Once again Tiger Woods began his 2008 season by opening making golf history. Despite the rain and wind Sunday at Torrey Pines Golf Course, Woods dominated the Buick Invitational by a tournament-record eight strokes for his 62nd PGA Tour victory. This win tied Woods with Arnold Palmer for fourth on the career list of most wins and moving within two wins of Ben Hogan.

Tiger Woods’s final-round score of one-under-par 71 at Torrey Pines gave him his record sixth Buick Invitational title and his fourth in a row. His total of 19 under par for 72 holes won by eight strokes over Ryuiji Imada. Woods was at 21 under par briefly but bogeyed some holes coming in. Phil Mickelson, the hometown favorite, was a non-factor as he was fighting some health issues and his game was not on par.

This article is the second of a two-part feature describing exercises I use in my golf instruction sessions. We discussed Part I in the last article.

Last week we said that no single swing is right for all golfers. All golfers’ swings are different because of their builds, their ages, their strengths, and so on. The same holds true for workout programs. No single workout program is right for all golfers. Different people require different programs based on their builds, their ages, and so on, so very golfer needs to find a workout program that’s good for him or her..

But, as we said last week, some exercises benefit every golfer. These exercises not only improve range of motion and balance, they also strengthen problem areas—hips, back, and rotary cuffs. They’re all low intensity. They won’t give you the sculpted look of a world-class body builder, but they will improve your swing and golf handicap.

These exercises can all be done in your home. Some require a modest investment in time and equipment. You will need to adjust the weight, intensity, and frequency of each exercise to fit your physical capabilities, but other than that the program should be the same for everyone.

Below are the final exercises for a good workout program I recommend to those who are serious about improving their golf handicap.

Torso-Resisted Swing
This exercise requires the use of a device called an Instant Replay System, anchored to a door and then belted around your waist. It’s great way to finish your workout because it re-synchronizes the golf muscles you just trained. Perform 10 to 15 swings at the end of each exercise session.

Hook the Instant Replay band on the rear leg side and wrap it around you so it exits the same side and feels tight at address and tighter at the finish position. Now perform your swing using a longer club. Next, attach the band around your lead shoulder and wrap it around your body so it exits your rear hip and the band feels taught at address and loose at the finish of your swing. Now perform your swing using a short club. Try to make each swing longer than the one before.

Torso-Leg Lift
This exercise coordinates the muscles of the abdomen, pelvic region, and legs. It also strengthens the shoulders, stabilizes the hip, and helps with lower back pain. Do 10-15 reps, each side, 2 to 3 sets, 3 times a week.

Lie on your side supported by your elbow. Your arms legs and hips should be in line. Now press up with your elbow so your body lifts of the ground. Hold, and then return to the ground. Optional, after you press up with the elbow, make a scissor movement with your legs.

Medicine Ball Throw
This exercise trains the big muscles of the golf swing—the abdomen, the lower back, hips, and legs. Do 10 to 12 reps. twice a week. Then do the same drill left-handed.

Hold the medicine ball in front of your like a golf club. Make a backswing and then, as fast, as you can, make an explosive downswing to throw the ball forward, just pact the impact position. Throw it against the wall or into a net.

The Tire Exercise
This exercise strengthens your hands and wrists. Take 10 to 15 swings then stop. Repeat the drill 3 times.

Take a normal golf stance with a tire positioned like a large golf ball in front of you. Employing a normal grip, use a quarter swing to hit the back of the tire moving the clubhead as fast as possible. The pitch of the swishing noise and the sound of the impact are your indicators. The higher the pitch and the louder the crack, the faster the clubhead speed will be. The loudest crack is heard when the clubhead releases properly—similar to the way a hammer strikes a nail. The longer the hit is delayed the stronger the sound.

You can repeat the tire drill in the opposite direction, if you wish, so as not to strengthen one side of the body more than the other. But even if you don’t, completing these exercises, as well as the ones in the previous article, will strengthen you, increasing your chances of cutting strokes from your golf handicap.

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.

When you’ve given as many golf lessons as I have, it doesn’t take much thought to figure out that slicing is golf’s most common swing error. In fact, many weekend players who attend my golf instructions sessions for the first time slice, with both men and women slicing about the same amount. And they all want to know one thing when they first come to me: How do I cure my slice?

Curing your slice isn’t easy, especially if you’ve had it for a long time. You’ve ingrained the swing fault in your muscle memory and making changes to it will feel uncomfortable and strange. But the benefits of slicing less far outweigh the costs. Hitting straighter shots more consistently not only keeps you on the fairway, it also cuts strokes from your golf handicap because it produces better approach shots.

Causes Of A Slice
The causes for a slice are well documented in magazines and often discussed in golf lessons. Four things trigger a slice:

1. Upper body turns too soon
2. Hands are too high at impact
3. Upper body outraces the club on the downswing
4. Grip end gets too far in front of the clubhead at impact.

These errors leave the clubface open at impact—a major swing error. How major? Recent research by one club manufacturer indicates that a club with an S flex shaft with 9.3 degrees of loft and the face open at impact about 2 degrees results in a shot that finishes 16 degrees off the target line. Obviously, you must get the clubface square at impact to hit the ball straight.

Slices and Cures
Let’s look at the four most common types of slice and consider four drills you can practice to help cure your slice. Your divots will tell you what kind of slice you have.

1. Opening Up Too Soon (The Pull Slice)
This is perhaps the second most common slice type. Its generated by your right shoulder moving out and over on the downswing, causing the clubface to come into the ball on an outside-in swing path. Your hands sensing that the club is coming from the outside hold the clubface open to the path, resulting in a pull slice. With iron shots your divot points left of target.

Drill: Hit practice balls with your back foot moved back a few inches from the target line and your heel down. Swing the club back making a full shoulder turn. The idea is to feel as if you’re swinging the club primarily with your arms and shoulders through impact. Let your body respond to the swinging of the arms and the releasing of the clubhead.

2. Handle Too High At Impact
If your hands are too high at impact just before and through the ball, you’ll cause the clubhead to get stuck behind you. Often this happens because the golfer tries to clear the hips too fast or doesn’t trust the loft of the club to get the ball airborne. Whatever the cause, you end up with a slice. There’s little or not divot with irons.

Drill: Take your normal address position. Have a friend hold a club so the grip hovers just above your hands. As you swing back and through your friend should keep his club’s grip end steady. Concentrate on letting your hand pass just under his club.

3. Body Outraces Club (The Push Slice)
With the push slice your ball starts to the right of your target, then goes even farther right. Usually this means that your body outraces the clubhead. Some people call this a lunge. To compensate some people try flipping the club through the ball with their hands in an effort to square the clubface to the ball.

Drill: Use your driver or fairway wood. Tee the ball up. Take your address as you normally would but with your left leg positioned slightly inside the ball. Now stand only on your front foot. Swing the club back and through and try hitting the ball. Alternate hitting five balls on one leg, then with your normal swing. 4. Handle Too Far Ahead Of Ball
Getting the handle too far ahead of the clubhead is probably the most common cause of a slice. The primary problem is back of forearms rotation. If you make a strong strike of the ball and it starts straight down the target line before curving to the right. With your irons the divot would be square to the target line.

Starting with knockdown pitches, rotate your left forearm (right-handers) during the swing so your left hand knuckles face the ground just after impact, with the clubface turning down. Let your right hand come off the club. Once you get the hang of this, use other clubs. This drill increases clubhead speed and squares the clubface for a straighter shot.

Keep in mind as you practice these drills that you may not want to turn your slice into a draw. Hitting a fade has its advantages, too. The key, regardless of the type of shot you develop, is hitting a dependable, more consistent shot that keeps you out of trouble and gives you control of the where the ball lands. The type of shot will cut strokes from both your scores and your golf handicap.

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

January 24, 2008

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) The Punching Fade Off The Tee
2) Pitching From A Sideslope
3) Question of the Week - Drills For The Snowbound Golfer
4) Article - Four Cures For Your Slice
5) Article - Eight Great Golf Exercises (Part II)

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1) The Punching Fade Off The Tee
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The punch fade off the tee is a highly useful shoots. Yet recreational golfers seldom use it. In fact, most recreational golfers never even think about it. But knowing how to hit it comes in handy in a variety of situations. It’s ideal on short par 4s without much run, when hitting into a cross wind, or when driving into a strong headwind.

Here are five keys to the shot.
* Open your stance slightly
* Play the ball toward the middle
* Use a slightly more upright backswing
* Extend the right arm through impact
* Be aggressive with body movement

This shot won’t run as much as a shot that’s turned over, so you have to plan accordingly. Begin with a slightly open stance, with the ball more toward the middle of your stance, as you would if you were playing an ordinary fade. Use a more upright backswing to encourage a steeper angle of attack into the ball while the right arm extends against a bent right wrist.

It’s critical through impact that you don’t allow the right hand to release over the left. Instead, keep the left hand and arm above the right. This holds off impact and creates the desired left-to-ball flight. Also, be aggressive with body movement. Make sure your body leads the club, and never allow it to pass, even after impact. And abbreviate the club and clubface at the finish.

Hitting this shot doesn’t always look pretty. In some cases it looks downright ugly. But it does come in handy in certain situations, so it’s a useful shot. Work on it in practice so you’ll know how to hit it when you need it.

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2) Pitching From A Sideslope
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When a PGA pro hits an approach shot, it usually holds the green. However, when a recreational golfer hits an approach shot, it doesn’t always hold the green. In fact, the shot often runs off the green onto a sideslope This leaves him or her with a tricky little pitch shot, especially if the lie is above the player’s feet.

Keep these five keys in mind when hitting form a slide slope:
1. Choose the right club
2. Keep weight on toes
3. Don’t extend your arms
4. Grip down on club
5. Swing a little harder

The key to this shot is deciding where to aim. The ball usually falls in the direction of the slope on short shots, just like with long shots. With the ball above your feet, the more loft you use, the more the ball will go left. Experience will tell you which club to use and how far left the ball will go with that loft.

Keep your weight more on your toes to stay in balance. Don’t extend your arms, since you need the break in your wrists to play the shot. Grip down on the club and swing a little harder to compensate for the shorter swing arc. If you have some rough in front of you on the shot, try using a sand wedge and making ball first contact.

Find a green with a sideslope and practice hitting different clubs from different lies. This will give you an opportunity to find out which club you’re most comfortable with when hitting this shot. Keep a close eye on how far left each shot goes, then make adjustments accordingly. The goal is to get the ball close enough for a short makeable putt, which will cut strokes off your score.

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3) Question of the Week - Drills For The Snowbound Golfer
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Q. For those of us in the frozen reaches, how do we maintain the golf swing during those months when we cannot be on the golf course? Are there some exercises we can do indoors during the inclement weather?

Thanks,
Don R.

A. Thanks for the question, Don. Unfortunately, not all of us live in a climate where we can practice outdoors year round. That doesn’t mean we can’t work on our game. Blow are indoor drills designed to help you master three key scoring clubs—the putter, the pitching wedge, and the driver.

Putter
Drop two phone books on the floor. Position them far enough apart so that your putter head barely squeezes through them. Place a golf ball between the books, assume your putting posture, and make your stroke. Use the books as a visual guide to match the lengths of your backstroke and forward-stroke. Matching the lengths ensures a smooth swing with perfect tempo. You’ll find it difficult to guide your putter between the phone books unless your stroke follows the intended putting line. If your putter strikes the side of either book, you strayed off-line.

Pitching Wedge
Find about 10 feet of open floor space. Put a small towel on the floor and stand about 10 feet away. Use a short, smooth stroke, keeping your hands ahead of the club face. Try chipping 50 balls onto the towel. Practice so the balls land on the towel, not come to rest on the towel. Start with an 8-iron, and then move to a 9-iron, and then to a wedge. The more you practice, the better control you’ll have over those short chips.

Driver
Sit down in a chair. Spread your feet out wide and keep them flat on the ground. Hold a 7 or 8 iron out in front of you. Hold the clubhead with one hand and the end of the grip in the other hand. Raise the club over your head and rest the shaft across your neck and shoulders. Turn your shoulders to the right. Hold this position for a few seconds. You should feel a lot of torque along your left side. The turn your shoulders back and face forward. Relax and repeat. This will improve your turn and add power to your drives.

These drills improve control of the three most important clubs in your bag—the driver, the putter, and the wedge. You can do them in your house or your garage. Each focuses on fundamentals you must master to take your game to the next level.

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/newsletter01232008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Four Cures For Your Slice
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/slicecure.html

5) Article - Eight Great Golf Exercises (Part II)
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/exercise2.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.