Golf Tips and Instruction-August 9, 2006
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How To Break 80 Newsletter
August 9, 2006
“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Defeating Downhill Lies
2) Overcoming a Dominant Left Side
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1) Defeating Downhill Lies
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Playing from a downhill lie—like hitting from an uphill lie—is tricky but not difficult. Unfortunately, some weekend golfers let the shot throw them, costing them strokes.
You need to consider three things with a downhill lie: (1) your stance, (2) the launch angle, and (3) the club’s loft. If you factor these things into the equation, you’ll defeat the challenge of a downhill lie.
Below are five keys to hitting downhill shots:
• Select the right club
• Tailor your stance to the slope
• Keep your weight forward
• Stay down on the shot
• Chase the ball down the hill
Club selection is key with a downhill lie. The slope effectively changes the loft of your club, making a 7-iron into a 6-iron, for example. In a severe case a 7-iron becomes a 5-iron. This change, in turn, alters the trajectory of the shot, so you use a less lofted club with downhill lies. Experience will tell you which to use.
Stance is another key. Your spine should be perpendicular to the hill’s slope and your weight should be slightly forward, with the ball back in your stance. Tailoring it to the slope sets up the rest of the shot.
In the backswing, keep your weight on your front foot and concentrate on making a wide takeaway. Also, keep your wrists quiet in the backswing’s early stages. Staying down on the ball at impact ensures solid contact.
To assist your balance, put more emphasis on swinging with your arms and hands and less on turning your body. Since your lower body is less active than usual, you’ll have a tendency to pull the ball left. Chasing the clubhead down the slope eliminates this tendency.
The best drill for hitting from a downhill lie is simply dropping a ball on a downslope and hitting away. Work on the shot until it becomes second nature and you’ll build confidence in your capability.
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2) Overcoming a Dominant Left Side
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Has anyone ever told you: “Pull hard with your left sided. Don’t use your right side� If they have, they’ve given you bad advice. The golf swing is a two-side affair, with one side working in harmony with the other. You must treat your swing as such, if you want to get the most out of it.
Pulling hard from the top of your swing with your left side (for right-handers) creates a series of complications that can impact your swing dramatically. These complications then “block†your right side from contributing to the swing. The end-result is a swing that delivers the club too much from the inside and leaves you no choice but using a “hands-oriented†release through impact to start the ball on line.
Both sides of your body play significant roles in the golf swing, but they do it at different times in the swing. While more emphasis is placed on the left side as you start down from the top, the right side must take the leading role at the half way stage. If you’re in the correct hitting position, you can fire through the ball with your right side as hard as you like. It’s all a matter of harmony.
Here’s how to develop the feeling of both sides working in harmony:
Left Side Swing Drill
Everything starts with your stance. With the ball positioned in the middle of your stance, drag your left foot back until the toe is even with the heel of your front foot. Keep your hips and shoulders square to the target line.
Then, from the top of your swing, you should feel the pulling motion of your left side and the downward motion of your left arm moving in conjunction. Your right foot, knee, and hip, however, remain in place, resisting for a fraction of a second. About halfway through, your right side (including the right arm and hand) should take over through impact, just as if you were hitting a forehand tennis stroke.
If you do this drill correctly, you’ll feel your left arms and hands being closer to your body through impact as your chest opens up to the target and the club moves back through the inside. Repeat the drill. After a while, the two sides working in harmony will be second nature to you.
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Question of the Week
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From Bill Phalen, Staten Island, New York
Hitting Fairway Woods and Long Irons
Q: My shots from the fairway, woods and irons, are terrible. I usually hit one or two good shots, the rest are thin or weak pushes. It’s especially bad when I’ve hit a good drive. Any ideas?
A: Thanks for your question, Bill. Hitting fairway woods and long irons isn’t easy. Many players have the same problem. Since they’re “straight-faced†clubs, golfers often think they have to “help†the ball get airborne. As a result, players take a quick, relatively short backswing, throwing their rhythm and timing off.
Unfortunately, rhythm and timing are key to a good swing. To get them back, make a real effort to complete your backswing. Also, slide your front shoulder under your chin as you rotate your body. If you do both well, you’ll recover your rhythm and timing. You’ll also transfer your weight correctly and make good use of your body pivot.
Ball position is also key. You hit the ball at the bottom of the swing with these clubs. This contrasts sharply with short irons, which you hit with a descending blow. Capitalize on this difference. Position the ball just behind where you’d tee it for a drive and focus on just clipping the grass as you swing. When combined with a good shoulder turn, the right ball position will produce better shots from the fairway.
Good luck.
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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 break80ezine@aweber.com
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About the Author
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Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 and Shoot Like the Pros!“. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicaps quickly. His award-winning free weekly newsletter goes out to thousands of golfers worldwide and provides the latest golf tips, strategies, techniques and instruction on how to improve your golf game.
