Golf Tips and Instruction- June 27, 2007
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How To Break 80 Newsletter
June 27, 2007
“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Sink More Putts by Squaring Up the Putter
2) Find the “Slot” To Hit For Power
3) Question of the Week – Pitching It Close from the Fairway
4) Article – Unleashing the Power in Your Hands
5) Article – Five Most Common Putting Mistakes
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1) Sink More Putts by Squaring Up the Putter
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You can sink more putts by squaring up the putter. Many golfers hold the putter the same way they hold their other clubs, with either an overlapping or an interlocking grip. The standard overlapping and interlocking grips allow the putter to rotate too much in your hands when striking the ball. Club rotation can really hurt your putting, especially when it comes to those dead straight putts.
To improve your putting, you need to hold the club so it stays square to the arc of your stroke, which is called squaring up the putter. One way to square up a putter is to use the “reverse-overlap” grip—a favorite among tour professionals. The grip keeps the putter’s face square to the arc of your stroke and the face going down the target line.
Here’s a four-step routine to achieve the perfect reverse overlap grip:
* Hold the club perpendicular to the ground. This makes it easier to remember the right way of gripping the club. If you ground the club, you may forget to grip the club correctly or invent your own grip. Either way spells trouble.
* Place your left hand (for right-handers) on the putter handle, with your fingers around the grip and your thumb pointing directly down the putter’s shaft. Keep your left index finger off the shaft.
* Put the fleshy part of your right hand on the flat part of your grip and wrap the fingers around the shaft. Make sure your thumb points straight down the shaft. At this point, all your fingers should be wrapped around the putter except your left index finger.
* Now slide your right hand down the shaft until your left thumbnail is covered by the fleshy part of your hand. Both thumbs should point straight down the shaft and your left index finger should overlap the fingers of your right hand.
The reverse-overlap grip offers one of the best approaches to squaring the putter to the arc of the stroke. That’s why so many pros use it. If you aren’t using this grip now, try it on the practice green first, then take it to the course. You’ll find it works well especially on those dead-straight putts.
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2) Find the “Slot” To Hit For Power
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Teaching pros call it the “slot.” And they tell you if you want to hit for power, you need to find it on your swing. What is the slot and where is it on your swing? It’s the spot where the shaft angle runs parallel to the plane of your swing, which is established by the golfer at setup.
Finding the slot is the key to generating power for one simple but critical reason. It allows you to completely extend your arms through impact. The more you’re able to extend your arms through impact, the more power you can generate. Finding the slot leads to vastly improved ballstriking and increased power.
Here are five keys to finding the slot position in your swing. These keys are for right-handers. Left-handers just need to reverse hands:
1. Perpendicular left arm
2. Right elbow bent back
3. Shaft parallel to right forearm
4. Club behind your butt
5. Shoulder slightly closed
How do you know when you’re in the slot position? You’re in the slot when your hands are at hip height, and the left arm is perpendicular to the ground, with the left hand flat or slightly bowed and the base of the knuckles of the left hand pointing straight down. The right hand should be bent back with the right elbow in front of the hip.
The club’s shaft is parallel with the right forearm while club is behind your butt, with the clubface perpendicular to the ground. The shoulders should be slightly closed with the hips not quite parallel to the target line.
The easiest way to find this slot is to take a few minutes working with a mirror at home. Stand in front of the mirror and practice posing in the right position until the feeling of being in the slot becomes familiar. Work on it until it becomes ingrained. Then take it to the course.
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3) Question of the Week – Pitching It Close from the Fairway
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Q. Hi, Jack. Enjoy this site tremendously!
I’m hitting the ball better than ever. But I’m stuck in the 84-89 range. Seems like every time that I need to pitch from 5-40 yards off the green, I end up leaving myself an 8-20ft putt. I’ve worked on my short game (chips are fine), but I feel that if I can get the ball closer when pitching within 5-40yards, that I’ll probably have a better chance to break 80.
Any tips/recommendations? I’m not opposed to practicing a lot.
Thanks,
Joel Saunders
A. Thanks for the question.
Learning to pitch accurately is a two-stage process. The first stage involves building better technique. The second involves learning how to judge distances. Below are 5 keys to building better technique:
1. Open your stance
2. Aim the clubface at target
3. Make a shorter backswing
4. Clear the left side
5. Release the clubhead
To pitch it close, you must strike the ball with a crisp, descending blow. Position the ball at your stance’s midpoint, and make sure that the club’s shaft and your left arm (for right-handers) are in a straight line, ensuring ball-then-turf contact. Open your stance a little at address, but aim the clubface directly at the target, just as if your feet were parallel. Opening your stance curbs the movement of the lower body, which in turn shortens your back swing.
Also, grip down on the club. Gripping down on the club shortens your backswing, while providing increased club control. The closer you hands are to the ball, the better control you have. With the open stance and the left side clear, your hands have room to strike the ball squarely. Release the clubhead freely through impact and then move smoothly into your follow-through.
The only way to improve distance control is by practicing. The more you practice, the better you’ll get. Below are two approaches to help improve accuracy.
(1) The Body-controlled Approach
Assume your normal pitching address position. Place a towel across your chest and under your armpits. Choke down on the grip for more control and make short compact swings, keeping the towel under your armpits as you swing. At the same time, vary the speed of your body turn. If you have a 20-yard shot, think in terms of turning your body at one speed. If you have a 30-yard shot, think in terms of turning your body at a slightly faster speed. The longer the pitch, the faster you turn your body. Vary the length of your shots so you’ll get practice at different lengths.
(2) The “Pitching Zone” Approach
A pitching zone is a safe area where you’re can pitch from comfortably and confidently. Work hard in practice on developing a pitching zone. Once you’ve done it, try pitching from that area as often as possible. The goal is to land your shots in the zone when approaching the green, so you’ll have an easier shot. Jose Marie Olazabal used this approach during a recent tournament. Having driven into trouble, he asked his caddie: “What club will give me 92 yards to the flag for my next shot.” Olazabal was aiming for a spot on the fairway where he was confident he could get up and down from to save par. Establishing a “pitching zone” gives you a strength to play to when you need it.
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.
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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
To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter06272007.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article – Unleashing the Power in Your Hands
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/hands.html
5) Article – Five Most Common Putting Mistakes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/puttmistakes.html
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 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.
