In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Clearing A High Bunker Lip
2) Simplify Swing Keys To Swing Harder
3) Question of the Week – Achieving Consistency
4) Article – Four Drills For Achieving A Sweeter Swing (Part II)
5) Article – Tom Kite’s Controversial Advice

1) Clearing A High Bunker Lip
Fairway bunker shots are hard enough without adding a high front lip. It almost makes them unfair. It also makes them much more of a challenge. Fear and indecision are your two biggest enemies here. But using the right technique—sharpened through practice—helps you clear the bunker, saves you strokes, and leaves you in position for the next shot.

Here are six keys to this shot:

1. Adopt a slightly open stance
2. Select more club than normal
3. Make ball first contact
4. Open clubface a little
5. Maintain spine angle
6. Speed up arms on the downswing

First, choose slightly more club than normal for the same yardage. If you generally use a 6-iron, try a 5-iron. That allows you to swing easy and maintain your rhythm and balance. In addition, set up with a slightly open stance, position the ball toward the center, and grip down on the club as much as you dig your feet into the sand.

Also, add some loft to the club by opening the clubface a little, but aim slightly left of the target to allow for a little cutter. It’s really hard to hit a draw in this situation, so don’t even try.

In addition, maintain your spine angle with this shot. Unfortunately, the average player beats down on the ball or tries to scoop it out of the bunker. Neither of these approaches works well. In both cases you alter your spine angle, creating the conditions for a bad shot. Keeping your chin up, which helps maintain spine angle, and your lower body still.

If there’s a secret to this shot, it’s this: speed up your arms on the downswing. This gets the ball up quicker. The shot soars high and lands softy.

Fear and indecision hurts you in a fairway bunker. They can cost you strokes. But practice and technique dispel both. Practice and technique also build confidence and confidence is paramount with any golf shot.

2) Simplify Swing Keys To Swing Harder
Most experts advocate against swinging hard—and with good reason. Swinging hard can upset rhythm and tempo. It also can lead to swing faults, resulting in bad shots. How hard you swing, however, depends in part on your personality. If you’re aggressive, you tend to swing harder than if you’re laid-back. There’s nothing wrong with swinging hard, if your fundamentals are sound.

Five keys for swinging hard:

* Make sure basics are correct
* Rotate and extend arms
* Check your ball position
* Maintain backswing width
* Make a smooth transition
* Maintain square clubface

As long as you maintain these keys, you can swing hard. For example, some players inadvertently grip the club too hard or use a strong grip when swinging. Strangling your club slows clubhead speed and a strong grip can cause a hook, landing the ball in the rough.

Ball position is another critical swing key. Some players have a habit of playing the ball too far back or too far forward in their stance. Bad ball position leads to bad shots, no matter how you swing.

Additional keys include maintaining width on the backswing, which gives you room to hit the ball with your right side (for right-handers). To maintain width, extend your arms away from the target on the takeaway. Also, making a smooth transition at the top leads to a powerful downswing and a square clubface at impact.

Most experts say you should swing about 70 percent. But you can swing hard if you keep your swing in good shape. To do that, simplify your swing keys. You should be able to jot them down on an index card. If you can’t, they’re probably too complicated.

3) Question of the Week – Achieving Consistency
Q. Hi Jack, Lately I have been playing very well…especially for me. I usually shoot 102-106 but the last 5 times I have gone out I have shot an average of 95-98. My question is, in the middle of my rounds I tend to start hooking the ball…A LOT. I just wanted to know if there was anything you could recommend that would keep me more consistent throughout the entire round?

Thank you.
Vincent Colon

A.Thanks for the question, Vincent. Outside of practicing more, no secret formula for attaining consistency exists. In general, focus on executing the basics. Go through your pre-shot routine—including visualizing path and trajectory—on every shot. Your pre-shot routine prepares you physically and mentally for hitting the ball.

Also, focus on staying in the moment. Forget about what happened on the previous hole or holes. Instead, concentrate on the present, on what you have to do right now. Blot everything else out. And play in the subconscious. That eliminates confusion generated by too many swing thoughts.

In addition, focus on maintaining the same swing rhythm and tempo throughout the round. Often, we change the rhythm and tempo of our swings inadvertently. Maybe we get a little tired. Or, maybe we finally loosen up. Regardless, a change in rhythm and tempo can cause mechanical problems, like hooking and slicing.

Finally, if you’re prone to a specific problem, like hooking, find out what causes the problem. That way you can correct it when playing. I’m not talking about making a major swing change during the round—just a minor adjustment or two to get you back on track. Save the major swing changes for the range.

Again, there’s no secret to formula to playing well throughout a round. Usually you’ll play a few holes well and then a few holes not so well. But practice helps as does focusing on a few keys, like executing the basics. And try to have fun while playing.
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/newsletter12032008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – Four Drills For Achieving A Sweeter Swing (Part II)
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/four-drills-for-achieving-a-sweeter-swing-2.html

5) Article – Tom Kite’s Controversial Advice
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/tom-kites-controversial-advice.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.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 6th, 2008 at 5:00 am and is filed under Golf Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.