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How To Break 80 Newsletter

January 23, 2006
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This issue includes…

1) Hitting It Correctly In The Wind
2) Playing In The Rain

(For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, it is certainly either
raining, snowing or really windy right now. That said, I thought
a lot of you would like to know how to deal with these elements.)

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1) Hitting It Correctly In The Wind
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Playing in the wind challenges your game. The wind plays tricks
with the ball and sends scores skyrocketing. Playing well depends
on your ability to shelter the ball from the effects of the wind.
Knowing what works and what doesn’t is a decided advantage.

Five tips for playing in the wind are:

1. Choose the right club
2. Complete the shoulder turn
3. Widen your stance for stability
4. Stay low in the hitting zone
5. Finish with the weight forward

Throw the yardage book out the window. Club selection is based
on personal experience. In general, use more when hitting into the
wind. Use less when with playing with the wind.

Focus on completing your shoulder turn. Maintain a smooth rhythm
to your swing and transfer your weight in harmony with the motion
of the club. Swing a little more softly, even with a head win.

Stay low to the ground in the hitting zone. Keep the hands ahead
of the club, driving the ball forward on a low, penetrating trajectory.

Finish with your weight well forward. Make sure your right shoulder
should face the target. And maintain your balance through out the
swing.

In a crosswind, curve the ball into the wind, if you want it to land
softly. If you want it to land and roll, “ride” the wind.

In a headwind, play the ball back in the stance Swing about 80
percent of your normal swing. Swing softly reduces the ball’s spin.
It also prevents it from flying high, where it is susceptible to the wind.

In a tailwind, do the opposite. Play the ball forward in your stance
and hit it higher for more distance. Count on the ball flying straighter
and longer, even on mis-hits.

Spend time on the range in the fall and winter when the wind is the
strongest. Work on hitting low trajectory shots with all your clubs.
It prepares you for playing in windy conditions.

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2) Playing In The Rain
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Similar to the wind, few golfers enjoy playing in the rain. It forces
you to make adjustments, just like the wind does. Failing to make
these adjustments causes mistakes, like hitting the ball fat or
losing control of your club, boosting scores dramatically.

Staying dry is the key to playing in the rain. Keep your self and
your equipment protected at all times. Put a cover over your clubs
to keep shafts and grips dry. Carry rain equipment such as:

*an umbrella
*extra gloves
*a rain suit
*extra towels
*an additional hat

Also, don’t forget to:

Keep your grips dry.
Once your grips get wet, your performance decreases substantially.
Take off your gloves and put them in your pockets. Dry gloves
improve your grip. If all else fails, wrap your handkerchief around
the grip (it’s legal).

Take more club.
The ball won’t travel as far in the rain as it normally would. And the
ground will decrease roll, so take an extra club. Many golfers don’t
use enough club in the rain.

Sweep the ball.
Don’t hit the ground before you hit the ball. Wet turf is heavy turf.
Hitting the ground results in a fat shot that goes nowhere. Instead,
focus on sweeping the ball off the ground with a minimal of contact.
Pick the shot cleanly from the turf.

A great dril to practice sweeping the ball is “Clip the Tee.” Stick a
tee in the ground (no ball) and use a 6 iron or a 7 to “clip” it out. A
clipped tee will pop straight up. If you can consistently clip a tee,
you’ll greatly improve your ability to sweep a ball off the ground.

Clipping the tee means the club head is square, the swing path
straight, and the ground untouched.

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If you want to truly discover the secrets of shooting like the Pros
and creating a more reliable and consistent swing,
check out: http://www.HowToBreak80.com

Until next time, Go Low!

Jack

P.S. Feel free to share this newsletter with family and friends.
If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, send a
blank email to htb80newsletter@aweber.com

This entry was posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2006 at 11:11 pm and is filed under Golf Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.