Bad weather in golf is a real challenge. It adds an extra element to an already difficult sport. It taxes your creativity, imagination, and fortitude. And it tests your playing skills. But if you live in an area that’s not conducive to golf year round, playing in bad weather is the only way you can extend the season. The goal is not to let the bad weather affect your scores or you golf handicap.

But to do that, it pays to know what you’re doing. That means knowing the keys to playing when it’s bad out: In addition to controlling the ball and using your imagination to make different shots, you need to have a game plan before starting out and to execute your short game to save strokes. Helpful to playing well on good days, these keys are critical to scoring low in bad weather.

Always Check The Weather Report
Developing a good game play in bad weather means you must know what to expect out there. Always check the weather report before playing. Is it going to rain? When, and how hard? Is it going to be windy? How hard will it be blowing and from what direction? The weather report tells you what to wear that ay. It tells you what equipment to bring with you. And it tells you how to play the course. In short, it helps you develop an on-target game plan.

In addition developing a game plan, you must execute your short game in bad weather. Everyone misses greens in foul weather—even the pros. So you need to get up and down to score low. But you can’t do that without a good short game. If you know you’ll be playing a lot in bad weather, work on your short game. Practice drills at home. Take golf lessons from a pro. Read golf tips in magazines. Work on your short game anyway you can. It cuts strokes off your golf handicap in both good and bad weather.

Stay Dry in the Rain
Staying dry is mandatory in the rain. Dress for rain in the locker room, not on the course. Take an umbrella and extra towels. And keep the grips on your clubs dry. You can’t hit accurate shots if you’re worried about the clubs slipping out of your hands. In addition, your feet will sink into the ground when it’s wet, so expect to feel cramped at address. Choke down on the club to compensate. On full shots, think carry not distance. The rain reduces distance, especially off the tee. On the green, wet grass is slower than dray. Hit putts harder and figure on less break.

Maintain Stability In The Wind
Maintaining stability is the secret to playing in the wind. Widening your stance in the wind improves stability and balance, even when putting. Many players keep the ball low in the wind, which is good. So is making solid contact. On approach shots, move the ball back in your stance for better contact. Also, swing harder in downwind. Swing easier— with more club—in a headwind. Allow for more wind than you think and always play two shots ahead. Remember, the wind affects short shots, too. Adjust accordingly. When chipping into the wind, think it’s easier to stop the ball. When chipping downwind, think it’s harder to stop the ball.

Stay Warm In The Cold
Staying warm in the cold is imperative. But if you start off cold, you’ll stay that way. Dress for the cold in the locker. And stretch before you play. Stretching loosens and warms you. Use long johns under your pants and your rainsuit bottom on top. Wear a turtleneck, a sweater, a wind shirt, and/or a rain jacket. And put on a cap or toke. You can lose a lot of heat through your head. Also, walk whenever you can. It keeps you warmer. Above all, keep your hands warm. As for making contact, you lose about two yards for every 10-degree drop in temperature. Adjust for the loss.

Playing in bad weather is a challenge. But for many it’s the only way to extend the season. To beat bad weather, develop a game plan and execute your short game. Also, stay dry in the rain, warm in the cold, and stable on windy days. Taking golf lessons and studying golf tips can prepare for playing in bad weather. But using your imagination and controlling the ball are the real keys to keeping your scores—and your golf handicap—in check even in the worst weather.

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.

Today’s golf shoes have gone high-tech. Thanks to innovative manufacturers modern golf shoe offers more options than they’ve ever had. These manufacturers have invested millions to improve their shoes. And they’ve succeeded by reconciling factors like temperature control, shock absorption, and traction in a comfortable shoe. Today’s golf shoes look, feel, and perform better than ever. They also contribute more to lowering golf handicap than shoes in the past. After all, it’s hard to play well if your feet hurt.

Previously, the biggest advancement in golf shoes involved switching from metal to plastic cleats. Spikeless shoes quickly found favor with golfers and golf courses for many reasons. They’re now the shoes of choice golfers. Thus, the clickety-clack of metal spikes no longer echoes in golf course parking lots and clubhouses. With the traction problem solved, manufacturers turned their attention to performance. Their efforts to address this issue have spurred several high-tech shoe advancements.

Below are some golf tips on a subject that’s not often covered in golf lessons—buying shoes that fit your game:

Performance Drives Golfers
While expensive shoes are nice, it’s performance that drives a golfer’s choice of shoe. In a recent Darrell Survey Consumer Report, 31.4 percent of the respondents said that “feel” was the most important factor in golf shoes. Not surprisingly, fit came next. Nearly 17 percent of the respondents choose it as a determining factor. Looks are important, too. Nearly 12 percent of the respondents rated appearance as the most important factor. Interestingly, only 9.5 percent choose price as factor.

Feel is subjective. So make sure you try the shoes on before buying them, just as you would with any pair of shoes. Fit, on the other hand, is not subjective. The last, or sole, is the most important factor here. Not surprisingly, fit is influenced by your foot’s shape, so match the last to your foot’s shape. If your foot is wide in the ball, but narrow in the heel, you need a different last than someone with a wide heel and narrow ball. Some manufacturers offer a wider selection of lasts than other manufacturers. Look for these manufacturers.

Additional Golf Tips On Shoes
Climate control, weatherproofing, and shock absorption are additional areas where manufacturers have gone high-tech. No longer is a simple footbed or leather treatment the key to comfort. Today, complex membranes and materials not only to increase comfort and keep water out, but also allow moisture from perspiration to evaporate. In addition, these advancements keep one’s feet warm in cool weather and cool in hot weather. Some manufacturers have even designed complete climate control systems within their shoes. That’s something to look for when buying golf shoes, but beware the marketing hype.

Playing conditions are a consideration, too. Almost every shoe manufacturer offers a shoe with weatherproofing. But not all are alike. If you play a lot in wet weather, look for a shoe with a two- or three-year weatherproofing guarantee. On the other hand, if you play in extremely hot, dry conditions look for a shoe with a lightweight, mesh upper. Or, look for a shoe with breathable membranes. They allow perspiration to pass through. If you like to walk the course, look for a shoe that’s really comfortable.

Extending Shoe Life
Since a good pair of golf shoes aren’t cheap, you want to make them last. If you buy a pair of shoes with synthetic uppers, use a sponge and warm, soapy water to clean them. Also, wipe them clean after use. If your shoes have leather uppers, clean them with a brush and coat them with polish or shoe cream after each round.

Proper shoe storage is a must. Don’t throw them in the trunk after playing. Buy a pair of shoetrees and a shoe bag and use them. They help remove excess moisture from the shoe and maintain the shoe’s shape. Lastly, limit wear as much as possible. Smart players wear their shoes only on the course or when taking golf lessons. Avoid pavement, parking lots, and cart paths. They can damage the outsole and the spike receptacles.

Golf clubs are the only things that have gone high-tech. So have golf shoes. Since you may be spending as much as five to six hours in your shoes, you want shoes that not only look good and are comfortable, but fit right and perform well. If you’re serious about lowering your golf-handicap, you need to have the right equipment. Golf shoes are a key component of that equipment.

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) Sink More Putts With This Grip
2) Boost Your Energy With Smart Nutrition
3) Question of the Week – Hit Long and Straight Below Your Feet
4) Article – A Short Guide To Buying Golf Shoes
5) Article – Beating Bad Weather

1) Sink More Putts With This Grip
Experts say you should hold a putter more in your fingers to increase you feel. That’s good advice. But you have to be careful. Gripping the putter too much in your fingers can spell trouble. It gives your wrists too much freedom to move when putting, causing you to miss. To sink more putts, some players have switched to a triple overlapping putting grip. This grip, which places the putter handle more in your palms than your fingers, increases control and consistency.

Below are 6 benefits of using a triple overlapping grip:

* Maintains the stability of your wrists
* Alleviates tension in your hands and arms
* Increases control and consistency
* Improves grip pressure
* Helps maintain the putterface on line
* Keeps hands working together

Gripping the putter more in your palms provides several advantages—all of which enable you to strike the ball on the sweet spot more consistently. For one thing, it takes your wrists out of play. They won’t hinge and unhinge during the stroke. The triple overlapping grip also keeps the putterface on line through impact. And it prevents tension in your fingers from affecting your hands ad arms.

Applying the triple overlapping grip is easy. After placing your hands on the putter’s handle, slide the lower hand up until the pinkie, forefinger, and middle finger rest atop your lead hand.

The triple overlapping grip quiets the movement of the dominant hand during the putting stroke, provides better grip pressure, and keeps the hands working together, which is critical to good putting. The grip also positions your thumbs on top of the grip for better feel.

If your putting is suffering, check your grip. You may be holding the putter too much in your fingers, allowing your wrists to move during your stroke. Switching to a triple overlapping grip overcomes this problem and provides increased control and consistency—the two keys to sinking more putts.

2) Boost Your Energy With Smart Nutrition
Maintaining your energy while playing is critical. A sharp drop in energy makes you feel tired, listless, and confused. That can cost strokes and can turn a good round into a bad. Eating the right snacks during a round helps. In addition to being good for you, they boost your energy level and increase your concentration. But you need to carry the right snacks with you.

Below are 6 good snacks for golfers:

1. Peanuts (or seeds)
2. Beef jerky
3. String cheese
4. Small apple
5. Home popped popcorn
6. Low carb bars

The key to maintaining your energy level while golfing is controlling blood sugar. That means avoiding foods made with refined carbohydrates (things made with white flour and/or sugars). Eating foods load with carbs causes your blood sugar to rise sharply, so you feel alert and energetic

But after awhile, your body adjusts and your blood sugar drops. So does your energy. Suddenly, you don’t feel as alert or as energetic as you did before. Instead, you feel tired, irritable, and confused. The carbohydrates are backfiring, causing your blood sugar to tank.

Eating the right snacks, however, levels off your blood sugar and boosts energy. Good snacks contain no refined flour, sugar, or trans fats. Trans fats are found in food made with hydrogenated oil, processed foods, and shortening, which is used in all most all baked goods. Snacks like peanuts or sunflower seeds, beef jerky, or string cheese provide a quick boost of energy during a round. Low carb bars do, too. But avoid them if they’re made with hydrogenated oil.

Planning ahead also helps maintain blood sugar. Eat a balanced portion of protein and fat before playing. Add some carbohydrates in the form of whole foods—whole grains, vegetables, or fruit—and you’re good to go. This combination stabilizes your blood sugar and energy levels as well. When combined with snacks, the combination is the right way to go.

3) Question of the Week – Hit Long and Straight Below Your Feet
Q. Hi Jack, The 7th hole at my home course—a long par 5—is driving me crazy! I usually hit a good drive. But since the hole slants left to right, my second shot is always a long iron or fairway wood with the ball well below my feet. I usually top the shot or slice it badly, so my score is a big number! Please help! How do I hit it long and straight from below my feet?

Thanks
Ag Dasan

A. Thanks for the question, Ag. The key playing a ball below your feet is hitting down on the ball without toppling over or hitting the ball off the clubhead’s toe. Unfortunately, some players forget that thanks to the fairway’s slant, the ball moves in the slope’s direction when hit and their swings become more upright than normal. This causes them to slice the ball off the clubhead’s toe.

To compensate, aim left of the target, if you’re right-handed, and right of the target, if you’re left-handed. In addition:

1. Take a slightly wider stance
2. Settle your weight back on your heels
3. Hold the club near the top
4. Flex your knees slightly more than normal
5. Make sure you stay behind the ball

These adjustments prevent you from toppling over and help you hit the ball on the sweet spot, not the toe. If you aim correctly, you’ll hit your target on the nose.

Execute the adjustments described above and you’ll tame the fairway’s slope and your vertical swing. More importantly, you’ll be in good shape to make par on the hole.
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/newsletter12172008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – A Short Guide To Buying Golf Shoes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/a-short-guide-to-buying-golf-shoes.html

5) Article – Beating Bad Weather
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/beating-bad-weather.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.

If you’re buying golf clubs as a Christmas gift, consider a gift certificate to a clubfitter’s shop instead. All players benefit from fitted clubs, although may be not to the same degree. Unfortunately, the players who benefit the most from fitted clubs—those sporting high golf handicaps, golf lessons notwithstanding—are the least likely to buy them.

Buyers have four options when it comes to buying fitted clubs. They can see a PGA professional, club manufacturer, golf shop, like Golfer’s Warehouse, or custom golf fitting studio. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and each provides its own benefits. Before choosing one, buyers ought to consider several factors that can help them find the right fitter.

Find A Fitter With A Launch Monitor
Not long ago clubfitting was tedious, expensive, and inexact. But the advent of computers changed that. Clubfitting is now fast, accurate, and affordable. Instead of being based on experience and educated guesswork, clubfitting is founded on precise information, thanks to digital equipment like computerized launch monitors. Using high-speed digital cameras, launch monitors record a shot through impact and display it on a computer screen.

Computerized launch monitors measure what happens before and at impact. They provide information like launch angle, ball seed, spin rate, clubhead speed, angle of attack, and swing path. The monitor’s computer then determines carry and roll. It also determines the exact distance left or right of target. In other words, it tells you if you’re hitting the ball on the sweet spot and how often. And the numbers don’t lie. They also improve the chances of fitting clubs exactly to your swing.

Expect A Precise Process
Expect a precise process at the clubfitters. Once a clubfitter determines your specs, she needs find the right clubs. With some clubfitters, the process is trial and error. With others, it’s more exact. In either case, the clubfitter takes a step-by-step approach finding the right clubs for you by examining one variable at a time. For example, the clubfitter has you hit a few balls to determine loft. Then he has you hit a few balls t to determine club length. And so on.

The step-by-step process enables the clubfitter to see the impact that changing one club variable makes on your swing. If he changes more than one—like loft and ball flight—at simultaneously, he won’t know which variable caused a change in ball flight. That approach is confusing and disconcerting. The goal with the step-by-step process is to tweak everything until the clubfitter gets it right. It’s the same process that tour players use to fit themselves.

Other golf tips found by our research:

* Think of labels as guides only.
Specs from club manufacturers differ. They all have their own measurement systems. Plus, there’s no industry standard. Don’t anything about transferring specs.

* Check the clubfitter’s qualifications.
Go to the Professional Clubmakers Society or the Golf Clubmakers Association to check on a clubfitter’s qualifications.

* Pare down the options.
Pare down club options as quickly as possible. If you go to a clubmaker that offers many lines of equipment, the process usually goes a lot faster and quicker.

* Go inside or outside.
It doesn’t matter if you hit balls inside or outside. You might even do both. The goal is narrowing down the choices and determining the your specs.

* Make sure all gear fits.
Don’t stop at buying fitted clubs. The right shafts, balls, and grips are critical as well. Get fitted for those, too.

Buying a set of custom-made clubs isn’t tedious and laborious anymore. With help from digital cameras and high-speed computers, clubfitting is much faster nowadays. A clubfitting session usually takes about an hour. If you work with an accredited and experienced clubfitter carrying many lines of equipment, the session will probably take less.

Fitted clubs benefit all players, but especially those with high golf handicaps. So if you’re buying new clubs for someone during Christmas, consider a gift certificate for a clubfitting session. It’s as much an investment as a gift.

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