If you’ve been reading my golf tips newsletter, scanning golf Web sites, or perusing golf magazines, you’ve probably come across the term center of gravity (COG). More than likely, you’ve seen the term in conjunction with ads for or an article about golf clubs. That’s because it’s one of the hottest concepts in golf club manufacturing technology, along with moment of inertia (MOI). And like many recreational golfers, you probably wondering what COG is and how it affects your game.

Actually, the concept isn’t new. It’s been around for years. What’s new is its execution. Thanks to advances in golf club manufacturing technology and golf club research and design, center of gravity is a concept whose time has come. And while it’s not a term you’ll hear a lot about during a golf lesson, it’s a term you should know because it can have a decided impact on your golf handicap.

COG Defined
One golf Web site defined center of gravity as “the point within the head of a golf club at which it would be perfectly balanced.” That’s as good a definition of COG as any I’ve read. Technically, COG is determined by balancing the clubhead on its face, sole, or any place on the head – the intersection inside of the head of all these different balance points is the center of gravity of the clubhead.

Since the center of gravity is a single point inside the clubhead, its location has to be defined in 3-dimensions. There’s a vertical COG location (how high up in the head the COG is from the sole), a horizontal COG location (how far over it is from the center of the shaft in the hosel of the head), and a depth COG location (how far back from the face it is located). If you alter the position of any of these points, you alter both the COG and the club’s performance.

Position of COG
The position of the center of gravity within a clubhead alters both the trajectory and the accuracy of shots. A COG position that’s low and toward the back of a clubhead encourages a higher trajectory for any given loft angel on the club. On the other hand, the closer the COG is to the shaft, the less a golfer tends to hit a ball offline. The farther the center of gravity is from the shaft, the more a golfer tends to hit the ball offline.

In theory you would always want the COG in line with the center of the clubhead’s face. But moving the COG helps “mitigate” some swing flaws. That’s great for those of us who don’t hit the ball in the face’s center, which judging from my golf lessons and my experience in general, is the category where most recreational golfers fall. The more the designer incorporates perimeter weighting in the clubhead’s design, then, the better off a recreational golfer is with the club.

COG also alters ball flight, which is good for players with some ability. Moving the COG toward the heel helps you hit a hook. When contact occurs away from the center of gravity, the ball’s axis of rotation tilts toward the heel. That imparts sidespin, causing the ball to move. However, as moment of inertia (MOI)—the relative stability of off-center hits—increases, the more you have to move the COG to produce the sidespin you need to hook the shot. Impact of COG
What does all this mean for a golfer and his/her golf handicap? When you’re buying golf clubs, research the COG of the clubs your considering. Since you’re not a professional, look for a club offering the best center of gravity for your caliber of play. Cavity-back irons, for example, where the COG has been moved more toward the club’s outer edges are great for beginners because they’re more forgiving of off-center hits, which means the new golfer find the fairway a lot more than with clubs lacking perimeter weight design.

However, be careful when considering clubhead design. Manufacturers often add or subtract design features in an attempt to make their clubs perform better and differentiate them from other clubs. Some “improvements” impact COG, which means they will affect the clubs performance, too. What you need to do is find the clubhead that works for you, test the club if you can. Testing is the best way of determining if a club is right for you.

Now that you know what center of gravity is, take advantage of it the next time you’re in the market for new clubs. COG will impact a club’s performance, including trajectory and accuracy. That in turn impacts your golf handicap. For best results, look for a club with a center of gravity that fits your game.

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.

I’ve been dying to get over the pond to Royal Litham and here in the States to Whistling Straits to play some golf. But alas, weather and commitments make it difficult. What’s your favorite course you’ve played or would like to play? I’m sure we’ll get some interesting ones so c’mon, let me know where you’d like to play!

And oh yeah, if you’re on squidoo, drop by and say hello at http://www.squidoo.com/break80

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How To Break 80 Newsletter

January 16, 2008

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hitting The Hybrid Draw
2) Tapping The Power Of Your Trigger Finger
3) Question of the Week – Hitting the Ball above Your Feet
4) Article – The Spin On Center of Gravity
5) Article – Eight Great Golf Exercises (Part I)

Jack’s Note: You got any fun golf trips planned for this year? I know I’d personally love to get out to Whistling Straits in Wisconsin myself. Maybe Royal Litham with a bit more time. What’s your dream course or favorite one to play? I’d love to hear your thoughts…just hit “reply” to this email. And oh yeah, for all the LADIES out there, stay tuned because I’ve got something special planned for you very soon.

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1) Hitting The Hybrid Draw
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Hybrid clubs are great from the fairway. They’re easier to hit and control. They’re able to provide the distance you need on many long fairway shots. And they’re great in the rough, enabling you to dig your way out of deep grass better than with other clubs. These advantages are what make hybrids so popular.

Hybrids are also great off the tee. They’re excellent alternatives to hitting a driver or a 3-wood. They’re ideal when the hole has a lot of run to it, the fairway is rather tight, or the wind is blowing right at you—situations where a low hard draw is the shot of choice. Used at the right time and place, the hybrid draw can shave strokes off your score.

Below are six keys to hitting the hybrid draw:

* Adopt a closed stance
* Hood the clubface
* Follow an inside path
* Hit down, not up
* Stop short of parallel
* Turn the hands over

The secret to hitting the hybrid draw is making a few simple adjustments to your stance and swing. Begin by setting up with the ball slightly back in your stance, which should be closed a bit. To ensure a low, right to left ball flight, hood the clubface just a bit by turning the club’s toe toward the target.

Concentrate on taking the club away on a slightly inside path. Stop well short of parallel on your backswing and swing down as if you’re hitting an iron off the fairway. Turn your hand over on the way through the ball, with the right hand eventually resting on the left. Also, try maintaining the slight bend that occurs naturally in your right wrist all the way through impact.

You’ll need to practice the shot a bit, like anything new. But once you have the hang of it, you’ll look forward to hitting the hybrid draw and whittling strokes off your score.

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2) Tapping The Power Of Your Trigger Finger
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In a recent article I discussed club lag and it’s importance to good ball striking. Club lag—how far the club lags behind the hands through impact—plays a huge part in hitting solid shots. Mastering club lag improves club position at impact and enhances ballstriking.

A key to mastering club lag is your right forefinger. (Or in the case of a left-hander, the left forefinger.) Learning to leverage the power in this finger is one of the most overlooked fundamentals in the golf swing. The trick is being aware of how it works when you swing.

The pressure created by the club resting against and across the middle joint of the right forefinger greatly influences your swing. This pressure point transforms that finger into a “trigger finger.” It plays a major role in the loading of the backswing and the lagging of the club on the downswing.

Where the grip falls across that finger is where you feel club lag the most. The secret to using this finger effectively is to lay the handle of your club diagonally across the middle joint of the trigger finger. During the swing you want to feel the club’s weight on that spot the entire time. This leads to improved club lag.

Chipping In The Rough Drill
Players with high golf handicaps often release the club too soon in the downswing. At impact, the hands should be in front of the ball and the shaft should be leaning forward. To reinforce this feeling, hit shots in the deep rough. As soon as the club contacts the grass, it provides resistance while the hands and body continue turning. This drill teaches you the feeling you want at impact.

Practice this drill as often as you can and you’ll master club lag. At the time same, be aware of your trigger finger and how it impacts your golf swing. Work on these two fundamentals and before you know it, you’ll be hitting the ball like a pro.

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3) Question of the Week – Hitting the Ball above Your Feet
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Q. Hi, Jack, I have trouble hitting the ball above my feet. Alignment is also problem. What can I do to correct it?

Thanks,
Peter Jinverse

A. Thanks for the question, Peter. Hitting the ball above your feet is a matter of (1) making a few simple adjustments to your stance and swing, and (2) aligning yourself properly before swinging. Here are 5 tips that can help,

-Aim right of the target
-Stand tall throughout the swing
-Keep weight centered over archers
-Sing along slope
-Stay in balance

One key to this shot is aligning yourself right of target, The ball moves right to left (for right-handers) with this shot, so if you line up dead center on target, you’ll probably pull the ball left. Instead, line up your shoulders, hips, and feet with the target line, not the flagstick. And since the ball is closer to your upper body, stand taller throughout your swing, but not too tall.

Another key is centering your weight above your arches, not on the balls of your feet. The change helps you swing along the slope and stay in balance throughout the shot.

Many recreational golfers shift their upper body forward during the swing and come into the ball lower than what they were at address, resulting in a fat shot. Or they’ll lose balance, pop out of the stance, and hit a weak slice. Keep your posture constant. Maintain the same spine angle that you set at address right on through impact.

With this shot, you also may need to make adjustments to your stance and/or swing. In that case, try choking down on the club and aim about 20 yard to the right of the hole.

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/newsletter01162008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – The Spin On Center of Gravity
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/cog.html

5) Article – Eight Great Golf Exercises (Part I)
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/exercise1.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.

Swinging aggressively isn’t a bad thing, but it can be if taken too far. Golfers who swing too aggressively often jerk the club back on their backswing, thrust forward violently from the top of the swing, or execute a host of other actions that throw off the rhythm and timing of their swings. The result: bad shots and added strokes to their scores and golf handicaps.

Block shots rank high on the list of bad shots by golfers who swing the club too aggressively. When driving, being too aggressive often forces golfers to fire their bodies too quickly on the downswing, causing the club to drop behind the players too far to the inside. From there, golfers either block their shots or hook them, depending on their release at impact.

If you tend to block shots, you may be swinging too aggressively. If you are, you must learn to curb your aggressiveness to improve your game. Once you learn to control your aggressiveness, you can use it to lower your scores and golf handicap. Below are four golf tips I recommend in my golf lessons to help eliminate blocked shots.

Tip #1: Better Posture, Better Impact
When your lower body races ahead of your upper body—the result of being too aggressive—your upper body tends to tilt away from the target. Being too fast with your upper body produces blocked shots. Since you want to “feel tall over the ball,” make sure you set your spine straight at address. Also, make sure you’re not squatting too much. If you are, flex your knees slightly. And make sure the ball isn’t too far back in your stance. Setting the ball forward helps keep the back straight during the swing.

Tip #2: Less Tilt, More Coverage
When you’re too aggressive, your upper body often tilts away from the target. If that happens, your back shoulder will drop, causing the club to drop too far under the backswing plane. Your path becomes too inside out through the swing plane. Now if your legs get too aggressive and your front hip clears too soon, your upper body falls away from the target. That’s not good. If you want to eliminate blocked shots, keep your upper body straight during the swing and your back shoulder “covering” the ball through impact. In other words, stay stacked over the ball throughout the swing.

Tip #3: Release The Head Early
Keeping your head down and straight contributes to blocked shots. Lack of head movement causes you to lose your forward tilt toward the ball. If your head stays down and straight, your hips lunge toward the ball, pulling you out of your posture and leading to poor contact. But if you turn your head slightly with the shot you’ll have better results. You’ll keep your spine straighter and get the club back in front of your body sooner. When your arms get out in front of your body, they can swing down the line better. Watch Annika Sorenstam and David Duval. They’re great examples of releasing the head early.

Tip #4: Brace Your Left Side and Release
Getting the club too far inside also results in hooks. To compensate for hooks, some golfers “hold” on through impact, so they don’t flip the clubface closed during impact. But this can cause you to pull your arms away from your body. Since you can’t release the club from that position, you end up blocking the shot. To overcome this problem, brace your front side. With a firm front side, you can swing the club down the line and release it, resulting in a straighter, truer drive.

Numerous drills exist that ingrain the four tips suggested above. For example, to learn to maintain posture, take a narrow stance and then drop your back foot away from the target line about 12 inches. Using a middle iron, hit shots from this position, which discourages your upper body from tilting back on the swing and teaches you to hit against a firm left side. Use drills like this to improve your swing.

If you block shots off the tee, it may be because you’re swinging too aggressively. Being aggressive has its advantages as long as you keep it under control. Then, you can use this aggressiveness to your advantage, as I teach in my golf instruction sessions. If you’re serious about chipping away at your golf handicap, learn to control your aggressiveness and put it to better use.

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.