In this issue we'll discuss...

1) Stop Flubbing Chip Shots
2) Get Down For A Ball Below Your Feet
3) Drill of the Week #1 - Hardpan Lie
4) Article - Don't Let Bunker Shots Cost You
5) Article - Get Your Swing On Plane Now

Jack's Note: Did you ever think you could learn how to drop 8 - 10 strokes in the time it takes to watch a tv commercial? Watch this video and learn how you can groove your putting stroke in 30 seconds or less.

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1) Stop Flubbing Chip Shots

Flubbing a chip is also frustrating. Flubbed chips costs golfers more strokes than you can shake a stick at. Imagine being just off the green, with a chance to knock it home and save par, and you flub the chip shot. If that doesn't get you down, nothing will. Sometimes, flubbed chips stem from a lack of concentration. Other times, they stem from mechanical error.

Below are the six keys to hitting a crisp, controlled chip shot:

1. Assume a narrow stance
2. Choke down on the club
3. Position the ball back
4. Shift your weight forward
5. Lean your shaft forward
6. Use a descending angle of attack

In a normal chipping stance, your feet are close together, the ball positioned just back of center, your weight shifted forward, and the shaft leaning forward toward the target. If you look down after taking your stance, you'll see a "y" formed with your forearms. Make sure that the "y" exists in your address position and you'll cut down dramatically on bad chips.

The key to this shot is not thinking about the "y" when swinging. If you do, you'll hit the ball rather stiffly. Instead, try making this a finesse swing. In other words, try making your impact position as smooth and natural as possible without having to think about it.

To do that, check to make sure that the "y" is there when you start your swing and that it's there after impact. If it's there in both spots, it was there when you struck the ball.

Also, try not to lose the hinge in your wrists when starting your swing and when going forward. If you have difficulty doing this, chip with a "dead arms" motion. Use your body turn, not your arms, to move the wedge back and through the swing.

Eliminate flubbed chips from your game and you'll save yourself not only some frustration, but also several strokes.
2) Get Down For A Ball Below Your Feet

A bad drive usually gets you into more trouble than you need. Sometimes, it lands in a clump of trees. Other times, it lands on the side of a hill, leaving you with a mid-iron approach shot to the green and the ball below your feet. If you're not adept at hitting this type of shot, you could end up getting yourself deeper in trouble and tacking extra strokes on to your score.

Below are six tips on hitting a ball below your feet:

* Use a reverse choke
* Take a wider stance
* Add more flex to your body
* Adjust your aim to your club
* Maintain your posture
* Get down, down, down

While balance is an issue, the real problem is that the ball is farther away from you than normal. You need to make several adjustments to hit the ball solidly and get it back on the fairway:

* Use a reverse choke or a longer club with a shorter swing. With a reverse choke you grab the club all the way to the very end. Also, take a wider stance and add more flex to your lower body. This brings the ball closer to you.

* Adjust your aim based on the club. For a longer club, like a 5-iron, aim more left (about 15 yards). With a shorter club, like a sand wedge, aim less left (only a couple of yards).

* Maintain your posture through the swing. If you straighten up, you'll hit the ball off the toe, pushing it right.

* Get down on the shot. Swing only 70 percent and don't try to do too much. It's a tricky shot.

Don't let a ball below your feet hurt you. Make the adjustments described above and you'll hit the ball solidly every time.
3) Drill of the Week #1 - Hardpan Lie

Readers kept asking us for more drills. In response we added something new to this week's newsletter--the Drill of the Week. This segment will appear in alternate issues, replacing the Question of the Week. Next week we'll field a question from our readers. We hope the drills help.

Chipping it close from a hardpan lie is a challenge. To do it right, you need loft not bounce, so you need to develop a motion almost like chopping with a lofted club. This drill helps develop that motion:

The Set Up
Use a sand wedge for the drill. Position the ball middle to back with your weight on your forward foot and your hands ahead of the ball.

The Drill:
Find a hardpan lie near a practice green (or elsewhere). Use the setup described above without the ball. Practice sticking the club in the ground, using a chopping like motion instead of a back and forth stroke. Without delay place a ball in position and hit it using the same motion. Try to hit the ball cleanly just below its equator while the club is still descending Repeat until you can hit clean shots. Don't worry about distance yet. Get comfortable seeing the ball go low and feeling the club impact the ground. Then start focusing on distance.

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/newsletter05262010.php

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Don't Let Bunker Shots Cost You
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/dont-let-bunker-shots-cost-you.php

5) Article - Get Your Swing On Plane Now
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/get-your-swing-on-plane-now.php

Until next time,

Go Low!

Jack

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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 28th, 2010 at 4:22 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.