Golf Tips and Instruction 8/13/08
In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Getting Check On Your Chips
2) Capitalizing On A Downwind
3) Question of the Week – Go Back To The Basics
4) Article – Mastering The Smart Golf Approach
5) Article – Making Golf More Fun
Jack’s Note: Seems the video I sent yesterday caused quite a stir. I honestly thought the tip was good but apparently you guys LOVED it. I mean it’s probably the simplest distance tip I’ve seen but it’ll have you hitting the ball further and with a little draw to it. You can see it here.
And be sure to check the blog for the latest winners of the free drivers.
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1) Getting Check On Your Chips
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If you’re serious about slashing your golf handicap, learn to hit a “slip” shot. It saves strokes. It’s ideal when you need a short shot that bounces and checks, like when the green runs away from you. Mis-hits with that type of green can really cost you. To stop the ball close, you need to generate both height and spin. Unfortunately, the “hit down to make the ball go up” rule doesn’t apply here.
Ads By CbproAdsHere are six keys to hitting a slip shot:
* Distribute your weight evenly
* Position the ball forward of center
* Set your hands behind the ball
* Use a mini-full swing
* Drop hands down toward your body
* Slip the clubface under the ball
Most lob shots require you to hit down on the ball to gain height. But with the slip shot you need to get the club under the ball. So you can’t swing down. The slip technique only works if you swing aggressively through the hitting zone. Don’t slow down or baby the shot, either.
Set up with your weight evenly distributed, the ball positioned just forward of center, and your hands slightly behind the ball. You’ll need this position at impact, too. Now rotate your arms away from the ball in a mini-full swing, promoting a shallow delivery and more speed.
In your transition, drop your hands down toward your body. This flattens your swing plane. Stay on this flatter plane and “slip” the clubface under the ball. It should feel as if you’re rubbing the bottom of the club against the turf beneath the ball. The ball will go up and sit when it comes down.
Take some practice swings before hitting a slip shot. Then go for it. Remember to stop your follow-through at hip height. Master this shot and you’ll shave tons of strokes off your scores.
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2) Capitalizing On A Downwind
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Taking advantage of a downwind is a great way of generating extra distance off the tee. If you can blast your drive high enough to ride the wind, the breeze takes the ball down the fairway, producing extra distance without changing your swing. While you can tee the ball higher to launch it higher, that approach often results in a pop up. You can hit an extra high drive, tough, without teeing the ball higher.
Here are five keys to hitting an extra high drive:
* Play the ball an inch forward
* Assume a slightly wider stance
* Tilt your body back over your knee
* Hang back on your back side longer
* Take a normal swing and finish
Your setup is the key to launching the ball higher. Keep your tee height the same, but move the ball forward in your stance about an inch from where you usually do. Take a slightly wider stance, placing your front leg about a foot forward than normal. And tilt your head back slightly. You want your head hanging over your back knee. You should feel as if your weight is over your back knee.
Take a normal swing. But try to hang back a little. Don’t over do it, though. Just make sure that your head is over your back foot on the downswing. If you hang back too long, you’ll mis-hit the shot. Your momentum should pull you forward into your normal follow-through and finish. Take a few practices swings before trying this technique on the course.
Moving the ball forward and hanging back automatically creates a higher launch angle. So you’re able to hit the ball higher without changing your swing or teeing your ball higher. You can use this same technique to hit a ball over trees to shorten a dogleg.
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3) Question of the Week – Go Back To The Basics
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Q. Hello Jack, I have been playing this game for many years and somehow I seem to be in a rut with my mid irons. I am either hitting fat or splaying the ball out to the right. My confidence is involved here and somehow I feel much of it may be in my head.
Thanks,
Elizabeth Neilson
A. Thanks for the question, Elizabeth. You’re right. Part of the problem is probably a lack of confidence. Your confidence erodes if you continually mis-hit your irons. A lack of confidence can, in turn, cause you to hit your irons poorly. It’s a vicious cycle, one you must break. To do so, try going back to the basics.
For example, check your ball position. For short irons, move the ball back to the middle of your stance, with your club slightly forward of the ball. Since the lowest point of your swing is a few inches forward of the middle of your stance, this means you’ll be hitting down on the ball, the way you should. You also generate deeper divots.
For mid irons, move the ball an inch or two forward from the middle. The longer the club, the more you move the club forward. Think of it as an incremental increase, not a long jump. The club is slightly forward, so you will still be hitting down on the ball. But your divots will be shallower.
For long irons, move the ball forward to a point directly in line with your shirt pocket or the logo. This point is right at the lowest point of the swing, so your club will be slightly behind the ball. The swing becomes slightly more of a sweeping motion when hitting long irons than hitting down on the ball. Your divots will be shallower than with a mid-iron or short iron.
Whenever you find yourself slipping into bad habits, go back to the basics. More often than not, this will solve you problem.
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/newsletter08132008.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article – Mastering The Smart Golf Approach
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/mastering-the-smart-golf-approach.html
5) Article – Making Golf More Fun
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/making-golf-more-fun.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, go to http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsetter.htm
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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.
