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How To Break 80 Newsletter

April 12, 2006

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Left Arm Straight- Is It Really Necessary?
2) Aiming the Club Properly
 
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1) Left Arm Straight- Is It Really Necessary?
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How straight should I keep my left arm? That’s a question I get asked a lot during my golf lessons. My answer: Keep it as straight as comfortably possible. Some people because of age, a lack of flexibility, or another reason have to bend the left arm somewhat. That’s okay, as long as the rest of the swing is sound.

A bent left arm often indicates another, more serious swing problem: overswinging caused by an out-of-position right arm (for a right-hander). In addition to intentionally swinging too hard, there are two main causes of overswinging:

1. losing control of your grip at the top of your swing or

2. losing the natural width of your backswing because of a
bad position with the right arm.

The right arm controls the width of the swing arc. If the angle of the gap at the top of the swing between the right forearm and the right biceps is less than 90 degrees, you’ve overswung, forcing the left arm to bend in the process. An ineffective coiling of the torso often accompanies the overswinging, causing inconsistency.

The key to shortening your swing is re-establishing the correct width of your backswing arc. To re-establish the width, your right elbow must form a right angle as it folds back at the top of the swing, forming an “L” shape. In this position, your left arm is comfortably straight (not tense) and your club is parallel to ground, assuming you hinge your wrists correctly.

The “split grip” drill is one way to train your backswing for this. Split your hands a few inches apart on the grip, then try swinging the club back and push your right arm away to form that 90 degree angle at the top. Do this drill until you have the “feel” of the swing arc. Then slide your hands together again and try to “recapture” the same feeling while hitting balls with your normal grip.

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2) Aiming the Club Properly
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If a shooter aims his rifle off line, he’ll miss his target every time, regardless of how good he is or how accurate his weapon. The same principle applies in golf. If a golfer aims his club off line, he’ll miss his target every time, regardless of how talented he is or how expensive his club.

Aiming a club properly is one of four stages in an alignment process that enhances accuracy. The four stages are

• Visualize the shot
• Aim the clubface
• Align the body
• Build the stance

The first stage is visualizing the shot. Stand behind the ball—whether on the tee or the ground—and look down the target line. Try to visualize not only where the ball will land but also the type of shot required and the flight of the ball.

With a clear picture in mind, pick out an intermediate spot, such as a divot or a leaf, a club-length or so beyond the ball. This spot should be along the intended target line. Aim the club directly over the spot. Now, align your body to match the clubface’s angle, keeping the clubface square to the target.

With the clubface squared and the body aligned, take your stance. Align the shoulders, hips, and feet square to the clubface position. Flex the knees slightly and assume the correct spine angle, bending from the waist. This stage of the process locks you in the correct position.

This whole process is known as perfect parallel alignment. Pros like Ernie Els and Tiger Woods adhere to it because it has a positive effect on the shape and quality of their swings, ensuring accuracy. Aiming your club is a key stage in the process and if you incorporate this process into your set up, you should start to see more accurate 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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htb80newsletter@aweber.com

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 at 12:30 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.