What Golf Wedges Spin The Most?
One of the most asked question about wedges is, what golf wedges spin the most.
With a good spin, it is easier to intensify your backspin and rule the green.
Backspin helps to stop your shot when it nears the pin.
Although a good swing can give you the desired backspin, it alone is not sufficient.
The appropriate type of ball, and club face grooves are other factors that make your backspin quite powerful.
What golf wedges spin the most effectively?
Studies done on wedge spin reveal that almost all wedge brands performed equally in their spin. First let us know why you need to have more spin:
- You can achieve faster greens when compared to your other shots
- Your carries have more force
- You can achieve better pin positions
- You will need just short irons and wedges with lower loft
However there are certain factors in relation to the club and ball that can influence the spin and improve your game and let you know what golf wedges spin the most. Let us look into these spin factors in detail.
Spin factor #1: Balls with grooves
Manufacturers have introduced several improvements in the golf balls and clubs to add more spin on the short wedge golf shots.
One of the significant improvements includes balls with sharpened grooves. This increases spin by about 10% irrespective of the distance be it 30 yards, 20 or 10 yard shorts.
Spin factor #2: Loft degree
The spin loft degree is not a fixed one. It is influenced by the speed, ball type and type of club used.
The present day balls and clubs designs are created in such a manner that more deformation of ball on impact is happening.
This leads to increased contact of club face with ball leading to more friction. However the effect on the spin is reduced by other factors such as grass, dirt, residue or grime left on club face from previous contact with ball.
The main point to note here is that spin is increased when there is full contact of ball with clubface. This causes higher spin loft and more spin.
Spin factor #3: Gravitational factor
Striking the ball below its gravitational center helps maximize the spin on the wedge shots. This is because of the vertical gearing impact produced by the slight slant of the club head on impact.
The ball rolls up to the face and causes more friction.
Another way to enhance the spin is by striking in outwards direction to the toe, while maintaining the strike below the gravitational center of the ball.
Spin factor #4: Sharper clubface grooves
With sharp groove edges it is easy to grab the ball and spin effectively. With larger groove volume, water and grass gets accumulated while the ball is hit.
This limits the lubricant present that can obstruct the impact. This causes a cleaner impact, which is the reason for most grooves being U shaped or of box type.
Spin factor #5: Spin shape
Box grooves are best for creating better spin and curbing the shots quickly. The V grooves, U grooves and other worn out ones of any kind of shape produce a lesser spin.
And it is a well-known fact that new and cleaner grooves have better spin than the older and dirtier grooves.
Surlyn Vs Urethane balls
When compared to urethane balls, Surlyn balls restrict the short game golf shots you make. This is because urethane balls have a soft cover that favors high spin with your typical wedge swings.
The spin is actually twice that of what you get with a Surlyn ball.
Unfortunately most amateurs choose Surlyn because urethane is expensive. Moreover Surlyn balls land longer from the tee.
By choosing urethane balls, you can get more spin and a better game on the green. For lesser spin, surlyn covered golf balls are ideal.
The reason behind the spin intensity is the soft cover enabled by urethane, which is softer unilaterally when compared to Surlyn covers.
A smoother ball cover will make it slippery causing the clubface to slide past with minimal engagement.
When you use a ball with soft cover it can engage thoroughly with grooves present in clubface and give a higher spin.
Recommended Products
Swing skills
The way you swing also influences the spin. If your swing catches too much of grass between ball and clubface, the spin will lose momentum.
So it is not just the case of what golf wedges spin the most but the way you swing. Improving your swing will help in achieving more contact on address and produce less roll and more spin.
For the proper swing, your hands need to be in front of club head on impact. This will catch the ball right on the clubface center and with minimal interference from grass.
To keep the spin high, you should not allow your wrists to relax before impact. This will gain maximum contact and better spin.
Another way to increase your spin intensity is by acceleration through impact. This acceleration is possible with a short backswing and swinging through to a complete finish.
On the other hand, your spin will be poor, when your backswing is long and finish is short leading to deceleration.
How stance affects spin
By hitting the ball a little distance back from center you can increase your spin. The back stance lets you land a descending shot with less grass getting between the clubface and ball.
Grass works as lubricant reducing friction which is needed for better spin.
So to answer the question of what golf wedges spin the most, it is not just the wedges that influence the spin but a host of factors from your specific stance, position and type of ball and clubface, the swing intensity and direction and much more.
To increase the spin, box grooved wedges and balls with urethane covering is an ideal combination to get the needed backspin power and spin you aim at.
This combo along with the other factors mentioned above will get you the most spin. You can rest assured of winning the greens, when you master your wedge spins.
