In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Swing Smoother For Straighter Shots
2) Generate More Power With Knee Coil
3) Question of the Week - Pick It Clean On Long-Range Bunker Shots
4) Article - The Aerodynamics Of The Golf Ball
5) Article - A Golf Lesson on Plane Angles Shifts (Part II)
1) Swing Smoother For Straighter Shots

If you’re struggling to find the fairway, there may be a simple explanation. Your swing may be too short and too quick. Sometimes, short quick swings throw off tempo and pace. Anytime you do that, you’re likely to hit a bad shot. Often, this happens because we’re trying to hit the ball too far, so we swing harder and faster instead of smoother and slower. If you think your swing is too fast and quick, set some time aside to work on regaining tempo and pace. Below are two drills that can help.

Drill #1:
This drill teaches you the tempo and swing speed needed for different length shots. Start with your driver and three balls. Using a full swing, try to make solid contact but hit it only 150 yards in the air. On your next shot, try to hit the ball 200 yards in the air. Now, increase your swing speed just a bit and try to hit the ball 250 yards. Remember to keep your swing under control no matter how far you’re hitting the ball.

Also, concentrate on staying balanced throughout the swing. If you use a target on the range for this drill that’s even better. You’ll start hitting more fairways on the course in no time.

Drill #2:
This drill teaches you how to use a smooth, consistent swing tempo regardless of the club. Take out your pitching wedge, 6-iron, and driver. Swing your pitching wedge in a smooth and relaxed manner. Concentrate on your tempo. Now hit a few pitches. When you’re comfortable with your wedge shot, switch to your 6-iron. Swing the 6-iron with the same smooth rhythm and tempo you used with your pitching wedge. After hitting several balls with the 6-iron, switch to your driver. Before hitting it, try to visualize and feel your pitching wedge swing. Try to copy the rhythm and tempo of the PW swing.

In doing these drills you’ll find your distance with the longer clubs doesn’t come from how hard you swing, but rather from achieving a smooth and consistent tempo. If you practice these two drills often, you’ll find your shots will be longer and straighter. Remember: For best results, swing smoother not harder.
2) Generate More Power With Knee Coil

A lack of distance puts pressure on your game. So while it’s better to be short in the fairway than long in the rough, it’s okay to try swing techniques that help generate more power. But be careful which techniques you try. Some diminish your ability to strike the ball well. Using your back knee correctly isn’t one of these techniques. It generates more power by improving your ballstriking, adding distance to your shots.

Below are five keys to using your back knee correctly:

* Tilt your spine at the hips and flex your knees
* Position your back shoulder slightly lower
* Keep the flex in your back knee constant as you coil
* Make a full coil and shift your weight back
* Make a longer forward swing than backswing

A key to generating more power is to think of your right knee as a coil that’s wound in the backswing and unwound in the forward swing. Below are the keys:

* At address, tilt your spine at the hips and position your front shoulder slightly lower than your back shoulder. Hang your arms down vertically and flex your knees to ensure balance and stability.

* As you start back, make a full coil and shift your weight back. That positions your swing center behind the ball at the top, increasing accuracy. Shift your weight forward as you unwind, returning your swing center to a point directly above the ball at impact.

* Try to maintain your initial setup posture from the start of your swing to the finish. Maintaining your posture and the angle of your back knee adds power to your swing.

* Using a shorter backswing with a longer forward swing also adds distance to your shots, thanks to the power stored in your backswing coil.

Use your back knee correctly and you’ll add more power to your swing without losing accuracy or efficiency. That in turn will take some pressure off your game.
3) Question of the Week - Pick It Clean On Long-Range Bunker Shots

Q. Hi Jack, You recently answered a question on hitting long-range bunker shots. But nowhere do you say how much sand you should take with the shot. Hit an inch behind the ball? Two inches? Pick it clean?

Thanks for the newsletter. I really enjoy the info.

Ike Isenhour

A. Thanks for the question, Ike. When hitting long-range bunker shots, you need to pick the ball clean. Hitting behind the ball prevents you from getting the distance you need to reach the green. In case you missed the rest of the answer to the question, here are the key points:

* Use a 9-iron on this shot. It gives you the distance you need to hit the green.

* Use your normal stance. Set your clubface slightly open at address, but square it like you usually do. Pull your feet in closer together, but don't dig them into the sand too much, just a little.

* Turn through the shot, just like you do with a normal iron shot. You'll need extra body with this shot, so keep everything moving—body, arms, and club—to a full finish.

* Keep your back heel down. It stabilizes you. And don't try pivoting on your back heel. You'll lose your balance.

These adjustments, combined with extra body behind the ball, should land you on the green and leave you in good position.

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 - The Aerodynamics Of The Golf Ball
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/the-aerodynamics-of-the-golf-ball.php

5) Article - A Golf Lesson on Plane Angles Shifts (Part II)
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/a-golf-lesson-on-plane-angles-shifts-part-2.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.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 7th, 2010 at 3:16 pm and is filed under Golf Newsletters. 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.