Golf Tips and Instruction 08/27/08
===================================================
How To Break 80 Newsletter
August 27, 2008
“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”
===================================================
In this issue we’ll discuss…
1) Escaping Wet Sand
2) Short Pitches From Long Grass
3) Question of the Week – Rhythm: The King Of Swing
4) Article – Hitting It Long and Straight – The Magic Move
5) Article – Buying Custom Graphite Shafts – Pitfalls
===================================================
1) Escaping Wet Sand
===================================================
You hit into a greenside bunker and find your ball sitting in wet sand. As with most sand shots, you must slide your clubface under the ball at the swing’s lowest point. But with wet sand that’s difficult to do because it’s heavier than dry sand. If you don’t slide the clubface under the ball, however, it will go nowhere.
Here are 5 keys to escaping wet sand:
1. Test the sand with your feet
2. Take a wider stance
3. Set the ball in the middle
4. Open the clubface wide
5. Lean the shaft forward
Determine the sand’s hardness by testing it with your shoes. The shoe test reveals if the sand is hard-packed, just firm, or soft with a thin crust. If the sand is hard packed or firm, replace your lob wedge or sand wedge with a pitching wedge. Since you’re in a bunker, your club can’t touch the ground.
Take a wider stance than normal. The inside of your heels should line up with the outside of your shoulders. Position the ball in the middle of an open stance, so your hips and shoulders point about 30 degrees left of the target (right of the target, if your left-handed). Rotate the clubface wide open and lean the shaft forward. Visualize the same lean at impact to promote a downward blow.
Make a short backswing. Stop your hands between half and three-quarters back. Smoothly speed up so that the fastest part of your swing occurs as your club is digging through the sand. Don’t decelerate during the swing. Use your body. Turn your chest and hips toward the target through impact.
The key to escaping from wet sand is in the setup. Decide which club to use with the shoe test. Take a wider stance. Keep your backswing short and your downswing smooth. And accelerate into the ball. It will pop out of the bunker and you’ll have escaped the wet sand.
===================================================
2) Short Pitches From Long Grass
===================================================
Your approach shot barely misses the green. It lands in the rough, which is deep but not too deep. Your normal pitch shot won’t work from here because the grass is too long. The shot won’t give you the clean contact you need to escape the grass and leave the ball close. You need to adjust your pitching technique to get up and down.
Below are five keys to pitching from long grass:
1. Stand back from your address position
2. Positions your hands lower
3. Square the leading edge of the clubface
4. Swing normally with less force
5. Fine-tune your setup to land it close
Address the ball as you normally would, but stand back slightly. This stance lowers your hands a bit into a pre-cocked position, adding bounce to the club to push it cleanly through the grass. Square the leading edge of the clubhead, giving you more clubface area to strike the ball.
Make your normal pitch swing, but use 75 percent force. The low hands give you a sharp downswing, helping to slip the club under the ball. With this technique, the ball pops up more than moves forward, rescuing you from the grass.
Vary your stance and ball position depending on the grass and your distance from the pin. To pitch it higher, play the ball between the center of your stance and front foot. To pitch it lower, play the ball between the center of your stance and back foot. To pitch it farther, widen your stance and stay square to the ball. To pitch it shorter, choke down and use an open, narrow stance.
All pitch shots are not created equal. When the grass is really long, adjust your stance, swing, and grip based on the length of the grass and the distance to the hole. Practice this shot from different positions near the green to master this stroke-saving shot.
=====================================================
3) Question of the Week – Rhythm: The King Of Swing
=====================================================
Q. Dear Jack, I am a 14-handicap player. But sometimes I play to 8 and sometimes to a 24. I’m losing consistency from round to round. Sometimes my swing is very fast. When I try to slow it down, I hit it fat. How do I make my swing consistent like the pros?
Regards,
Sanjay
A. Thanks for the question, Sanjay. The key to generating consistency from round to round is rhythm. It’s the king of swing.
Improving rhythm is easy. Swing to a beat. For example, as you swing, say “One and two.” “One” is your backswing. “And” is your transition. “Two” is your downswing. You can also say “Back and through,” “turn and turn,” or any other mix of words that creates a beat.
Start by swinging with your eyes closed. Feel the weight of the club and sense its speed gradually accelerating from the top of the swing to impact and beyond. Recreate this rhythm at the practice range. Then, take it to the course. Once ingrained, you’ll have achieved a consistent swing speed. All your shots will be better—even your bad ones.
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/newsletter08272008.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article – Hitting It Long and Straight – The Magic Move
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/hitting-it-long-and-straight-the-magic-move.html
5) Article – Buying Custom Graphite Shafts – Pitfalls
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/buying-custom-graphite-shafts-pitfalls.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
===================================================
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.
