In this issue we’ll discuss…

Slide and Turn For Distance
Sticking It With A Hybrid
Question of the Week – Increasing Driving Accuracy
Article – Five Keys For A Simple Swing
Article – A Simple Plan To Improve Your Short Game

Jack’s Note: Golf’s playoffs are finally here… the Fedex Cup. I am personally nota huge fan of it because I think the real trophies are the four majors. But I will say it keeps the season interesting.

How much is a good golf lesson worth? It really depends on how bad you want to improve I guess. And now we have a way you can get seven of those priceless lessons for about half of what a normal lesson would cost.

Slide and Turn For Distance

To really drive the ball, you must make a full shoulder turn. By doing so you assure proper weight transfer and boost the chances of swinging on the correct plane. Both things lead to increased distance. But if you’re going to drive the ball, you also must employ your hips properly.

Below are the five keys to employing your hips properly:

• Make a smooth transition
• Start down with your hips
• Slide hips slightly toward the target
• Shift weight to front foot
• Return front foot to ground

To hit for power, you must retain the front-side tension built up in the backswing. Ultimately, the tension creates the clubhead speed needed to drive the ball. To retain that tension at the start of the downswing, you must move forward with your hips, slide them slightly toward the target, and then uncoil them back to the left. In other words, slide then turn your hips at the same time.

Also, as you start forward, shift your weight onto your front foot, and return your front heel, pulled up on the backswing, to the ground. During the hip slide-turn, keep your arms and shoulders in the same position they were in at the top of the swing. You can feel the tension of the backswing coil as you complete this sequence.

The best players actually start forward with the hips before the upper body has quite completed the backswing. But that requires perfect timing, so it’s best that weekend golfers slide then turn to start the downswing. Below is a drill that helps improve your shoulder turn:

Get a driver or an iron and take your normal stance. Tuck a golf ball under your back armpit. Now swing the club. If you move your arms without turning properly, the ball drops out. If you execute the turn properly, the ball remains in your armpit throughout the backswing.

This drill teaches you to keep your arms from separating during the backswing. From there, it’s just a matter of following the sequence described above. If you do that, you should start getting additional distance from your drives.

Sticking It With A Hybrid

For those who watched the final round of the PGA Championship, the shot of the day was Y.E Yang’s chip-in for an eagle. It gave him a one shot lead over Tiger Woods, which Yang never lost. But an equally critical shot was Yang’s second shot on the 18th—a hybrid draw to within 12 feet of the pin. That shot was just as important and dramatic as the chip-in because it sealed the win. It’s a great shot to be able to hit on command. Let’s review the shot’s keys:.

Below are six keys to hitting the hybrid draw:

• Adopt a closed stance
• Hood the clubface
• Follow an inside path
• Hit down, not up
• Stop short of parallel
• Turn the hands over

You have to make some minor adjustments to hit a good hybrid draw. Begin by setting up with the ball slightly back in a closed stance. To ensure a low, right-to-left ball flight (for right-handers), hood the clubface by turning its toe toward the target. To hit a higher, hybrid draw, position the clubface square to the ball, and put a little more weight on your back foot. Also, move the ball slightly forward.

When swinging, concentrate on taking the club back inside. Pull the club back as usual, but stop well short of parallel on your backswing. Once you get to the top, swing down, as if you were hitting an iron off the fairway. Turn your hands over on the way through the ball, with the right hand eventually resting on the left. Also, maintain the slight bend that occurs in your right wrist all the way through impact.

Of course, you’ll need to practice a hybrid draw to ingrain the feeling of hitting one solidly. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to hit the hybrid draw on command. It’s a good safe shot to have in your bag of tricks.

Question of the Week – Increasing Driving Accuracy

Q. Hi Jack, My main problem with my woods is a fade. Occasionally, I hit a slice with my woods. The driver is the worst. My 3-wood is the better of the woods, at 60-70% accuracy. With my irons I usually reach the greens in regulation. I have broken my handicap in my last three rounds and used metals for no more that five strokes. Currently playing off 23 my goal is to reach 10. This will require more accuracy with my drivers. Any suggestions?

Regards
Geoff Dening

A. Thanks, Geoff. Accuracy is about balance, control, and rhythm. So when it comes to my students, I generally tell them: Keep your swing on plane, maintain good rhythm, and control your clubface. Don’t lift your right heel (for right-handed golfers) too high. Don’t pin your right elbow to your body. And feel your right shoulder hit your chin as you make contact with the ball.”

If I had to give mental tips, I would keep the five tips below in mind the next time you have to hit the fairway:

• Don’t assume your going to hit a perfect shot
• Relax. Don’t allow tension to creep into your set-up
• Tee up on the side of trouble to guard against a bad shot
• Aim for a clear definite target within reach
• Don’t worry about distance. Accuracy is the priority.

Keeping these mental tips in mind and using proper swing mechanics will help improve your accuracy.

Here’s a drill used by Davis Love III to improve accuracy. His father taught it to him when the son was young. The father had young Davis work on hitting 125 yards shots and then 150-yard shots while taking a full driver swing. Once Davis learned this, he progressed to 175, 200, and 250 yards. The drill lengthens your swing arc, helps develop great control, and creates a heightened sense of rhythm.

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/newsletter08262009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:
Article – Five Keys For A Simple Swing

Article – A Simple Plan To Improve Your Short Game

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 Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 4:43 pm and is filed under 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.