Players referred to it as “Carnasty” in 1999, the last time the British Open was held there. Jack Nicklaus called it the “hardest of all championship venues.” Experts say it’s among the toughest links course in the world, if not the toughest. This week the world’s greatest golfers return to Carnoustie Championship Course to play the 2007 British Open. Judging by past Opens, players may be getting free golf lessons courtesy of the Scottish course.

One anecdote about Carnoustie sums it all up. Ben Hogan won his only appearance at the British Open at Carnoustie 1953. He didn’t much care for the course. “This is like putting on putty,” he told club officials, adding that he should have brought his lawn mower with him from Texas. Hogan would agree that playing Carnoustie regularly wouldn’t help lower your golf handicap any time soon.

Fascinating Facts
So how difficult is Carnoustie to play? Below are some statistics that will give you a good idea of what playing this famed Scottish course is like:

* Carnoustie has a Course Rating of 75.1, and a Slope of 145 from the regular tees (yellow), making it officially the hardest course in Scotland, harder than St. Andrews (72.1/129), Royal Troon (73.2/134), Muirfield (73.0/133), and Turnberry (75.3/133).

* The last time the British Amateur Championship was played there in 1992, there were 283 competitors. On the first day of stroke play—in August—only two players broke 80. They both shot 79. The wind was blowing 50 to 60 miles per hour.

* In July 1996, the month before he won his third U.S. Amateur and turned pro, Tiger Woods played in the Scottish Open. He shot 81-75 to miss the cut.

* In the 1999 British Open, Sergio Garcia, then 19 years old, opened with a triple bogey, then shot 89. Phil Mickelson went 79-76 and missed the cut. Vijay Sing shot 77-84. First day leader with a 71, Rod Pampling shot 86 the next day and missed the cut.

Carnoustie has a rich and storied history—one that goes back almost to the beginning of golf. Historical records show that the course’s construction started as early as 1527—long before the surrounding community even evolved. Shortly afterwards, Allan Robertson structured the first recognizable course. Later, Tom Morris designed the first 18-hole layout—one that James Braid and James Wright put the finishing touches on sometime after.

Since then, the course has been the site of some of the most memorable moments in golf. These include six British Opens, numerous amateur championships, several Scottish Opens, Jean Van de Velde’s collapse on the 18th hole in the final round in 1999, and Jack Nicklaus’ first British Open win in 1966. A native Scotsman won the first British Open held there in 1931. And Ben Hogan put on a masterly display of golf to win the British Open in 1953. During that time Carnoustie has been providing its own golf instructional sessions to a lot of players.

Precision Over Power
To win in 2007, players must favor precision over power—just as Nicklaus did in 1966, when he won his first Claret jug and joined the elite group of golfers who had won all four major titles. Where the fairways had seemed generous to Nicklaus in his amateur days, they tapered in places to a mere 20 yards and were surrounded by acres of billowing rough. Some players said the jungle of fescue grass was so deep in spots on the course that if you sent in a caddie to a find a ball, you might lose him.

Not much has changed at Carnoustie since then. It’s still one of the hardest courses in the world and one of the greatest tests of a player’s. Visually, it’s a great looking course by all accounts. In addition, it has all the standard features of a good links course, a few blind spots, and mounds of fescue grass. And then there’s the elements, especially the wind, which can buffet any shot that’s not on a line.

Just in land from the North Sea, Carnoustie’s first nine holes don’t go out in one direction, and then come back in the opposite direction with the second nine holes. Instead, the holes change direction constantly. No more than two in a row face the same angle in the wind. The bunkers, like most Scottish links courses, have vertical revetted walls of turf. They’re not always oval shaped, either. They twist and turn, making them difficult to play. In addition, Carnoustie has what many believe is the six toughest finishing holes in British golf, if not all of the sport. These six holes weren’t designed for players with high golf handicaps.

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.

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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.

Remember back in 1999 when the British Open was at Carnoustie Golf Links in 1999? You know…when the Frenchman made a nice putt for a triple-bogey 7 and forced a playoff.

Jean Van De Velde was not picked to win of course, but it sure made for great golf viewing when he came to the 18th with a lead. I wanted to cry when I saw his 3rd or 4th shot go into the water. Heck, I struggled to remember that Paul Lawrie was the eventual winner.

Because of the great competition of this event, anything can happen and anyone can win….but I’d like to hear from YOU. Who do YOU think will win this week and be crowned the reigning British Open champ? Answer correctly and we’ll put you into a drawing on Monday July 23rd for one of my products. If your name is drawn, you get to pick any one of my products and it’s yours…on the house. And yes, we pay for the shipping too

A couple of rules….you can only vote once and you have to vote before Friday, July 20th 11:59pm PT. Those who vote on Sat or Sun won’t be counted toward the contest because by then you will have an unfair advantage. You’re more than welcome to post at any time though! Good luck and I hope you choose wisely and get one of my DVD’s for free!

Anyone who’s taken my golf lessons or read my golf tips knows how important I consider putting. Since about 30 percent of your shots during a match are putts, improving your putting is among the fastest ways of lowering your scores and cutting your golf handicap down to size. Improving your putting takes practice. But the question remains, how good can your putting get?

Two factors hamper putting accuracy. First, despite the most intensive care, greens are still natural lawns. They’ll never have flawless surfaces, like those of billiard tables, which means you can execute a putt perfectly and the ball can still miss the hole by a wide margin. Because of these imperfections (or in the ball itself), putts don’t always go in the direction you aim.

Second, even when the shot is off, you can’t see from the course of the ball what went wrong. You could have angled the club to the left or the right at impact. You could have moved the putter during the stroke. Or, you could have mis-hit the ball at impact. Whatever the reason, you don’t get sufficient feedback, so it’s hard improving your putting while practicing. Taking golf lessons helps, but it ’s not enough.

How Good Can You Get?
Thanks to these two factors your ability to sink putts—and lower your golf handicap—is limited. To test just how good a player can get at putting, experts conducted tests on well-kept greens using special equipment, designed to roll balls in the same direction and at the same speed every time. The experts used this equipment on numerous greens and from all sides of the pin, and were able to determine the maximum success rate from 12 feet (3.5 meters).

Most golfers would guess that the success rate was about 70 to 80 percent. No so. The maximum success rate is only 50 percent. That’s right, 50 percent. That means that from 12 feet (3.5 meters) a player can hit a ball perfectly every time and still sink only half of his or her putts. Even the pros’ statistics at this distance might surprise you. Results of research conducted by statisticians of the USPGA show that the average pro, under tour conditions, sinks only about 20 percent of his putts from 12 feet (3.5 meters) with the first shot.

Since most golfers think they don’t sink as many putts as they should, many alter their putting technique again and again to increase accuracy—which I see all the time with players taking my golf lessons. Thus, these players constantly readjust and make changes in how they putt. This approach promises little success and is completely unnecessary. It’s a major cause of the constant dissatisfaction of many players.

Improving Your Putting
Given the above scenario, what can you do to improve your putting in addition to practicing more? Develop a good solid per-shot putting routine and use it every time you putt. If you saw the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open the other week, you saw a classic example of this. Before sinking an easy 2-foot putt for the title, Cristie Kerr executed her compete pre-shot putting routine, even though she was 2 shots ahead.

While everyone’s pre-shot putting routine will be different, they all should include the following six elements:

1. Take your last reading from behind the ball
2. Hit your practice shots at this point
3. Go to the ball/Align your putter
4. Align your body at right angles to the putter’s face
5. Take a last look from the head of the putter to the target
6. Activate your “triggering mechanism” before stroking the ball.

Within these six elements, there’s room for variation. Some players like to practice while standing behind the ball. Others like to practice while standing beside the ball. Some players like to lift the club off the ground as a triggering mechanism. Others like to use the “forward press.” It doesn’t matter. When developing a pre-shot putting routine, find out what works for you and us it.

Always follow the steps of your pre-shot routine in the same order. Stay in motion, even though these movements are imperceptible. And never come to a complete stop before the shot. It gives you too much time to think about the putt. Finally, make sure no repetitions exist in the routine and that your subconscious always know where you are in the routine. Use this routine every time you putt and you may find yourself not only improving your putting, but also your cutting your golf handicap down to size.

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.