Golf Tips and Instruction- July 18, 2007
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How To Break 80 Newsletter
July 18, 2007
“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Moment of Inertia Defined
2) Spinning It From The Sand
3) Question of the Week - Aligning Yourself Correctly
4) Article - Why Hogan Hated Carnoustie
5) Article - Playing A Links Golf Course
Jack’s Note:You guys looking forward to the British Open this weekend? As we did with the previous two majors, we’re running a contest. Who do YOU think will win? Pick the right one and you could win one of our DVD’s…you get to choose! Go here to vote for your favorite right now. (All votes must be cast before 11:59PM PT Friday, July 20th)
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1) Moment of Inertia Defined
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Many of today’s equipment manufacturers are emphasizing moment of inertia (MOI) as a key feature of their golf clubs. Actually, there are several moments of inertia that factor into a golf club’s performance, but only two of them affect club design significantly. You should know which is which when buying clubs.
First, there’s the MOI when you hit off-center shots. This MOI determines the amount of “forgiveness” of a clubhead for off-center strikes. At impact, the clubhead head tries to rotate around the vertical axis going through the clubhead’s center of gravity (CG), even though the head is secured to a shaft. In other words, the larger the clubhead, and/or the more the designer incorporates perimeter weighting in the club’s design, the higher the MOI of the clubhead about its vertical center of gravity (CG) axis.
The higher the clubhead’s MOI about its CG axis, the less the head will twist in response to an off-center hit, and the less distance will be lost from an off-center hit. On the other hand, the smaller the head and the more head weight positioned close to the center of the head, the lower the clubhead’s MOI around the vertical CG axis. The more distance will be lost when the ball is hit off center.
There’s also the MOI when a golfer swings the club on the downswing. With this MOI, the clubhead is rotating around the axis through the shaft’s center, not the clubhead’s center. Equipment manufacturers say little about this MOI because it’s not a good selling point. However, it’s an important design factor that affects accuracy.
The theory behind this MOI is simple. The bigger the clubhead or the more weight placed far out on the clubhead’s toe, the higher the head’s MOI about the shaft’s axis. The smaller the clubhead or the more weight that is positioned in the heel of the head, the lower the head’s MOI will be about the shaft’s axis. The higher the clubhead MOI around the shaft, the more the tendency exists for a golfer to leave the face open at impact. The lower the clubhead MOI around the shaft, the more the tendency of a golfer to rotate the face closed at impact.
This MOI is important when trying to match the swing feel of the clubs in your bag. Clubfitting theory holds that if all clubs in a set are made to have the identical MOI, the golfer will be more consistent because each club will require the same effort to swing. This is turn affects the golfers accuracy.
Make sure you know which MOI the manufacturer is talking about when referring to its golf club. If you’re not sure, ask. Otherwise, you may end up spending a lot of money for a club or clubs that don’t perform the way you want.
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2) Spinning It From The Sand
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The short spinner from the sand is one of Tiger’s favorite shots. The short spinner requires you to not only hit the ball out of the bunker, but also stop it short, which means putting lot of spin on the ball to get it to stop quickly. This shot isn’t easy because you don’t really have much margin for error, so you need to concentrate and execute it properly.
Here’s are 5 keys to hitting the shot:
1. Grip the club in the fingers
2. Open your stance
3. Play the ball well forward
4. Lay the club wide open
5. Fire the club though impact
While your setup is important, the real key is using plenty of hand action at impact. Start by gripping the club a little more in your fingers than normally, allowing you to apply more hand action when you need it. Now take an open stance, just as you would for a typical sand shot. Play the ball well forward in your stance and lay the club wide open, but square to the target line. Don’t ground the club.
You need to take a steeper angle of descent into the ball with the short spinner, so take a vertical backswing. Since the key to this shot is increased clubhead speed, fire the club- head through impact with your right hand (left for left-handers). The ball not only comes out high and soft, it settles nicely onto the green, leaving an easy putt.
With the short spinner, using a lot of hand action as the club comes through impact is critical. It’s what adds the extra spin you need to stop the ball short. Practice the shot whenever you can. As difficult as it is, most players can learn to hit it with the right technique and a little patience.
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3) Question of the Week - Aligning Yourself Correctly
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Q. I have a very inconsistent alignment. I have a standard set up, but visually, I get confused as to the true position of the ball related to my feet. I think the confusion visually is because of the loft and lie of different clubs. When I hit an iron that feels pure and the swing feels good, I tend to pull the ball left. When I try to adjust and hit it straight the hit is weak and loses distance. How can I correct this and be fairly certain before I begin my backswing?
Matt
A. Thanks for the question, Matt. It sounds like you might have two problems—an alignment problem and a pulling problem. Since space is limited, I’ll address the first problem you mentioned—inconsistent alignment.
Aligning yourself correctly is one of the keys to consistency. There are four stages in the alignment process
1. Visualize the shot
2. Aim the clubface
3. Align the body
4. Build the stance
First, visualize the shot. Stand behind the ball—whether on the tee or in the fairway—and look down the target line. Try seeing in your mind’s eye not only where the ball will land but also the type of shot required and the ball’s flight path.
Now, pick out an intermediate spot, like a divot or a leaf, a club-length or so beyond the ball but along the intended target line. Aim the club directly over then spot. And 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 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. Perfect parallel alignment also eliminates any effect that seeing the loft of a club may have on your swing.
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/newsletter07182007.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article - Why Hogan Hated Carnoustie
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/carnoustie.html
5) Article - Playing A Links Golf Course
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/links.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.
