Will Zalatoris has 2 keys for generating backspin

Anytime I watch a PGA event, I always marvel at the ball control these guys have. While a mid-handicapper like myself just tries to hit good shots consistently, pros not only have the skill to do so, but they have the ability to flight or spin the ball on command, which helps them get closer to the pin on approach and wedge shots.

Approach Shots

One of the more common skills of great players is putting backspin on the ball, which isn’t something an average golfer can usually do successfully.

We’ve all seen the shot that lands towards the back of the green and spins back toward the pin, almost as if the player yanked a string to get the ball to settle near the cup. It’s just remarkable to watch.

So what’s the key to executing such a shot? In the video below (courtesy of Titleist’s YouTube channel), one-time PGA Tour winner Will Zalatoris reveals his two rules to do so. Check out his tips and see if they help you put backspin on the ball like a pro does.

2 rules for backspin, per Will Zalatoris

While putting backspin (or any spin, for that matter) on the ball is fun to try, it’s important to understand that there’s a time and place to try it.

“This is kind of situational, since everyone’s always asking Tour players how to get spin,” Zalatoris says.

With that in mind, Zalatoris says the two biggest rules to spin it like the pros are simple: Fresh grooves and keeping the ball on the clubface for as long as possible.

Short Game

“Rule number one, you’ve got to have fresh grooves,” he says. “Fresh grooves create more spin, clean grooves create even more spin, and then from there, it’s also lie and shot dependent.”

Zalatoris then explains how he would spin the golf ball, providing his adjustments.

“If I’m going to try and spin the ball as much as I possibly can from a fairly basic lie, I get my hands a little bit higher, I stand just a hair closer to [the ball], then I’m trying to keep the ball on the face as long as I possibly can — so I’m actually not going to hit down on it very hard, I’m trying to keep this club as low to the ground as possible.”

So on an approach shot from about 50 yards, Zalatoris would do the following.

“Hands would be just a hair higher, and I’m not trying to feel a lot of wrist hinge,” he says. “If the club stays horizontal to the ground and the ball stays on the face, now we’re creating a bunch of friction, which makes a lot more spin.”

Titleist T350 Custom Irons

High, far, and forgiving. T350 is simply the best performing, best looking and best feeling Game Improvement Iron we’ve ever made. T350 is game improvement reimagined. Built around a new forged face, hollow-body construction and powered by Tour technologies, it delivers maximum launch, distance and forgiveness in a player’s design. Starting with a new hollow-body construction based on the T200 chassis played on Tour, the T350 maximizes speed and forgiveness through a refined Max Impact Technology, a new dual-taper forged face and dual tungsten weighting. Now any player can benefit from Titleist’s most advanced engineering. TRUE PLAYER’S CONSTRUCTION Inspired directly by the T200 distance irons played on Tour, a new multi-material, hollow-body construction transforms the performance of T350. Designed to be larger and more forgiving, it gives you maximum forgiveness with more of a pure player’s feel.. FAST ACROSS THE FACE A refined and strengthened Max Impact Technology combines with a new dual-taper forged face to produce amazing speed from any point on the hitting surface. Carry distance remains long and consistent, even on off-center strikes, keeping you on the green and out of trouble. EFFORTLESS TURF INTERACTION Working with Tour Pros and the grind experts at Vokey Design, our engineers were able to further improve our Variable Bounce Sole by softening the trailing edge to allow the club to flow faster through the turf, even after contact, to make your best shots feel even better. BETTER TUNGSTEN FOR BETTER RESULTS By utilizing dense D18 tungsten and a 2000º aerospace brazing process, Titleist engineers can eliminate weld points and be more precise with CG placement. T350 now features the same dual-tungsten weighting as our Tour distance irons, leading to a solid feel with maximum forgiveness.

$199.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product