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How To Break 80 Newsletter

January 9, 2006
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This issue includes…

1) Sinking Those Short Putts
2) Slicing Stopped….Finally!

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1) Sinking Those Short Putts
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Sinking a short putt (5 feet-10 feet) can sometimes be
harder than drilling a long putt (25 feet or more). But good
players know that confidence–the result of practice and
good sound technique–is the secret to sinking any
putt.

When faced with a short putt, concentrate on using good
technique and a slow smooth stroke. Here are the steps to go
though on the short putts:

1. Determine your target line.

2. Set up as you normally would. Make sure your body is
evenly balanced, your head directly over the ball, which is
positioned just to the left of center in your stance, and your
feet square to the target line.

3. Then, align the putter head square to the target, with the
ball in the center of the clubface. Aim for the back of the cup.
At take away, keep the head and body still as you take back
the club with movement from the arms and shoulders.

4. Take back the putter–grip, shaft, and putter head–with a
pendulum like movement. Avoid twisting or cocking your wrists.

5. On the follow-through, keep the head and body still and the
club swung with the arms and shoulders, without breaking your
wrists.

Now, how far you take the club back depends on the length of the
putt and the speed of the green. While it’s tempting to look at
the hole when you have a short putt, focus on executing the
shot’s fundamentals.

Lastly, and most importantly, using the same putting routine
every time builds self-confidence and helps you sink those short
putts.

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2) Slicing Stopped…Finally!
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Slicing is one of the most common faults in golf. When you
slice, the ball travels from left to right in flight (for right-handed
golfers). Slicing is the result of an outside-to-in swing path and
a too-open clubface at the moment of impact. The swing path
provides the direction of the shot to the left while the open
clubface imparts spin on the ball, causing it to fly right.

Any number of swing faults causes a slice. One common one
is addressing the ball with an open stance instead of a square
stance. An open stance occurs when you move your left foot
back several inches from the ball’s line of flight The movement
opens your shoulders and causes the V’s on both hands to
point to the left shoulder. This in turn causes you to have an
open clubface at impact.

One solution to correcting a slice is to move your left foot forward
until it’s parallel to the ball’s line of flightt. This forward movement
squares your shoulders and causes the V’s formed by your hands
to point in the proper direction. Also, make sure that your right
hand isn’t too far left of the shaft, in which case the V formed by
your right hand would point to your chin instead of your right
shoulder, which would open the clubface at impact.

Another solution to slicing is to adopt an inside swing path, which
will cause the ball to draw from right to left (for right-handed golfers).
To draw the ball, the club head approaches the ball from inside
the line of play. At impact the club travels along the line of briefly,
and then goes back inside the line during follow-through. The
“inside path” solution enables you draw the ball instead of a
slicing it.

Try these tips next time you slice or push the ball and you’ll
see how effective they can be!

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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
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How To Break 80 Newsletter

January 2, 2006
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Happy New Year!

This issue includes…

1) A Game Plan For Your Short Game
2) Key Elements of a Successful Swing

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1) A Game Plan For Your Short Game
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Many people don’t think of their short game this way but
do you have a game plan for your next round of golf? I have
a suggestion that has done wonders for me: Set a goal for
how many shots it takes you to get the ball in the hole
around the greens. I’d be willing to wager your score will be
lower with this goal in mind.

A good game plan for an average amateur would be to take
three shots to hole out from 40 yards in. Never four. For an
advanced player, the goal should be to get up and down in
two shots more often than not. Getting up and down two
times out of three is a good round of golf.

Scoring boils down to where you save the most strokes
with your short shots. Practice your short game more than
your long game.

Golf isn’t just about hitting perfect shots–it’s about recovery.
That’s why I recommend this game plan to you.

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2) Key Elements of a Successful Swing
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Now, a great golf swing is credited to two of the most basic
fundamentals – rhythm and balance. These two elements,
when implemented correctly, make a great swing possible
for just about anyone.

Rhythm is the ability maintaining a beat (or regular tempo).
Carrying rhythm into your golf swing is done by consistently
repeating the movement and in the same sequences each
time you swing.

Balance is when your body is in equilibrium or is stable.
Balance in a golf swing must start from the moment you step
onto the course. The goal is for your weight to be equally
distributed between both feet (with both evenly planted on
the ground). Maintaining an even weight distribution in the
middle or arch part of your foot is very important; try not to
place to much weight on either your toes or heels. Concentrate
on perpetuating your balance all of the way through your swing
until you are finished.

To determine whether you indeed have a good balanced
position at the conclusion of the golf swing, the player should
be able to hold their position for approximately five seconds
(or long enough for someone to focus their camera and snap
a photo of you). An unbalanced position most often results in
the golfer hitting errant shots.

Remember that focus and concentrated efforts to implement
rhythm and balance in your swing will result in striking the golf
ball with consistency. Consistency in your swing will make
golf more fun and even lower your scores a bit too. We hope
that you find these free golf swing tips to be very helpful in
improving your game.

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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
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