===================================================
How To Break 80 Newsletter

June 18, 2008

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
===================================================

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Taming The Three-Wood
2) The Bump And Run Saves Strokes
3) Question of the Week – Keeping Your Head Still
4) Article – Maintaining “Soft Focus” Cuts Golf Handicaps
5) Article – What’s In Your Bag?

Jack’s Note: Still bummed that Tiger is out for the season but on the plus side, I’m looking forward to some new winners on Tour and honestly, without him around, we’ll probably see some closer matches. Still haven’t gotten your complimentary Trouble Shots DVD yet? Watch the new video I posted yesterday about how to hit it under a tree limb and you’ll be able to get your DVD there. Remember, the offer is only good as long they’re available and well, since I’m giving them away, they won’t be around for much longer.

===================================================
1) Taming The Three-Wood
===================================================
Knowing how to hit a 3-wood helps on tight fairways, long par 4s, and par 5s. Unfortunately, hitting the 3-wood off the deck is hard for many weekend golfers to execute well. They either top it, skull it, or slice it, forcing them to re-hit the shot or dig themselves out of trouble. But a simple adjustment tames the three-wood, turning it into an effective weapon.

Here are six tips on hitting the three-wood:

* Check your club
* Play the ball back
* Swing the club easy
* Hit down on the ball
* Use an “iron tempo”
* Trust the club’s loft

Before doing anything, check your club. Make sure it has 15 to 16 degrees of loft. Many weekend golfers use a 3-wood with 13 degrees of loft. That’s too low. It’s hard to hit and it temps you into trying to help the ball in the air.

When you address the ball, position it back in your stance a couple of inches. Many weekend golfers position the ball inside the heel of their front foot, just as they would with a driver. That’s not back far enough. They either top it or skim it along the ground. But you’re not hitting a driver. Move the ball back toward the center of your stance and hit down on the ball.

And don’t try to blast the ball out of sight. I know it’s tempting. If you’re using a three-wood, the green is probably out of reach. And swinging hard throws off your tempo, causing mis-hits. So why risk it. Instead, dial it down a notch. Pick a spot on the fairway. And ease up on your swing. Use the same tempo as you would with an iron.

In addition, try using a 3-wood off a tee next time you’re at the range. Get used to the idea of hitting down on the ball to get elevation. Above all, trust the club’s loft.

===================================================
2) The Bump And Run Saves Strokes
===================================================
Everyone should master the bump and run. It’s great stroke saver, especially when you have a tight lie or firm ground between you and the green and you want to get it close. The idea is to get the ball to bounce a couple of times short of the green and then roll to the hole. The closer you get to the hole with this shot, the better your chances of sinking the putt, saving strokes. Professional golfers get the ball within a foot or two of the pin a majority of the time.

Here are six keys to mastering the bump and run:

1. Choose the right club
2. Set the ball back
3. Lean the shaft forward
4. Hinge your wrists
5. Make a descending blow
6. Pivot your chest

Choosing the right club in this situation is half the battle. Some golfers use a hybrid. Others use an 8-iron, 9-iron, or pitching wedge. You can use just about any iron except a sand wedge, which puts too much spin on the ball. Choose a club you’re comfortable with and stick with it.

Next, take a slightly closed stance. Set the ball back with the shaft leaning forward, reducing the club’s loft. Too much loft prevents the ball from running. Lean your weight forward slightly. Hinge your wrists during the shot. And maintain the wrist set all the way to the finish. Pivot your chest toward the target as your arms swing through.

Make a descending blow and take a bit of a small divot in front of the hole. Swing in a shallow U-shaped arc. At the finish, the club’s toe will be pointing skyward. The ball hops a few times and then rolls to the hole.

The bump and run is ideal when you’re within a 100 yards of the green, there’s a clear path to the hole, and hitting a high shot isn’t practical. Maybe there’s a strong wind at your back or in your face, for example. Count on the ball rolling 30 percent to 50 percent of the way to the hole.

Look for opportunities to employ the bump and run. Master it and you’ll save yourself a ton of strokes over your career.

=====================================================
3) Question of the Week – Keeping Your Head Still
=====================================================
Q. Hi Jack, I purchased your book yesterday and it appears to be helpful. I’m sure it will solve my problems…all, but one. What do you recommend for eliminating my worst problem …raising my head a second before contact, resulting in missed shots? Focus a few inches behind the ball? Or what?

Ted Slosson

A. Thanks, Ted. Moving your head—whether it’s up, down, or to one side—is one of the weekend golfers’ most common faults. Usually, it causes the player to sway away from the target. That ultimately forces him or her to put more weight on the back leg than on the front leg during the downswing, producing a slice. Below is a drill that teaches you to keep your head still.

Head-Still Drill
Tee up a ball. Place a broken shaft in the ground about one foot out past the ball, but directly in line with your nose. Angle the shaft so that it points directly at your head, but doesn’t interfere with your swing. Practice your backswing, keeping your eyes on the shaft. But don’t hit the ball. It will be easy to detect any head movement.

Once you’ve learned to quiet your head, try hitting some balls with the shaft still sticking in the ground. Keep your eye on the top of the shaft. This drill helps you keep your head still throughout 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.

===================================================
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/newsletter06182008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – Maintaining “Soft Focus” Cuts Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/maintaining-soft-focus-cuts-golf-handicaps.html

5) Article – What’s In Your Bag?
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/whats-in-your-bag.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

===================================================
About the Author
===================================================
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.

When you’re watching the U.S Open this weekend, look at how Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, and the rest swing the club. I’ve been watching them for years. They swing so effortlessly it’s amazing. Yet they still bomb the ball 275 yards off the tee. Some average almost 300 yards. Hitting bombs with so little effort seems like magic. But it’s not. It’s efficiency. And it’s a golf tip on hitting the long ball.

The pros swing efficiently. Nothing is wasted. And one of the keys to swinging efficiently is maintaining spine angle through impact. This dynamic encourages the arms, hands, and clubhead to accelerate through the ball—not hit at it. The pros understand that the body wants to stay in balance. Thus, the spine will try to straighten during the swing, upsetting your spine angle and sapping your power. Eventually, power loss adds strokes to your score and boosts your golf handicap.

Below are some golf tips and drills designed to help you maintain your spine angle and your posture. These tips may not help you bomb the ball as far as Phil, Tiger, or Fred. But they’ll help you increase your technique, athleticism, and efficiency.

Start In A Good Position
If you start in a good position, chances are good you’ll stay in one after you swing. When you take your stance bend from the hips. Bending from the hips positions you to make a much better turn. Unfortunately, many weekend golfers don’t bend from the hips. They bend from the waist instead. Setting the spine at the right angle is step one in swinging more efficiently.

Spine Angle Drill
Hold a club out in front of you at the points of your hipbones, just under your belt buckle. This pulls your shoulders back, locking in a straighter spine angle. Now pull the club toward you and bend from the hips. Once in position, move the club up to your chest, just under your armpits. Now turn as if hitting the ball. Make sure the shaft points just above the ball. If the club points at or below the ball, you’re dipping instead of turning. Do 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

Activate Your Lower Body
A strong lower body makes it easier to swing efficiently, hitting the kind of drives you hope you’ll learn in golf lessons. A stronger lower body also helps you achieve and maintain a more athletic swing. Your big leg muscles are the key to a strong lower body. These muscles are the seats of power. Work on then constantly. Do whatever you can to strengthen them. Power squats build powerful leg muscles. They’re a great way to warm up as well.

Power Squats
Balance on the balls of your feet and bend down. Keep your back straight and your abs flexed. Now squat. As you go down, pump your arms up. As you stand, pump your arms down. You can also stand against a straight wall, then slowly lower yourself, wait a second or two, and then raise yourself slowly—an exercise I covered in one of my golf tips. Do three sets of 20 to build powerful leg muscles.

Stay In Your Posture
Maintaining your spine angle, as we said, is essential to increasing the efficiency of your swing. So is maintaining your posture. It must stay the same as well. The only thing that changes is how your arms and hands release through impact.

Ball Throwing Drill
Adopt a posture as if hitting a golf ball. Now throw the ball underhanded from your setup without altering your posture. Throw the ball down in front of you to hit a low shot. Throw the ball under your front arm and into the air to get the feel of a high shot. Do this drill until the feeling of hitting both shots without out altering your posture is ingrained.

The Rope Drill
The rope drill to adds speed and technique to your shoulder turn while maintaining your spine angle. Loop a jump rope around a table leg or a post about a third of the way up. Now pull the rope from side to side. Feel as if you’re starting a lawn mower while keeping your head steady. Do 20 repetitions per set and do three sets.

These drills help you maintain your spine angle and enhance your athleticism, increasing your swing’s efficiency. What’s more, they’ll help you increase your range of motion, add to your power, and improve your swing tempo. Together, they’ll help you cut your average score and your golf handicap in the process.

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.

===================================================
How To Break 80 Newsletter

June 11, 2008

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
===================================================

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Conquering a Severe Slope
2) Hitting Against The Grain
3) Question of the Week – Trap The Ball For Crisp Irons
4) Article – A Sure Fire Way To Hit Bombs
5) Article – U.S Open To Offer Some Surprises

Jack’s Note: The Open has officially begun and the favorites are off to good starts. I just love it…can’t get enough. Also, the annual US Open Winner Contest is nearly over. Deadline for entries is today so if you want to get some of my DVD’s and books for free, make sure to cast your vote here.

And lastly, when you watch the Open this week, pay special attention to how those guys get out of the deep rough and mange the ball around the greens. Even the best will get into hairy situations at this venue. Next Tuesday the 17th I’ll be releasing my brand new Trouble Shots DVD which will show you the best, simplest and easiest ways to turn your bogeys into birdies. And oh yeah, I’m giving it away for free- but more on that on Tuesday.

===================================================
1) Conquering a Severe Slope
===================================================
Many golfers hate hitting from a sidehill lie. I know I do. Anytime the ball is below your feet, you’re in danger of mis-hitting the shot. If the slope is really severe, you could slice the ball off the club’s toe and into trouble, costing you several strokes. But this shot looks harder than it really is. Maintaining your balance helps you conquer a severe slope and saves strokes.

Here are six keys to hitting from a severe slope:

* Squat down in your knees
* Spread your feet a little wider
* Use a normal ball position
* Plan for a slice
* Take an extra club
* Use a three quarter swing.

Gravity is the culprit here. It pulls you down the slope, causing you to lose your balance and fall forward. As a result, your swing becomes too vertical and prevents the club from rotating properly at impact. To hit this shot successfully, you must battle gravity to prevent yourself from losing your balance.

To maintain stability, adopt a normal stance, squat down a little, spread your feet a slightly wider than normal, and put your weight on your heels. In short, “sit back” on sidehill lies to counteract gravity’s pull.

Retain that position during your swing. Don’t let your weight move you onto your toes, causing you to lose your balance. If you focus on keeping your knees flexed, you’ll be less likely to fall forward.

More importantly, with a severe slope, take an extra club and use a three-quarter swing. Don’t try to do too much. And, plan for the ball to slice. These adjustments make up for the slope’s severity and help you keep your wieght under control.

On a severe slope, focus on what you’re doing. A mis-step can cost you strokes. And don’t try to do the impossible. If you stay within yourself, you’ll make the shot.

===================================================
2) Hitting Against The Grain
===================================================
Digging yourself out of greenside rough is hard. But digging yourself out of thick greenside rough when the blades of grass are running in the opposite direction is brutal. Hitting against the grain twists the clubhead as it approaches impact and prevents you from getting predictable roll.

Here are six keys to hitting against the grain:

* Check your lie carefully
* Close the clubface
* Grip the club firmly
* Lean left at address
* Visualize the shot
* Focus on solid contact

Always inspect your lie carefully before hitting out of greenside rough. Check to see if the rough’s gain is with you or against you. Then make adjustments accordingly. Heavy grain twists the clubhead and opens the clubface as it approaches impact, adding loft, causing mis-hits, and preventing you from getting predictable roll. Heck, you might not even get out, leaving you with another tough shot.

To dig yourself out, close the face of a sand wedge to capitalize on the club’s leading edge. Grip the club more firmly to counteract the untoward effects of the grass. Lean left at address to promote an up and down swing. And focus on making solid contact to assure a good shot. Also, take a few practice swings. It gives you the feel of how the club will react through impact, so you can visualize the shot and get a good result.

Greenside rough is always a challenge. It’s even more of a challenge when the grain runs counter to the shot’s direction. So many things can go wrong. Use the keys described above and you’ll not only get out of the rough, you’ll also generate more predictable roll. That will save you a stroke or two. Adjusting to thick greenside rough separates good players from mediocre.

=====================================================
3) Question of the Week – Trap The Ball For Crisp Irons
=====================================================
Q. Hi Jack, I’m stumped. I can’t figure out why I’m suddenly having such a hard time hitting down and through the ball, creating a nice divot. For the past two weeks, I’ve been coming up on all my iron shots, either sculling or slicing them. Obviously, it’s becoming difficult to score well without crisply striking iron shots. I’ve also noticed a significant loss of power and distance on my drives. Golf isn’t much fun these days. I almost feel like quitting this stupid game! Any advice?

Todd

A. Thanks for the question, Todd. Hang in there. It will get better. It sounds like you’re not trapping the ball between the clubface and the grass. As a result, either you drive the club into the ground, chunk the shot, or stop moving your lower body through the shot, causing inconsistent impact. Whatever the case, your hitting poor iron shots.

Three things must happen to hit good irons:

1. The shaft must be leaning toward the target through impact for the clubface to pinch the ball between the clubface and the grass, producing a good divot on the forward side.

2. The lower body must lead the downswing, keeping the hands from flipping through the swing, maintaining proper timing, and triggering the trap.

3. The forward wrist must turn down gradually to keep the clubface from closing too quickly through impact.

Executing these three things traps the ball against the turf. And learning to trap the ball between the clubface and the turf will generate improvement quickly.

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.

===================================================
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/newsletter06112008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – A Sure Fire Way To Hit Bombs
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/a-sure-fire-way-to-hit-bombs.html

5) Article – U.S Open To Offer Some Surprises
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/us-open-to-offer-some-surprises.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

===================================================
About the Author
===================================================
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.

With fairways averaging 24 yards in width and rough so deep you could lose a small dog in it, this year’s U.S. Open promises to be a real test for even the most accomplished professionals. We hackers usually play on courses with a slope of something like 120-127. Torrey Pines will play with a 79.7 course rating and a slope of 153. Yikes!

I personally love the U.S. Open because unlike most of the other tournaments the pros play, the possibility of seeing a winning score above par is quite realistic. No birdie-fest or balls spinning back 25 feet on a green. It’s fast, firm and frankly, humiliating to these guys, despite their professional status.

Because of the extreme difficulty 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 U.S. Open champ? Answer correctly and we’ll put you into a drawing on Monday June 16th 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

There’s only one rule….only those posts submitted by end of day Thursday will count. Those who vote after that 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 products for free!