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. The rest of the time it's in motion. While your address greatly influences your swing, your finish tells you how well or how poorly you swung the club. If you know what to look for in your finish, it reveals hidden swing flaws that can spell trouble on the course.

In this two-part article we'll examine six of the most common types of swing finishes. We'll look at three finishes this week and three next week. In examining each finish, we'll review why you end with this type of finish and what it reveals about the quality of your swing. Hopefully, this information will serve as a golf instruction session that will help you find and correct flaws in your swing and improve your golf handicap.

High Finish
The two most common finishes I see in golf instruction sessions are the high and the low finish. While finishing high isn't necessarily bad, what you do to create it can b. High finishers swing on very inside-out swing paths, with the club traveling way to the right of the target. While the inside-out swing is preferred, when taken to extremes, it minimizes control and often spells trouble. Typically, high finishes are associated with push hooks and push fades and with thin shots and shots hit off the heel of the club.

Good golfers almost never move the club more than a few degrees inside. When the club comes too far inside with a closed clubface, you hook. When it comes too far inside with an open clubface you push. In addition, swinging the club too far inside delivers the club below the swing plane, which often prevents the club from striking the ball on a slightly descending path. Shots from this position don't get compressed and are often hit thin. The key to correcting this hidden flaw is to be subtle with the inside move and not to grossly overdue it.

Low Finish
In contrast to the high finish is the low finish, which I also see a lot in golf lessons. A low finish results from an overly outside-in swing path. A downswing motion that starts with the arms instead of the body causes an overly outside-in swing path. When the arms outrace the body through the hitting zone, instead of being dragged through, the club comes over the top of the swing and into the hitting zone at a steep angle. This type of swing creates pull slices, pull hooks, and toe shots.

Shots from an overly outside-in swing path are seldom well struck and seldom on the desired swing path. If you look closely at the finish, you'll see that the player's arms are jammed close to the body. That's because the arms have moved earlier than the body and their action tends to be impeded by the body. As a result, you have no other choice but to bunch up in the finish and at impact, sapping power from the swing and decreasing control.

Lunge Finish
A common flaw fuels the lunge finish: a severe breakdown of the lower body through the hitting zone. You know you've achieved this finish when your head is in front of your lead leg at the end of the swing or you sense you're in danger of falling forward. Lungers hit a lot of thin shots or shots that travel unusually low. Generally speaking, all's well with the swing until the hips stop rotating through impact, causing the upper body (including the head) to get ahead of the ball and violating the golden rule of staying behind the ball when you hit.

The key to eliminating this flaw is getting your hips to work properly, you need to work on your downswing hip rotation. In other words, try leading your downswing with your hips instead of your upper body. To do this, try this drill: Place a chair in front of your lead leg with the back just touching you at the side of the leg. Now take some practice swings, being careful to remain in contact with the chair as you turn through impact. Finish with your head directly over your lead leg.

Swing flaws can creep into our swing undetected, affecting how well we hit the ball. If you're determined to lower your golf handicap, you need to find and fix the hidden swing flaws that can invade your swing. Analyzing how you finish your swing is a good way to spot and eliminate these hidden flaws. But first you need some golf tips on what to look for in your finish and why you finished the way you did. Next week, we'll look at three more common finishes and see what golf lessons they provide.

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.

All great golfers have one move they consider the key to their swings. Jack Nicklaus, a great ball striker turns his head slightly to the right just before starting his takeaway. That move triggers his swing, enabling him to strike the ball powerfully. If you research the issue, as I once had a student taking golf lessons do, you'll find the same is true for Greg Norman, Gary Player, Sam Snead, and even the great Arnold Palmer. They all have a swing secret that keys their swings.

Ben Hogan had a swing secret as well. If you asked tour opponents about it, they would have said it was his cupped left wrist-a move Hogan once highlighted in Life Magazine. And for years that was thought to be his secret. But while that move was critical to Hogan's swing, it was only part of why he's one of the best ball strikers ever. The other part was his right knee-the correct functioning of which enabled him to hit the ball with power and precision.

Hogan's Cupped Wrist
Hogan explained in the Life Magazine article that his "secret" was cupping his left wrist at the top of his swing, so that his wrist joint was slightly bent inward at the top of his swing. Hogan was truthful when he emphasized the cupping of his wrist. But, as he was later to reveal to a friend, it was only part of the story. The other part was the correct functioning of his right knee. The wrist was cupped because that was the only position it could assume based on the right knee's position.

Hogan braced his right knee before and after the takeaway, allowing it to be made with perfect balance. He maintained this position from address all the way to the top of the backswing. This move, in turn, allowed him to set the club at the top of the backswing and control the transition from backswing to downswing while maintaining balance. The right knee might sway from right to left but it would never straighten completely. When he wanted to hit the ball harder, he "ran" his right knee toward the ball.

Running His Knee At the Ball
What did Hogan mean when he said he ran his right knee at the ball? On the downswing, Hogan's first move was to push the knee inward toward the ball. This move resulted in the lateral shifting and opening of his left hip. His only thought at the time, said Hogan, was on the right knee dropping in at the ball, which he referred to as "running at the ball." The harder hit wanted to hit the ball, the faster he ran his knee at the ball.

By running his right knee, Hogan could generate terrific speed in his lower body. His right knee, as he later explained, moved so emphatically to the left on full shots, the knee would sometimes appear to overtake his left knee on the follow through. However, the speed was adjustable. By running his knee at different speeds, Hogan was able to control the amount of force he expended through impact.

Hogan's secret move, however, was only a prelude to the real issue: the delivery of the club back to the ball. That was really the main objective as far as Hogan was concerned. Why? Because it provided the balance and control he needed to achieve the type of ball flight he desired. And balance and control were a big part of why he won 63 pro tournaments and 9 majors, including the Masters twice.

The secret to Hogan's powerful swing, then, was the correct functioning of the right leg, with emphasis on maintaining the proper angle of the right knee on the back and forward swings. When combined with a slight cupping of his left wrist, this move produced optimum balance and control, and allowed him to apply as much power and speed to the ball as he wished.

Most golfers on learning Hogan's secret will probably try imitating it. But they're not him, so chances are good that even if they succeed in copying the move, they won't have the same success that he had. So what's the point of this golf tip?

The point is that all good golfers have a swing key. But the swing key is different for each golfer, as I tell players taking golf lessons from me. What works for Hogan or Nicklaus, might not work for you. If you're serious about playing better golf and lowering your golf handicap, you'll work on discovering what your swing key is. And that only comes through playing and practicing.

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 14, 2007

"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter"
===================================================

In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Power Tip: Don't Get Wristy
2) How To Take A Golf Lesson
3) Question of the Week- Hitting the 3-Wood
4) Article- What Your Finish Position Can Reveal About Your Swing Flaws (Part I)
5) Article- Ben Hogan's Secret

===================================================
1) Power Tip: Don't Get Wristy
===================================================
Among the biggest mistakes weekend golfers make is getting too wristy or handsy on the tee. A wrist- or hand-dominated motion helps in some golf situations, like when a less-than-perfect lie around the green requires a conscious manipulation of the clubhead. But getting too wristy or handsy while on the tee often spells trouble.

Some weekend golfers let the "hitting instinct" take over when they're on the tee. The hitting instinct is the idea that generating maximum distance off the tee requires us to supply all the power with our hands and arms. Instead of letting the club do the work, we try to "muscle" the ball out there. Usually, we end up hitting the ball either out of bounds or behind some trees.

Here are 7 keys to generating power off the tee:

- Ignore the hitting instinct
- Use a one-piece takeaway
- Keep the hands/wrists quiet
- Take a full shoulder turn
- Use the big muscles of the legs
- Let the club do the work
- Think faster, not stronger

First, ignore the hitting instinct, especially in the backswing. Instead, take the club away with a one-piece motion, as I've often said, and use a full shoulder turn. Let the big muscles in the legs and torso control the swing. Only when the golf club reaches waist high should your wrists begin to hinge.

Second, keep your hands and wrists quiet. That's especially true in the beginning of the downswing, which is triggered by a weight shift and a turn toward the left. Use your arms and hands only after you've started your downward motion-a move dictated more or less by gravity. That's when you can attempt to create acceleration with the arms and wrists.

Third, think faster not stronger. As the clubhead comes into the ball-defined as "pre-impact"-the sensation of the hands and arms should be that of cracking a whip or hitting a shot with a tennis racquet. In other words, stay relaxed and loose, and don't try to force anything. More relaxed arms and legs means more power and distance.

Next time you're on the tee, change your thinking. Ignore the hitting instinct and let the club do the work. You'll be amazed at how far you can hit the ball by staying relaxed and using a nice easy swing.

=================================================== 2) How To Take A Golf Lesson
===================================================
If you've ever taken golf lessons, you know that achieving successful results begins and ends with the student. A good instructor can only do so much. The student must contribute something as well, if he or she wants to improve. So the first step in becoming a better golfer is becoming a better student. How do you do that?

Here are 6 tips on becoming a better student:

- Arrive early to the session
- Do some stretching or warm-ups
- Start with some wedge shots
- Take a notebook
- Leave all your stress behind
- Banish all preconceived notions

Arrive early, so you can stretch before taking a lesson. Some people stretch before the lesson. That's fine. Just make sure that it doesn't make you late. And make sure the stretches are appropriate for golf. Also, inform your teacher of your golf history before taking your first lesson. Tell him or her what you have trouble with-short game, driving, putting.

Once you're stretched out, hit some balls. Select a wedge, choose a target, and hit for it. Hit several shots at the target before hitting an 8- or a 7- iron. Keep going down the list until you get to the driver. You don't have to hit every club in the bag, just one club from every grouping. That way you get a feel for each of the different types of clubs before taking the lesson.

During the lesson, listen to what the teacher says. Be open to new ideas. Your teacher may say something that sounds weird or asks you to do something that feels strange. If he or she does, there's a reason for doing so, so give it your best shot. After all, he or she has probably been teaching for years and knows a lot more about the game than you do.

Finally, take a notebook with you so you can write down key points you want to remember. Remember, it takes time to unlearn bad habits and learn new ones. So don't give up. Maintain a positive attitude throughout the lesson. Follow these tips and you'll get the most out of every golf lesson you take.

=================================================== 3) Question of the Week- Hitting the 3-Wood
=================================================== From Karunish Bal

Hitting the 3-Wood

Q. Hi, Jack. I enjoy reading your newsletter. I am unable to hit a 3-wood cleanly. Please give me some tips for using this club to its full potential.

A. Thanks for the question, Karunish. The 3-wood is highly versatile. One of its best uses is on the fairway, especially on long par 4s and par 5s. You can also use it in the rough, if you can see most of the back of the ball.

Here are some tips for hitting the 3-wood.

1. Position the ball inside your front heal
2. Put your hands slightly in front of the ball
3. Keep the club low on the takeaway and through impact
4. Swing with the same tempo as the 7-iron
5. Keep your head steady throughout the swing

One of the keys to hitting a 3-wood is extending your arms away from the target on the takeaway. Keep them extended right on through to the follow-through.

Extending your arms creates the wider arc you need to hit this club successfully. Also, your swing should be more of a sweeping motion, than down and through, as with an iron.

To learn to hit the 3-wood well, place a tee about six inches in front of the ball. When you swing, use the tee as a reference point as you extend the club through the ball towards the tee.

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/newsletter03142007.html
Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article- What Your Finish Position Can Reveal About Your Swing Flaws (Part I)

5) Article- Ben Hogan's Secret

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.

From time to time you may need to go see a golf professional to really sort out any problems in your game. If you're thinking of taking golf lessons, one of the first things you'll need to do is choose an instructor. The right instructor makes learning the game fun, enjoyable, and interesting. The wrong instructor makes it difficult and unpleasant. Choosing the right golf teach means finding one that inspires confidence in his teaching abilities. He/she needs to know the game well, must communicate well during golf instruction sessions, and needs to provide golf tips that generate results.

Golf teachers come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Some are good communicators. Others are a wealth of technical knowledge. Some are great working with beginners. Others are better working with more experienced players. Many are highly personable, while others are not. The key is finding an instructor that you're comfortable with, not one that has a great reputation or charges the least. After all, you may be taking a number of golf lessons from him so you need to fell comfortable with his teaching style and personality.

Key Traits of a Good Instructor
While every golf instructor is different, the good ones all seem to share some of the same traits. Below are traits to look for in a golf instructor:

-Passion for the game
-Experienced
-Highly Knowledgeable
-Good Training
-Excellent Communicator

The first thing you want to look for in a teacher is how he/she feels about the game. Does he/she have a passion for it? Does he/she have a passion for teaching it? It's easy to find a teacher who's giving golf lessons just to make a few extra dollars. If that's what you're looking for, that's fine them. But if you're serious about improving your game, you want someone who is dedicated to what they're doing and has a passion for helping others learn how to play it.

You also want someone who is highly knowledgeable about golf and has experience teaching at your level. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't use someone who is new to teaching golf. He or she may be an excellent teacher. And you may have every confidence in that person. However, chances are that you'll get better results from an experienced teacher who knows the game well and knows how to teach someone at your level.

You also want someone who's been trained to teach. You're local pro maybe a nice guy and a friend, but be wary of taking golf lessons from him. If he hasn't been fortunate enough to have attended a teaching school, you may not enjoy taking golf lessons from him. Those instructors who have enjoyed success in the field haven't achieved it accidentally. They've work with others to help them improve their teaching abilities and their expertise. Take advantage of that if your can.

In addition, you want a teacher who is an excellent communicator. This is critical. Some teachers have a lot of technical knowledge stored inside them, but they're not able to communicate during a golf instruction session in a way that a person can understand. If he or she can't communicate well, it doesn't matter how man golf tips he knows. Look for a teacher who can help you understand what you're attempting to do. A good golf instructor understands this. He also has the patience to enable you to lean at your own pace.

Doing Your Part
Achieving tangible results from taking golf lessons, however, ultimately depends on you, not the instructor. In other words, you need to do your part, too. An effective golf instructor can only do so much. He or she is only as good as you allow him or her to be. So you need to do things right to facilitate the learning process.

One of the most common mistakes a student makes is not doing enough between lessons to make a golf instruction session payoff. Golf lessons are supposed to help you improve your game. All the lessons in the world won't help you improve, if you don't put enough time in on the course.

Another mistake includes arriving to the lesson late. Then you jump out of your car, pull out your driver, and start taking full swings without having warmed up properly. Or maybe you're stressed out from work and the traffic getting to the lesson didn't help. During the lesson, you give the instructor a hard time. To get the most out of a golf lesson you must approach the session with the attitude.

If you combine the right attitude with the right golf instructor, one whom you're comfortable with and is a good communicator, you'll enjoy taking lessons and learning about golf. What's more your game will improve and you're golf handicap will start dropping?and that's what taking lessons is all about.

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.