1) Hitting A Downhill Fairway Wood
2) Finding Extra Distance
3) Question of the Week - Gaining Swing Consistency
4) Article - Planning Pitch Shot Strategy
5) Article - Goals, Expectations, and Golf Handicaps

Jack's Note: Man, what a week. It was absolutely crazy here because so many of you took advantage of my 50 Percent Discount offer. We received hundreds of phone calls and emails and are still wading through them all. But it’s over now and my apologies to those who wanted to get it prior to the deadline but couldn’t. A deal’s a deal.

However, rest assured that if you did attempt to contact us or place an order prior to the deadline of 12:00am Friday, the 17th, we WILL get back to you very shortly and you WILL have the option to place your order if you wish. If you didn’t receive the coupon discount and paid full price we will take care of that for you. Lastly, if you had trouble getting the product after ordering we will resolve that for you.

But please know we are doing our very best to handle your requests as efficiently and promptly as possible. You have my personal commitment that we will respond to you and provide adequate support. Your patience and understanding is very appreciated!

1) Hitting A Downhill Fairway Wood
Reaching the green in regulation is often the difference between making par and bogey. Hitting greens in regulation is also critical to cutting strokes from your golf handicap because it takes pressure off your putting—always a good thing. But to hit a green in regulation, you may have to hit your fairway wood off the deck from a downhill lie. That's tricky.

Here are five tips to hitting a downhill fairway wood:

* Play the ball back in your stance
* Shorten up on your uphill leg
* Align your shoulders parallel to the hill
* Take the club back slowly
* Use a nice easy swing

When you hit a fairway wood off the tee, you position the ball just off your front heel, which is where the bottom of your swing arc is. But with a downhill lie, the bottom of your swing arc moves back slightly, which means you contact the ball sooner. To compensate, re-position the ball more toward the center of your stance.

Also, shorten up on your uphill leg slightly and align your shoulders to the slope of the fairway. Take the club back slowly, make a nice smooth transition at the top of the backswing, and keep your head steady on the downswing. Use a nice easy swing, just as you would if you were hitting an iron.

The hill's slope will pull the ball to the left, if you're right-handed. You'll need to aim more to the right to make up for this. Otherwise, you'll pull the ball left. Left-handers need to aim more left. Otherwise, they'll pull the ball right.

Finally, don't sway. Golfers often try to get their bodies into the swing when hitting a fairway wood mis-hitting the shot. Resist that temptation and you'll hit the shot right on the nose.

2) Finding Extra Distance
Focusing on the moves that promote power at impact can generate the kind of distance we'd all like to get with the driver. Using the latest high-tech club or swinging the club as hard as you can doesn't generate more power. Neither does overswinging—although that's better than swinging too short. To generate more power off the tee, you must develop better technique.

Here are six keys to generating extra distance:

1. Keep your chin up
2. Think width in your swing
3. Stretch out in the takeaway
4. Start down smoothly
5. Hover the club at address
6. Hit hard with the right hand

Good body angles create good swing shape, which means posture is critical. Good posture includes keeping your chin up away from your chest. That creates more room for you to turn your front shoulder under your chin, encouraging a better coil.

Some players—like Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus—hover the clubhead above the ball at address. While it's not the easiest technique to master, hovering encourages a smooth, wide takeaway. Stretching out in the takeaway is critical to generating power.

Also, you must start down from the top of the backswing smoothly. Some players at this point employ something Herb Penick, a legendary golf teacher, called the "magic move." Shift your weight to your front foot while at the same time bringing your back elbow down toward your body.

Finally, hit hard with the right hand. It's impossible to swing too hard with the right hand, provided both hands are working in unison. You should have a sense of the back forearm crossing over the front forearm and on up to a high finish.

One additional tip: Make sure the ball is positioned opposite the front heel. This helps ensure that the clubhead sweeps the ball off the tee—the ideal impact point to make full use of the club's loft.

The driver is a scoring weapon. It can help cut strokes from your score. Follow the tips we recommend above and you'll generate the extra distance that helps slash golf handicaps.

3) Question of the Week - Gaining Swing Consistency
Q. Hi Jack, I seem to have trouble each round with either my woods or my irons. If I play my woods well, I have trouble with my irons, and vice versa. Any ideas why?

Kind regards,
Kelvin Zimmerman

A. Another great question from a reader! This is one of the biggest complaints I hear from my students.

One reason why we “lose it” from one round to another is timing. In golf timing refers to synchronizing your turning body and your swinging arms, resulting in a smooth release of the clubhead through impact and beyond. Good timing provides control, accuracy, and distance. More importantly, it assures swing consistency, regardless of which club you use.

Another reason why we “lose it” from round to round is tempo. Tempo is the time it takes you to complete your full swing, from start to finish. When you’re playing well, your tempo is pretty much the same on every full shot. So you're hitting the ball long, solidly, and accurately. But when your game is off, your tempo is off as well. And it varies within a round from woods to irons.

Timing and tempo help determine swing consistency. Neither is easy to develop and maintain from round to round or from club to club. Master both and you’ll have the kind of swing even players with low golf handicaps envy.

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/newsletter10152008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Planning Pitch Shot Strategy
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/planning-pitch-shot-strategy.html

5) Article - Goals, Expectations, and Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/goals-expectations-and-golf-handicaps.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/newsletter.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.

There's exactly 11 HOURS and 53 MINUTES LEFT before the 50% Discount offer expires.

Once that clock hits zero it's over. No ifs, ands or buts.

I'm basically giving you a credit for $18.50 immediately.

I'm not going to tell you what a steal this is because you already know that.

Don't forget that COUPON CODE "50percent" to save your bucks!

http://break80today.com/50percentoffer/

WHAT IS IT?
If you have never owned or even heard about my best-selling "How To Break 80...And Shoot Like the Pros!" book and CD's, now's your chance to get it at 50% OFF.

Regularly $37, now it's only $18.50. A bit higher for the physical version if you want that instead.

WHAT DO YOU GET?
Everthing you would normally with the program. When you click on this link you can see a "More info" link just above the picutre of the book. That link will give you all the details.

WHY AM I DOING THIS?
I'm doing this because many of you sent in messages and calls talking about the recession when we did a recent survey so I decided to give a huge discount to certain subscribers.

WHO IS THIS FOR?
Not everyone. I've hand selected some of our most loyal suscbribers and if you're reading this, then you're one of 'em.

WHY SHOULD I GET THE PROGRAM?
This program is my original and base product. Yes, I have a ton of DVD's as well but this program is the cornerstone of my instruction. Essentially, it is a comprehensive gameplan to playing your best golf --covering everything from how to swing, short game (pitching/chipping), putting, sand play, mental strategy and course management. It also provides ample photography and unique practice drills. This is the same program used by over 100,000 golfers with much success.

WHY SHOULD I GRAB IT NOW?
Because if I did this for everyone, all the time, I wouldn't be writing you right now...I'd be washing cars or shining shoes for a living This off is ONLY VALID THROUGH END OF THURSDAY, THE 16TH. After that it's gone and you won't be seeing it again.

HOW DO I ORDER AND MAKE SURE I GET MY DISCOUNT?

1. Go to http://www.break80today.com/50percentoffer .

2. Select either the eBook or Physical Book (both have the same content-just different formats)

3. When you get to the next page you will see a space on the page where you can enter a coupon code. Enter the COUPON CODE "50percent" (no quotes) and hit "Apply" and you will see the discount applied to your total.

Robert De Vincenzo had a rough birthday. De Vincenzo was playing in The Masters on his 45th birthday when he made a scoring error. He signed his card with a 4 on the 71st hole instead of the 3 he actually made. Unfortunately, he was stuck with a 4, costing him a tie for first place with Bob Goalby. They both had 277 strokes for 72 holes, but since De Vincenzo was disqualified, Goalby won.

We all make scoring errors. Usually, they're never quite as costly as De Vincenzo's. His cost him a chance to win one of golf's most prestigious pro tournaments, if not the most prestigious, and a great opportunity to make a lot of money, even back then. Our scoring mistakes don't cost us quite as much as De Vincenzo's cost him and they don't hurt our golf handicaps. Usually, they just get us into arguments with our golfing buddies.

But the incident raises some questions: Who is responsible for our scores in stroke play—the player or the scorer? What happens when you write down a wrong score? And, what are the penalties for writing down a wrong score? Below is a short golf lesson that answers those questions:

Who Is Responsible
Ultimately, the golfer is responsible for his score—no matter who physically writes down the scores on the scorecard. Since scoring rules are usually covered in golf lessons, we've written the main elements of Rule 6-6 are below:

The maker (scorer) puts down the player's score hole by hole. The player checks it, signs it, and turns it in. The player is responsible for the correctness of the score for each hole. The officials are responsible for the addition. No changes may be made after the card is turned in.

The rule is simple and clear. If the player makes a scoring mistake, he has nobody to blame but himself. In stroke play—and only stroke play—it means disqualification, which happened to Michele Wie a few years ago. She turned in a card with the wrong score and was disqualified. It also happened to Jackie Pung in the U.S. Women's Open in 1957. As you can see, the rule hasn't changed through the years.

What Are The Results
Of course, you can make changes to a score car before handing it in. But once the officials have it, that's it. Meanwhile, the penalties for handing in a wrong score card are also simple and clear. Here's what happens if you return a wrong score on any hole in stroke play: (1) if the score is higher than is actually made—as in De Vincenzo's case—the golfer is stuck with it; (2) if the score is lower than is actually made, the golfer is disqualified, even if it's an inadvertent error.

For many, this seems like a harsh penalty. But no one has come up with a better way, although many have suggested them. Obviously, the main intent is to severely penalize players who would cheat. Unfortunately, there are some—both professional and amateur—who would. And with so much money at stake in pro tournaments, it would be too tempting if a severe penalty were not attached to the fault. In other words, the rule makes sense.

Most scoring errors are caused by carelessness, not cheating. That's especially true in amateur tournaments or local championships where players may not be used to playing with great pressure on them. That's less so with the pros, but it happens, as Michele Wie will attest. Nevertheless, golf needs a scoring rule that is stringent, if it is to maintain the integrity of the game.

So here's a golf tip for you:

Write down your score after every hole, whether you're playing in a friendly foursome or the club championship. The longer you wait, the greater the chances of making a mistake. If someone else is scoring, make sure he or she writes down the correct score after every hole. Better yet, keep your own scorecard. Then match it up with the scorekeeper's after the match to make sure there are no discrepancies. That way you'll catch any mistakes on the card before the officials do.

Make writing down you score after each hole a habit—even if you're scratch golfer or you have a golf handicap in the low single digit. If you do it when playing for fun, you'll be less likely to do it when playing for keeps. And you're less likely to have a birthday as bad as Robert De Vincenzo's 45th.

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.

In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Perfecting Your Pitches
2) Regaining Your Swing Cuts Strokes
3) Question of the Week - Getting Height on Sand Shots
4) Article - Using The Right Putter Sheds Strokes
5) Article - Wrong Scores Bring Rough Penalties

1) Perfecting Your Pitches
Making a good pitch shot means dropping the ball within a two to three feet of the pin —as I've said many times. But some players have difficulty making accurate short pitches (half wedge shots). When faced with a shot 50 to 70 yards in, they push it or pull it, leaving them a short chip to the green and adding strokes to their scores. Perfecting the short pitch not only eliminates the little chip, it also saves three to four shots a round—and maybe more.

Here are six keys to making the half-wedge shot:

* Take a slightly open stance
* Position your feet closer together
* Flex your knees slightly more than normal
* Think of coiling your upper body
* Target a specific quadrant of the green
* Make a balanced but short swing

Three things cause you to push or pull a short wedge shot: poor weight transfer, the collapse of the right arm (left for left-handers), and an incomplete body turn. Sometimes, golfers rely too much on their arms and hands to make a short pitch shot. If you keep your weight back, you hit a big hook. If you move forward with your weight, you produce either a push or a pull.

The best way to perfect this shot is to go to the practice range and hit balls until you master the shot. Work on hitting mini-swings to a target. Finish with your right arm straight but not tense, your left elbow pointing at the ground, and your belt buckle and chest facing the target.

Short Pitch Drill
This drill teaches you how to hit short pitch shots. Go out about 50 yards to 70 yards and take a chair or small bench with you. Sit on the bench and hit short pitch shots into the green. Pick out the quadrant you want to hit. Swing with your heels down to restrain lower body movement.

When doing this drill, working on pointing the club to the one or two o'clock position, not three o'clock position, at the top of the backswing. That will give you enough power to hit the green and stop the ball two to three feet close. There's no mistake about it. Mastering the short pitch shot is one of the keys to trimming your golf handicap.

2) Regaining Your Swing Cuts Strokes
Occasionally, everyone's golf swing is off. That's often due to bad timing—one of the keys to building a repeatable, reliable swing. In golf timing refers to synchronizing a sequence of actions. Here, you're synchronizing your turning body and your swinging arms, resulting in a smooth release of the clubhead through impact. When your timing is off, your golf swing and your golf game are off.

Here are the five key benefits of good timing:

* Control
* Accuracy
* Distance
* Consistency
* Rhythm

When your timing is right, your swing feels fluid and effortless. You're hitting the ball on the nose. And the ball is flying off your club. When your timing is off, on the other hand, your swing feels out of whack. You struggle to hit the ball solidly. And you feel confused.

Bad timing often comes from a loss of linkage. Linkage refers to maintaining contact between your arms and chest during the swing. Simply put, if your arms separate from your chest during the backswing and follow-through, you break this critical linkage. Breaking linkage ruins your timing and throws your swing off, resulting in that confused feeling.

Recapturing your timing is essential to cutting strokes from your scores. Here's one way to do it. Pick up two clubs, one in each hand. Short irons work best. Take your normal stance and mimic your normal swing. If you do it right, you'll feel the synchronization of your arms and your trunk. If you try to speed up your swing, you'll bang the clubs together.

Repeat this drill as often as you like. It's a proven way of regaining the timing—and rhythm—of your swing and an effective way of whittling your golf handicap down to size.

3) Question of the Week - Getting Height on Sand Shots
Q. Hi Jack, I have a question I hope you can give me an easy fix to. I seem to have difficulty with some bunker shots. Firstly, I don’t seem to get enough height out of my bunker shots. That results quite often in the ball just clearing the bunker's rim and running across the green into opposite bunker or just catching the top lip and having to repeat the shot. Also, how do you correctly hit from a bunker when you are say 30-35 meters away from the pin.

Regards,
Phil Latham
Melbourne, Australia

A. That's a great question, Phil. To hit a high, short bunker shot: (1) move the ball forward an inch or two in your stance; (2) open the clubface a few degrees more; and (3) take a steeper swing. Also, try cupping your wrists a little during the backswing, which adds height to the shot.

When opening the clubface, don't grip the club and then open the clubface. Instead, open the clubface and then grip the club. It makes a difference. You're less likely to close the clubface at address the second way. And make sure you accelerate through the shot and complete your follow-through.

To hit a longer bunker shot, you must create a wide arc during your backswing, which you can do by keeping your hands as far from your shoulders as possible. Also, try moving the ball back in your stance a bit. This helps produce a slightly lower, but longer, shot.

Both shots require work to learn. But the work pays off in the long run. Mastering your bunker game chops strokes off your scorecard and your golf handicap.

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/newsletter10082008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Using The Right Putter Sheds Strokes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/using-the-right-putter-sheds-strokes.html

5) Article - Wrong Scores Bring Rough Penalties
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/wrong-scores-bring-rough-penalties.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/newsletter.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.