In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Turn Your Stance Into A Launching Pad
2) Stop Pushing And Pulling Putts Forever
3) Question – Hitting A Draw From The Tee
4) Article – Four Mid-Round Fixes Save Shots
5) Article – Let Your Lie Dictate The Shot

Jack’s Note: I’ve never had the privilege of playing some of the best courses in the world…you know…St Andrews, Pebble, Sawgrass, etc. But I’ve got to tell you…there is a new online golf game that lets you play these courses in full HD quality. Best part? It’s free. VERY REALISTIC.

===================================================
1) Turn Your Stance Into A Launching Pad
===================================================
Generally speaking, accuracy is better than distance. It’s better to be 20 yards shorter on the fairway, than 20 yards longer in deep rough. But sometimes you really need to bomb one off the tee. Or, you’re in desperate need just to hit your driver 20 yards beyond your average. What do you do? Making some subtle adjustments to your stance can turn it into a launching pad and give you those 20 extra yards you seeking.

Below are the three power changes you need to make:
*Move your spine closer to target
*Pull your right shoulder back
*Play the ball back slightly

Turn your address position into a launching pad by making three adjustments. All involve minor changes to your stance:
*Move your spine’s base closer to the target. This tilts your spine slightly to the right, which means your upper body is leaning away from the target. This change encourages an upward, inside-out swing.
*Pull your right shoulder back slightly from its usual position. This change points your swing plane slightly to the right, which helps you swing right of target and increases your chances of hitting a draw.
*Play the ball back slightly from where you normally position it. This change gets you in the habit of swinging slightly right of target on your downswing and adding right to left spin common to huge tee shots.

These three adjustments don’t have to be big. About one inch each is fine. Then, swing normally. Make sure you don’t overswing! And don’t grip the club too tightly. Strangling it slows your swing.

These three changes turn your tee shot into a draw. So your ball travels farther and rolls more when it hits the ground, giving you the 20 extra yards you want.

===================================================
2) Stop Pushing And Pulling Putts Forever
===================================================
A bad day with the flat stick can cost you strokes and can turn a good day on the course into a not so good day. Pushing or pulling short easy putts is heartbreaking. It can also undermine your confidence. Sometimes, you just need to make a minor correction to your putting stroke to eliminate any flaws that have crept into your stroke, which you can achieve with a little help from some string on the practice green.

This drill fixes your:
*Eye line
*Body aim
*Face aim
*Impact position
*Swing path

Fixing a faulty putting stroke is easy: First, find a flat section on a practice green. Then stick two six-inch nails in the ground about 10 feet apart. Place one nail on the opposite side of the hole and the other near your ball. Run a string line from one nail to the other. Pull the line taut and tie off the string to the nails.

Next, stick two tees in the ground about six inches in front of your ball. Place the tees about four inches apart, creating a sort of gateway. Position the ball directly underneath the string line. At address, it should look like it’s slicing the ball in half. Your feet should be parallel to the string and the putterface perpendicular to the line.

When putting, try rolling the ball between the two tees. Make sure your putter swings slightly inside the string on your backstroke and slightly inside the string on your though-stroke, creating a slight arc. At impact, your putter should be moving directly underneath the string.

This putting station eliminates flaws in your putting stroke. It provides instant feedback, telling you if you’re pushing or pulling putts. You can then correct your stroke.

=====================================================
3) Question of the Week: Hitting A Draw From The Tee
=====================================================
Question

Dear Jack:

I have a fade of various degrees with my driver. On my home course a draw would help me score better, but I cannot seem to be able to do this. Can you help me learn to hit a slight draw with my driver?

Thanks,

Jack Gamble

Answer

Thanks for the question, Jack. Some courses are perfect for draws. But learning to hit a draw if you normally hit a fade or a slice isn’t easy. It takes some work to master the shot. Below are five keys to hitting a draw:
*Adopt a closed stance
*Use a stronger left-hand grip
*Follow an inside track
*Aim right at the top of the swing
*Release the club through impact

The key to hitting a draw is to shallow out your swing. To create a shallow angle of attack, you need to quiet your shoulders and let your arms control the swing. Adjusting your stance and grip also help.

Start by taking a square stance. Now draw your back foot back a few inches, closing your stance and clubface. With this stance your clubface aims directly along the target line, but follows an in-to-out path in to the ball, rather than a fade’s out-to-in path. Adopting a slightly stronger left-hand grip encourages an active release of the hands and imparts the necessary sidespin on the ball for a draw.

Here’s a drill to help you learn to hit a draw:
Tee up a ball. Position it forward in your stance. Drop to your knees. Now swing back and through, knocking the ball of the tee. Don’t worry about how far you hit it. Swinging back is easy. But coming forward is not. You’ll probably hit the ground a few times before hitting the ball cleanly. That’s your shoulders kicking in. You’ll make solid contact with the ball once your arms learn to control the shoulders.
Practicing this drill helps you hit a draw. Before long, you’ll be hitting one on demand, just like the pros do.

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 – Four Mid-Round Fixes Save Shots
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/Four-Mid-Round-Fixes-Save-Shots.php

5) Article – Let Your Lie Dictate The Shot
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/Let-Your-Lie-Dictate-The-Shot.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.

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Run It Up Tight
2) Juice Up Your Irons For More Distance
3) Question – Swinging the Driver
4) Article – Spin Control Slashes Golf Handicaps
5) Article – Trusting Your Swing Cuts Golf Handicaps

Jack’s Note: I’ve never had the privilege of playing some of the best courses in the world…you know…St Andrews, Pebble, Sawgrass, etc. But I’ve got to tell you…there is a new online golf game that lets you play these courses in full HD quality. Best part? It’s free. VERY REALISTIC.

===================================================
1) Run It Up Tight
===================================================
Some golfers think that the only time the ball should roll on the ground is when they putt. That’s false. Sometimes, it’s better—and safer—to roll it up tight than fly it there—like when you have a poor lie and you’re short of the green with the pin in front. When this happens, forget about hitting a half-wedge to a postage stamp-size landing area on the green. Instead, play a bump-and-run and roll it up there close.

Here are five keys to this shot:
Assess your route to the pin
Pick your club carefully
Choke down a little on the club
Lean left to ensure crisp contact
Feel like you’re trapping the ball

This shot spends more time on the ground than in the air, so assess the route to the pin carefully. Note impediments to the shot, the ground’s firmness, and any slope that could interfere with the shot. Then, pick your club accordingly. Plan to fly the ball one third of the way to the pin. The more you need to fly the ball, the more club you’ll need.

Next, address the ball with a slightly open stance. Choke down on the club and play the ball right of center (left of center, if you’re left-handed). Lean toward the target and press the shaft slightly forward to ensure solid contact. Now, swing.

At impact you should feel like you’re trapping the ball between the ground and the club. If you abbreviate your finish and keep the club close to the ground, you’ll guarantee a low ball flight, which is exactly what you need to nuzzle the ball close to the pin.

You don’t always have to fly the ball to the hole when short of the green. Running it up close is often simpler—and safer—than hitting a complicated half wedge from a bad lie.

===================================================
2) Juice Up Your Irons For More Distance
===================================================
Do you need a 7-iron to hit the same spot others hit using an 8- and 9-iron? If so, you could be costing yourself strokes. Obviously, hitting shorter clubs into the green is obviously easier than hitting longer clubs into the green. So you want to maximize distance with every iron. You can do that by increasing swing speed. Increasing swing speed increases an iron’s distance.

Here are three keys increasing swing speed:
Achieve steep shoulders through the swing
Keep your head centered over the impact area
Slap the ball with your right hand prior to release

Many weekend golfers think the way to generate more swing speed is from the top. Not so. You increase swing speed—and add yards to your irons—by accelerating through the ball and into your follow-through.

To do this, go into your release with level hips (or as close to level as possible) and steep shoulders. In other words, your back shoulder should be lower than your front shoulder at impact. This proves that your back shoulder is working under your chin, allowing you to move your club at a right angle to your spine, the fastest route possible.

Also, keep your head centered over the impact area. This allows you to make your swing as wide as possible on the target side of the ball. If your head moves in front of the ball, you’re limiting your swing radius and slowing swing speed.

In addition, “slap” at the ball through impact with your right hand (left for lefties). Continue the slap into your release so that your right arm gets very long with the club as far away from your head as possible.

Increasing swing speed adds distance to your irons. Maximizing distance with each iron makes the next shot easier. And helps you save strokes.

=====================================================
3) Question of the Week: Swinging the Driver
=====================================================
Question

Dear Jack:

Can you clear up a question I have about the driver once and for all? I hear two things about swinging the driver: Some people say the driver is swung just like all the other clubs. Other people tell me you swing the driver more around your body. Which is it? Do I swing the driver the same way I swing my 7-iron, for example, or not?

Carol Cotton

Answer

Thanks for the question, Carol. It’s a good one. Students who’ve just started playing golf ask me this question all the time.

The swing’s basic fundamentals don’t change, whether you’re swinging a 6-iron, a driver, or a wedge. So if your mechanics are sound, your swing is sound with any club. However, when swinging longer clubs, like the driver, shaft length becomes a factor: the longer the shaft the more “rounded” your swing automatically becomes. So in a sense you’re still swinging the club the same, it’s just that the swing itself is more rounded.

For example, if you’re hitting a pitching wedge, your swing is shorter because the shaft is shorter and the ball closer to you. To hit the ball solidly, you must swing the club on a more vertical plane. With the driver, it’s a different story. Your swing gets longer because the shaft is longer and the ball farther away. Thus, you have to swing the club more around your body than vertical to compensate for shaft length and keep it on the right plane.

This idea sometimes confuses people. Hope my explanation helps.

If you’ve got a golf question you’d like answered, send an email to us atquestions@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 – Controlling Pitches After They Hit
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/Spin-Control-Slashes-Golf-Handicaps.php

5) Article – Power Over Easy
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/Trusting-Your-Swing-Cuts-Golf-Handicaps.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 tohttp://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.

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Think Your Way To Solid Irons
2) Hit Pinpoint Bunker Shots
3) Question of the Week: Getting Rid Of The Shanks
4) Article – Five Pro Tips That Will Reduce Golf Handicaps
5) Article – Four Steps To A Slice-Free Swing

Jack’s Note: Who wants a new set of irons? Alex from the Golf Swing Speed Challenge is giving away some really nice ones if you’re interested. He’s also unloading some GPS’s and other cool stuff. Oh yeah, he’s the guy who has the simplest system I know of to add massive distance to your game.

Trouble viewing links? Your browser may be the issue. We recommend using the Firefox browser. Click Here To Download. Some email clients also distort links: try to copy and paste web urls directly in your browser, or turn on images for emails.
1) Think Your Way To Solid Irons

Do you think about your swing too much? Many weekend golfers do . Thinking about the mechanics of your swing when at the range is great. That’s the place to eliminate swing faults. But thinking about your swing while on the tee box is bad. Thinking about folding your right elbow or cocking your wrists in the middle of a swing usually ends in a shank, skull, or topper. Eliminate mechanics-based swing thoughts when on the course and you’ll hit solid irons from the fairway every time.

Below are five steps to hitting solid irons:

1. Assess and select
2. Determine shot shape
3. Picture the ball flight
4. Address the starting line
5. See the result in your mind

Accept that you’re going to use the swing you have at the moment. Then, visualize where you want to land the ball. When your mind sees something, you often achieve it. Follow these five steps to do it every time:
Determine your exact yardage, get a sense of your lie, make a good club selection, and commit to the shot.

* Determine your shot shape by standing behind the ball and visualizing the line that your lie will produce. Also, visualize your ball flight.
* Choose a point on the horizon where you want the ball to start. Picture the ball starting in that direction and landing squarely on the green…exactly where you want it to land.
* Address the ball, square yourself to the target, and draw an imaginary line to your point on the horizon. Use the line to align your clubface, hips, and shoulders.
* See an image of your ball flight in your mind as you start your swing. The better your visual image, the better your tempo and rhythm and the better your golf shot.

Forget about swing mechanics when on the course. Thinking about them usually leads to trouble. Instead, follow the five steps above to hit crisper irons from the fairway.
2) Hit Pinpoint Bunker Shots

If you’re like most weekend golfers, you’re happy to escape a bunker in one. But good bunker players not only get out in one, they also control the ball when it hits, saving strokes. You can hit pinpoint bunker shots when you need to by making a minor swing adjustment.

Basically, you have two choices when hitting bunker shots: You can run the ball to the flag or you can have it check up when it hits. Sometimes, running the ball to the pin is the right choice. Other times, checking up is the right choice. Good players can do both.

The difference between the shots is the way your wedge exits the sand. When the wedge exits on a shallow basis, the ball hits ands runs. When the wedge exits at a steep angle, the ball hits and stops. Here’s how to hit both shots:

* To get the ball to hit and run, use a shortened version of your regular full swing, with your body facing the target and your right arm (left for left-handers) stretched across your torso.
* To stop the ball, lift the club out of the sand quickly. Lift the club out of the sand quickly by bending your left elbow after impact. It should feel like you’re trying to get the shaft straight up and down as soon as you make contact with the sand.

Bunker shots are challenging. So most players are happy to get out in one. But if you want to hit accurate sand shots, learn to change how your club exits the sand to add spin to the ball or run it up to flag. Hitting pinpoint bunker shots save strokes.
3) Questions of the Week: Getting Rid Of The Shanks

Q.

Dear Jack:

I’ve been reading your lessons for some time now and there’s a problem I have I wish you could help me. I’m an 18 handicapper. Most of the time I even hit lower than this.

But these past few months I’ve been shanking my shots, especially my approach shots. What should I do to avoid this?

Thanks,
Leslie Agoncillo

A.

Thanks for the question, Leslie. We get this question at least once a year. Here’s the answer: A shank occurs when a ball is caught in the angle between the clubface and the hosel, spinning the ball sideways.

A shank occurs when the clubhead is farther away from a golfer’s body at impact than at address. The primary causes are

1. Standing too close to the ball, which prevents your hands from swinging freely past your body, or
2. Shifting your weight forward onto your toes, throwing your hands and clubface too far from the body.

If your hands are the problem, place a ball about a half-inch outside your ball. Then, try hitting the inner ball cleanly. Try to sense that your hands are closer to your body through impact and that you’re going to hit the ball on the club’s toe. If you hit both balls, your hands are still too close to the outer ball.

If weight shift is the problem, curl your toes inside your golf shoes. Keep them curled throughout the swing. If this doesn’t work, place a ball under the front of each foot, pushing your weight back on your heels. Practice hitting balls that way until the shanks disappear.

Also, gripping the club too tightly can’t cause the shanks, but it can contribute to them.

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 – Four Steps To A Slice-Free Swing
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/four-steps-to-a-slice-free-swing.php

5) Article – Five Pro Tips That Will Reduce Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-pro-tips-that-will-reduce-golf-handicaps.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.

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Perfecting Your Backswing
2) Escape From The Bunker’s Back
3) Drill of the Week: Curing Inconsistent Chipping
4) Article – Controlling Pitches After They Hit
5) Article – Power Over Easy

Jack’s Note: Who wants a new set of irons? Alex from the Golf Swing Speed Challenge is giving away some really nice ones if you’re interested. He’s also unloading some GPS’s and other cool stuff. Oh yeah, he’s the guy who has the simplest system I know of to add massive distance to your game.

Trouble viewing links? Your browser may be the issue. We recommend using the Firefox browser. Click Here To Download. Some email clients also distort links: try to copy and paste web urls directly in your browser, or turn on images for emails.
1) Perfecting Your Backswing

If your ballstriking with your irons is inconsistent, it’s can be due to a faulty backswing. In fact, your backswing can be the source of many swing errors. Needless to say, if you can eliminate backswing mistakes, you’ll hit longer, straighter shots. Most golfers get their iron swings off to a decent start with a good takeaway. But once they reach the backswing’s midpoint, their swing breaks down. At that point, they stop making a turn and simply lift their arms. This contributes to swing errors.

Here are four keys to a good backswing:

* Move your front side under your chin
* Stretch the left side of your torso
* Turn to the top instead of lifting
* Stretch your arms far from your head

The secret to creating a dynamic backswing is to continue your rotation at the top of the swing. Once you reach the backswing’s midpoint (about hip high), your arms have finished their work. It’s up to your shoulders to finish the job.

The key to turning is moving your front shoulder under your chin. If you feel a stretch to the front side of your torso, you’re doing it correctly.

By turning at the top instead of lifting, you increase your chances of setting the shaft and clubface on plane and getting your hands as far from your head as possible. This increase in swing width adds yards to your irons.

For practice, stand sideways in front of a mirror, so you can see your swing. Now make your backswing. As you go back the arrangement of your front arm and shaft shouldn’t change—only your shoulders and hips should move.

Your backswing is the source of many errors. If you think “turn” at your swing’s midpoint, you’ll eliminate many swing errors and will hit crisper, cleaner irons.
2) Escape From The Bunker’s Back

Your approach shot lands near the back edge of a bunker. You’ll have to take an awkward stance with your feet close together to hit this shot. But doing so moves the ball back to your right foot. With the ball so far back in your stance, you’ll have to make an awkward swing to hit the ball. Doing so, however, is a good way to botch the shot. Your best bet is to find an alternative to this shot.

Below are five keys to blasting it out of the bunker:

* Move your right foot back on the grass
* Close your stance slightly
* Tilt your shoulders with the slope
* Move the ball forward in the stance
* Swing down the hill

Placing two feet in the bunker encourages an awkward swing. Instead, move your right foot back onto the grass behind you. Place your foot far enough back to make your shoulders and hips even with the slope, which closes your stance slightly. Set your left heel even with the ball and flare out your front foot.

Next, tilt your shoulders with the slope. Your front shoulder should be lower than your back shoulder. Doing this creates the out-to-in swing path needed to hit the shot.

Now, take a few practice swings. Be sure not to touch the sand with the club, disqualifying it from use. Also, you want to make sure you don’t touch the back of the bunker’s lip on the downswing.

When you swing think about moving your left-hand knuckles down the hill on your way to the ball. Since you’ve adjusted your body to the slope, the ball will pop out like a regular bunker shot.

Placing your foot out of the bunker may seem weird. But it does the trick. If you keep both feet in the bunker, the ball will be too far back to make a good swing.
3) Drill of the Week: Get Back To The Basics To Hit Solid Irons

The Trough Drill is a proven exercise that been around for years. It teaches players to swing the club on the proper path and become a more consistent chipper. The drill’s benefit: The player chips it close more often and leaves herself more makeable putts, slicing strokes off her golf handicap.

Take two clubs and form a narrow trough pointing at the pin. Place a ball between the two clubs. Using a seven-iron (or your favorite chipping club) Assume your normal chipping stance and practice chipping the ball to the pin. Keep the club within the trough on the way back and on the way forward. Once you learn to make solid contact and hit the ball on a consistent ball-flight line, change clubs. Practice with all the clubs you chip with.

With practice, this drill works wonders. It shows you the correct impact alignments for chipping with different clubs and the basic move all golfers need to learn the full swing.

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 – Controlling Pitches After They Hit
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/controlling-pitches-after-they-hit.php

5) Article – Power Over Easy
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/power-over-easy.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.