In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Be Aggressive In The Rain
2) Flop Shot From A Fluffy Lie
3) Question of the Week - Hitting Clean Crisp Irons
4) Article - Five Strategies That Lower Golf Handicaps
5) Article - Golf Tips For Short Hitters

Jack's Note:
1) Be Aggressive In The Rain

None of us can control the weather, so there will be times when you find yourself playing in the rain—whether your grinding it out in a tournament or playing in a grudge match with your buddies. You can gain a big edge over others when it rains, if you keep a few things in mind, such as be aggressive with your short game.

Below are five golf tips on playing in the rain:

* Be prepared for rain
* Keep your grips dry
* Have extra gloves in your bag
* Keep your balance
* Be aggressive in the rain

Always carry rain gear. A rain suit, a clean towel, and a pair of rain gloves help keep you and your equipment dry. If you can’t find rain gloves, store extra regular gloves and a pair of cotton gloves in your bag. The cotton gloves enhance your grip when needed. In addition, wipe your grip with a towel before hitting.

Once it starts raining, keep your equipment and yourself as dry as you can. Cover your clubs when not in use. Change your spikes periodically between rounds to prevent slipping. You don’t want to lose your balance. And use your umbrella to shield you from the rain when putting or while waiting to hit.

When pitching and chipping, be aggressive in the rain. Wet grass inhibits roll, so forget the bump and run. Instead, pitch and chip all the way to the hole. Putts run more slowly and break less in the rain, so make sure you get the ball all the way to the hole. If it starts lightning out, get off the course.

Keep these golf tips in mind when it rains and you’ll have a big edge on your opponents.
2) Flop Shot From A Fluffy Lie

No golfer hits every green in regulation. In fact, weekend golfers miss a lot more greens than they hit. That’s why they need a short solid game. A good short game can bail you out of tight situations and help you save par. A flop shot is a good shot to have in your short game arsenal. It’s great when you have to go over water or sand, or you want to keep the ball from running off the green. But be extra careful with this shot when you have a fluffy lie.

Below are five keys to this shot:
1. Waken your grip a little
2. Open the clubface a bit
3. Play the ball of front heel
4. Keep your elbow close
5. Pick the club up quickly

Ideally, you want to use a flop wedge for this shot. But if you don’t carry one, take your most lofted club use that.

Now, weaken your grip on the club a bit, open the clubface to achieve maximum loft, and play the ball off the heel of your front foot. Cock your wrists sharply as you take the club back keep your back elbow close to your side, and swing the club down with a wristy motion but a firm let hand (right hand for left-handers).

Focus on preventing the clubhead from passing your hands through impact. This prevents your wrists from rolling over on the shot. The key with this shot is letting your wrists hinge more freely than you would on a typical pitch shot without letting them rotate through the ball at impact.

The flop shot isn’t appropriate for every lie. Avoid it on tight lies and hardpan. They don’t give you enough room to slide the clubface under the ball. Make sure you have the right lie before attempting this shot.
3) Question of the Week - Hitting Clean Crisp Irons

Q. Hi, Jack. How do I improve my iron ballstriking in the fairway? I have a tendency to hit it fat when I get nervous. The ball is in the middle of my stance and my body may be dipping down a bit on the downswing, or I might be too vertical and just digging too much. I want to hit it with the club handle forward and pinch the ball to get the correct flight and stopping effect, which is what happens about 50% of the time. I want to know how I can improve my chances of a good ball strike. Any tips you have would be appreciated.

Steve

A. Thanks for the question, Steve. Good iron play is the sign of a good player. Below are five swing keys to a good iron swing

* Feel loose at address
* Flex your knees for balance
* Keep your forward wrist flat
* Create lag in your downswing
* Keep your feet on the ground

Of these five keys, keeping your wrist flat and creating lag in your downswing are perhaps the most important. Obviously, you never want to feel jammed up at address when hitting irons or woods and you always want to flex your knees so your shoulders are in line with your hips and your knees are in line with the balls of your feet. These are givens not matter what club your hitting.

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

In addition,create as much lag as possible in your downswing. You create lag in your 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.

Build these six keys into your swing and you’ll hit cleaner, crisper irons. You’ll also hit more accurate approach shots, leaving you with more makeable putts.

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 - Five Strategies That Lower Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-strategies-that-lower-golf-handicaps.php

5) Article - Golf Tips For Short Hitters
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/golf-tips-for-short-hitters.php

Until next time,

Go Low!

Jack

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 1:46 pm and is filed under Golf Articles. 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.