In this issue we’ll discuss…

Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie
Three Critical Decisions On Short Pitches
Question of the Week – Overcoming Bunker Shot Blues
Article – Strengthen Shoulders To Lower Golf Handicap
Article – Re-Thinking Strategy Off Tee

Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie

A sidehill lie into the green is a delicate shot. But miss it and you can add two or more strokes to your score. You must factor in not only the distance to the green, but also the effects of the sidehill lie. The biggest danger is taking a straight-back backswing into the slope. That’s the quickest way to shank the shot and tack strokes onto your score.
Below are five keys to this shot:

1. Plan your shot based on the lie
2. Match your stance to the shot
3. Center the ball in your stance
4. Distribute your weight evenly
5. Shape your swing to the slope

Plan your shot based on what you expect. If the ball is above your feet, the ball will hook. It the ball is below your feet, the ball will fade. Also consider the club being used. With longer irons the ball will hook or fade more than with shorter clubs.

Now, match your stance and swing to the slope.

• If the ball is above your feet, address the ball with a slightly closed stance, position the ball in the center, and distribute your weight evenly. Take the club back on an inside-out path. That will produce a drawing trajectory.
• If the ball is below your feet, set up with a slightly open stance, position the ball in the center, and distribute your weight evenly. But use an outside-in path to the ball. That will produce a fading trajectory.
• If the ball is in the rough, expect a straighter shot than from the fairway. The grass will catch and turn the clubface. That’s means you can take a more aggressive line at the pin. Just don’t over do it.

Knowing what to expect from this type of lie is half the battle. The other half is matching your stance and swing to the slope. Plan your shot accordingly and knock it close to save strokes.

Three Critical Decisions On Short Pitches

Golfers often commit two costly mistakes on short pitches. They square their stances and they open their clubfaces. Both hurt the shot big time. A square stance leads to a steeper swing and an open clubface shanks the ball sideways. But asking yourself three key questions before making the shot and you’re chances of hitting it close rise dramatically. Use this a routine whenever you have a short pitch.

The questions are

1. What kind of shot do I hit?
2. What’s the best club for the shot?
3. What kind of swing do I use?

Many golfers choose the wrong club, use the wrong shot, and/or employ the wrong technique on short pitches. Check your lie carefully on short pitches before choosing your club. The lie is good if you can slide the ball under the club. A good lie allows you to use a more lofted club, like a 60-dgree wedge, for maximum touch.

Also, open your stance. This pre-rotates your body to the target. That in turn keeps your swing shallow and helps the club slide through the grass.

Now, play the ball off your front heel and open the clubface. Swing down along your stance. And don’t flip the club. There’s no need. You have plenty of loft to get the ball in the air. It comes out high and soft, just like you want.

Don’t commit two common mistakes on short pitches. It just adds strokes to your score. Before hitting, ask yourself the three questions mentioned above. Answering them will help you choose the right club, the right shot, and the right technique.

After that, it’s just a matter of applying the right amount of touch to hit it close, saving a stroke or two on the hole.

Question of the Week – Overcoming Bunker Shot Blues

Q. Dear Jack, Even though I try to apply all that I can read about bunker shots around the green, I still either skull the ball over the green, or I hit too far behind the ball and it stays in the bunker. The result is frustration. Do I need a lesson?

Thanks,
Archie Buie

A. Thanks for the question, Archie. Golf lessons never hurt. In many cases, they help a great deal. But there are drills you can do on your own to improve your bunker game, in addition to studying technique and reading golf tips.

Below are two exercises for improving their bunker technique:

* This drill establishes how the sand wedge should really work. Stand in a practice bunker without a ball. Adopt your normal bunker stance and take several swings down into the sand. The object is to get the feel of the clubhead dragging through the sand, not digging into it. After a dozen shots, try hitting a ball. Pick out a spot where you want the ball to land and then go for it. Repeat the exercise until you’re comfortable with the feel of the wedge splashing through the sand.

* The Two Lines drill eliminates the tendency to lose focus during the shot. Stand in a bunker and take your normal bunker stance. Now draw two lines in the sand, about six or seven inches apart. The lines represent the length of the sand you should carve from under the ball. Line up several balls between the two lines, and then hit them. The clubhead should enter the sand where the first line is and emerge where the second line is.
Practicing these two exercises builds better bunker technique. As you improve your technique, you’ll increase your confidence in the shot. And confidence leads to a lower score per round and a lower 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.

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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/newsletter06172009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:
Strengthen Shoulders To Lower Golf Handicap

Re-Thinking Strategy Off Tee

Until next time,

Go Low!

Jack

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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 Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Golf Articles, Golf Newsletters, Golf Tips. 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.