried making some changes to my swing by hitting up on it more, but I'm wondering if a lot of this could be solved with a more appropriate golf ball. 

My research has led me to believe less spin-off the driver and long shots typically equals less spin around the green (duh). This leads me to my question, how important is greenside spin? Obviously, the short game is critical to good golf, so I don't want to trade off one issue for another Arlington Junk Removal. That being said, I've never found that I've really wanted more spin around the green except in the rare shot where I'm hitting over an obstical or have short sided myself. 

Has anyone else gone through this? I'd love to get some thoughts so that I can make a decision on a ball for the season before all the buy 3 get 1 deals finish. 

I've been pondering greenside spin and its importance for my game. I look back at last summer when I played the e6 the majority of the time and my short game was my strength. I knew what the ball would do and I played for it. To me, short game is good technique mixed with feel. It's not how much the ball is going to spin. I just want to know what the ball is going to do so I can visualize it in my head before the shot. I can honestly say that playing an harder covered ball never negatively affected my green side game. The plus side was that I had the benefit of using a ball that 1) I could compress well 2) limited side spin 3) got the most distance from. The one negative was that, when the greens were very firm, I could over run greens with a long iron or hybrd, but I think that's an easy adjustment as well. I never had an issue stopping the ball quickly with a scoring iron or wedge. I see people make comments that a harder covered ball would make it too hard for them to score and I just wonder if that's based on reality or on perception and marketing. Especially when that spin that is so sought after may be hurting their ability to get to the green.

[GolfSpy_APH]

Going to add that even though I spin on irons I don't rely on spin as much around the greens. My normal view or vision has a decent amount of rollout and I look for those types of shots. I worry more about spin off the tee and with full swings. 

[Mike10487]

On 3/9/2024 at 3:54 PM, Wieskemp said:

I'm not necessarily new to golf, but in my quest to get to scratch, I've started to investigate only playing one specific ball. I find my game has excessive spin off the tee (no roll out on my drives) and I find even hitting into the green on full shots I would be happier with less spin (especially PW/AW). I've tried making some changes to my swing by hitting up on it more, but I'm wondering if a lot of this could be solved with a more appropriate golf ball. 

My research has led me to believe less spin-off the driver and long shots typically equals less spin around the green (duh). This leads me to my question, how important is greenside spin? Obviously, the short game is critical to good golf, so I don't want to trade off one issue for another. That being said, I've never found that I've really wanted more spin around the green except in the rare shot where I'm hitting over an obstical or have short sided myself. 

Has anyone else gone through this? I'd love to get some thoughts so that I can make a decision on a ball for the season before all the buy 3 get 1 deals finish. 

Up until a few years ago I never heard about greenside spin being calculated and advertised. Green side spin is overrated due to the fact that you can get it close with near zero spin. Driver spin is the most important spin number IMO, especially side spin. Most of your premium ball lower spin options would probably work for you. I have played Titleist Pro V1 & AVX, Callaway CS LX Chrome tour, Srixon and Bridgestone. All of those are good options but, I've settled into the Maxfli Tour. 

[CB Lobo 4 Life]

Alright, I have seen this subject come up a few times in my email and I can't help but comment. For me, the greenside spin will honestly make or break me using that particular golf ball. This was the entire reason I refused to play both the Callaway Chromesoft LS & the Pro V1x. Sure, I can hit bombs with my other clubs but I love to play around with my wedges around the green and if those balls aren't going to check from most lies then I toss it. 

[WiTerp50]

On 3/9/2024 at 3:33 PM, Wieskemp said:

Wow thanks for the feedback everyone! I'll try reply in order:

@GolfSpy_APH - I'm fairly confident I'm a high-spin player as well. I haven't done a ton of readings but my typical ball flight off my long clubs starts low and climbs up and seems to just drop out of the sky at the end. Being taller, I have a steeper angle of attack which from what I've read increases spin. For that reason I was looking at the new AVX or -ProV1x. 

@cnosil - Thanks for your feedback. I don't have a lot of spin numbers, but I did it once and the guy said my spin was very high. Unfortunately I live in Canada and it's too cold to start practicing around a green which is why I'm asking the question. 

@HBaum - I'm a little embarrassed to say, but up until now I would play any of the higher-tier balls, without realizing they were significantly different (eg. TP5 vs TP5x). I tried Kirkland for a bit but the casing would damage too easily on a full iron or driver swing. 

 

I guess as a follow-up question as well, how much of a difference would you say it would make? I've figured I've spent $200+ on a 2 iron I swing maybe 3 times a round, spending $200+ on golf balls for the year should be a good investment. 

If the goal is a scratch golfer, a commitment to a single ball is key but not the only piece. Course management to handle shots from the rough to hard pan fairways to landing on soft or firm greens either running up or away from you require controlling spin. Knowing how the ball will react is needed. This is where working with a coach and getting wedges appropriate to your swing will be needed as well. Nothing wrong with a casual commitment that is different from a goal of scratch. 

[TJ Hall]

1 hour ago, CB Lobo 4 Life said:

Alright, I have seen this subject come up a few times in my email and I can't help but comment. For me, the greenside spin will honestly make or break me using that particular golf ball. This was the entire reason I refused to play both the Callaway Chromesoft LS & the Pro V1x. Sure, I can hit bombs with my other clubs but I love to play around with my wedges around the green and if those balls aren't going to check from most lies then I toss it. 

I’m with you on this.  For a particular ball to work for me, need to feel like I can have control of the ball and hit a variety of shots around the green.

In the first ball test I did, started with putting (indoor and outdoor) and then moved to work around the green.

[Wieskemp]

22 minutes ago, WiTerp50 said:

If the goal is a scratch golfer, a commitment to a single ball is key but not the only piece. Course management to handle shots from the rough to hard pan fairways to landing on soft or firm greens either running up or away from you require controlling spin. Knowing how the ball will react is needed. This is where working with a coach and getting wedges appropriate to your swing will be needed as well. Nothing wrong with a casual commitment that is different from a goal of scratch. 

I appreciate that there's a lot that goes into becoming a scratch golfer, but it's also different for each person. Based on my game, I find excessive spin on the driver and long irons make the ball harder to control and prevent any roll. On my short irons, I have issues with having to land the ball past the pin or risk spinning off the green, which becomes a problem if the pin is at the back of green. By having more moderate spin on my ball, I'm confident I'll hit straighter long shots, and will be able to attack more pins. Also having a consistent ball will give more confidence and reliability when hitting these shots. 

 

Regarding the coaching/wedges, again I think this is dependent on the golfer and what works for them. I like to hang around golfers that are better than me, asking them questions and critiquing my game, and then working on them at my own pace. Over the past three years, I have consistently dropped my handicap from 10 to 7.8 to 3.4 and so I'm getting results, it's just a matter of continuing to target my weaknesses and improve them. This might not work for others, but I have found success with it. 

[chisag]

11 hours ago, lukafred said:

I never had an issue stopping the ball quickly with a scoring iron or wedge. I see people make comments that a harder covered ball would make it too hard for them to score and I just wonder if that's based on reality or on perception and marketing. Especially when that spin that is so sought after may be hurting their ability to get to the green.

 

... If you want to be the best player you can be, you need to master all elements of the short game. And long game. Having played Balata balls where they spun like crazy around the green, off the tee and every shot in-between, the modern ball is almost a miracle. They spin less off the tee and more around the greens. Some more or less than others and that's where the choice comes in.

... So yes, the construction makes a big difference. When you consider according to the MGS ball test the TP5 spins at 5985 on a 35 yd wedge shot, it is gonna check up much more than the Duo Soft spinning at 3542. For those math challenged that is a difference of 2,443 rpms. So there is your reality. But off the tee the TP5 spins at 2908 and the Duo Soft at 2422 so a difference of 486 and nothing like the short game. I would add where you play makes a huge difference as well. Spin can be radically different on lush, soft constantly rained on or watered greens in the Midwest where deep ball marks can happen with a pitch shot and hard fast greens in AZ where you won't even see a ball mark after a very aggressive spinning pitch.  

... Here is the thing. You may play predominantly bump and run around the green and the Duo Soft or TP5 wont make a lot of difference, but there will be times when you need to stop the ball as quickly as possible and I see many Am's unable to do this. Partly technique but technique doesn't matter as much with a low spin hard cover ball so maybe a chicken or egg scenario. The amount of times I have demonstrated this to Am partners that wonder how I stop the ball so quickly is far too many to count. Hit an aggressive pitch from 10 feet off the green and over a bunker to a middle pin that flys most of the way there, hops and slams on the brakes, then hit their hard covered low spin surlyn ball and the exact same shot flys most of the way there, hops and hops again and rolls out another 8 feet. 

... The beauty of this game is there are so many ways to play if your goal isn't to become a Scratch Player if you have little to no practice and play once a week or less. Nothing wrong with bump and running everything around the green even if it means you can't stop it close to the pin because that shot has much less room for error than an aggressive chip that hops and stops but is prone to fat and thin or even blade'ed shots if you don't practice. As I have said, figuring out what works best for you when it comes to the short game is extremely valuable and it would benefit most to try different balls and find out what works best for their unique short game. 
 

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, WiTerp50 said:

If the goal is a scratch golfer, a commitment to a single ball is key but not the only piece. Course management to handle shots from the rough to hard pan fairways to landing on soft or firm greens either running up or away from you require controlling spin. Knowing how the ball will react is needed. This is where working with a coach and getting wedges appropriate to your swing will be needed as well. Nothing wrong with a casual commitment that is different from a goal of scratch. 

I am familiar with a couple golfers who got to scratch with no lessons and played with one guy who also never took lessons. He’s the one that taught me things about the game when I first started playing.

It’s different for everyone and even those taking lessons may never really improve their scores below a certain point to include remaining a mid to high handicap.

 

[BMart519]

4 hours ago, Wieskemp said:

I appreciate that there's a lot that goes into becoming a scratch golfer, but it's also different for each person. Based on my game, I find excessive spin on the driver and long irons make the ball harder to control and prevent any roll. On my short irons, I have issues with having to land the ball past the pin or risk spinning off the green, which becomes a problem if the pin is at the back of green. By having more moderate spin on my ball, I'm confident I'll hit straighter long shots, and will be able to attack more pins. Also having a consistent ball will give more confidence and reliability when hitting these shots. 

Try the AVX and see how it performs. The TM Tour Response is even lower spinning and could work if your swing speed is under 110MPH with driver (Pro V1X left dash works good for high speeds and warm temps). The 2021 Ball Test had interesting results from the previous generation Z-Star if you can find some. It was similar in spin to the AVX off driver/irons but spin on the 55 yard wedge shot it was around middle of the pack with the Pro V1. 

Also depends on the strengths and weaknesses of your game. If short game is a weakness, picking a ball to help there is probably a poor strategy vs something that will benefit all of your full swing shots. 

[Wieskemp]

1 minute ago, BMart519 said:

Try the AVX and see how it performs. The TM Tour Response is even lower spinning and could work if your swing speed is under 110MPH with driver (Pro V1X left dash works good for high speeds and warm temps). The 2021 Ball Test had interesting results from the previous generation Z-Star if you can find some. It was similar in spin to the AVX off driver/irons but spin on the 55 yard wedge shot it was around middle of the pack with the Pro V1. 

Also depends on the strengths and weaknesses of your game. If short game is a weakness, picking a ball to help there is probably a poor strategy vs something that will benefit all of your full swing shots. 

Where do you find how something responds to different swing speeds? I'm leaning towards the AVX as you mentioned but my driver is typically ~120mph, so I'm not sure if a firmer ball like the left dash would work better for it.