When you’re within 20 yards of the goal in American football—the Red Zone—you must score. If you don’t, your team’s offense failed. When you’re within 40 yards of the green—8-iron, 9-iron, and wedge distance—the Scoring Zone—you also must “score.”  Put another way, you must drop the shot as close to the hole as possible, leaving you an easy putt. If you don’t, you’ve cost yourself a birdie.

Obviously, the more birdies you make, the better your score and your golf handicap. But before hitting from this distance, you must answer six critical questions. Answering them improves your chances of dropping it close significantly. In this article we’ll discuss these six critical questions and provide golf tips on how to hit them better, improving your chances of collecting more birdies.

1. How Far Do You Hit Each Club?
Dialing in your short irons is mostly about distance control. In other words, you must know exactly how far you carry each club on the course, if you want to hit it close. Distance control is what teachers focus on in golf instruction sessions. If you don’t know how far you hit each short iron, go to the range. Practice making normal and hard swings. Get a feel for just how far you hit each club using each swing.

2. How Do You Hit Each Club?
Direction control is also vital when hitting short irons. So in addition to getting a feel for distance when practicing at the range, track your tendencies with each club. Do you draw or fade the shot? When you swing harder, do you pull or push the ball? Find the answers to these questions on the range first, so you’re not educating yourself on the course. Keep them in mind when playing a shot within the scoring zone.

3. What Kind Of Swing Do I Make?
Some weekend golfers shorten their swings when hitting short irons. Or, they ease up. This leads to bad shots. Take your normal swing and hit through the ball in the scoring zone. Hit them just like they teach in golf lessons. If you need more distance, don’t swing harder. Take an extra club. And don’t try to hit the ball really high. You may lose control of the shot. If you don’t hit these clubs well, take some golf lessons and practice at the range. Also consult golf tips on hitting them.

4. Where Do I Want To Hit This Shot?
Directional accuracy demands that you aim correctly. When you’re practicing with these clubs on the range, work on alignment, too. Begin every shot by standing behind the ball. Then follow your routine. In addition, picture an imaginary line from your long distance target to an immediate one a few feet in front of the ball to the ball. Align your club to the target line and the ball. Then, align your body parallel to the imaginary line.

5. What Are Your Conditions?
The best short iron players monitor their conditions—their sate of mind and their physical condition—on every hole. Your conditions really matter. If you’re angry or pumped up, you’ll hit the ball longer than you normal. If you’re tense or tight, you may hit it shorter.  compensate for your condition. Also, track how you hit the ball under the various conditions.

6. What Are the Playing Conditions?
Like your personal conditions, playing conditions matter as well. What type of lie do you have on the course? How firm is the green? What is the wind doing? Is the green above or below you? The answers to these questions have a major bearing on the shot. Run through them before you hit any shot.

The last thing you must do before hitting a shot in the scoring zone is remind yourself to never short-side yourself. Never miss a shot to a spot that gives you no green to work with coming back. You want to be aggressive in the scoring zone, but be smart about it. Follow this cardinal rule and you’ll be glad you did.

Answer the questions listed above before hitting a short iron and you’ll make more birdies. Make more birdies and you’ll not only trim your scores, you’ll also cut your golf handicap by several strokes. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

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.

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.

When you find yourself playing poorly, you should make every effort to salvage the day. It can be frustrating but you can turn a bad round into a good if you try. A good way to do that is to get back to the basics. Start by working on your driving, it sets you up for good approach shots and creates the right “tone” for the hole. It can also help turn around your game that day. The key is driving it straight and that, as I’ve said in many times in my golf tips, is correct alignment.

Align Yourself Properly At Address
If you’re not aligned at address, bad things happen. You’ll have to make swing difficult adjustments mid-stream to compensate. For example, if you’re right-handed and you’re aimed too far left, you’ll have to swing across the ball at the bottom to correct for the mis-alignment. That’s not an easy adjustment to make. It takes a highly skilled player to make adjustments and still hit the fairway consistently. There may also be clubface issues to address as well.

If you align yourself at address, you’ll dramatically increase your fairways hit per round. That in turn will impact your scores and your golf handicap. Good drives leave you in position for easy second shots and eliminate wasted shots designed to get you out of trouble. But there’s more to hitting straight drives than just aligning yourself correctly. You also have to swing along the target line while the clubhead is in the hitting zone. The longer you can keep the clubhead on the target line the straighter your shot. Below is a drill that teaches you to do that.

Target Line Drill Helps
This drill trains you to keep your swing along the target line. Tee up a ball. Place two dowels in the ground spaced a foot apart three yards in front of your ball. Your goal is to practice hitting your drives through the window formed by the dowels. With a narrow yet close target like the dowels, you’ll be less likely to come over the top with your swing. On the course, use imaginary dowels to remind you to swing down the line through the hitting zone.

As for aligning yourself correctly, below is a six-step alignment routine that can serve as a model for yours:

1. Stand behind the ball. Pick out a target.

2. Take your stance where you’re standing. Draw an imaginary line from your target back through the ball. Square your clubface to this line.

3. Make a full practice swing from there. Sense the clubhead moving down the target line through impact. Visualize the ball flight you want to use.

4. Focus on the target line in front of the ball. Walk into your stance from the left (if you’re right-handed), keeping your eye on the target line.

5. Set your clubhead behind the ball. Point the face down the line. Maintain your focus on the line in front of the ball.

6. Set your feet perpendicular to the line. Look at the target one last time. Turn your eyes to the ball and pull your trigger.

Once you set your feet set, take a slight step back with your back foot. It’s a trick Tiger Woods uses. It keeps you behind the ball when swinging, increases stability, and provides a firm foundation for a powerful drive.

Making sure you’re correctly aligned and staying on the swing path are two keys to hitting straight drives. Use an alignment routine on every driver swing, as I tell students in my golf lessons. It helps you find the target line and align your body and clubface to it. Practicing the target line drill improves your ability to keep your clubhead on the right swing path. Going back to basics starts in the tee box. It’s a great way to salvage a bad round and keep your golf handicap from increasing.

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.

One way to do that is to develop “go-to” shots for difficult situations, like hitting from behind a tree. We’ve talked about how go-to shots can help golfers in my golf tips newsletter. Using them in key situations harnesses your ability and takes advantage of your on the course strengths. More important, it lets you control the situation rather than letting the situation control you. To capitalize on this approach, you must develop an arsenal of shots you can use in the clutch. Below we discuss go-to shots in three key situations.

On A Tight Fairway
Hitting a good drive to a tight fairway, as I’ve said in my golf tips newsletter, is a great way to a comeback. A good drive here is at least 200 yards in the fairway. Candidates for a go-to shot are the full swing driver, the 3-wood, and the hybrid fade. You must be able to hit the fairway with this shot about 80 percent of the time. Pulling off the full swing driver leaves a short iron to the green, but the average golfer misses this shot 50 percent of the time. The 3-wood offers less distance but finds the fairway 15 percent more often than the driver. The hybrid fade finds the fairway more than the 3-wood, but requires a longer second shot to the green. Choose wisely.

Short Shots To The Green
Another critical situation where you need a go-to shot is about 100 yards out. Having a go-to shot is here key if “disaster” areas guard the green. You need a go-to shot that avoids all the trouble around the green. Candidates are the one-third 5-iron swing, otherwise known as the bump-and-run, and the full swing wedge. The full wedge shot puts your close to the hole, but if you miss it, you’re toast. The bump-and run won’t get your as close as the wedge, but, it’s easier to hit than the full wedge, With good contact, this shot will give you 60 yards of carry and 30 yards of roll.

Pitches To The Green Over Water
You need this shot when you’re about 30 yards to the green and there’s water (or another obstacle) between you and the pin. You need to be ale to hit the shot successfully 90 percent of the time for it to be considered a go-to shot. The idea is to land the shot on the green and leave it within 2-putt range nine out of 10 times you hit the shot, as I tell students in golf instruction sessions. Candidates are the lob wedge pitch, the standard pitch, and the chip with a putter. A well-executed lob wedge pitch leaves you with a tap-in, but mis-hitting it lands you in the water. The standard pitch to either side takes the water out of play. It’s easier to hit, but probably won’t leave you close to the hole. The chip with a putter is just what the name says: a chip shot using your putter. This shot isn’t taught in golf lessons much, but it’s safe and can put you within two-putt range.

Continue this approach for all the critical areas of your game. Then, work on developing go-to shots for the areas. Determine the shot candidates, see which one you hit best, and work on perfecting it. Once you’ve done that for the critical areas of your game, you can attack courses with aggressiveness and confidence. Remember, your go-to shot is always your safest. It’s the shot you hit best in a given situation, so it could be the riskiest. You’ll be surprised at the impact on your golf handicap.

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.

When we discuss club design, we usually talk clubhead size or shaft materials. These can affect your ballstriking and shot distance. But here we want to discuss a different aspect of club design. A club has three key design features:

* shaft lean toward target,
* significant lie (or shaft lean toward body),
* center of gravity

These features exist in every club, even your putter. They contain secrets on how to swing your drivers, wedges, and irons to improve your ballstriking, if we interpret them correctly. In other words, if we look at the features closely, we’ll see how they dictate proper golf swing mechanics.

Shaft Lean Toward Target
Shaft lean is the first, and possibly the most important, club design feature to consider. If you sole a club properly in your normal address position, you’ll see that the club sits on an angle where the handle leans slightly toward the target. The angle is important. It represents the angle at which the club must be delivered to the ball at impact to create optimal pressure. This pressure compresses a ball to a portion of its original size when hit, just like a racquet does with a tennis ball does when it’s hit or a wall does when rubber is thrown against it.

Effective ball compression causes the ball to spring off a clubface at maximum velocity. The only way to effectively compress the golf ball—and produce crisp, clean shots—is to deliver a forward leaning shaft at impact, whether you’re swinging a driver, iron, or wedge. This leads to maximum distance. A backward leaning shaft, on the other hand, doesn’t achieve maximum distance because it lacks the pressure needed to compress the ball enough to maximize impact.

Using A Backward Leaning Shaft
Most golfers present a backward leaning shaft at impact, where the club’s handle leans away from the target instead of toward it. A backward leaning shaft reduces the compression being delivered to the ball, leading to poor contact, poor direction, and a serious loss of distance. But you can learn to deliver a forward-leaning shaft with few simple chipping and pitching drills:

Begin by using a sand wedge. Place the ball well back in your stance to play a chip shot. The shaft should lean forward so that the handle is positioned in front of the clubhead, with your hands in front of your left pant pleat. Using your arms and shoulders only, swing the club back and through. Make sure you lead the handle of the club through the impact area. Hold the finish. The shaft should line up with your left arm and the ball should pop in the air. You’ve just hit a chip.

Next, widen your stance. Place the ball in the center of your feet. Make the same swing as before, but add some wrist hinge on your backswing. This will carry the ball a little further. Make sure to lead with the handle through impact as before. Continue to the same follow through position as the chip. You’ve just hit a pitch and run.

Keep Impact Attitude in Mind
Finally, hit some shots with your full swing, while keeping the same “impact attitude” in mind, as you have for the previous shots. You should notice a big difference in the quality of contact you get from this swing.

Forward-shaft lean is one of three key club design features. These features point the way to efficient swings when examined closely. Forward-shaft lean encourages you to swing the ball with a forward-leaning shaft at impact just like you’re taught in golf instruction sessions and like how the clubmakers designed the club to be swung. If you want improved ballstriking, you must strike the ball with the impact attitude designed into the club. If you do, you’ll hit longer, straighter shots that will help take strokes off your golf handicap.

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.

When weekend golfers have a bad day, the cause is often found either in their set-up, their take away, or at the top of their swing. For example, weekend golfers often flex their knees too much when setting up to hit the ball. This can play havoc with your swing. Fixing set up flaws on-course can turn what could become a bad day into a not so bad day. The key is finding the flaw first, as I say in my golf instructions sessions. Once you’ve done that, you can then make the proper adjustments.

Below are the key checkpoints to review on bad days:

Shoulders And Hips
To increase the chance of a solid, on-line shot, you must set up with feet, knees, and shoulder parallel to the target line. It’s easy to allow the shoulders to rotate open at address when you’re having a bad day. Take one of your long irons from your bag and line up the shaft at a target, with the butt end positioned where you would normally place a ball. Align your body parallel to the club. If this position doesn’t feel right, then you may need to work on aim and alignment.

Posture
Posture errors are not only uncomfortable, they are disastrous to your swing. Check your posture to make sure you’re in a balanced and athletic position. Set up to the ball with your feet together and you legs straight. Tilt from your hips allowing your arms to hang naturally from your side, and set the club behind the ball. Next, set your feet apart (about 6 inches) and flex your knees slightly. You should feel balanced. Repeat the drill and make a few swings. Do the same but hit some balls. If you make solid contact this way, this is your drill for the day.

The Takeaway
On bad days there’s a good chance your backswing’s is a little too far inside, forcing an over-the-top, outside-in swing. That’s not good. To regain the sense of what a good take away feels like, set up with the butt of a long iron in your stomach and choke down on the shaft. While maintaining your spine tilt, turn your hips and swing the club back until it reaches about eight o’clock. From there hinge the wrists, so that the club points down the target line. Do this a few times, then hit some balls. If your ball striking improves, do a few of these stomach drills before each shot.

Top Of The Swing
If your swing feels out of control at the top, you may be reverse pivoting or losing control at the top. Neither flaw is good. The fix: Grab two irons and make some swings holding the club together. During these swings make sure your front shoulder turns behind the ball and over your back thigh. If this is hard to do, you may be sliding your hips instead of turning them. Next, assume your set up, take one of the clubs and place it across your chest, and make some mock backswing. If this feels odd, then your pivot was your problem. Continue making mock swings with your eye toward turning your left shoulder behind the ball.

No one wants to have a bad day on the course. But it happens. The key to overcoming bad days—and maintaining a low golf handicap—is determining what needs adjusting and then applying quick on-course fixes. Weekend golfers, as I’ve learned in my golf lessons, tend to form flaws in their postures and backswing a lot. These are the most logical places to start when finding and fixing flaws. If you still can’t get back on track after doing this, then play simple high percentage shots. Afterwards, seek out your teaching pro as soon as possible. He or she will help you correct your swing flaws with some quick golf tips.

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.

Ever wonder what’s the toughest shot in golf? Candidates abound. There’s the restricted swing, the controlled fade, and the feet inside/ball outside fairway bunker shot, as well as the ball in the rough on an upslope, the double breaking putt, and the traditional flop shot. Truth is, every one has his or her own set of tough shots. You may have covered them in golf lessons or read about them in golf tips, but you still can’t hit them. They intimidate you and add strokes to your golf handicap. Below are my candidates for the five toughest shots in golf. See if you agree.

Some players consider driver off the deck the toughest shot in golf. Many golfers never use this shot. The just read about it in golf tips. But in the right situation, it can help. The problem is your driver has the least amount of loft, so it’s hard getting the ball in the air. If you hit up on the ball, you’ll probably mis-hit. The only way to get the ball in the air is to cut the shot. Play the ball off your front heel and aim 15 yards left of your target (right for left-handers). Then swing across the ball, instead of down on it. Feel like you’re pulling your right hand toward you’re left hip on the way down.

The Plugged Bunker Lie
Other players consider the plugged bunker lie the toughest shot in golf. It’s certainly a candidate. Since you’re ball is buried in the sand, you can’t hit the typical sand blast you learned in golf lessons. There’s too much sand. Instead, come down hard into the impact zone. You should feel like you’re jamming the heel of the club into the bunker with the toe pointed at the sky. If you keep your hands low to the ground through impact, you’ll create an explosion big enough to unplug the ball and escape the bunker.

Then there’s the severe downslope from the rough. The hill’s slope moves the bottom of your swing arc back, making it easy to catch the ball fat or thin. The rough compounds any errors you make. Set your body level with the lie by tilting your torso to the left (right for left-handers) until your front shoulder sits lower than your back shoulder. Now swing. Don’t hang back to fight the pull of gravity. Doing that moves your swing arc back even farther and makes missing the ball a real possibility. This shot isn’t always addressed in golf instruction sessions, but it’s so tough maybe it should be.

One of Two Bunker Shots
For my money, the toughest shot in golf comes down to one of two shots. The bunker blast from a downhill lie is one. You have to hit the ball high to get it out of the bunker, which is difficult because the slope negates the club’s loft. The secret to hitting this shot is to take a wider stance than normal for balance and then align your shoulders with the slope. Now open your clubface and make your normal bunker swing. Don’t try to swing too hard or get under the ball too much. The ball will come out lower and with extra roll.

My other candidate for the toughest shot in golf is the feet outside, ball inside bunker shot. This is one tough shot, not only for weekend golfers but also for pro players. Almost anything can happen. Spread your feet wider than shoulder width and position the ball just inside your front foot. Also, bend your knees and rear end down more, so you can get down to the ball. Hinge your wrists quickly when you swing and keep your body quiet for balance. The steeper the slope the more the ball will go right (left for left-handers).

What matters here isn’t which shot is the toughest, but how you handle a tough shot. Don’t let it intimidate you. When it does, you tense up and forget the keys to hitting the shot correctly. Next time you face a tough shot, relax. Run through the keys you learned in golf lessons or read about in golf tips, and then swing away. And remember, you don’t always have to put the ball a foot from the cup. Be realistic with your expectations. You’ll conquer more tough shots that way and knock strokes off your golf handicap in the process.

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 instructi

Most of us bring our A games to the course about 10 percent of the time. The rest of the time we bring our B, C, or D games. Sometimes, we even bring our F games. This variation in games is based on inconsistency. We’re inconsistent because most of us learn our swings through trial and error, not by taking private golf lessons or attending group golf instruction sessions. As a result, our swings are a hodgepodge of adjustments that make consistency elusive and kill our golf handicaps.

But what if you could design the perfect golf swing—one that encourages consistency. What would it look like? Of course, it would have to be flexible, so it could be adjusted to your body type and to your other attributes, like flexibility and height. But the swing would still contain certain key elements that would promote consistency. Not long ago I read an article by a noted golf instructor who addressed this issue. Her are the elements of his perfect swing.

Fade Over Draw
The ideal shot shape is the fade. We’re not talking slice. A fade curves just at the end of its flight, falling softly to the right only a few feet. A slice has a much more violent curve to it. It starts curving much earlier because it has so much sidespin. The advantage here, according to the instructor, is that a fade is easier to hit under pressure. You can hold onto your release a little longer and still get a decent shot. That compensates for our natural tendency to hold onto the club a little longer under pressure.

Low To High
The average golfer plays the swing from high to low. In other words, before the golfer’s hands drop down into the slot of the swing, his shoulder and chest spin out toward the ball. This early upper body rotation forces a steep, cut-across path. Other golfers do the opposite. They go from low to high, keeping their backs to the rotation while the hands drop toward the back foot. It’s not until the hands drop to waist high that the majority of rotation takes place. It’s this “late” turn that carries the hands into a good position.

Passive Over Active
Timing, as I tell students in my golf lessons, is a poor foundation on which to build your swing. But that’s what happens when your hands are active instead of passive in the swing. Active hands try to open or close the clubface. Passive hands don’t try to manipulate the club at all. With a passive release, the hands are responders, not initiators. It’s the lower body that sets up the release of the angles of power, removing the need for conscious timing. Thus, there’s no need to time the release because the move is timed for you by the correct use of your lower body—a much easier process under pressure.

Right Before Left
There are three “miss patterns” in golf: (1) You know exactly where the ball is going; (2) you know where the ball isn’t going (Jack Nicklaus used this pattern); and (3) you’re unsure where the ball is going (majority of golfers). The first two you can count on. The third has a variable miss pattern—both right and left. So you don’t know where the ball is going. Right misses (left for left-handed golfers) are soft. They hang in the air. When you’re not playing well, you can go all day missing to the right.

Thin Before Fat
You can miss a ball either fat or thin. With a thin shot, the club contacts the ball at its equator. This is a better miss pattern because the ball goes almost as far as a normal shot, while the side spin provides a sliver of control when it lands. Fat shots, where the club hits the ground, are to be avoided at all costs. They not only cause major distance loss, but they also mess with your confidence. The pro’s thinking makes sense. Personally, I still favor the draw over the fade, if the draw is your natural shot. If the fade is your natural shot, then go with that. You’re more likely to revert to your natural shot under pressure anyway. But overall the approach is conducive to creating consistency in your swing. Once you have a consistent swing, you’re sure to knock strokes off your golf handicap.

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.

The key to hitting accurate approach shots is executing the fundamentals during your iron swing—setup, takeaway, backswing/downswing, impact, and finish. How you execute the fundamentals during these phases determine how well you hit an iron. Some professionals that give golf instruction sessions include the transition from backswing to downswing as a separate phase. Making a smooth transition from your backswing to your downswing is critical. But in the interest of space, we’ve included it as part of the backswing.

Setup
There’s no reason not to start with a good setup. Flex at the knees, stand firmly on the balls of your feet, bend from your hips not your back, adopt a straight (but not rigid) back, and balance your weight evenly over both feet. Think “rock and roll” to remind you that feet serve as a rock through your backswing and roll through your downswing. And don’t overlook ball position. It’s never farther back than your sternum or farther forward than your left armpit.

Takeaway
It’s critical that you make a good takeaway. Watch golfers who have low golf handicaps. Most will have good takeaways. Some teachers use the 2-8-12-rule in their golf lessons. During the first two inches of your takeaway, take the club straight back. From the second inch to the eighth inch, take the club back some more, but don’t break your wrists. This is a natural continuation of your takeaway. From the eighth inch to the twelfth inch, start breaking your wrist. At this point, the club should be parallel to the ground and the target line. In the rough, you’ll need a slightly steeper takeaway.

Backswing
Shifting your weight to your back foot is crucial in your backswing. It enables you to make a good coil and prevents you from making a reverse pivot. So keep until your weight shifts to your back foot. Keep your hands away from your body. At the top of the swing, a straight left arm is ideal but a slightly bent elbow is also acceptable. Your head should be behind the ball.

Make a smooth transition to the downswing. From this position, you’re ready to turn toward the target. Allow your hands to drop underneath your head as you begin shifting toward your front foot. The club should be directly over your rear shoulder. You should be approaching the ball with a descending blow.

Impact
This is the moment of truth—as I tell students who attend my golf lessons. Good golfers know that at impact they need to achieve a “stacked” position to make solid contact. This position includes a full release of the wrists, a straight left arm (right for left-handers), most of your weight transferred to the front foot, and your hips open. Contrary to popular belief, the impact position isn’t the same as the setup position. With longer irons, allow for a slower wrist cock. This widens your swing and provides the flatter arc these clubs require.

Finish
Your finish tells you a lot about what’s going on during your swing. The correct finish ends with the bodyweight primarily on the front foot, the club behind you, and your head, chest, and belt buckle facing the target. You also should be balanced and able to hold that position indefinitely. From your finish position, you can tell two things: (1) if the majority of your weight has successfully shifted to your front foot, and (2) if your body has fully rotated without excessive sliding through the downswing, which will produce mis-hits.

Driving the ball is indeed sexy. But it’s only one phase of golf. If you’re serious about improving, you must master your irons, too. A 300-yard drive is worthless if you don’t follow up with an accurate approach shot. Use the golf tips we’ve provided above to hone your iron swing. It will help you hit more greens in regulation and chop strokes off your golf handicap.

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.

Weight management, as I’ve explained in my golf tips, is the science of how you transfer weight from one foot to the other when swinging a club. Technically, it’s how you transfer your center of gravity in relation to the toe and heel of each foot as well as where your weight is at impact. When it comes to swing, proper weight management is critical. It enables you to hit the ball farther and straighter more consistently. It also is a key to chopping strokes off your golf handicap.

Cutting Edge Designs Featured
Today’s golf shoes feature cutting edge designs—the kind of designs once reserved for hiking boots, climbing shoes, and running and walking shoes. Golf manufacturers have spent countless hours applying technological advancements, like dual-pod soles, variable-flex shoe shanks, and multi-density blends of thermoplastic urethane, to designs to create golf shoes that help you transfer weight to the correct regions of your foot during the swing.

For example, many of today’s top shoe models feature two-pod soles. It’s one reason why they are more expensive than other models. Why are two-pod soles important—because the soles are bridged together by a cradle that cups the foot’s arch for better weight displacement toward the ball and heel of each foot. For golfers, this means improved weight movement, leading to a balanced, more powerful swing.

Spikes Have Gone High-Tech
Spikes are another area where manufacturers have made great strides. Once, metal spikes were all the rage, but alternative spikes quickly replaced them. Alternative spikes didn’t last long, since they did little more than prevent you from slipping and sliding on dry grass. Today, spikes have gone high-tech. They not only provide superior traction and comfort, they also allow you to aim where you need traction the most.

Then, there are spikeless golf shoes. Spikeless shoes, which resemble track and running shoes more than ever, provide traction-integrated soles. Thanks to this innovation, these shoes are more practical and comfortable than spiked shoes for a lot of golfers. Spikeless shoes offer several advantages in addition to good weight management. Their spikes don’t have to be replaced and they don’t need to be removed right after the round. Nevertheless, they give the same traction as with spiked shoes.

Ventilation is just as important to playing well as good traction. Manufacturers have made significant improvements here also. Many offer golf shoes with advanced designs that let the foot breathe while keeping the toe, heel, and bottom of the foot dry. Some shoes use a high-tech metal mesh to keep feet cool and comfortable as well as dry and clean.

For golfers that love hot weather, there are shoes that breathe from not only the top but also the bottom. These shoes afford the utmost in ventilation and comfort while still retaining structure, stability, and gripping action. These shoes aren’t your best bet on rainy days. But if you play on a day when it’s blistering hot, these shoes keep your feet cool and dry.

Great Strides In Insoles
Insoles are a fourth area where manufacturers have made great strides. Today’s insoles are not only removable, they’re also designed to levy superior support, comfort, durability, and ventilation using a series of perforations, canals, and mixed materials. Some insoles vary in thickness, allowing golfers to customize the way each shoe feels. Other insoles mold and conform to the foot’s shape.

Golf shoes are vital to playing well. They provide traction, comfort, protection, and leverage. More importantly, they enable you to transfer your weight properly during your swing. Proper weight management is one secret to hitting the ball farther and straighter more consistently. Doing that can help you slice strokes off your golf handicap.

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.

But weekend golfers often try to create power the wrong way—by either swinging their arms faster or firing their hands at the ball. This approach sacrifices accuracy for distance. If you swing your arms faster or fire your hands at the ball, you may get more distance but you’ll probably miss the fairway. So how do you increase distance off the tee without sacrificing accuracy? That’s easy—engage the four key elements of power that weekend golfers too often ignore—tempo, stability, torque, and a dynamic lower body.

Maintain Tempo
Everything starts with tempo. Sometimes a tight fairway or menacing bunker tempts you to change your swing. Resist that temptation. Abandoning the basics seldom works. That’s why golf lessons emphasize them. The basics are the key to hitting the ball longer and straighter because they produce solid contact. If you want make solid contact you must maintain good tempo. Unfortunately, weekend golfers abandon tempo when trying to hit bombs. The result is a lot of fast, jerky swings that deliver poor contact. Savvy golfers keep tempo in mind whenever they’re on the tee.

Good golfers also concentrate on maintaining a solid base. Keeping your rear knee flexed as you take the club to the top is the secret to achieving accuracy and power off the tee. This move helps you shift your body weight to the right side so that it rests on the inside of your right foot (left foot for left-handed golfers) during the backswing. It also helps prevent you from executing a reverse pivot and allows you to make a powerful move back to the front side in the downswing. Without a solid base from which to hit, you’ll leak power and curb accuracy.

Create A Wide Arc
In addition to maintaining good tempo and a solid base, you’ll need a wide arc width on the tee. It creates the torque you need to hit it longer. If you want more distance off the tee, you must create a wider backswing than normal without disrupting your tempo. You can do this by maintaining a solid—but not locked— rear arm. This move creates maximum arc width. Folding both elbows at the top, which you see golfers do a lot in golf lessons, creates a narrower arc width and a significant loss of power. That’s because it forces you to pull the club too far inside on the takeaway, robbing the backswing of the arc width needed to generate more power.

Drive Your Weight
The last of the four basics for generating distance and accuracy—and perhaps the most important—is an active lower body. You must drive your weight toward the target on the downswing, if you want to hit longer, straighter drives. You want to feel like your throwing your legs at the target, while actually staying steady. This move is also known as making a power shift. Failing to do this short-circuits your power, resulting in a weak tee shot.

To check your weight shift, take your address with a driver. Then, tee a second ball just inside your back ankle. Make your normal swing, moving your weight away from the target going back and toward it coming down. If you transfer your weight correctly, your back angle will roll inward on the downswing, knocking the second ball off the tee. If you leave the ball on the tee, you know you haven’t made a good power shift, leaving yards on the table.

Using your lower body to generate more distance is a forgotten power fundamental. It’s one of those golf tips that really pay off if executed properly. When combined with the other three power elements—tempo, stability, and torque—you can add an extra 20 to 30 yards to your drives. That enables you to power the ball over menacing fairway bunkers or cut corners on doglegs and still find the fairway. In addition, it increases your chances of hitting more greens in regulation. Hitting more greens in regulation will result in making more pars and birdies and lowering your golf handicap.

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.

One area where consistency is imperative is off the tee. Good drives key low scores. To diagnose a swing flaw in the tee box, play a few “practice” rounds first. Note the characteristics of your drives. The characteristics will tell you where your swing flaws are. Once you’ve identified them, you can apply the right cures to resurrect your swing. To help you get started in this process, we’ve detailed four swing/ballflight indicators below that tell you what’s wrong with your swing. Use these golf tips wisely and you’ll reduce your handicap without having to attend golf instruction sessions.

High Ballooning Slice
If you’re hitting a high ballooning slice, your club is approaching the ball from outside the target line and moving across it. The angle of your descent into the ball is too steep. So even if your clubface is square at impact, your ball will fly to the right, thanks to the sidespin imparted to the ball. To cure this flaw, you need to set up correctly. Make sure your grip is correct, your hips and shoulders are square, and your head is behind the ball. Also, make sure your body is tilted away from the target and your hands are just inside the pleat of your front pant leg. From this viewpoint, the club may look too closed, but it’s not.

Tailing Ballflight
In this case your ball starts out well with good distance, but then drifts off line with either a fade or hook. The problem is not the club path or plane. It’s with your grip and clubface at impact. To cure this flaw, you must square your clubface at impact and fit your hands to your natural ball flight. If you naturally hit a fade, make sure the Vs in your hands are pointing to your back shoulder. For hooks, a slightly weaker grip, where the V in your left hand (right, for left-handers) points just to the right of the sternum and the V of your right hand (left, for left-handers) points at your back shoulder, reducing your chances of hitting a snap hook.

The Pop-Up
A pop-up is caused by an excessive weight shift forward and a club that approaches the ball from a very steep angle. This delofts the club and makes the topline of the club its leading edge instead of the other way around. Hence, the ball pops straight up. That’s most embarrassing. To cure this flaw, make sure your setup encourages a longer, bigger backswing arc, which shallows out your swing plane and reduces the steepness of your downswing. This will also ensure the proper weight shift. Golfers who pop up tend not to shift their weight to the back foot, resulting in either a pop-up or a reverse pivot.

The Pull Hook
If you’re hitting a pull hook, your club is approaching the ball from outside the target line inward from a setup that’s too open. Instead of having an open or square clubface at impact, as with a slice, your clubface is closed shut. Square up your stance and use a weaker grip, which will help prevent you from over-rotating the clubface. In addition, adjust you left hand (right-hand for left-handers) grip so the V is pointing toward your sternum, instead of having both Vs pointing to your back shoulder. Unfortunately, the pull hook signals a bigger problem—swinging too much from outside the target line across to inside the target line. Ultimately, you’ll want to get your club moving inside out.

The golf tips explained above will get you started diagnosing your swing. Once you discover what your swing flaws are using the ballflight characteristic of your shots, you can then apply the cure. Eliminating your swing flaws goes a long way to improving consistency off the tee. That in turn will help you reduce your golf handicap without having to take golf lessons.

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.

Gift certificates to a sports store or golf warehouse are great gift ideas. It gives the golfer in your life a chance to buy something useful for his game, like a dozen golf balls. Great golf balls exist in every price range. But you must find a ball that fits your game for it to work—whether you have a high golf handicap or a single digit golf handicap. When it comes to golf balls, the right one can contribute as much to your game as your clubs, as I’ve said in my golf tips newsletter. Below are some tips on choosing the right ball:

Be Realistic and Practical
Golfers often buy Pro V1 or MC Lady balls just because they make them feel like real players. That’s not wise or practical. Your goal when buying balls is to find one that’s compatible with your game, course, and budget. Key factors to consider are distance, feel, and spin. Distance alone is the most expensive. Expect to pay more for combinations of the three. But ball companies are always offering specials. Take ‘em up on these offers. Be realistic. Be practical. Be smart.

Buy For Your Home Course
Golfers should by balls based on which course you play the most. If you need to work the ball, buy a spin ball. If you need to hit it long, buy a distance ball. To decide between distance and control, try this experiment from Bob Toski, the famed golf instructor:

Every time you miss a fairway, move your shot back 15 yards and place it on the fairway. Now compare scores. You will probably find that you did much better than you normally do. The exercise may show you that there’s more to a good golf ball than it’s distance potential.

Trial And Error Is Best
You’ll never really know which ball works best until you actually try them. Here’s a systematic way to do that:

Hit 10 shots each with different balls to determine trajectory, carry, and distance after they land. If possible, ask a pro to help you find a ball you can launch at optimum angle. Now hit five shots with your long and mid irons. Check trajectory and the spin you get on the greens. Now hit a variety of scoring shots from 100 yards in—shots with a lot of spin, bump-and-runs, and pitches. Here you want to check your ability to hit scoring shots with these balls.

Narrow your choices down to two or three balls. Then try each for a few weeks. See which provides the best result. That’s your ball.

Spin Essentials
You don’t have to understand how balls are made. But it helps to know something about what the dimples do. You need dimples on a golf ball to get it airborne. No dimples, no lift. It’s that simple. Dimples add “drag” to a ball. But adding too many dimples to a golf ball doesn’t help either. Diminishing returns come at about 500 dimples. The minimum number of dimples on a golf ball is about 300, with optimum performance at about 350 to 450 dimples per ball. Try golf balls with different dimple designs to find one that gives your shots a good lift.

Take Care Of Your Golf Balls
Some players are diligent about taking care of their clubs, but not so diligent about taking care of their golf balls. While golf balls are more durable than ever, you still must take care of them, as I tell students who take my golf lessons. Leaving balls in your trunk on a scorching hot day is not taking good care of them. Store your ball at normal room temperatures, away from the furnace if possible, is a good way to take care of balls. If you have to err on one side, better to let them get cold than hot,

These golf tips on buying balls will help you narrow down your choice. While you may not want to spend your paycheck on golf balls, you also don’t want to buy “pond” balls or X-outs either. Some are fine. But most aren’t. Instead, buy new golf balls that help chop strokes off your golf handicap and provide value for your money. It’s the only way to roll.

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.

Good equipment helps you cut strokes from your golf handicap. Bad equipment helps you add strokes to your golf handicap. This is why smart golfers learn as much as they can about clubs, balls, and other golf equipment before buying. Knowing what your buying helps you choose the right equipment. Unfortunately, many equipment myths exist. These myths cover many areas. More importantly, they can prevent you from buying equipment that can transform your game. Below we debunk five long-standing equipment myths. Debunking them helps you determine fact from fiction when buying golf equipment.

Myth #1: Less Loft Equals Longer Drives
Golfers once used drivers with lower lofts to generate more distance off the tee. These players often opted for drivers with 7-to-8-degree lofts. But with today’s shaft, clubhead, and ball technology, you can buy drivers with higher lofts and still hit the ball a long way. You can find the correct loft by determining how you ascend through the impact zone. If you have a steep swing, a lower loft helps. If you have more of a sweeping swing, a higher loft works best. Drivers with 9 to 11 degree lofts—combined with low spin balls and the right shaft—are sometimes better able to produce the optimal high-lunch ball flight needed for longer drives. Good technique refined through taking golf lessons and reading golf tips also help.

Myth #2: Stiffer Shafts Mean More Distance
Golfers with faster swing tempo may benefit from using more flexible shafts. The key is how you load the shaft. The transition from backswing to downswing loads the shaft, then unloads it at impact. If you have a short, quick backswing and a slow downswing, you may not want a flexible shaft. It may flex too much in the backswing and not unload properly in the downswing. On the other hand, if you have a slow backswing but a quick, powerful downswing, you may want a more flexible shaft. It may help you better load the shaft during the backswing and unload it at impact. So when deciding on shafts think both flex and load, as I’ve often mentioned in my golf instruction sessions.

Myth #3: Premium Balls are Good For All
Golfers appreciate high quality equipment. But not every golfer should use premium golf balls, like the Pro V1 or MC Lady. Often, premium golf balls have firm inner cores. To get the most from these balls, you have to have the kind of clubhead speed that can compress the ball’s hard inner core. In other words, you have to have the kind of clubhead speed that pros, like Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, and Vijay Singh, have. Some lower priced balls may perform better for weekend golfers. These balls feature firm or soft outer layers with softer cores to help slower swingers better compress the ball for longer distance. If you’re a fast swinger, try soft covers with firm cores. If you’re moderate to slow swinger, try a soft-core model.

Myth #4: Larger Heads Have Larger Sweet Spots
Unfortunately for golfers with high golf handicaps, manufacturers can’t expand the sweet spot on a club. That’s because the sweet spot isn’t really an area, but a pinpoint on the clubface where center of gravity is optimized. But club manufacturers can expand the area of forgiveness around the sweet spot by increasing perimeter weighting and back weight and by using variable face thickness—elements made possible by increased head volume. Normally, that’s good. But sometimes it’s not. Since the sweet spot is so small, a smaller headed driver may help you improver your ability to hit the sweet spot more often. In other words, for some increased forgiveness encourages off-center hits.

Myth #5: Forged Clubs Are Hard To Hit
Until recently, forged clubs came only with blade-style designs. Making anything but a blade-style design using the forging process was difficult. Blade-style clubheads are harder to hit than other designs. But today’s high-tech forging methods enable manufacturers to produce designs offering more forgiveness and more feel—just right for golfers with low, medium, or high golf handicaps. Forged metals typically are softer than cast metals, making them better suited for fitting purposes. What’s more, some argue that the forging process also produces a greater consistency in weight and density as opposed to cast metals.

To achieve a low golf handicap on today’s courses, you need to get the most out of your equipment. Hopefully, this article provided some valuable golf tips. So don’t let myths like those examined above keep you from buying equipment that can help your game. Just make sure you get as much information from technical experts as you can before buying. The information will help you separate fact from fiction.

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.

1) Sink More Putts By Being Aggressive
2) Hitting The Flop Shot When You Must
3) Question of the Week – Keeping The Left Arm Straight
4) Article – Five Deadly Sins Of Buying Equipment
5) Article – Five Shots That Will Transform Your Game

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1) Sink More Putts By Being Aggressive
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If you watch the pros putt long enough, you’ll notice their putting and playing styles often match. Take Aaron Baddeley. He reveals his personality in his putting style. Aaron is naturally aggressive. He makes quick decisions. He walks quickly. And he has an up-tempo swing. He also has a snappy putting style, which may be one reason he’s so successful on the greens.

Five advantages to an aggressive putting style:

1. Helps eliminate negative thoughts
2. Enhances ballstriking
3. Assures a confident stroke
4. Gives the ball a chance to go in
5. Contributes to consistency

Baddeley doesn’t take long to putt. Once he grounds his putter, he takes one last look at his line, then putts. You can count four from the time he grounds the putter to the time he strokes the ball. He follows this routine every time.

Aaron’s routine has advantages. It eliminates time for negative thoughts to creep in. It helps him hit the ball solidly on the intended line. It guarantees the ball is always struck confidently. It builds consistency, since he does the same thing every time. And it gives the ball a chance to go in on every putt, since he seldom leaves a putt short.

Of course, there are times when Aaron putts too quickly. But so far, his style seems to be working well for him. One of the tour’s young guns, he’s considered one of the game’s best putters.

Another tip you may want to keep in mind is to match your putter with your stroke. Use a straight back-and-through stroke with a face-balanced putter. But use a more arcing stroke with a heel-shafted model.

Aaron’s quick-count putting style isn’t for everyone. But if you’re putting isn’t what you want it to be, try copying his. You may be surprised how well it works.

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2) Hitting The Flop Shot When You Must
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Your ball stops in front of a deep greenside bunker. The green is elevated about 10 feet above your ball. The pin is close to the green’s edge. The putting surface slopes away from the hole. You need a high spinning shot that carries the bunker, but lands softly by the pin and stops quickly. You need a flop shot.

Below are five keys to hitting a flop shop

* Stand taller and closer to ball
* Open the clubface wide
* Use a weaker grip than normal
* Hinge the wrists on the backswing
* Accelerate through the ball

You’d be surprised how many good players can’t hit a flop shot. But that’s no reason why you shouldn’t. It’s a good shot to have in your arsenal.

A well executed flop shot requires four things—a big swing to get the ball up in the air, an open clubface at address so the club doesn’t dig in, and a proper swing plane angle to assure proper ball/turf contact, as well as correctly hinged wrists to hit the bottom of the ball.

But the key to this shot is the setup. Two tips to help with getting the set up right are stand taller and closer to the ball and open the clubface first, then grip the club. Standing taller and closer creates the proper angle of approach to the ball. Opening the clubface first guarantees an open clubface at impact.

It sounds easy. But poor execution isn’t uncommon. So be careful. Make sure you have a lie that lets you get under the ball and that you take a practice swing. Both help in executing the shot the way you want.

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3) Question of the Week – Keeping The Left Arm Straight
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Q. Hi Jack, How do you keep you left arm straight when using your driver? I hit my driver okay by reducing my backswing but have the tendency now and then to over swing causing my arm to bend.

Regards,
James

A. Thanks, James. A good way to remember to keep your left arm straight (right arm for left-handers) is to visualize a friend or playing partner standing well behind you on the tee. Then imagine trying to touch that person with your driver on the way up and back down. Also, at the top, your left arm should be comfortably straight, not rigid. This visualization will help you achieve good width on your backswing.

Another tip on achieving good backswing width is to get your right elbow (left elbow for left-handers) to work in such a way that as it folds, it forms a right angle —or “L” shape at the top of your swing.

The Split Hands drill is a good way to train your self to achieve a proper backswing. Split your hands a few inches apart on a grip. Then swing the club back and push your right arm away to form a 90-degree angle at the elbow. That’s the backswing your want. Once you get the feel for this backswing, go back to your regular grip. But try to remember how the backswing felt during the drill.

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 Deadly Sins Of Buying Equipment
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-deadly-sins-of-buying-equipment.php

5) Article – Five Shots That Will Transform Your Game
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-shots-that-will-transform-your-game.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

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About the Author
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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.

Your club has two lofts—as students often learn in golf lessons. One is the “built-in” loft. It’s created by the clubface’s angle when the shaft is perpendicular to the ground. This is the loft the club was designed with. The other loft is the club’s “effective” loft. This is the loft created at impact. Thus, you can use the same club to generate high or low shots—but only if you can control the loft. If you hit the ball consistently high or low, take a golf tip from me: Learn to change directories. Sooner or later, you’ll need one of those shots.

Here’s how to change shot trajectories:

Low Trajectory
Every golfer should learn to hit a shot with low trajectory. It’s ideal on tight lies or bare dirt. It’s also ideal when buried in rough, punching out from the trees, or in a strong wind. It offers minimal risk. Even bad shots can turn out okay because the ball keeps rolling. With this shot, the ball has more backspin than normal, so you can learn to make it stop short on some shots. This type of shot is often taught in golf instruction sessions.

Start by positioning the ball back, in line with your back ear. Your hands should be close to your front thigh. If right-handed, that’s your left thigh. If left-handed, that’s your right thigh. Your hands should be in front of the ball not only at set-up but also at impact. Your weight should be leaning forward. This set-up insures a downward blow, causing the club to pinch the ball against the dirt.

Medium Trajectory
This is the least used trajectory. It’s ideal for medium to light rough, normal fairway conditions, and if there’s no obstacle to go over. It offers minimal to moderate risk. It’s not nearly as easy to make solid contact with this shot as it is when hitting a low trajectory shot. The swing is more like a sweeping motion.

Position the ball in the middle of your stance, in line with your belt buckle. Keep your hands under your belt buckle, but leaning slightly forward. Lean the shaft forward a bit, which helps promote solid contact. Distribute your weight evenly over booth feet, instead of favoring your front foot. With this swing, you’ll still hit down on the ball but take less divot, unlike the trapping feel of the low trajectory shot.

High Trajectory
Often taught in golf lessons, this shot requires a lot of practice. But it’s a great tool. Use it when the ball is resting on a cushion of grass, when you need altitude quickly. The risk here is high. There’s not much room for error here. It’s not always easy to slide the club under the ball while leaning the shaft back.

Position the ball forward, in line with the left ear. Place the hands slightly back of center. Be careful. If the hands are too far back, you risk hitting a low, skulled shot.. Your weight should be slightly open. Aim left of the target, if you’re right-handed. Aim right of target, if you’re left-handed. Open the clubface as well. The lie is critical with this shot. Don’t fall in love with this shot. It can cost you strokes, as I tell students in my golf instruction sessions, if you mis hit it too often.

Confidence in hitting shots with different trajectories is crucial. So practice the shots described above until you’ve mastered them. The effort will pay off. Learning to control the trajectory of your shots leaves you in good position to hit your next shot and saves strokes. If you’re serious about whittling strokes from your golf handicap, learn to control trajectory. Knowing how to control shot trajectory is a powerful weapon.

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.

Adding lead tape to a club isn’t a new golf tip. It’s been way to add weight to a club for many years. But it’s not used as much as it was in the past. In fact, the topic is seldom mentioned in golf instruction sessions. That’s because today’s manufacturers build clubs with weighted sweet spots already. So there’s no need to add lead tape. You just need to learn how to hit the club. But using and older set of clubs or if you’re looking to gain some extra distance, adding lead tape to your clubs may help. If this is the case, it’s easy to do.

Benefits of Lead Tape
Players with low golf handicaps tend to use lead tape more than players with golf handicaps. By adding tape to the club’s back, you can alter how the clubface squares to the ball at impact. How the club squares at impact decides how much the ball curves near the end of its flight. You can also add tape also increase the height of your shots. Some players use lead tape to fix that one club that just doesn’t feel right.

The key is to make sure you place the lead correctly on the back of the club so that you get the optimum benefit from it. For example, a driver’s center of gravity is typically located toward the back of the clubhead, down low and slightly toward the toe, which is where you want to add the tape to launch the ball higher. To raise the trajectory of your irons, apply a few strips to the base of the club’s back. Start by adding a couple of one- inch strips, and monitor the effects.

To enhance a draw or reduce a fade, add tape to the club’s heel. Adding weight there helps the clubface rotate through impact. The larger the club head, the harder it is to square at impact. That’s why many of today’s oversized clubheads feature extra heel weighting. Conversely, adding lead tape to your driver’s toe helps reduce draw spin, providing a straighter shot.

Lead tape is available in rolls from golf retailers or golf Web sites. If you buy it in roll form, simply cut the piece you need and stick it to club head. You can also buy it in strips properly sized for use on golf clubs. One strip weighs from .7 to 1.5 grams. Some players even use lead tape on their putters, especially if they tend to leave putts short. Adding lead tape gives putts an extra bit of weight that will take it to the hole.

Of course, some feel using lead tape is unfair. It now only alters a club’s specifications, it also adds something to the club it doesn’t really have. Some players don’t mind a golfer using it practice or when taking golf lessons, but frown upon it in play. They consider it cheating. Ultimately, the question is whether the lead tape is really necessary. Why not use the club is. If you lack distance, improve your swing or ballstriking.

You may have read golf tips in sports magazines that advocate using lead tape on your clubs to help control your shots. Lead tape isn’t a cure-all. It won’t straighten out a bad slice or a wicked draw. But players with low golf handicaps who hit shots that start straight then cure slightly at the end can use it to refine their ball flights. That in turn will help cut strokes from your golf handicap.

Few golf instructions sessions cover golf rules. But you can brush up on them by reading the USGA rulebook. Here’s what it says on lost balls: USGA Rule 27—Ball Lost or Out of Bounds; Provisional Ball—governs lost balls. Unfortunately, to fully understand this rule, you may also have to refer to USGA Rules 14, 20, 25, 26, and 28. And even then you may not clearly understand all the rule’s ramifications.

Stroke & Distance Violation
A lost ball is a stroke and distance violation. If you know your ball is lost or has gone out of bounds, you must hit a ball from the same spot and take a stroke. From the tee you can tee it up again. Through the green you can drop within one club length and from the putting surface you can place it. Of course, it you hit your ball out of bounds from the green, think seriously about taking golf lessons or reading more golf tips.

The USGA gives you five minutes to find your ball. If you can’t find it after that time, the ball is lost. If you find it after five minutes and five seconds, the ball is still lost. Playing the ball costs you two strokes. In addition, you have to go back to where you first played the ball, take another stroke, and hit again.

That’s straightforward and easily understandable. But a problem occurs when you don’t know if your ball is lost. In deciding if it is, you must consider where it’s lost. Is it lost in water or a regular hazard, in ground under repair, on or in a moveable or immoveable obstruction, or if a squirrel scampered off with it. These circumstances are covered under a different USGA Rule.

Provisional Ball Option
If you think your ball is lost or out of bounds, you can hit a provisional ball. Provisional means temporary or conditional. This is your ball until and/or unless you find your original ball. Before hitting, you must declare your intention to play a provisional ball. Fail to do so and your provisional becomes your ball, even if you find the original ball.

You can continue to play the provisional ball up to where your first ball was lost. If you play your ball from this point on or a point nearer the hole, your first ball is considered lost. You hole out with the provisional ball—and the penalty.

If your ball is lost in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, however, you must proceed under USGA Rule 26-1. Under this rule it’s to your advantage if the ball is lost in a water hazard because you don’t have to observe the rule’s distance penalty. The stroke penalty, however, is still in effect.

Abnormal Ground Conditions
Distance and stroke penalties are avoided, if there’s evidence that your ball is lost in abnormal ground conditions. In that case drop the ball within a club length of the point where the ball entered the hazard and hit. If a squirrel or other “outside agency” makes off with your ball, you can invoke USGA Rule 18-1 Ball Moved by Outside Agency. No penalty incurs.

By now your head is probably spinning. A lost ball does that to you. But if you play competitively, have a clear idea of what the rule says and how it’s applied. If you don’t, find out. Read the USGA rulebook, take golf lessons on them, or study golf tips explaining them. Knowing the rules won’t cut your golf handicap, but it can save the hole and/or help win a match. Playing by the rules also makes the game more challenging.

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.

Recreational golfers—even those with low golf handicaps—can’t always tell when a golf swing is great. That’s because they really don’t know what the elements of a great golf swing are. They play by “feel” so to speak. That’s unfortunate. Knowing the elements of a great swing provides a target for golfers to work toward in perfecting their swings. Eventually, the work that goes into perfect a golf swing improves their ballstriking and their golf handicaps. Let’s examine the elements of a great swing.

Balance Throughout The Swing
Balance is critical to a great swing. It’s among the first things teachers notice when giving golf lessons. Balance throughout the swing stems from a good set-up featuring the following items:

* Head comfortably positioned behind the ball
* Back shoulder slightly lower than the front shoulder
* Both shoulders aligned parallel left of target
* Neutral hands positioned just inside the front leg
* Knees slightly flexed with the chest stacked above it
* Feet positioned slightly wider than shoulder width

A set-up featuring these elements provides great balance. Without it, you’ll never find the position you need to properly deliver the clubhead.

A Great Takeaway
A solid takeaway also keys a great swing, The subject of many golf lessons, a solid takeaway features a clubhead that travels back along the target line, with the face remaining pointed at the golf ball until the wrists hinge. The hands and shoulders must be in “sync” during the takeaway. In addition, the arms must remain ahead of the chest and the knees must stay slightly flexed. The front knee points at the ball. A good takeaway produces the next element of a great golf swing—a tight coil at the top of the swing.

A Great Coil At The Top

Covered in many golf lessons, the coil at the top of the swing is the seat of power. A great top position also is helps maintain your spine angle. The key to a great top position is to rotate your body behind the ball within the circle defined by your hips. A great coil features a front shoulder rotated to a point directly below the chin, the shaft lying parrellel to the ground directly above the back shoulder, the back knee comfortably accepting the transfer of weight while holding off the tendency to straighten, and the front knee still pointing at the golf ball.

Fluid Downswing
Impact is referred to as “the moment of truth.” But it’s the downswing that determine what tat moment of truth will be. If you downswing sequence is fluid, contact with the ball is solid. The priority in the downswing is to keep the club on the proper plane, with the shaft sitting between your forearms on the way down. A key to achieving a fluid downswing is to keep your front shoulder from spinning open too quickly. The hips and shoulders need to stay in sync and your feet stay planted. A fluid downswing also features rigid spine angles, flexed knees, and a steady head, just like you read about in golf tips.

Solid Impact
Key features of a solid impact features the back shoulder slightly lower than the front, forming a wall through which to hit. The front shoulder, arm, and hip form a straight line. In addition, the hands have returned to the same position they held at address, the front wrist is as flat as can be, and both hands are leading the clubhead into the ball. The right foot has transferred weight to the left without the body or head moving ahead of the ball.

The golf swing is simple. It’s merely a turn backward and forward, with your front knee serving as serving as the hub of both turns. But achieving this simplicity isn’t easy. Knowing the elements of a great golf swing helps. Once achieved, a great golf swing improves ballstriking and helps pare down your golf handicap.

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

But quantifying the forces in the golf swing—finding out when and how much certain muscles and joints work—wasn’t easy for the Army lab. To do it, it developed its own customized software program. It worked with super Vicon cameras, launch monitors, and indoor simulators, creating a test center. When readings from the test center were complied and examined, they revealed something no one expected: When it comes to the golf swing, the seat of power is in the hips.

A Startling Discovery
Proper hip action in the golf swing is critical to power. Without good hip action, your swing is weak and ineffective. In a good downswing, the hips slide then rotate. As you begin the downswing, you transfer your weight from the back hip to the front hip, setting it up as the rotational center. This can only happen if you retract your abdomen upward and outward, pushing your rear out. Your butt acts as a counterweight keeping everything in balance.

Your hip abductors—the muscles on the outside of your legs—play a large part in transferring the power to your swing. These muscles engage when you move your legs apart. Immediately before the swing, golfers place stress equal to two to three times the golfer’s body weight on these muscles. Tests found that on average elite players were about 30 percent stronger in the hip abductors than those of weaker players. In other words, strong hip abductors plus good hip action equal more distance.

A Simple Test
A simple test tells you if you have proper hip action. Take your normal set-up and then in slow motion pretend to take your swing. Pose at the impact position. Now, take a club and lay it across your hips. It should point at a 45-degree angle. Unfortunately, many golfers don’t achieve the 45-degree angle required. Of the players taking golf lessons from me, for example, only about 20-25 percent achieve the right angle. That’s one reason proper hip rotation is often a focus in golf instruction sessions.

If you don’t have good hip action, try the following drill to help improve it:

Tee a ball. Then assume a normal address position with two clubs in your hands—a 6-iron and a 7-iron. Lay the 6-iron’s clubface on the ground and the butt end against your back leg, inside your hip line. The club’s head rests on the ground just inside of your back foot. Now hit a ball with the 7-iron. Keep your right hip back as you start down. Since the hip is supposed to slide before it rotates, the club should lay propped up. If your hips open prematurely, the club falls to the ground.

Work on this drill until you feel you’ve ingrained the proper hip action. Then work on it some more.

Strengthening Your Abductors
But even good golfers with good hip action can have weak hips. If you belong to a gym or health club, you may find that it has weight machines designed to strengthen your hip abductors. If not, this simple exercise below is a good way to strengthen them:

Standing on one foot with your hands on your hips, slowly move your elevated leg from side to side in front of you. Do this 10 times, holding the stretch position. Then switch legs to work the other abductor. For a more strenuous workout, attach resistant tubing to the ankle your moving.

Golfers with poor hip action and/or weak hips tend to commit swing errors. They also tend to injure themselves over time. Swing errors and injuries cost strokes, boosting golf handicaps. Even players with perfect swings are susceptible to these flaws. Golf lessons can teach proper hip action. But only the proper training program can strengthen your hips. Doing so reduces injuries, boosts power, and helps cut strokes from your golf handicap.

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.