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How To Break 80 Newsletter

March 28, 2007

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
===================================================

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hitting a Semi-buried Bunker Blast
2) How To Hit A Mid-Iron Fade
3) Question of the Week- The Magic Move (Downswing)
4) Article- Imitating the Pros- Three Things To Watch For
5) Article- The Magic Move (Downswing)

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1) Hitting a Semi-buried Bunker Blast
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Among the keys to extricating yourself from a greenside bunker—in addition to not letting the shot intimidate you—is adjusting to the ball’s lie. Making the right lie adjustments is especially critical when you find yourself with a semi-submerged ball. That’s when it pays to remember that the lower the ball sits in the sand the less spin and control you can put on it.

Here are six keys to hitting this shot:

• Square-up your body
• Widen your stance
• Square clubface to the target
• Adjust the clubface angle
• Swing along the target line
• Hinge wrists sooner than normal

Body stability is essential here. Use a square body position instead of an open one, aiming your feet and shoulders directly at the target. In addition, widen your feet, put 65 percent of your weight on your front foot, and play the ball toward the middle of your stance.

With a semi-buried ball, the lie controls the clubface. The more you open the clubface, the less sand you catch and the more bounce you get from the club, making it ideal for a ball sitting up on the sand. When the ball is semi-buried like it is here, you need to catch more sand to extricate the ball. So square the clubface to the target.

Also, use a normal grip and relax. Don’t tense up like some golfers do when they find themselves in a bunker. Adjust the clubface angle before you take hold of the club, not after. You never want to twist your hands to open or close the clubface.

The key to hitting this shot is digging beneath the ball and letting the sand lift the ball toward the target. To ensure the proper dig, swing the club on the target line and let the wrists hinge sooner than normal. These adjustments steepen your swing considerably, ensuring a downward blow into the sand about an inch behind the ball. Make sure you accelerate the club through the swing and delay the release of the hands.

Even the best players in the world find themselves in a bunker sooner or later. What separates good players from not so good players is the ability to get out of a greenside bunker in one shot, limiting the damage done. Remember the keys to hitting a semi-buried bunker blast and you’ll achieve that goal.

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2) How To Hit A Mid-Iron Fade
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You’ve probably seen the tour players hit this shot hundreds of times on television�the high fade that lands softly on the green and sticks, setting them up for a birdie try. These players probably wouldn’t be playing on the tour if they hadn’t perfected this shot years ago. If you’re determined to improve your game, you need to learn this shot because it saves strokes and it gets the ball closer to the pin in some cases.

You’ve probably seen the tour players hit this shot hundreds of times on television—the high fade that lands softly on the green and sticks, setting them up for a birdie try. These players probably wouldn’t be playing on the tour if they hadn’t perfected this shot years ago. If you’re determined to improve your game, you need to learn this shot because it saves strokes and it gets the ball closer to the pin in some cases. The key to hitting the mid-iron is making the right the adjustments. They encourage an outside-to-in swing path by ensuring that the left arm leads the body through impact, which is ideal.

Here are five keys to hitting a mid-iron fade:

• Open your stance
• Increase grip pressure
• Open the clubface slightly
• Position ball in normal spot
• Hinge wrists earlier

Start by addressing the target with your front foot drawn back a couple of inches from the target line. If you’re a right-hander, your body should be pointing slightly left, but not too much. Position the ball in its normal spot, somewhere between your left eye and your left ear (right-hander).

Now, increase the grip pressure of the left hand, which helps delay the release of the hands through impact. Be careful not to squeeze too hard. Squeeze just a little harder than normal. And concentrate on keeping the back of the left hand facing the target through impact.

Also, open the clubface slightly. This ensures that you’ll put some cut spin on the ball at impact. But don’t over do it. Instead, aim the clubface just a few yards to the right of the target.

In addition, try taking the clubface on an outside-in path. And hinge the wrists earlier than normal. This steepens your swing enough to hit the fade. With the left-handed grip pressure and the open clubface, the face will be open at impact, resulting in the desired shot.

Knowing how to hit a mid-iron fade comes in handy. It’s a great shot when you’re about 180 yards from the green, especially when you want to land on the hole and stick. The ball launches high and comes down softly on the green, setting you up (hopefully) for a birdie putt. It’s a shot that improves your game by saving you strokes.

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3) Question of the Week- The Magic Move (Downswing)
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From John Kelly, Australia

The Magic Move (Downswing)

Q. Hi Jack,

Thanks for the many tips. I am a right-handed player. I recently had a golf lesson to try to cure my “duck hook drive.” I also hit a lot of shots with a slight hook to the left with my middle irons. The teacher told me that I have good position at the top, but it all falls to pieces coming down as I have an “out to in” swing. My left arm does not fold under in the follow-through…it’s more of a chicken wing affect sticking out left. How do I get the right transition on the way down to keep it on plane? It’s killing my scores! I shot 79 about 8 weeks ago and now shooting between 88 and 105. HELP!!!!!!

A. Thanks for the question, John. While your shoulder turn and arm swing are related, a good backswing requires a left arm swing that’s on a slightly higher plane than your shoulders. This arm angle allows your shoulders to have more of a free passage to the ball on the downswing. If your left arm swing is off, you’ll automatically be on the wrong plane and your swing will be off. Employing a simple move at the top of your backswing ensures that you’re taking the right swing plane as you start into the downswing. As you begin your downswing shift your weight onto your left foot while, at the same time, bringing your right elbow back down to your body. Remember to retain the angle of your wrist as you complete this move. It’s the seat of power and the key to maximum distance.

As the weight shifts to the left and the elbow drops down, the club falls automatically into the right slot for the correct swing plane. This movement flattens the swing ever so slightly. But it’s the ideal position from which to swing the club down at the ball, delivering the clubhead squarely to impact point. In essence, you’re employing two swing planes to hit the ball correctly, one slightly different than the other. The first comes from executing the correct take away. The second from dropping down your right elbow just before the downswing.

That slightly different swing plane is crucial. It runs right through the correct angle of your spine, the natural axis around which your shoulders should turn, enabling you to deliver a clean crisp blow to the ball, with a square clubhead and good power. This may seem complex but in reality it is quite simple.

If you’ve got a golf question you’d like answered, send an email to us at questions@howtobreak80.com and we’ll review it. I can’t guarantee that we’ll use it but if we do, we’ll make sure to include your name and where you’re from.

===================================================
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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter03282007.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article- Imitating the Pros- Three Things To Watch For

5) Article- Power Driving: Two Major Power Leaks To Avoid

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
===================================================
About the Author
===================================================
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 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.

In Part I we talked about three of the most common finishes in golf-the high finish, the low finish, and the lunge finish. Here, we examine three more common finishes with the goal of finding and fixing your hidden flaws.

Last week I said that you don’t need golf lessons to tell you there are only two times when your swing is static- at the start and the finish. How you finish tells you a lot about the quality of your swing. The key is tracing your movements to find out why you finished the way you did. Hopefully, the exercise will serve as a golf instruction session that will have you not only hitting better shots but also chopping that golf handicap down to size.

This week we look at the Gap Finish, the Spin Finish, and the Reverse-C Finish. None are pretty because the golfer is usually out of balance at the end. That should tell you right off that there’s something wrong with the swing. If you’re not finishing in balance, as I’ve mentioned in my golf tips, chances are good you have a hidden flaw or flaws that’s throwing your swing off.

The Gap Finish
The Gap Finish is a really awkward looking. It’s characterized by a noticeable space between the knees, when they should be touching at the finish. The gapped knees are a symptom of the real problem-gapped knees at address. Players who finish with their knees apart usually start with a wide stance, perhaps, too wide. Opening your stance provides a solid foundation for a powerful swing, but if your stance is too wide, your risk limiting your swing and power.

The cure: close up your stance. Adopt one that features your feet placed just outside your shoulders. You’ll still have a stable foundation for your swing. If you’ve been playing with too wide a stance, you’ve probably also lost the ability to turn correctly as well, so you’ll need to re-learn that as well. Practice hitting balls with your right arm (right-handers) only. This drill helps you learn to get your right side through the swing. Your new stance will help the process along.

The Flop Finish
The Flop Finish usually results in pulls, pull hooks, and pull slices. What’s flopping is your right foot (right-handers). Floppers usually use too much right side through impact, unlike Gappers who uses too little. A dominant right side leads to cut-across swings and roundhouse-type motions, creating the scenario for a pulled shot. Remember, it’s not the flopped foot that’s the real problem, but too much use of your right side.

To correct this hidden flaw, work on your shoulder movement, which should be down and under through impact. Address a ball, and then turn your back foot outward. Hit balls from this stance. Flaring the back foot prevents your right side from rotating too early. It also forces you to move your right shoulder under and through. Practice this at the range. Try to remember the way the right side feels when you hit with a flared right foot. Take that feeling to the course with you.

Reverse-C Finish
We’ve talked about this finish in my golf tips before. The Reverse-C Finish was once considered the finish of all finishes. But it has been relegated to a poor finish with a hidden flaw. You can tell this finish because the player has a severely arched back when he’s finished. The arch back indicates upper-body hang-back and lower-body slide. Neither is good in itself. Together, they’re deadly.

A lateral slide toward the target and too fast through impact causes this finish. The body hangs back due to an inability to keep up with the legs. And though the legs are sliding forward, your weight remains on the rear foot, causing a too handsy swing. To correct this leg-driven flaw, you need to get more hip rotation in your swing. If this is your problem, try some practice swings lifting your front foot off the ground during your back-swing and then placing it back down during your downswing.

Whether it’s the Reverse-C Finish, the Gap finish, or any of the other finishes we discussed, the way you finish indicates how your swing went. If you’re ending your swing with one of the finishes we described, figure out what category you fit into, and you’ll be able to detect your hidden swing flaws. Then it’s just a matter of correcting them to see that golf handicap drop.

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 handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

Slicing is probably the biggest swing flaw in golf. I run into players on the course that slice all the time. Many players taking golf lessons from me slice. And newsletter readers are always asking me to provide golf tips on correcting a slice. Needless to say, slicing does little to help your golf handicap. But if you’re a slicer and you’re determined to eliminate it from your game, you first need to know why you slice.

The root cause of a slice, as I’ve often written in my golf tips, is an open clubface at impact. The solution is simple-at least on paper. Change the open clubface to a square or slightly closed clubface at impact and you’ll rid yourself of the problem. However, depending on factors like, your build and your suppleness, the reasons why your clubface is open at impact may be quite different from those of another player.

One professional instructor broke down slicers into four types- the “pull-down twister,” the “one-way turner,” the “one-piece up-lifter,” and the “up-and-down bobber.” While some instructors might disagree with the breakdown, it’s useful when it comes to talking about slicing. Once you know the type of slicer you are, you’ll find it easier to correct the problem. It’ll be like taking a free golf lessons from a professional teacher.

The “Pull-Down Slicer”
The Pull-Down Slicer features a dominant left side. Usually, she’s easy to recognize on the course. She positions the ball too far forward at address, sets her left hand even or slightly ahead of the ball, and positions her right hand on top of the left. Her left arm is overly tight and rigid. At the start of the swing, she pushes the club straight back along the line of play and uses an arms only swing. The result: an outside-to-inside swing path, with the clubhead trailing behind the hands.

If you’re a pull down slicer, the easiest way to overcome this flaw is hitting balls with the right arm only-a drill I’ve discussed in my golf tips. Position the ball inside your right heel, which sets your right hand and your right shoulder lower at address, and encourages you to swing from inside along the target line. You’ll have to really cock your wrist to do this, but the added wrist cock helps you square the clubface.

The “One-Way Turner”
The One-Way Turner has difficulty pivoting fully during his swing. It may be because of his build. He’s usually overweight, has a big chest and/or short arms, or is just not supple enough. Whatever the reason, he’s just not able to make a full shoulder turn or an uninhibited swing. Men seem to fall into this category more than woman.

One of two errors usually occurs with this type of slicer. He tries to square his clubface on the downswing by turning his body too much, which leaves his clubhead far behind the ball and the clubface open at impact. Or, he makes a feeble attempt to route the club onto the correct path with his arms, resulting in an outside-to-inside swing. Either way, he slices.

Some players just can’t make a full turn. If a big turn isn’t possible, learn to play a controlled fade. I don’t usually recommend this in golf instruction sessions but sometimes there’s no recourse. A couple of adjustments at address help. First, open your stance and aim left. Second, strengthen your grip by turning both hands to the right, promoting more solid contact.

The “One-Piece Up-Lifter”
Frail women often fall into the category, but you’ll find men in it, too. The problem: setting up to the ball too upright, which generates an upright swing, since the club feels lighter that way. The swing also has too little body rotation. And the arms become disconnected from the body causing the club to travel along an outside-to-inside swing path.

If this is your problem, bend more at the hips. Now take some practice swings, making a conscious effort to “flatten out” your swing. Try swinging the club around your body more and cocking your hands earlier than you usual. By swinging around your body and cocking your hands, you’ll correct the outside-to-inside swing path. You’ll also generate more clubhead speed, resulting in more power.

The “Up-and-Down Bobber”
Tall people usually fall into this category, but you’ll find short people there, too. Regardless of your stature, it results in poor posture at address. So you end up being either too upright in your stance or too bent over. By being too upright or too bent in your stance, you instinctively make mid-swing adjustments that lead to a slice.

To eliminate this type of slice, correct your posture. To escape a too upright posture, bend more at the hips. At first, you’ll feel you’re too close to the ball, but in time you’ll get used to it. To escape a too bent over posture, set your spine more upright at address by bending at the knees more and widening your stance slightly. At first, you’ll feel too far from the ball, but like the too upright golfer, you’ll get used to it.

If you’re a slicer, you probably fit into one of these four categories. The key is figuring out which one. Once you know that, you can make the proper adjustments and rid yourself of your slice once and for all and probably improve your golf handicap.

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 handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

=================================================== How To Break 80 Newsletter

March 21, 2007

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
===================================================

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Harnessing Your Hook
2) Stopping Front Foot Spin
3) Question of the Week- Achieving Consistency in Greenside Bunkers
4) Article- Curing Your Slice
5) Article- What Your Finish Position Can Reveal About Your Swing Flaws (Part II)

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1) Harnessing Your Hook
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Some people say that fixing a hook is easier than correcting a slice. Perhaps it is, but personally, I think they are equally hard to fix. To me it seems that the person with the hook struggles just as much to correct it as the person with a slice works to fix the slice. To correct a hook, you need to make some adjustments to your swing and you need to practice those adjustments until they’re ingrained.

Let’s take a look at the various ways to fix a hook:

*Use a slicer’s grip
If you hook the ball, it may be due to excessive hand and wrist rotation through the downswing. So instead of hitting the ball with a squared clubface, you hit it with a closed one. If that’s why you hook curing the problem is to adopt a slicer’s grip. At address, instead of having the two folds in your hands between both thumbs and index fingers pointing to the right shoulder (right-handers), point both folds more toward your sternum. The change not only prevents a closed clubface at impact, but also encourages you to get more of your body into your swing.

*Turn and burn
Another reason why you may hook is that your body fails to turn during your swing. When the body fails to turn, the clubface closes too fast, causing the ball to hook. If that’s the case, the way to cure the problem is simply to speed up your turn to the target. Increasing your body’s rate of rotation delays the closing of the clubface, eliminating the hook.

*Equipment changes
A third way to fix a hook is to make some equipment changes. For one thing you could fatten your grips. That makes it more difficult for you to over-rotate and hook the ball. Another thing you might try is shortening the shafts on your club. The shorter shafts make you stand a little more upright. You may lose some distance doing this, but it’s better being on the fairway short than out of bounds long.

Any of these three approaches will correct your hook. The trick is discovering which one works for you. That’s the one you want to practice until it becomes second nature.

=================================================== 2) Stopping Front Foot Spin
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Every so often you’ll see a player who normally doesn’t pull the ball suddenly hit a pull hook. Various swing flaws cause this problem, and one of the most common is front foot spin. You correct this swing flaw by working on your footwork and your body rotation.

In a solid finish, the left foot remains planted. In a less-than-solid finish, the left foot sometimes spins out�indicating that you’ve rotated your body too quickly through the swing. Rotating too quickly leaves your weight stranded on your back leg, resulting in a dead pull hook that often leaves you in trouble.

Correcting this problem isn’t hard. To ensure that your front foot remains planted, move your weight onto your left toe on the downswing, and then begin rotating your body. This move slows your body rotation, so you don’t turn too quickly. Below is a drill that helps correct front foot spin.

Front Foot Spin Drill
To stop front foot spin, you must improve your body rotation and your footwork. First, stick a shaft in the ground just to the left of your forward hip. Now take the club back to the top of your swing, and then bump the shaft with your left hip at the start of the downswing. As you bump the shaft, you should feel your weight transfer to your front foot though the hitting area.

Focusing on your footwork also helps. When you swing, your weight moves from the toes at address, to the right heel at the top of the swing, into the left toe on the downswing, then finally to your left heel. Next time you’re at the range or the club, take some practice swings focusing on your footwork. Soon, using the right footwork will become second nature and you won’t have to focus on it any more.

If you’ve ever wondered why someone who normally doesn’t pull the ball suddenly does, front foot spin could be the reason. By moving your weight onto your front toes, you’ll eliminate this problem.

=================================================== 3) Question of the Week- Achieving Consistency in Greenside Bunkers
=================================================== From Karunish Bal

From Troy D. Draughn

Q. Hi, Jack,

First of all, I want to thank you for providing tips on how to break 80. Your tips have improved my game immensely!

I have a problem getting out of greenside bunkers. I know part of the problem is not being able to practice the shot as much as I should. Could you give me some tips in that area?

A. Thanks for the question, Troy. You’re not alone when it comes to greenside bunkers. Many weekend golfers have problems getting out of bunkers with consistency. The reason may be your approach. Most players use the traditional bunker shot approach, played with an open stance and the feet and shoulders aligned left of the target. This approach works well for some golfers, but not for others.

Since you play only a couple of shots from a bunker per round, it�s hard to feel comfortable and confident using this set up. Also, the severe outside-to-in swing path created by the open set-up makes it difficult for weekend golfers to hit the spot where they’re aiming. Both of these things make it hard achieving consistency.

You might try a slightly different approach. Next time you’re in a greenside bunker, instead of opening up, try either squaring your feet and shoulders to the target line, or opening them up ever so slightly. Open your clubface a bit, too. Then, take a normal swing, concentrating on maintaining a smooth tempo from start to finish.

Many golfers find it easier to start the ball on the correct line and judge the correct distance using this approach. It may be just what the doctor ordered to help you achieve more consistency punching out of greenside bunkers.

If you’ve got a golf question you’d like answered, send an email to us at questions@howtobreak80.com and we’ll review it. I can’t guarantee that we’ll use it but if we do, we’ll make sure to include your name and where you’re from.

===================================================
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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter03212007.html
Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article- Curing Your Slice

5) Article- What Your Finish Position Can Reveal About Your Swing Flaws (Part II)

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

=================================================== About the Author
===================================================
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 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.