By Jack Moorehouse

Hitting great approach shots is a good way to lower your golf handicap. Short of dramatically improving your putting, hitting great approach shots is probably the fastest way of cutting strokes from your handicap. In fact, some expert’s think hitting more greens hit in regulation is the fastest way to improve your game. Whether that’s true or not, we’ll leave for others to decide.

But one thing is for sure: you can’t hurt yourself by hitting great approach shots close enough for a one-putt, or at worst, a two-putt. To do this, you must hit crisp, clean irons. Some golfers improve their approach shots by hitting shot after shot at the range, studying golf tips in newsletters, and/or taking golf lessons from their local pros. Others do it by building critical keys into their swings at six key points. Below are six critical swing keys you need in a good iron swing

1. Feel loose at address
You never want to feel jammed up at address when hitting irons. You also don’t want to feel as if you’re reaching for the ball. You want your arms to hang loose and perpendicular to the ground. Also, bend from the hips and straighten your back. Feel loose at address and you’ll hit crisper irons.

2. Flex your knees for balance
Flex your knees so your shoulders are in line with your hips and your knees are in line with the balls of your feet. Doing so improves balance. I encourage students attending my golf instruction sessions to practice this setup in the mirror. Also, narrow your stance to stay on top of the ball. You don’t want to use the same stance you use for your woods. If you do, you’ll tilt too much forward.

3. Keep your left wrist flat and slightly bent
During your backswing keep your left wrist (right, for left-handers) flat or just slightly bent. Think of your left arm swinging up and through your right shoulder. That keeps you on plane during your backswing. In practice, spend some time making sure your clubface remains square at the top. When you’re square at the top, you won’t need to get handsy at impact.

4. Create lag in your downswing
You want to create as much lag as possible in your downswing, as I explained in one of my recent golf tips newsletters. You can create lag in the takeaway by stretching both arms as far as you can during your takeaway while making little wrist hinge. This creates the widest possible arc. Then, when you drop your hands to start your downswing, your arc will go from wide to narrow.

5. Keep your feet on the ground to stay in control
One thing that helps you stay in control during impact is keeping your feet on the ground. Your knees should be flexed and your legs moving but never out of control. Strive for a smooth transfer of weight from the heel of your back foot to that of your front foot and through the hitting zone. Some golfers try to push off with their back foot, but you may want to think of it as rolling your weight back to front.

6. Maintain clubhead speed into your follow-through
At impact, your clubhead is moving at great speed. Good players maintain that speed right through their impact by creating a feeling that they’re letting the club go. Don’t hold on to the club or keep your hands ahead of it. Also, in practice, make sure your right wrist is flat and your left wrist slightly bent. That says you’re releasing the clubhead down the line and chasing the ball as it moves toward the target.

Build these six keys into your swing and you’ll find yourself hitting cleaner, crisper irons. You’ll also find yourself hitting accurate approach shots, leaving you with more makeable putts. You don’t need golf lessons to tell you that more makeable putts lead to better scores. The better your scores, the more strokes you’ll shave off your golf handicap.

By: Jack Moorehouse

The shorter your approach shot to the green, the better your chances of hitting it in regulation (GIR) and making par. The number of greens hit in regulation is a telling statistic - as I’ve explained in my golf tips newsletter. Why - because players who hit a lot of greens in regulation tend to have lower golf handicaps. Those who don’t tend to have higher golf handicaps.

The 3-wood is a great club for aggressive players. It’s also a great club for senior players who may have lost some flexibility and power over the years, but can still play well. The 3-wood is the second longest club in your bag, so it can be hard to hit for some. Hitting a crisp 3-wood from a tight lie is especially challenging, as I tell students attending my golf instruction sessions, no matter how good you are.

Used In A Variety of Situations
You can use the 3-wood in man situations. Since it’s shorter than the driver, it’s easier to control, so you can use it off the tee on tight fairways. Using the 3-wood ton the tee may cost you some distance, but it increases your chances of hitting the fairway. In fact, some players who can’t hit a driver hit a 3-wood off the tee instead. Players also use the 3-wood to chip with when on the fringe, in a fairway bunker if the bunker’s lip is low, and on long par-3s when there’s a head wind.

But the 3-wood is used mostly off the deck on par 5s, when you need a good second shot. Another common use of the 3-wood is on long par 4s, where you need a long second shot to reach the green. Hitting a good 3-wood there can put you on the green in two, something neither a long iron nor a hybrid can do. If you can master the 3-wood off the deck, you can save a lot of strokes.

Sweep The Ball From The Fairway
Unlike irons, which require a downward blow, the 3-wood (and other fairway woods) need a sweeping motion that strikes the ball as the clubhead moves parallel to the ground. Below are five keys to hitting the 3-wood:

1. Keep your weight balanced
2. Position the ball opposite your front heel
3. Keep you head and body behind the ball
4. Pull the club through with your lead hand
5. Extend your arms on the follow-through

To hit the 3-wood off the deck, you must take a wide stance similar to that used for a driver. Position the ball opposite your front heel or in some cases, slightly back from this position, and your weight balanced comfortably on the balls of your feet.

Start your swing on a low path that almost skims the grass to replicate the shallow path you want to take on your downswing. Keep your back shoulder level and pull your right hand (left for left-handers) through with your other hand. Above all, stay behind the ball after impact. Brush through the ball and extend your arms toward the target on the follow-through - something a lot of players I find in my golf lessons must work on.

Not Designed For High Shots
The 3-wood is designed to hit a line drive type of shot. But you don’t need to feel that you have to help it get the ball in the air. The 3-woord has more than enough loft to drive the ball forward for distance. If you need to hit something with more loft, use the 5-wood. It provides less distance but more height than the 3-wood. In the right circumstances, the 5-wood can be just as effective as the 3-wood.

The 3-wood is a great club in the right hands. It’s not as versatile as a hybrid, but it’s more versatile than the driver. Don’t be afraid to hit it. Used wisely, it can set you up for short shots into the green on par 5s or serve as the club of choice off the tee. If you’re serious about improving your game, master the 3-wood. It will shave strokes from your scores and your golf handicap.

In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Practice Routine Eliminates Bad Chips
2) Putting From A Tie
3) Question of the Week - Demystifying A One-piece Takeaway
4) Article - Mastering The Three Wood
5) Article - Six Keys To Knocking Down The Flag

Jack's Note: Does your short game need help? Try taking up to 12 strokes off your store here.
1) Practice Routine Eliminates Bad Chips

Poor chipping hurts your game more than you know. Catching chips fat or thin or hitting them off line can cost you. Poor chipping often stems from poor technique. If you don’t practice chipping as much as you should, you’re technique can slip and you can acquire bad habits. But improve your technique and you’ll not only become a better chipper, you’ll also save a ton of strokes.

Below is a six-step practice routine that improves chipping:

1. Sole your wedge on the ground
2. Raise your wedge on its toe
3. Stand closer to the ball with your feet together
4. Shift weight forward
5. Take club back like your putting
6. Make smooth forward stroke

Chips shots are specialty shots, so if you using your standard setup to chip, you’re making things difficult. Adjust your setup and you’ll eliminate bad chips. Practice the following routine to improve chipping.

1. On the practice green, sole your wedge on the ground. Grab your putter and do the same
2. Raise your wedge up on its toe until the shaft angel matches your putter’s shaft angle. (This removes the need to swing on an arc, minimizing the chance that you’ll hit the ball off line.)
3. Drop your putter and stand close to the ball with your feet together.
4. Shift your weight forward a bit
5. Take the club back like your putting, which is why you made the shaft more vertical
6. Make a smooth forward stroke using the same length and pace as your backswing.

Once you have a good feel for the angle at which you need to place your wedge, stop using your putter. But continue working on this practice routine until you ingrain its other steps. Eventually, it will be come second nature.

Bad chipping can cost you strokes. Don’t let it. Improve your technique by practicing the routine explained above. You’ll not only improve your chipping, you’ll chop a boatload of strokes off your golf handicap.
2) Putting From A Tie

Last week we reviewed how to put up a tier. This week we address how to putt from a tier. The goal when putting from a tier is not to stroke the ball so it races past the hole out of makeable range. You want to either sinking the putt or leave it close enough for a tap- in. To do this you can’t just hit it softly like you would if it were a straight downhill putt. It’s a bit more complicated than that.

Below are five keys to putting from a tier:

- Assume your normal putting setup
- Aim for a spot on the precipice
- Commit to that intermediate spot
- Shorten your putting stroke
- Keep it even on both sides of impact

Your goal when putting from a tier is to roll the ball at just the right speed so it makes it over the precipice and let gravity do the rest. In essence, it’s just half a putt, but you still need to be careful. If you hit it too hard, there’s nothing to stop the ball from rolling past the cup.

Start by assuming your normal putting setup. Now change your target. Instead of using the hole as your target, pick a spot on the tier’s crest. Once you have that spot nailed down, commit to it. You want to hit the ball hard enough to where it almost stops before hitting that spot.

Also, don’t slow down to hit the ball softly. If you do, you might not hit your target spot. Instead, shorten your swing, just make sure you keep the putting stroke even on both sides of impact, just like you’d do for a routine putt. Gravity will do the rest.

Putting from a tier is a bit more challenging than making a straight downhill putt but no overly so. Putt the ball just enough to where it reaches the crest of the hill and then trickles down to the hole. That way you’re assured the ball won’t race past the hole out of makeable range.
3) Question of the Week - Demystifying A One-piece Takeaway

Q. Hi, Jack. What is a "one-piece takeaway"?

Thanks,
Don Ernst
Olympia, WA

A. Thanks, Don. A “one-piece takeaway” refers to the action of your arms and hands as you take the clubhead back to start your backswing. Ingraining a one-piece takeaway helps you hit longer, straighter shots.

To execute a good one-piece takeaway, picture your arms and hands forming an inverted isosceles triangle.  Now take the triangle back with your chest and your naval. As you do, concentrate on bringing the club back low and slow. Sense that you're using the bigger muscles in your shoulders and trunk to move the club, instead of the small muscles in your arms and hands. Maintain the triangle's shape until opposite your back leg and then start hinging your wrists.

To see if you're doing this correctly, place a second ball about a foot behind your object ball—just inside the ball-to-target line. Take the club back slowly. If you sweep the second ball away smoothly as you move your triangle back, you're using a one-piece takeaway.

If not, practice this drill:

Select your driver.  Choke down on the club a few inches. Place the butt end of the club at a point just above your belt. Now practice making small swings. Concentrate on keeping your arms close to your sides, with the club touching your navel. This drill imparts the feel of a one-piece takeaway.

The first move away from the ball is critical. It determines the shape and tempo of your swing. That’s why making a one-piece takeaway is so critical. Work on the drill explained above to generate the feeling of a one-piece takeaway. Then, take it to the course. Before you know it, you’ll be hitting longer straighter shots.

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

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Mastering The Three Wood
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/mastering-the-three-wood.php

5) Article - Six Keys To Knocking Down The Flag
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/six-keys-to-knocking-down-the-flag.php

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

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.

By Jack Moorehouse

When you’re within 20 yards of the goal in American football—the Red Zone—you must score. If you don’t, your team’s offense failed. When you’re within 40 yards of the green—8-iron, 9-iron, and wedge distance—the Scoring Zone—you also must “score.”  Put another way, you must drop the shot as close to the hole as possible, leaving you an easy putt. If you don’t, you’ve cost yourself a birdie.

Obviously, the more birdies you make, the better your score and your golf handicap. But before hitting from this distance, you must answer six critical questions. Answering them improves your chances of dropping it close significantly. In this article we’ll discuss these six critical questions and provide golf tips on how to hit them better, improving your chances of collecting more birdies.

1. How Far Do You Hit Each Club?
Dialing in your short irons is mostly about distance control. In other words, you must know exactly how far you carry each club on the course, if you want to hit it close. Distance control is what teachers focus on in golf instruction sessions. If you don’t know how far you hit each short iron, go to the range. Practice making normal and hard swings. Get a feel for just how far you hit each club using each swing.

2. How Do You Hit Each Club?
Direction control is also vital when hitting short irons. So in addition to getting a feel for distance when practicing at the range, track your tendencies with each club. Do you draw or fade the shot? When you swing harder, do you pull or push the ball? Find the answers to these questions on the range first, so you’re not educating yourself on the course. Keep them in mind when playing a shot within the scoring zone.

3. What Kind Of Swing Do I Make?
Some weekend golfers shorten their swings when hitting short irons. Or, they ease up. This leads to bad shots. Take your normal swing and hit through the ball in the scoring zone. Hit them just like they teach in golf lessons. If you need more distance, don’t swing harder. Take an extra club. And don’t try to hit the ball really high. You may lose control of the shot. If you don’t hit these clubs well, take some golf lessons and practice at the range. Also consult golf tips on hitting them.

4. Where Do I Want To Hit This Shot?
Directional accuracy demands that you aim correctly. When you’re practicing with these clubs on the range, work on alignment, too. Begin every shot by standing behind the ball. Then follow your routine. In addition, picture an imaginary line from your long distance target to an immediate one a few feet in front of the ball to the ball. Align your club to the target line and the ball. Then, align your body parallel to the imaginary line.

5. What Are Your Conditions?
The best short iron players monitor their conditions—their sate of mind and their physical condition—on every hole. Your conditions really matter. If you’re angry or pumped up, you’ll hit the ball longer than you normal. If you’re tense or tight, you may hit it shorter.  compensate for your condition. Also, track how you hit the ball under the various conditions.

6. What Are the Playing Conditions?
Like your personal conditions, playing conditions matter as well. What type of lie do you have on the course? How firm is the green? What is the wind doing? Is the green above or below you? The answers to these questions have a major bearing on the shot. Run through them before you hit any shot.

The last thing you must do before hitting a shot in the scoring zone is remind yourself to never short-side yourself. Never miss a shot to a spot that gives you no green to work with coming back. You want to be aggressive in the scoring zone, but be smart about it. Follow this cardinal rule and you’ll be glad you did.

Answer the questions listed above before hitting a short iron and you’ll make more birdies. Make more birdies and you’ll not only trim your scores, you’ll also cut your golf handicap by several strokes. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

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.