In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hitting Shots That Stick Saves Strokes
2) Tee Height Strategy With Oversized Drivers
3) Question of the Week – Hitting Down Produces Best Results
4) Article – Two Drills To Help You Achieve Solid Contact
5) Article – Better Balance Equals More Consistency

1) Hitting Shots That Stick Saves Strokes

Golfers are always looking for ways to shaves strokes off their scores. Hitting approach shots that hit and stick is a great way of doing that. Hitting these types of shots is almost mandatory on courses with firm greens. On these greens the ball hits and bounces off, leaving you with a long chip back instead of an easy putt. That adds strokes to your score.

Below are four tips on hitting shots that stick

* Grip the club at its full-length
* Move the ball up slightly in your stance
* Place a little more weight on back foot
* Use a higher follow-through and fuller finish

When the greens are firm, you must hit it really high to hold the green or get it in there close. To do this, you must produce more backspin—the result of increased swing speed.

Start by choosing a club with plenty of loft, like a 9-iron or pitching wedge. Make sure the clubface is clean and there’s some grip left on it. Using the right ball—high spin/soft cover— also helps.

Grip the club at it’s full-length. and move the ball up slightly in your stance—maybe a half a ball or so. Depending on the lie, you may want to place a little more weight on your back foot at address. Also, keep your head down when you swing until your back arm pushes it up. And use a higher-follow through and fuller finish when you swing.

Placing a little more weight on your back foot helps keep your weight behind the ball and not on top of it. Staying on top of the ball is more of a knock down position. Using a higher, full finish increases swing speed, which is what you need to add backspin to the ball.

This type of approach shot carries more than other balls, but it won’t roll far when it hits the ground. On softer greens, the ball often sticks right where it hits. On firm greens the ball tends to roll off. Regardless of what type of greens you play on, learn to hit approach shots that stick and you’ll chop strokes off your handicap.

2) Tee Height Strategy With Oversized Drivers

More and more golfers are buying drivers with oversized clubheads. The larger clubhead is more forgiving, cutting down on mis-hits. Fewer mis-hits off the tee generally mean better scores. But how high do you tee the ball with these huge clubheads to get the most out of them. Do you tee it in the middle of the face? Higher up? Lower down? It depends.

Below are five tips on teeing the ball for big clubheads for a normal drive:

* Make sure half the ball is above the top line
* Place your weight slightly on your back leg
* Tilt your shoulders slightly upward
* Position the ball in line with heel of front foot
* Place hands slightly behind the ball

The key is the type of trajectory your want. For a normal trajectory place the tee so that half the ball is above the clubhead’s top. Position your weight slightly on your back leg and tilt your shoulders slightly upward. Then, line up the ball so that it’s just off the back heel of your front foot and place your hands slightly behind the ball. This set-up puts you in the best position to take advantage of the large clubhead.

If you’re down wind or looking for some extra distance, try teeing the ball even higher, say about two-thirds above the driver’s topline. That promotes a higher launch angle. Also, position the ball just forward of your normal set-up, which places your hands farther behind the ball than usual. Place slightly more weight on your back foot.

When battling a crosswind or hitting into the wind, try teeing the ball lower than usual, with about one-third of the ball above the club head’s topline. Maintain the same ball position as normally and balance your weight almost evenly over both feet. This more level set-up helps you launch the ball lower to prevent the wind from really affecting the ball’s flight.

Bigger clubheads means fewer mis-hits. But they can confuse you when it comes to how high to tee the ball. Try these golf tips on tee height next time you play and you’ll get the most out of your oversized driver.

3) Question of the Week – Hitting Down Produces Best Results

Q. Hi Jack, We have a beautiful 7500-yard course in Bangalore. I am 60 years old and have learnt the game over the last 3 or 4 years. My handicap is 21. I find hitting down with my irons easier than playing with my woods. I carry a 3-wood and 3 rescue clubs, 20, 23, and 26 loft, instead of 3, 4, and 5 irons. I have tried sweeping the ball with these clubs, but the results are poor off the fairway.

If I get a good result it is when the ball is sitting up in the light rough. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks
Salil Punoose

A. Thanks for the question. One of the biggest problems with hitting the 3-wood and the hybrids is the club’s loft. Since these clubs don’t have much loft, golfers often try to scoop the ball in the air. This causes them to hang back on their right side and swing up on the ball. This, in turn, has the opposite of the intended effect: The club makes contact on the upswing and the golfer tops the shot.

When you address the ball, position it back in your stance a couple of inches. Many weekend golfers position the ball inside the heel of their front foot, just as they would a driver. That’s not back far enough. They either top it or skim it along the ground. But you’re not hitting a driver. Move the ball back toward the center of your stance and hit down on the ball, like an iron.

If you hit the ball with a descending blow, you’ll scrape the grass or even take a small divot. To do this, you must shift your weight to your front side and swing through the ball, letting your arms fully extend. Think about keeping the clubhead traveling down the target line for as long as possible. This helps keep the clubface square.

And don’t try to blast the ball out of sight. I know it’s tempting. If you’re using a three-wood, the green is probably out of reach. And swinging hard throws off your tempo, causing mis-hits. So why risk it. Instead, dial it down a notch. Pick a spot on the fairway. And ease up on your swing. Use the same tempo as you would with an iron.
In addition, try using a 3-wood off a tee next time you’re at the range. That will help you get used to the idea of hitting down on the ball to get elevation. Above all, trust the club’s loft.

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/newsletter09092009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article - Two Drills To Help You Achieve Solid Contact

5) Article – Better Balance Equals More Consistency

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 Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. 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.