Golf Tips and Instruction-Mar. 6, 2006
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How To Break 80 Newsletter
March 6, 2006
“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Hitting More Greens in Regulation
2) The Low Hook/Fade Shot
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1) Hitting More Greens in Regulation
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Players who listen to my golf lessons often want to know how to hit more greens in regulation (GIR). I tell them it’s easy: Hit more drives in the fairway. This advice may not be what they were looking for, but it’s definitely true. Hitting from the fairway boosts your GIRs because it produces an easier approach shot than hitting from the rough. Next time you’re on the tee, take a little something off your swing and aim for the fairway. You may find yourself hitting the greens in regulation more than usual.
Another way of increasing GIRs is to stop aiming for the flag every time you hit an approach shot. The flag isn’t always in an accessible area. It may be tucked away on the edge of the green, behind a bunker, or in back of another obstacle. Aiming for the flag increases the pressure to hit a perfect shot. It also increases the chances that you’ll look up to see where the ball lands prematurely. Neither is conducive to hitting an accurate shot.
Instead, do what I do. If the flag is in a bad spot, I just aim for the center of the green. It’s also what I tell my students in my golf tips. Doing so reduces the pressure, enabling you to hit better approach shots. Sometimes, I pick out a small area on the green and aim for that. That helps me make a more focused shot without too much pressure. From there, it’s two putts and in.
A third way of increasing GIRs is taking an extra club. I see many golfers who over- estimate how far they can hit a club. Usually, they land short of the green. Taking an extra club let’s you take an easier, more fluid swing. That, in turn, results in a crisper shot and good distance. And keep the natural flight path of your shot in mind on all approach shots. You may need to compensate for it.
Driving more fairways, aiming for the center of the green, and taking an extra club are good ways to hit more greens in regulation. Practice hitting specific targets with your irons and your driver the next time you’re at the range. The club control you develop will help you reach more greens in regulation and lower your golf handicap.
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2) Hitting the Low Hook/Fade Shot
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Even the best golfers find trouble on occasion. Hitting from behind a tree, or other obstacle, is one of those occasions. In my golf lessons, I usually recommend taking a 7 iron, or other mid-iron club, in this situation, and just punching out onto the fairway, limiting the damage and setting up the next shot.
But sometimes the best course of action is playing the shot. The problem is you’re too close to the tree to hit over it and the trunk is in your target line. Your only option, other than punching out, is to go under and around the tree. I teach students in my golf lessons to hit a low hook or low fade in this situation.
Here are the basics of the low hook shot:
• Adopt a closed stance
• Position the ball back in stance
• Deloft the clubface
• Follow an inside track
• Aim right at the top of the swing
• Strike the ground at 7 o’clock (assuming your target is 12 o’clock)
• Release the club through impact
Set up with a slightly closed stance, as if you were hitting a draw. Position the ball slightly back in your stance, but with your hands in line with the inside of your left leg. Deloft the club by squaring up the leading edge to the target line. Then, flex your right knee inwards to settle your weight on your left side.
Your legs and hips should make little movement during the shot, and your weight should remain on the left side. The shoulders should turn as you take the club back. Keep your body low and hit the ball with your hands and forearms. They should also be ahead of the club as you strike the ball. Also, keep your head still through the shot.
If you’re hitting a low fade, take the normal stance for a fade, but remember to deloft the club. Position the ball slightly forward in your stance and strike the ground at 5 o’clock position, not the 7 o’clock. Hitting from behind a tree, or other obstacle, in practice is the best way to master these shots.
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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
Also, for past issues of this newsletter and some of my most
recent articles, visit our blog at www.HowToBreak80.com/blog
Until next time, Go Low!
Jack
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