By Jack Moorehouse

This is the second part of a two-part article about the role of plane angle shifts in your swing. Last week we talked about the four different plane angles. This week we discuss plane angel shift models.

Every golfer—no matter what his golf handicap—must go from the backswing to the downswing. Making this transition, as you know from reading my golf tips newsletter or attending my golf instruction sessions, is critical. Make a poor transition and it costs you. Golfers use different methods to make the transition. These plane angle shifts all work, but they require different adjustments. To develop a swing that helps chop strokes off your golf handicap, you must master one of these plane angle shifts.

These shifts involve the four planes—the clubshaft plane, the right elbow plane, the squared shoulder plane, and the turning shoulder plane. These four planes show where the clubshaft can go in your swing and determine the actions the shaft must take on the way down to the ball. Most players shift planes to execute a smooth transition from backswing to downswing. In our golf lessons and written golf tips, we like to refer to the different ways to make the shifts as models.

The Single Shift
This model encourages a single shift from the shaft plane at address to a vertical plane during transition. Think of it as an “out and over” move. It’s commonly seen in players who hit a fade. The danger with this shift model is that it can easily turn into an uncontrolled, over-the-top motion that causes mis-hits, especially when the tempo is off.

The Double Shift
This is the most common shift model. Taught in individual golf lessons and multi-player golf instruction sessions, it starts with the clubshaft plane at address, moves into a more upright position into the backstroke, and then falls back to the clubshaft through the ball. This is a good motion—provided you can keep the clubshaft from lifting too much into the last part of the backswing. This model requires a lot of flexibility.

The Triple Shift
This is the classic in-up-and-over move. Basically, the club moves to the inside of the shaft plane on the back swing, then above it on the downswing. If you use this plane angle shift, you must control your release or you’ll hit left-to-left shots (right-to-right shots if you’re left-handed).

The Reverse Shift
This shift model includes lifting the club steeply to the top with a high right shoulder and then re-routing the club back to the clubshaft plane established at address. This shift model requires powerful lateral and rotary hip motions to aid the reversing action.

The Reverse Loop
Players using this shift model lift the club to the top slightly; yet have shoulder turns level or perpendicular to the spine’s axis. These players have no need to re-route the arms and shoulders, but only need to re-route the shaft back to the clubshaft plane on the downswing.

The Pivot Motion
Another key move that players must master is the pivot motion. Not quite as critical as the plane shift, this move is still important. When the club is in a manageable delivery position, you’ll find that the club is either trailing the hands slightly or slightly out in front of the hands, but not by much in either position. From here all you have to do is let your weight continue to move in the forward foot as your torso rotates.

The best way to learn the correct pivot motion is to hit belt-high pitch shots, feeling your weight move through as you rotate into the finish. The ball should go straight and you should feel little or no hand action through the ball.

Every golfer no matter what his/her golf handicap must master the pivot motion and one of the plane angle shift models. When combined correctly, these actions help you hit the ball straighter and longer, and chop strokes off your golf handicap. If you master both the pivot motion and a plane angle shift, you’ll develop a graceful yet powerful swing.

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.

By Jack Moorehouse

Every wonder why a golf ball has dimples? It’s not a question that comes up a lot during golf lessons or group golf instructions sessions. But every once in a while, someone will ask about dimples. Some golfers think they’re just for decoration. Well, they’re not. There’s a practical reason why golf balls have dimples. It has to do with the aerodynamics of drag.

Put simply, the dimples add spin to the ball, which helps it go farther. Thus, the length of your shot isn’t solely dependent on the golfer’s strength and mechanics. Dimples also provide control. They enable golfers to hit draws and fades and stop balls dead on the green. If golfers couldn’t do this, they’d have to take a lot more golf lessons to achieve a low golf handicap.

Evolution of Ball Designs
The golf ball’s design has evolved over the years. At first, golfers used the “featherie”—a leather pouch filled with goose feathers. Then in the 1840s, they switched to a ball, made from the gum of the Malaysian Sapodilla tree. Both balls had smooth surfaces because golfers believed a smooth sphere resulted in less drag. Less drag meant longer shots.

But according to golf legend a professor at Saint Andrews University in Scotland discovered that a sphere goes farther when scored. This discovery led to a variety of golf ball surface designs chosen more or less by intuition. Eventually, golf settled on dimples because of its beneficial effects on drag. Today, the modern golf ball has well over 300 dimples arranged in rows.

Drag On A Sphere
A sphere experiences two types of drag. The first is drag due to friction. This only accounts for a small part of the drag experience, however. The drag due to separation of flow behind the ball, known as pressure, provides the majority of drag on your ball. With laminar flow, separation is early. With turbulent flow, separation is delayed.

The separation region with turbulent flow is smaller than with laminar flow. The smaller separation results in less pressure on the sphere. The scoring causes the flow to change from laminar to turbulent. The turbulent flow has more energy than the laminar flow, so the flow stays attached longer, causing the ball to go farther. Obviously, hitting the ball farther can help your golf handicap.

Achieving The Same Affect
Dimples use another method to impact drag. Physics measures this effect using something called a Reynolds number. It indicates when the flow transitions from a laminar to a turbulent state. As the Reynolds number increases, the ball’s drag increases. The average Reynolds number for a smooth sphere is much larger than the average Reynolds number experienced by a golf ball. In other words, the dimples cause the flow to remain longer on a golf ball, propelling it farther.

Lift is another aerodynamic force impacting the ball’s flight. Given the proper spin, a golf ball produces lift. Dimples also help generate lift. By keeping the flow attached, the dimples help promote the change in flow described above. If the ball is moving from left to right, the ball is spinning in the counter clockwise direction. The wake is then being deflected downward. This downward deflection of flow results in a lifting force being applied to the ball.

What does this mean for a golfer? Dimples increase the golfer’s ability to control the ball and make it do what he or she wants. In one of our golf tips newsletter we explain how to hit a draw. Dimples encourage the drawing action. Without them, it would be extremely difficult to make the ball curve the way you want it to, no matter how much you practiced or how many golf lessons you took. Thus, your golf handicap could suffer.

So when someone asks why a golf ball has dimples, you’ll have the answer. They provide better control and help add length to a shot.

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) 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.

By Jack Moorehouse

This is the first part of a two-part article discussing the role of plane angle shifts. This week we discuss the four different plane angles in your swing. Next week we’ll discuss plane angel shift models.

Every golfer no matter what his golf handicap must transition from the backswing to the downswing at the top of his swing. If you’ve read my golf tips newsletter or attended any of my golf instruction sessions, you know how important this is. Mess up here and you’re done for. Put another way, making a smooth transition at the top of the swing is one key to a great swing. It’s often the difference between belting a bomb right down the middle of the fairway and shanking a pop up off to the side of the tee box.

Different players use different methods to make the transition. PGA pro Craig Parry uses one type of shift and Jim Furyk, also a PGA pro, uses a different one. Both methods work. But each requires compensations that can be difficult to make consistently. Each also requires good timing. Parry and Furyk have mastered the plane angle shift that fits their swings. If you’re going to develop a swing that’s helps you chop strokes off your golf handicap, you must do the same. But first we need to discuss the role of plane angles in your swing.

Four Plane Angles In Your Swing
Basically, four plane angles exist—the clubshaft plane, the right elbow plane, the squared shoulder plane, and the turning shoulder plane. These four plane angles show where the clubshaft can go in your swing and determines the actions the shaft must take on the way down to the ball. The four plane angles are described below:

The clubshaft plane is the most common plane angle. It’s seen as a line drawn up the clubshaft through the beltline at address. This line shows how the club moves from nine o’clock to three o’clock, or from setup to waist high in the backswing and downswing.

The right elbow plane is a second plane angle. It’s seen as a line drawn from the club’s right hosel through the left elbow. This line shows how the clubshaft should work from belt high to chest high in the backswing and forward swing. This angle is slightly more upright than the clubshaft plane.

The square shoulder plane is the most critical plane angle. It’s seen as a line drawn from the club’s hosel to the midpoint of the right deltoid for a right-handed golfer. This line shows how the clubshaft works for most players from chest high to the top of the swing during the backswing.

The turning shoulder plane is the upper most plane angle. It’s seen as a line drawn from the club’s hosel through the top of the right deltoid as the club reaches the top. From here, the club should drop to the elbow then to the original shaft plane and on to impact.

Most players need to shift planes to execute a smooth transition from backswing to downswing. Some players use one shift to make the transition. Others use two or three shifts. In our golf lessons and written golf tips, we like to refer to the different ways to make the transitions as models. So there’s the single shift model, the double shift model, and so on. All shift models require some sort of “compensation” to ensure a smooth transition to delivery. Making compensations is where golfers get in trouble.

No Shift Model
In addition to the different shift models discussed above, there’s the no shift approach. Players adopting this model make no plane shift when make the transition to delivery. They maintain the original plane angle established at address throughout their swing. This approach is both efficient and repeatable. But it doesn’t generate as much clubhead speed and distance as the shift models do.

Knowing your swing and working within its limitations is the key to controlling your clubshaft and its transition to delivery. Once you understand what type of transition or shift best suits your swing and abilities, you’re on your way to developing a powerful, repeatable swing that will help you cut strokes from your golf handicap. But before you can master the mechanics of a shift model, you need to understand how it works.

Next week we’ll discuss the different plane angle shift models.

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.