You're obviously interested in golf or you wouldn't be reading this blog. Well, imagine if you could make a great living by having a golf related business. Imagine turning your golf passion into a business that not only gave you great profits and financial security but gave you an awesome lifestyle.  All of this without needing to be a PGA pro or without even needing a lot of golf knowledge.

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It's a FREE video and if you've got any interest in turning your golf hobby into a great lifestyle business I strongly recommend you watch that video now.

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http://www.golfbizinabox.com/indexa.htm

After watching the video make sure you sign up for free to find out more.  This could be your year to do something totally new and unique that could change your life for the better.

Jack

P.S. If you're interested in golf just a little bit then you can turn that interest into a great little business to provide some nice extra cash. Or you can turn your golf interest into a hugely profitable golf business that gives you everything you want in life.  The choice is yours if you know how.

Then follow the instructions in the video!

In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Perfect Your Posture For Better Swings
2) Putting Up A Tier
3) Question of the Week - Playing Soft Shots
4) Article - Simplifying Your Sand Play Saves Strokes
5) Article - Dial In Your Short Irons Now

Jack's Note: Tired of hitting bad chips? Watch the free video on the foolproof chipping method here.
1) Perfect Your Posture For Better Swings
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It gets harder to change bad habits the longer you have them. So you need to correct them as soon as you discover them. Otherwise, they’ll become ingrained and you’ll never root them out. If bad habits plaque your swing and you’re looking to make a change, the best place to start is with your posture. Good posture increases the chances of striking the ball solidly.

Below are five keys to good posture:

1. Keep your spine straight through the swing
2. Bend forward from your waist
3. Keep your knees flexed but not too much
4. Place your kneecaps over your insteps
5. Point your fingertips outside your shoes

You address position greatly impacts your swing. If your looking to perfect your swing or get rid of bad habits, a good place to start is with your posture. Good posture increases your changes of hitting the ball on the sweet spot.

To check your posture, set up to an imaginary ball. Relax your body and let your arms hang straight down. Your posture is good if your kneecaps are over the insteps of your feet and your fingertips point to the tips of your shoes. If your fingertips point inside the tips of your shoes, you’re too upright. If the point outside the tips of your shoes, you’re bent over too far and your too flat.

Also, keep an eye on your knees. Many golfers don’t flex their knees enough. In addition, make sure your spine is straight and that you’re bending forward from the waist to avoid slumping your shoulders.

If you’re unhappy with your swing or you’ve developed bad habits and you’re looking to make a change, start with your posture. If you’re set up with good posture, your chances of hitting balls crisply greatly increase.
2) Putting Up A Tier

A long putt of about 40 feet up a tier is tricky. We tend to leave the putt short on the first tier well below the hole. If the slope is high enough, the ball may even roll back to you. Either way, you’ll probably three-putt or four-putt. If you play on a course with numerous tiered greens, leaving these types of putts short can really cost you. But staying true to your stroke fundamentals provides the solid contact you need to get the ball to the hole.

Below are five keys to putting up a tier:

1. Add the pace of the two putts together
2. Set your eyes over the ball
3. Set your hands under your shoulders
4. Keep everything still at impact
5. Imagine yourself bowling up a hill

The problem here is that you’re really dealing with two putts: The one that gets the ball up the first tier and the one that gets the ball from the edge of the tier to the hole. To determine the ideal stroke length for this putt, add the stroke lengths for those two putts together.

Next, take your normal putting stance. Then set your eyes over the ball and your hands below your shoulders.. This sets you up to make solid contact, enough to get you up and over the first tier and to the hole

As you make your practice strokes visualize yourself “bowling” the ball up the hill. Get the feel in your right hand (left hand for lefties) for giving the ball sufficient force to get it up and over the tier’s crest. Try re-creating the feeling when you putt. Keep your sternum still at impact

If you’re putting from the left side of the hole (the cup is to your right), the slope tends to bend the ball the right. The opposite is also true.

Long putts up a tier can cost you a ton of strokes. Golfers often leave these putts short. Sometimes, we’re so short the ball rolls back. The secret to sinking tiered putts is making solid contact. Follow the golf tips given above and you’ll do it.
3) Question of the Week - Playing Soft Shots

Q. Hi, Jack. How do I play a soft landing approach shot from 50 yards and less or from the bunker? My shorts normally run six feet after pitching.

Thanks,
Charles Pitara

A. Thanks for the question, Charles. You’ve actually asked two questions here. One questions is about soft approach shots. The other is about soft landing shots from a bunker. Let’s address them one at time:

Soft Approach Shot
The key to the super soft pitch shot is the left arm action (right arm action for right-handers) given to the ball on the shot. You must swing the club and the left arm to the left of the target after impact on nice soft pitches from 30-50 yards out.

To start, use a sand wedge for this shot. Open your stance and the clubface a bit. Then, make an upright swing. These adjustments encourage the clubface to cut across the ball slightly, imparting sidespin, which helps the ball stop. The key is holding the club firmly with your left hand after impact. Don't let the clubface's toe pass its heel the way it does normally. To see if you’re making the shot correctly, check your divots. They should be small and should point to the left of your target. If they do, you've hit the shot correctly.

Soft Sand Shot
Your sand wedge is the club of choice for this shot as well. Position the ball forward in your stance and open the face of your sand wedge, adding loft to the club. As you swing back and through, keep most of your weight on your back leg. By keeping your weight on your back leg, your sand wedge maintains its original loft at impact. The ball pops out high and settles quickly on the green.

Many weekend golfers slide forward on this shot, shifting their weight to their front side dramatically on the forward swing. The shift takes loft off the club and causes it to dig into the sand, making the ball come out low and hot.

These shots are somewhat advanced. So if you're a poor pitcher, work on the basics before trying it. But if you're a good pitcher and you want to improve accuracy, this shot may be just the thing. Practice it to master it.

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

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Simplifying Your Sand Play Saves Strokes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/simplifying-your-sand-play-saves-strokes.php

5) Article - Dial In Your Short Irons Now
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/dial-in-your-short-irons-now.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
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.

Even players who thrive on crushing the ball know that hitting it long isn’t always the best strategy. Sometimes, they need to hang back and save that muscle for another time. We call it playing smart. Tiger Woods is a great example of a player who plays smart. He knows when take what the situation gives him. That’s one reason why he’s one of the world’s best golfers. For weekend golfers, playing smart can save strokes and keep your golf handicap from ballooning.

But playing smart isn’t always the first thing on your mind when in trouble. Many golfers try “miracle shots” to salvage the situation when in trouble. Often, it’s a shot they’ve never hit before. Save miracle shots for when you must try one. The rest of the time, play smart. It may not seem like the best strategy, but it can save you strokes later on. In my golf lessons I emphasize three situations when playing smart works well. Below I describe these situations and provide golf tips on how to play them.

Ball In High Grass
When we say high grass, we mean high grass—the no man’s land of rough. You know the kind—where you could be standing over the ball and not know it. The problem with this rough is that it’s much thicker than regular rough. It’s so thick it can catch your club and turn the hosel before the clubface is even close to the ball. Thus, it may take multiple shots to get out. It’s that thick.

The only remedy for this lie is to take your wedge and attack the ball with a hard descending blow. But first you need to adjust your set up using these golf tips: Use an open stance but close the clubface a bit. Next, take a firm grip, aim just behind the ball, and swing down hard. These adjustments make it easier for the clubface to cut through the grass. Make sure, you also swing through—because if your club gets stuck, the ball will, too.

Ball In Bunker
While a ball buried deep in the sand requires a shot like the one described above, a regular lie in the sand—one where the ball is sitting on top of the sand—needs just the opposite approach. The goal here is to “shave” the ball out, not shovel it. Here, you need to take a smooth controlled swing with an open stance and clubface. Aim to make contact two inches behind the ball. It will fly out softly with minimal sand, saving you strokes and landing the ball close to the pin.

Playing The Punch Shot
The punch shot is a third play smart situation. The object of the punch shot is to keep the ball low, straight, and precise. It makes for a great approach shot in the wind. But it also makes for a great shot to salvage par from the trees. Many players use a longer iron to make this shot, but a hybrid works just as well, as I’ve mentioned in my golf tips newsletter. Here’s how to make a punch shot work for you:

Play the ball just back of the middle of your stance, which takes some loft off your club and enables the ball to fly lower with backspin. Take a three-quarter swing, mostly with your arms, and keep your wrists firm and hands quiet on the downswing. Make a smooth controlled swing, with out decelerating or hurrying through the shot, and keep your follow through short and low. The punch shot is a great weapon to have when in trouble or when playing in a stiff wind.

These three common “play smart” situations are often discussed in golf instruction session and golf articles. There are more not so common play smart shots. Look for them and then store them in your mind so you’ll remember them. In these situations, forget the “miracle shot” you’ve never hit before unless you’ve no other choice. Playing smart helps keep a lid on scores and stops golf handicaps from ballooning.

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.

In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Hitting Crisp, Clean Irons From Soggy Lies
2) Drop It Close From Every Bunker Lie
3) Question of the Week - Adjusting To “Real” Fairways
4) Article - Hybrids To The Rescue
5) Article - Playing Smart Saves Strokes
1) Hitting Crisp, Clean Irons From Soggy Lies

Few things in golf beat playing when the conditions are perfect. But you can’t always do that. Sometimes, you have to play when things are less than perfect. In fact, most times you play things will probably be less than perfect. Often, it’s nature’s fault, like when it rains heavily the night before. Heavy rains can leave fairways soft and soggy the next day, making it hard to hit crisp, clean iron shots and costing you strokes. But you can hit good irons from soggy lies by adjusting your stance and swing.

Here are seven keys to hitting irons from soggy lies:

1. Take a bunker set up
2. Choke down on the club an inch
3. Position the ball in the center
4. Stand taller over the ball
5. Hover the club above the ground
6. Line up the leading edge
7. Hit the back of the ball

You need to treat shots off wet turf as if you were hitting from a fairway bunker. That means you must make ball first contact. It also means you must compensate for you feet sinking into the soft ground, lowering your swing arc.

To do that, take a bunker stance, grip down an inch on the club, and position the ball in the center of your stance (or slightly forward for longer irons and hybrids). In addition, stand taller to the ball by bending less at the hips. Standing taller lets you hover your club above the ball and line up the leading edge with the ball’s equator.

As you swing, aim for a spot an inch in front of the ball. You want to hit the back of the ball and drive your club down and into it at that spot. A good swing thought to keep in mind is to picture your clubhead and back knee reaching the ball at the same time.

Making ball first contact and offsetting a lower swing arc produces crisp, clean irons on soft, soggy turf. But remember, you can take relief without penalty from casual water (outside a hazard), but the water must be visible before or after taking your stance.
2) Drop It Close From Every Bunker Lie

Your feet are the key to blasting it close from every bunker lie. Since you can’t ground your club in a bunker, it’s not always easy to tell what kind of sand you’re in by sight. But your feet can tell you what kind of sand you’re dealing by how far you sink in the sand. Is it fluffy, hard, or something in between? Knowing the type of sand you’re dealing with can help you hit it close.

Below are six keys to making bunker shots:

1. Play the ball just inside your front heel
2. Keep your hands directly above the ball
3. Dig your feet in for balance
4. Distribute your weight evenly
5. Choke down on the club to compensate
6. Match your swing to the depth of the sand

If you use the wrong swing in the wrong sand, you’ll either leave it in the bunker or blast it over the other side of the green. Either way, it costs you strokes. Instead, let your feet tell you the type of sand you’re dealing with, use your normal bunker shot setup, and adjust your swing accordingly.

If you’re sitting on top of thin sand, there’s less sand your club can extract, so the ball comes out “hotter” than normal. Swing from hip-high to hip-high in your finish. This gives you about 10 yards in the air with 2 yards of roll with your sand wedge.

If you’re sitting in fluffy sand, there’s more sand to extract. Your club tends to stick in this type of sand. Hitting a good explosion shot here means taking a large divot using a fast swing. Swing three-quarters back and make a complete follow through. This gives you about 10 yards in the air and 2 yards of roll with your sand wedge.

Ultimately, you want to get out of the bunker in one. But to blast it close use your feet to tell the type of sand you’re in. Once you know that, lengthen or shorten your swing to match its speed to the sand’s depth.
3) Question of the Week - Adjusting To “Real” Fairways

Q. Hi, Jack. I started playing golf on a very hard surface, where the "fairway" was a few tufts of grass on some rock-hard ground! Bottom line, there was no chance of taking a divot, so I learned to pick-up (scoop?) the ball off the hard surface. Years later, I can afford to play on real fairways. However, I still pick up the ball. How can I change my swing to hitting down on the ball and taking a divot?

Thanks,

Gregg de Wet

A. Thanks for the question, Gregg. You’re right in likening your swing to scooping because that’s essentially what you’re doing. Scoopers are trying to help the ball in the air. They set up with their weight on their back foot, their front shoulder very low, and their back arm bent to an extreme on middle- and long-iron shots. To hit the ball, scoopers must then spin out and fall backward, hitting up on the ball rather than down.

To cure scooping, move the ball back a bit toward the middle of your stance. Lower your front-shoulder just enough to allow you to turn it under your chin and aim it parallel to the target line. Distribute your weight evenly. And make a smooth transition from the top of the backswing to the forward swing. Make a full, balanced finish. These changes encourage a descending blow.

To groove these adjustments, stick a tee in the ground where you would normally place the ball. In this case it would be slightly back a bit from your front heel. Now place a second tee in the ground a few inches in front of the first tee where you would create a divot if you were to swing down on the ball. When you swing, try to pick the tee from the ground. To do that, you’re going to have to use a descending blow, not a scoop motion. Done often, this drill helps eliminate a scooping motion.

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 - Hybrids To The Rescue
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/hybrids-to-the-rescue.php

5) Article - Playing Smart Saves Strokes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/playing-smart-save-strokes.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
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.