Golf Tips and Instruction- November 7, 2007
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How To Break 80 Newsletter
November 7, 2007
“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Lob Over a Greenside Bunker
2) How To Set-Up For The Long Putter
3) Question of the Week – Stay Low on Windy Days
4) Article – A Warm-Up Routine To Generate Power and Consistency
5) Article – Ways To Adjust To Slower Or Faster Greens
Jack’s Note: If you’re interested in advertising on this newsletter, please email us at ads@howtobreak80.com.
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1) Lob Over a Greenside Bunker
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We’ve all faced this shot at some point—a lob over a greenside bunker. And we’ve all probably chipped the ball into the bunker at one time or another, costing ourselves strokes. It may even have cost us the hole, if we’re playing match play. Mistakes like that chip away at our confidence, so the next time we face the same shot, we’re worried more about coming up short than hitting the ball past the hole. It’s enough to keep us awake at night.
While the greenside lob is a challenge for most weekend golfers, it doesn’t have to be your undoing, not if you follow the keys listed below.
Six keys to hitting a lob over a greenside bunker:
* Check out your lie
* Take a nearly full swing
* Drop the club into the ball
* Keep the clubface pointed to the sky
* Let your legs and body rotate
* Keep your head stable and centered
The key to making this shot is the lie. Check it out carefully before making a decision. If you have a tight lie, you won’t be able to slide your club under the ball and you’ll skull it. If have a fluffy lie, you’ll get under the ball too much and dump it into the bunker. Neither mistake is good. So get a firm sense of how much grass is behind the ball and how much air is under it before deciding what to do.
Once you’re committed, assume a slightly open stance, take a full backswing, and “drop” the club into the ball, popping it up. Keep the clubface pointed to the sky as you complete a short follow-through. And let your legs and body rotate forward, but keep your head stable and centered. If you’re in deeper rough, make a slightly faster swing to compensate for the grass.
You’ll need to work on this shot in practice to master distance control. Place a club 15 yards ahead of you and try landing shots just past it. With practice, you’ll learn to hit the shot properly and stop worrying about coming up short. You’ll also build confidence. And you’ll be able to sleep again.
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2) How To Set-Up For The Long Putter
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There’s no question that for some people the long putter works well. In general, it allows for greater consistency from stroke to stroke, especially under pressure. That’s because the putting motion is dominated by the larger, easier to control muscles and has fewer moving parts to coordinate. So if your thinking of changing the way you putt, the long putter is worthy of consideration.
But to benefit from the long putter, you must have the proper set-up. Below are key components of the set-up:
1. Stabilize the top of the putter
2. Position your bottom hand correctly
3. Keep your control arm straight
4. Align yourself to the target line
5. Keep the putter shaft vertical at address
One of the keys to putting well with the long putter is stabilizing the club’s top. To do this, assume a normal putting stance, and then press your top hand lightly against your breastbone while keeping a light hold on the top of the putter. In fact, try to avoid tension in either your hands or your arms whenever you putt.
Make sure the palm of the control (bottom) hand faces the target line. You can slide the handle between your fingers or set your forefinger down the side of the grip. Use whichever grip feels most comfortable. At this point, the control arm should form a straight line from the shoulder to the clubshaft. Align your shoulders and your control arm parallel to the target line and set-up the ball so the putter shaft is vertical.
With the proper set-up, executing the stroke for the long putter is simple. The shoulders should not control the stroke. Instead, they should move in unison with the control arm. You want to create the feeling that the palm of your control hand is rolling the ball toward your target.
If you’re not happy with the way you’ve been putting lately and your thinking about making a change, the long putter is worth considering. Just remember, having the proper set-up is critical to the success of this putting method.
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3) Question of the Week – Stay Low on Windy Days
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Q. Jack, I just returned from Hawaii where my high scores landed me in 12th place out of 12 golfers net. I am a 9 handicap, yet the higher handicappers beat me on the wind swept courses we played on Kauai. I have always hit the ball long and high. Long and high into those trade winds put me no longer than the other, lower flight hitters. I was and am frustrated, as I hit good shots that stayed in the air, and looped back to be in the same area as the shorter hitters.
I need to hit lower in these conditions, both off the tee and with the irons. What to do?
Bill Goodale
A. Thanks for the question, Bill. Playing on a windy day can be frustrating for players like you, especially if you’re playing into a headwind. You’re right when you say you need to learn to hit the ball more on a line on windy days. A low line drive cuts through a strong headwind, adding distance to the shot.
Below are five keys to hitting a low line drive
1. Choose the right club
2. Complete the shoulder turn
3. Widen your stance for stability
4. Stay low in the hitting zone
5. Finish with the weight forward
Club selection when playing in the wind is based on personal experience. But in general, use more club when hitting into the wind. Use less when playing with the wind. If the situation calls for a 9-iron and you’re playing into a headwind, use a 7-iron but choke down on the club. That’ll keep the ball low and give you the same distance.
Also, widen your stance slightly for stability, stay low to the ground in the hitting zone, keep your hands ahead of the club, and finish with your weight well forward. And make sure you complete your shoulder turn. Try driving the ball forward on a low, penetrating trajectory.
In a crosswind, curve the ball into the wind, if you want it to land softly. If you want it to land and roll, ride the wind. In a headwind, play the ball back in your stance. In a tailwind, do the opposite. Play the ball forward in your stance and hit it higher for more distance. Count on the ball flying straighter and longer, even on mis-hits.
In addition, swing more softly on windy days, even with a headwind. Swinging softly reduces the ball’s spin—and that’s a key to beating the wind. Maintain a smooth rhythm to your swing and transfer your weight in harmony with the motion of the club.
Learning to hit a low line drive takes practice and patience. Spend time on the range in the fall when the wind is the strongest and work on hitting low line drives with all your clubs. Practicing will pay off next time you play on a windy day.
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/newsletter11072007.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article – A Warm-Up Routine To Generate Power and Consistency
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/warmups.html
5) Article – Ways To Adjust To Slower Or Faster Greens
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/ballroll.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.
