Golf Tips & Instruction- 03/12/08
How To Break 80 Newsletter
March 12, 2008
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“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
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In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Learn To Finesse Your Pitch Shots
2) Hitting It Straight From An Uphill Lie
3) Question of the Week – The Spin on Spin
4) Article – Achieving Consistent Iron Play
5) Article – How To Tee The Ball – Driver
Jack’s Note: Surely you’ve heard of John Daly’s wild week. But it raises a good question…is there an end to this nonsense? He’s already on thin ice with the Tour and I think this one may have put him over the edge. Read more here on my blog.
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1) Learn To Finesse Your Pitch Shots
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Developing feel is the key to mastering those tricky finesse shots we all face from time to time. Feel is the ability to instinctively hit the ball with the proper force for the required distance so the ball feeds into the hole. It’s critical in pitching because there are so many variables involved—lie, distance, trajectory, and the contour and speed of the green.
Below are 6 tips on finessing pitch shots:
* Choose a landing spot
* Maintain your spine angle
* Use a nice smooth motion
* Walk the distance from the ball
* Pick up the club steeply
* Slide the club under the ball
The one constant for all good pitchers is choosing a landing spot for the shot. If you don’t do so, chances are good that you’ll leave the ball way short or hit it way beyond the hole. Also, it’s important to maintain your spine angle throughout the shot and return the club to the point of address with a nice smooth motion. Don’t hurry the shot. If you vary your spine angle or hurry your swing, you could skull or chunk the shot.
To determine the length of your backswing and the trajectory of the shot, walk off the distance from the ball to the landing spot. Do this quickly so as not to hold up play. While walking off the distance, check the green’s grain and the contour, not only visually but also physically with your feet.
After forming a mental picture of the landing area, the rest is execution. Let the club do the work. Remember, the pitch shot is a mini-version of a full shot. Pick up the club steeply on the backswing into a natural cocking motion and allow the clubhead to slide under the ball through impact.
Practice these types of shots as often as you can. The more you practice them, the more feel you’ll develop for the shot.
We all love to drill one off the tee. But the long ball only gets you so far. That’s why golfers with low golf handicaps work so hard on finesse shots. They know that perfecting these shots is the secret to cutting down scores and slashing golf handicaps quickly and significantly.
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2) Hitting It Straight From An Uphill Lie
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Many players pull uphill lies. If they’re right-handed, they’ll pull them left. If they’re left-handed, they’ll pull them right. That’s because their leg drive is inhibited going into the shot. As a result, the upper body outraces the lower body and the player pulls it left or right, depending on which side he or she hits from.
Here are five keys to making this shot:
* Assume a square stance
* Play the ball forward
* Match your shoulders to the slope
* Hold the clubface open
* Swing down, then up
One way to play this shot is to set-up right of the target and play for the right-to-left ball flight. Vice versa for a left-hander. However, not everybody is comfortable or proficient with this method of hitting from an uphill lie. So they end up pulling the ball anyway.
If that’s you, try this: Set your feet, hips, and shoulders square to the target line. Play the ball forward a little in your stance. Match your shoulders to the slope’s angle at address. And swing down the slope going back, and up the slope on the through-swing. Make sure you hold the clubface open through impact. That’s important.
This method helps you hit the ball both straight and solid from an uphill lie. Keep in mind that since the ball launches from a higher angle on an uphill, it won’t carry as far. So you’ll need to take one more club than normal to get the same yardage. In other words, if you normally use a 6-iron from that spot, you’ll need to hit a 5-iron to get the same distance.
The key to this shot is matching your shoulders to the slope’s angle. If you try to hit this shot with your shoulders level, you’ll stick the club in the ground at impact. Once you get the hang of it, hitting from an uphill lie will be easy.
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3) Question of the Week – The Spin on Spin
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Q. Hi, Jack, I’ve got a question about the pitch shot that bounces twice and then spins to a dead stop. How do you play the shot? I can’t seem to get the ball to stop. When I try this shot, the ball continues to run out.
Thanks for your answer,
Kevin Cavan
A. Thanks for the question, Kevin. Creating backspin on the ball takes the right combination of things.
First, you must have the right ball. Using a ball with a soft cover let’s you put more spin on it than using a ball with a hard cover. Second, make sure the grooves in your iron are clean. This allows the clubface to catch more of the ball as it climbs the clubface at impact, creating backspin. If the grooves are plugged, clean them with a wooden tee or a brush.
Third, use a wedge – sand or lob – to hit the shot. It’s much easier with a wedge than with your other clubs. Work on making ball first contact. Finally, hit the ball with a steep, descending blow. That increases the angle of attack and enables you to hit the bottom of the ball with the leading edge of the clubface, creating backspin.
Learning to stop a ball on the green takes practice. But it pays off with more birdie and par chances and, hopefully, more conversions. If you’re serious about improving your game, you’ll master this shot.
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/newsletter03122008.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article – Achieving Consistent Iron Play
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/achieving-consistent-iron-play.html
5) Article – How To Tee The Ball – Driver
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/how-to-tee-the-ball-driver.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.
