backspin

American  

[bak-spin] / ˈbækˌspɪn /

noun

1. reverse rotation of a ball causing it to bounce or roll backward or stop short.

---

backspin British  

/ ˈbækˌspɪn /

noun

1. sport a backward spinning motion imparted to a ball to reduce its speed at impact, as by hitting it with a downward or undercutting motion Compare topspin

---

Etymology

Origin of backspin

First recorded in 1905–10; back ² + spin

Example Sentences

The ball clanged off the front rim, appearing short — until backspin carried it to the back iron for a second bounce.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

Day leaped into a share of the lead with an eagle on the 14th, holing out from 118 yards by dropping it past the pin with a sublime backspin that took it straight in.

From Washington Post • Jan. 29, 2022

Toronto worked the puck back to Rielly at the blueline, where his rising shot sailed through a crowd, hit the crossbar and had enough backspin to trickle inside the right post.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2021

He imparts so much backspin on the ball it nearly makes its way back up the slope and onto the green, but that would have been an outrage too far.

From The Guardian • Nov. 13, 2020

The flat-soled club is essentially one for taking the ball cleanly, and somehow that hollow face does impart extra backspin to the ball.

From The Happy Golfer Being Some Experiences, Reflections, and a Few Deductions of a Wandering Golfer by Leach, Henry