Master Bite in 2012!
By Deprecated: Function the_author_posts_link was called with an argument that is deprecated since version 2.1.0 with no alternative available. in /var/web/site/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6085 Golden Tee Fan • Category: Backspin, roll and bite, Features •No, that’s not a typo — I’m going to give you some advice on using the new spin option of bite with Golden Tee’s 2012 release. Now that everyone’s hopefully played a few rounds on the 2012 courses, you’ve learned a little how bite works. This can be incredibly useful on hard-sloping greens and/or with tough winds where backspin or no spin would otherwise not give you a chance to stick it close. Let me break it down more for you so that you can know what to expect and when to use this great new spin feature.
Bite essentially causes your ball to stop and settle once it hits the ground. You’ll notice that it stop/skips twice on contact, and then it rolls out from there. But how much will it behave like backspin, and where will it roll afterwards?
Let’s focus on the backspin portion first. If you haven’t noticed already, bite is more like backspin when you hit the ball hard, and more like a check-up when you hit it smooth. So, the harder you hit the ball with bite applied, the more like backspin it will behave. But how much? Here are some guidelines:
Using a no pull back, regular thumb shot, you will get about 10% of normal backspin. This is not much at all. So when thumbing a shot into a green with bite, keep this in mind.
With a hard thumbs, no pullback shot, or a smooth push shot, you will get 15-20% of regular backspin.
Using a pull back, smooth palm shot, you will get 20-25% of normal backspin.
Pulling back and hitting it hard will get you about 33% of regular backspin.
So, that should help you know what to expect when the ball first hits the green. You probably have a feel for what backspin is going to do already, so keep these percentages in mind when thinking of how bite is going to behave differently.
Now, where is the ball going to end up after it’s done biting? First, let’s talk about the loft of your club. Keep in mind that bite, just as with backspin, is stronger with higher lofted clubs. The percentages at the top still hold true, but a lob wedge into a headwind with bite will certainly come backwards, whereas a 2-hybrid would actually continue forward after the bite is done. It’s due to forward momentum — a lob wedge would be coming straight down, while a 2-hybrid will still have strong forward velocity. These concepts were the same with backspin, so if you have a handle on backspin in regards to loft, you can carry this knowledge forward with bite.
That being said, wind and slope are the other two main factors, so let’s focus on those and look at some examples of how bite would behave with something like a 5-iron:
1) Tailwind into a flat green — expect the ball to end up slightly forward of where it lands. The momentum of the wind is more than a couple skips of bite can overcome.
2) Headwind into a flat green — expect the ball to come back slightly backwards of where it lands. The combination of wind and bite should overcome the forward momentum of the ball.
3) Bite into an upslope — expect the ball to come back slightly backwards of where it lands. The combination of bite and slope should overcome the forward momentum of the ball.
4) Bite into a downslope — expect the ball to end up slightly forward of where it lands. The momentum of the ball and slope of the green are more than a couple skips of bite can overcome.
5) Tailwind into an upslope — expect the ball to come backward just a bit. The wind will be carrying the ball forward into the green, giving it forward momentum, but the bite and upslope will cause the ball to stop and settle backwards a bit once it hits the green.
6) Tailwind into a downslope — the ball’s distance will only be slowed a few yards. This can be a great shot into a green where the pin is in the back. Where backspin would bring the ball back up the slope, bite just causes it to settle and still roll down a bit towards the pin.
7) Headwind into an upslope — your shot will look like it has backspin on it. This can sometimes be a good option into a big green where the pin is in the front. Whereas backspin would pull the ball back off the green, bite gives you a softer roll back down towards the cup.
8 ) Headwind into a downslope — expect the ball to come backward just a bit. The wind will be slowing the ball’s forward momentum into the green, and the bite will cause temporary backspin, but then the slope of the green will cause the ball to settle forward a bit more.
9) Wind blowing left, slope going right — if you don’t cut the ball into the wind, expect the ball to end up just short of where it lands. The wind gives the ball momentum left, and bite will initially pull the ball left as well, but then those factors expire and the slope pulls the ball right again, settling just short of where you land.
10) Wind blowing left, slope going left — this can be a great use for bite if the pin is also on the left. Land the ball just slightly above the hole to the right, and the bite and slope will cause a slow movement back towards the cup.
As a final note, just picture what backspin would do — if you don’t quite like it, then consider the slope and wind factors and decide if bite is a better option for you instead!
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a Golden Tee addict from Chicago, IL, thirsty for tips and tricks!
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