Golf Instruction & Tips 8/25/2010
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010In 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.
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1) Turn Your Stance Into A Launching Pad
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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.
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2) Stop Pushing And Pulling Putts Forever
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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.
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3) Question of the Week: Hitting A Draw From The Tee
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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.
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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 – 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
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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.

















