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Golf Instruction & Tips 8/25/2010

jack — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:50:17 +0000

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.

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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 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.

Share and Enjoy:

Golf Instruction & Tips 8/18/2010

jack — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:52:37 +0000

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

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1) Run It Up Tight
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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.

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2) Juice Up Your Irons For More Distance
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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.

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3) Question of the Week: Swinging the Driver
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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 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.

Share and Enjoy:

Golf Instruction & Tips 8/6/2010

jack — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:17:14 +0000

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

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

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.

Share and Enjoy:

Golf Instruction & Tips 7/22/2010

jack — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:38:18 +0000

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

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.

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

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Golf Instruction & Help 7/15/2010

jack — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:42:57 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Punching It From A Fairway Bunker
2) Pop It Over Trees
3) Question of the Week: Get Back To The Basics To Hit Solid Irons
4) Article – How To Salvage A Bad Round
5) Article – Placement And Putting Are Key At British Open

What do you do if you’re in a fairway bunker, but you’re so close to the hole that a full swing with a short iron rolls off the green? Good question. If the front of the green is clear of obstacles and the lip is small, you can play a punch shot that lands short and then rolls to the pin. This type of shot accomplishes two things: It gets you out of the bunker and it encourages solid contact so you don’t leave the shot short.

Here are six keys to punching one from a fairway bunker:

* Use a 6-, 7-, or 8-iron
* Position the ball back of center
* Take a narrow stance with your weight forward
* Hinge your wrists at the start of the swing
* Focus on making ball first contact
* Keep your wrists firm at impact

Let your distance from the pin determine club selection. With a 6-iron, a bunker punch shot carries about 100 yards and rolls about 50 yards.

Set up with the ball back of center and the shaft leaning forward. Use a narrow stance but shift your weight to your front foot. Your sternum is in front of the ball to create a downward angle of attack.

Hinge your wrists as soon as you start your backswing. Use a narrow arc and cut your backswing when your hands reach hip height. You won’t need more power than this.

Pinch your knees at the top of your backswing and focus on making ball-first contact on the way down. Keep your wrists firm at impact—maintaining the clubshaft angle you created at address. Now swing.

You don’t need a full finish, since you’re just hitting a punch shot. Instead, focus on your backswing, downswing, and impact. With this shot, the ball flies low to the ground and runs to the green.
2) Pop It Over Trees

Laying-up in front of water or punching out from the rough can save you strokes. But some times you have to go for it, like when you’re playing a match and you’re stuck behind a clump of trees. That’s not a good place to be even with a good lie. But knowing how to hit extra-high approach shots pays off here. With a few minor set-up adjustments, you should be able to loft the ball high enough to clear the trees.

Below are five keys to hitting extra-high approach shots:

* Position the ball forward in your stance
* Hinge your wrists early and aggressively
* Stay behind the ball with your body
* Keep your hands even or just behind the clubhead
* Finish extra high with your follow through

The secret to hitting high approach shots is steepness. You must use a more vertical than normal downswing to really hit down on the ball and create the steepness you need to fly the ball high. Here’s how:

Position the ball forward in your stance, toward your front heel. After soling the club, set your hands even with the ball or just behind it, and rotate the clubface open a few degrees to provide extra loft on the shot.

Hinge your wrists early and aggressively in the backswing to attain the steepness you need to get the clubhead up quickly. Hitting down on the ball causes it to rise quickly and fly extra-high.

Keep your body behind the ball on the downswing. You should feel as if your front ear is behind the ball at impact.

Keep your hands even or slightly behind the ball. Getting your hands ahead of the ball—as you do with normal iron shots—delofts the clubface, which will prevent you from making it over the obstacle.

Finish high with your follow-through. Try to bring your hands higher than your front ear on your finish while staying in balance.

While playing it safe on the golf course often pays off, you sometimes have to go for it. When that happens, knowing how to hit an extra-high shot pays off.

=
3) Question of the Week: Get Back To The Basics To Hit Solid Irons

Dear Jack:

“How do you make solid impact with your irons? I can hit from a 7-iron to a 3-iron and seldom hit the sweet spot. No matter what club I use there is little variance in the distance the ball travels in the air.

Thanks for your help,
James Neely ”

Thanks for the question, Jim. I suggest you get back to basics:

First, check your ball position. Play short iron shots in the center, middle iron shots an inch forward of that, and longer iron shots another inch forward.

Second, check your set-up. Things like weak left-hand grip, poor posture, and bad aim often prevent solid contact. Study your set-up in a mirror. Make sure it’s solid. If not, change it. Practice your new set up in front of a mirror until it’s ingrained.

Third, check your weight shift. Good iron contact comes from a descending strike. To hit down, your weight must be moving toward the target. Many golfers hang back on their right sides when hitting irons. Also, make sure the knuckles of your left hand are pointing down when making your downswing.

To improve your irons, hit balls with your left hand only. Keep hitting them one-handed until the feeling is ingrained. Also, hit balls with your feet together. It will improve your balance.

If all this doesn’t work, consider taking a golf lesson or two from a teaching pro.

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 – How To Salvage A Bad Round
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/how-to-salvage-a-bad-round.php

5) Article – Placement And Putting Are Key At British Open
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/placement-and-putting-are-key-at-british-open.php

Until next time,

Go Low!

Jack

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Golf Instruction & Tips 6/23/10

jack — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:54:49 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Out Every Time From Long Bunkers
2) Get Down For A Ball Below Your Feet
3) Question of the Week – Achieving Consistency off the Tee
4) Article – Strengthen Core To Reduce Golf Handicap
5) Article – The 2010 U.S. Open

Jack’s Note: Wow, what a U.S. Open last weekend! We got so caught up in the excitement we forgot to send out the newlsetter to you guys last week. Sorry folks!

Congratulations to Dennis Lavery for correctly picking the winner of the 2010 U.S. Open (Graeme McDowell).

We will be contacting you Dennis Lavery so you can receive your complimentary DVD’s. Way to go!

Also, if you’re still struggling with hitting the ball consistently, it could be your swing plane. Go here to watch a video on how to find your perfect swing plane.

No one likes having a 40-yard bunker shot. But they happen. The keys to getting out of long bunkers are widening your stance for stability, keeping your lower body still, and picking the ball clean from the sand. That sounds easy. But some players struggle with this approach. They tend to dig into the dirt at impact, which can derail the shot. Below is another way to hit this shot.

Here are five keys to hitting this long bunker shot:

* Set up as if you were putting
* Move closer to the ball
* Use a reverse over-lap grip
* Keep more weight on your front foot
* Make a U-shaped swing

The key to making this shot, as we’ve said above, is preventing the club from digging into the sand at impact. If it does, you’ll dissipate the force behind the ball and the ball will probably stay in the bunker. Instead, try this:

Using a sand wedge, set up like you were about to putt. Move closer to the ball and employ a reverse overlap grip. Now make a U-shaped swing controlled by your body turn, not a V-shaped arm-swing.

Keeping your weight on your front foot, make what feels like a long aggressive putt by rocking your shoulders and turning your stomach area. The club should enter the sand just behind the ball and skim through it, not dig into it, giving you the distance you need to hit the green.

This shot is somewhat similar to a putt/chip with an 8-iron from the edge of the green. Mastering this long bunker shot may take a little practice, but once you’ve got it down, you’ll get the ball out every time, saving strokes.
2) Saves Strokes By Hitting Effective Pitches

Want to cut strokes from your scores? Hit pinpoint pitches. Hitting accurate pitches is the key —the kind that hit the green and stop dead right on target. A common mistake when trying to hit pitches is taking the club back low, with straight stiff wrists. This type of swing leads to scooping. Scooping leads to mis-hits. The stiffness in your hands and arms also hurts your sense of feel, hampering accuracy.

Below are five tips on hitting pinpoint pitches:

1. Set up with a slightly open stance
2. Open your clubface.
3. Shift your weight forward.
4. Hinge your wrists in the backswing.
5. Swing hard to generate speed.

Hitting accurate pitches isn’t hard. The secret is creating height and backspin to stop the ball when it hits.

Start by setting up with a slightly open stance and an open clubface. Shift your weight forward and keep it there. A big shift while swing makes it harder to bring the club back to a consistent impact point.

To generate height, hinge your wrists in the backswing and swing hard. The harder you swing, the higher the ball goes—without adding distance to the shot. With height and backspin, the ball stops dead when it hits. Practice this shot on the range until you’ve ingrained it.

Also, spend time on the range moving your hands up and down on the grip in one-inch increments. By gripping down an inch, you can subtract five to eight yards from the shot without changing your swing. Note how the changes affect your yardage. You’ll have to get closer to the ball. But you won’t be changing your swing.

Hitting more effective pitches saves strokes big time. It turns three shots into two and sets the stage for more par putts. Sink a couple of those per round and you’ll quickly lower your scores.
3) Question of the Week – Achieving Consistency off the Tee

Q. Hello, Jack:

I have 4, 5, and 6 hybrids. Seems like I hit them fine on the practice range, but when playing, I have a tendency to hit them off the toe? Any suggestions would help. At times, I am afraid to pull one of these clubs out of the bag.

Thanks,
Russ Breeden

A. Thanks for the question, Russ. Toe hits occur when the arms lose extension through impact. This often results from a player trying to lift the ball off the ground, pulling the swing path too far inside. To cure the problem, focus on swinging down on the ball and making center-face contact. Also, try swinging the club around your body more.

Here’s a drill that can help:

Stick two tees in the ground, parallel to each other, but about a clubhead length apart. One tee should be closer to you and one farther away. Set up to the tee that’s closer to you, but swing at the one that’s farther away. Try picking the tee out of the ground on your swing. Practice this drill until you can pick the tee out of the ground instinctively

This drill flattens your downswing path, forcing you to extend your arms through impact. The drill also gets you to swing the club around your body more.

The tee drill is a simple but effective. It will eliminate toe hits and save you strokes—and probably some embarrassment in the process.

Also, when you’re on the course or the range, visualize two balls and try hitting the outside one.

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 – Strengthen Core To Reduce Golf Handicap
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/strengthen-core-to-reduce-golf-handicap.php

5) Article – The 2010 U.S. Open
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/2010-us-open.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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Golf Instruction & Help 5/9/2010

jack — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:56:53 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Set Up To Crush It Off The Tee
2) Hitting A Chip With Side Spin
3) Drill of the Week #2: Running Start Drill
4) Article – Using Technology To Lower Golf Handicaps
5) Article – Consistency: The Key To Lower Golf Handicaps

If you’re not hitting the sweet spot on the clubface, you’re probably not driving the ball well. One reason why you could be missing the sweet spot is that your head is over your back knee at address. This might not seem like much, but it affects everything else in your swing. The most efficient—and fastest— swing rotation occurs when your lower body is stable. You can only achieve this by being centered and balanced at address.

Below are seven keys to a power-laden setup:

1. Widen your stance at address
2. Shift more weight on your right side
3. Keep your chin up to allow for the turn
4. Make a full 90-degree shoulder turn
5. Hover the club head above the ground
6. Sense your right forearm crossing over left
7. Finish high and in balance with your swing

A balanced, centered position starts at address. A good setup allows you to make a good turn away from the target, yet still remain behind the ball at the top of your swing, with your weight over your back foot.

But it’s not uncommon for a golfer to create extra side bend at address by moving his head over his back knee. This imbalance ends in a setup that results in (1) a slice causing-reverse pivot at the top and (2) too much “hang-back” at impact.

Since your right hand (left for lefties) is below your left hand on the grip, tilt your back shoulder down the same amount. You want to feel as if you’re on top of the ball, with your head just slightly back of center. If you tilt too far back, you throw your entire swing off.

We all want to drive the ball longer off the tee. Hitting driver/8-iron into the green beats hitting driver/4-iron into the green every time. But you must be centered and balanced at address to do this. If you are, you’re in great position to hit a bomb.
2) Hitting A Chip With Side Spin

On tough courses it’s not uncommon to find a pin tucked tight to the green’s edge. Chipping on a green like this is a challenge. If you mishit the shot, you’ll probably add strokes to your score. A sidespin to the ball is another way to chip it close. But some golfers try to make dramatic swing changes to add sidespin. That’s hard to do. Here’s an easier and simpler way to make this shot.

Here are five keys to hitting a chip with sidespin:

* Stand closer to the ball
* Aim where you want it to curve
* Let the club go outside going back
* Turn your chest coming thru
* Pull your hands through to your pocket

If you want to curve the chip away from you, stand closer to the ball than normal. Aim your toe line/body line where you want the ball to start. Aim the clubface where you want the ball to curve. Let the club go outside a little going back. Then turn your chest coming through. Feel as if you’re pulling your left hand to the pocket nearest the target.

If you want to curve the ball toward you, set up farther away from the ball. Pull the club inside. And roll the toe over through impact. This shot has less backspin and rolls out.

Putting cut spin on a chip is like hitting a fade or a draw. When you want to hit a fade or a draw, you aim your feet and body where you want the ball to start. You aim your clubface in the direction you want the ball to curve. Then you make a normal swing.

Knowing how to hit a chip with cut spin helps with a pin cut tight to the edge of the green. The shot gives you another option to knock it close.
3) Drill of the Week: Running Start Drill

This putting drill promotes a smooth and level stroke by teaching you to keep the putter low to the ground going back. That way it’s delivered into the ball level. A level stroke helps you strike the ball at its equator, facilitating good roll.

The Drill:

When practicing putting, place the putterhead about four inches behind the ball, instead of directly behind it. Then putt. This promotes a low takeaway. You may also hold the putterhead slightly off the ground. This alleviates tension and promotes a big-muscle-controlled swing. When putting, you want to take your hands out of the equation as much as possible.

Try this drill next time you’re on the practice green, if your stroke isn’t as level or as smooth as you’d like.

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 – Using Technology to Lower Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/using-technology-to-lower-golf-handicaps.php

5) Article – Consistency: The Key To Lower Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/consistency-the-key-to-lower-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
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Golf Information & Tips 6/2/2010

jack — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:51:51 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hitting Longer Clubs From Fairway Sand
2) Simple Drill Cures Slice, Adds Power
3) Question of the Week: Achieving Consistency Off The Tee
4) Article – Five Golf Tips That Will Improve Your Game
5) Article – Knowing Wedges Can Lower Golf Handicaps

Playing from a fairway bunker can be tough for people who are not long hitters. These players need to play long par 5s and par 4s carefully. A weak shot from fairway sand can take you right out of the hole and cost you strokes in the process. But developing the ability to hit longer clubs and long-iron hybrids from the sand can keep you in these holes.

Below are seven keys to hitting longer clubs from fairway sand:

* Dig your feet into the sand
* Tilt your front foot inward as a brace
* Choke down on the club half an inch
* Play the ball just inside your left heel
* Stand slightly straighter at the knees
* Take the club back three-quarters length
* Try to pick the ball clean from the sand

You need a good lie and a low front lip before trying this shot. If you have both, follow these steps:

Dig your feet into the ground just enough to create stability, and tilt the sole of your front foot inward to brace yourself and prevent swaying. Don’t dig in as much as you would with a greenside bunker. You just need to go down enough to make sure you don’t slip when you swing.

Choke down on the club half an inch and play the ball about an inch inside your front heel. Stand slightly straighter at the knees and waist to make it easier to pick the ball cleanly from the sand.

Keep your takeaway low and your back-swing three-quarter length. Sweep the clubhead through the ball while keeping your head and your spine angle still until well into your follow-through.

Above all, don’t overswing. You don’t need a miracle shot here, just something that provides some distance, hits the fairway, and keeps you in the hole.
2) Simple Drill Cures Slice, Adds Power

Many golfers hit weak slices off the tee because they turn their upper and lower bodies in unison during the downswing. That’s not good. Your downswing isn’t a single movement but a chain of events: You move your lower body first, and then you move your upper body. Your arms and clubhead bring up the rear. It’s the same movement you use to throw a ball. The drill below teaches you the right sequence of movements.

Below are the key steps to the drill:

1. Use a 9-iron for the drill
2. Put your feet together in your stance
3. Lift your front leg when taking the club away
4. Step toward the target and plant your front leg
5. Complete your swing

This drill helps you feel when your backswing ends and when your downswing begins, key points many golfers ignore when swinging. Here’s the drill:

Use a 9-iron tee and up a ball. Then, place your feet together with the ball in the middle of your stance and the club about two feet in front of the ball and off the ground. As you take the club back, lift your front leg off the grown. When your left arm is parallel, step toward the target and complete the swing.

As you lift your front leg, you’ll feel your back tilting away from the target. When you finally plant your foot, your upper boy will be back as your lower body starts to shift forward to complete the swing. This is a powerful position that helps create straighter shots and more torque in your swing. More torque means more power.

Try this drill several times. Once you’ve ingrained the right sequence of movements in your downswing, take your normal 9-iron address position and hit balls. It may take some practice, but you’ll get the feel for it and be a little closer to eliminating your slice.
3) Question of the Week: Achieving Consistency Off The Tee

Hello, Jack:

I have trouble being consistent with my driver. Sometimes the ball swings right at the end of the flight. So I change my stance and the hook comes into affect. I just can’t get it right. Can you help me with this?

Regards,
Trevor Coote
Brisbane, Australia

Thanks for the question, Trevor. It’s hard to tell from your description exactly what you’re doing wrong. But one thing is clear. Your clubface isn’t square to the ball at impact, resulting in pulls, slices, and other bad shots. Failing to square your clubface often stems from a faulty takeaway. Below is a drill that can help.

Take your stance. Set the clubface behind the ball. Take the club back and stop halfway through your backswing. As you start your takeaway, think about working the clubface into a toe-up position. After stopping, turn your body to face the club. Then drop the clubhead straight down. If you executed your takeaway correctly, the clubface will be dead square. Just knowing what this feels like helps you employ the right physical movements to make this happen in your swing.

When all else fails, consider hitting other clubs off the tee. The 3-wood and 5-wood are shorter and easier to hit straight than the driver. They won’t give you the same distance as the driver, but they’ll help keep you out of trouble.

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 Golf Tips That Will Improve Your Game
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-golf-tips-that-will-improve-your-game.php

5) Article – Knowing Wedges Can Lower Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/knowing-wedges-can-lower-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

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Golf Tips & Instruction 5/28/2010

jack — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:22:32 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Also, for past issues of this newsletter and some of my most recent articles, visit our blog at www.HowToBreak80.com/blog

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter05262010.php

Here are some of my recent articles:

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

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

Until next time,

Go Low!

Jack

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

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Golf Tips & Instructions 5/21/10

jack — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:18:11 +0000

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hitting a Short Iron Draw
2) Sticking An Uphill Approach Shot
3) Question of the Week – Curing Alignment Problems
4) Article – Four Secrets To Launching It
5) Article – Get Fit And Go Low
1) Hitting a Short Iron Draw

If you tend to spray the ball off the tee, there may be times when you need a shot that you know you can hit in the fairway. A short-iron (8-iron) draw may be just what the doctor ordered. It can save you from getting yourself into deep trouble when you’re not driving well. But be careful. This is a tricky shot. You have to generate enough clubhead speed to work the ball from a short distance.

Below are five keys to hitting a short-iron draw:

* Set up square to the target line
* Pull your right foot back
* Take the club back on an inside plane
* Pull the club through with your hands
* Keep your head down

To hit this shot successfully, you must make minor adjustments to your stance and swing. Start by setting up square to the target line. Then pull your right foot back about an inch from the line. (If you’re left-handed, you would pull your left foot back an inch.) This closes your stance slightly.

Using a one-piece takeaway, take the club back on a slightly inside plane. Pause for a second at the top of your swing. Make the transition to your downswing. And pull the clubhead through with your hands into impact. Keep your head down until after you’ve finished the swing. These movements encourage your hands to over release a bit, which creates the spin needed to draw the ball.

This shot flies lower and farther than normal. It also has a bit more roll to it. But if you remember those things when executing the shot, the short-iron draw can be ideal when you’re having trouble getting off the tee or on holes with doglegs.
2) Sticking An Uphill Approach Shot

Some courses feature numerous elevation changes. If you play one of these courses, chances are good you’ll face your share of mid-iron uphill approach shots. This shot is trickier than it looks. The last thing you want to do is come up short, which can cost you strokes. You also don’t want to try and “scoop” the ball in the air. Mis-hitting the shot could leave you with a tough 25-yard pitch to the green.

Below are five keys to hitting an uphill approach shot:

1. Play the ball in the center
2. Lean the shaft towards the target
3. Keep your head even with the ball
4. Contact the bottom of the ball
5. Aim for the back of the green

This shot requires a club adjustment. But it’s often hard to tell how much more club to use or how to hit the shot. An old rule of thumb says to take one more club for every 10 yards of elevation. But it’s not easy to tell what 10 yards of elevation looks like from the fairway. What do you do?

First, make all your calculations to the back of the green. Then, take a club that will get you to at least the green’s center—even if the pin is up. Assume your normal stance for a mid-iron club, but play the ball in the center of your stance and lean the shaft towards the target. Try to keep your head even with the ball and swing with confidence.

If you’ve chosen the right club, a good swing gets you home. To avoid the tendency to scoop the ball, focus on making contact with the ball’s bottom. The worst thing to do is to fall back and try to scoop the ball in the air. If you miss, you can find yourself in trouble, which could tack unnecessary strokes onto your score.
3) Question of the Week – Curing Alignment Problems

Q. Hi Jack, I sincerely enjoy the tips and drills. They have helped me tremendously.

My problem is alignment. On the range it’s easy, just lay down some clubs, align, and hit away. However, on the course you can’t have the benefit of laying down clubs.

Do you have some advice on how to ensure that your clubface, feet, hips, knees, and shoulders are aligned at your target?

Thanks for all the help.
Joe Klumpp

A. Thanks for the question, Joe. Golfers tend to misalign themselves in two ways. Some aim their feet at the target, and then ignore their arms, hips, and/or clubface. Others offset their alignment to compensate for a swing fault, like a slice or a pull. Neither way encourages consistency or accuracy.

To check alignment, use the box-and-one visual aid. Tee the ball opposite your left heel at address. Now draw an imaginary rectangular box on the ground. The box’s left side is the line between your left heel and the ball. The box’s right side is the line between your right heel and a point behind and even with the ball. Try to make the box as square as possible.

Having done that, open the toe of your left foot slightly to allow for your hips to clear. Take a normal golf swing. Concentrate on bringing the clubface squarely into the ball in the box’s upper-left hand corner. Follow through as you normally would.

The box-in-one aid helps achieve square alignment. That in turn improves consistency and accuracy off the tee without short-circuiting power.

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 Secrets To Launching It
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/four-secrets-to-launching-it.php

5) Article – Get Fit And Go Low
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/get-fit-and-go-low.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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Golf Instruction & Help 5/14/2010

jack — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:41:24 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Optimize Your Backswing For More Yards
2) Putting Spin On Long Irons
3) Question of the Week – This Home Drill Improves Your Hip Turn
4) Article – Saving Shots Around The Green
5) Article – Shaking Off The Shanks
1) Optimize Your Backswing For More Yards

Optimizing your downswing and impact position is critical to good ballstriking. Just as important to good ballstriking is optimizing your backswing. In fact, some experts consider it more important than the other two swing elements. The backswing is where you build speed and width—two key ingredients to a powerful swing. To become a great ballstriker, you must first put yourself in position to make a powerful downswing into the ball.

Below are five signs that you’ve made a good backswing:

1. Arms are fully extended
2. Wrists are fully hinged
3. Clubface is parallel to forearm
4. Body is rotated around the back knee
5. Head is behind the ball

Some players think that generating a good backswing means raising their hands high at the top of the swing. Not so. To generate more yards from your shots, you must optimize your backswing. Doing so builds torque, which you need to drive the ball long and straight.

A good backswing features the arms extended, the wrists fully hinged, and the clubface parallel to the left forearm for right-handed golfers. For left-handed golfers, the clubface would be parallel to the right forearm.

In addition, the golfer’s upper body is rotated around the back knee. Proper rotation puts the left shoulder behind the ball and increases weight distribution to the back leg. More importantly, it places your head behind the ball.

Check your backswing in a mirror. See if you’re “faking it”—just lifting your hands above your head. If you are, you’re losing power. To increase this power, hinge your wrists and rotate your body during the backswing. When you hinge and rotate, you shift your weight automatically to the right side, putting you in position for making a powerful downswing into the ball.
2) Putting Spin On Long Irons

Many golfers have replaced their 3- and 4-irons with hybrids. They’re shorter and easier to hit. But some golfers haven’t switched clubs. They’re still using long irons when the situation presents itself. But you must be careful with long irons. The longer the iron the greater the chance of catching the shot thin. Even when you hit the ball solidly, you’re not compressing it against the ground, costing you distance and shot-stopping spin.

Here are five keys to hitting solid long irons:

* Take your regular address
* Shift your hips to the front
* Stretch the club away
* Push your spikes into the ground
* Swing down on the ball

To compress the ball and get the full distance and spin potential from a long iron, you must be on your front side at impact. Using a “stack and stretch” move helps you hit crisp irons.

Take your regular address position. Shift your weight slightly so that your front hip is over your front heel. And keep your shoulders even. If you’re trying to compress the ball, the last thing you want to do is tilt your upper body toward the target.

As you take the club to the top, stretch its butt away from your body as much as possible while keeping your front heel on the ground and your weight on the left side. This is a key move because it puts you in a powerful position.

Start your downswing by pushing the spikes of your front shoe into the ground. Dig them in as deep as you can. This move shifts more of your weight to your front foot before you start to unwind and gives you a strong base that will allow you to hit down on the ball firmly.

To practice the stack and stretch move, wrap one piece of a Theraband around the instep of your front foot and the other around the fingers in your forward hand. As you swing to the top, the Theraband adds resistance, which is what you should feel in your front side as you swing.
3) Question of the Week – This Home Drill Improves Your Hip Turn

Q. Hi Jack, Which drills would help me improve my hip turn in the downswing? My problem is that during the downswing I release the arms and hands before I swift my weight.

Best regards,
José Carlos

A. Thanks for the question, José. It sounds like you’re having problems synchronizing your upper and lower bodies during your swing. The Synchro-Turn Drill teaches body synchronization. It’s a simple drill you can do at home:

Take your stance facing a full-length mirror. Bend slightly at the knees and hips. Assume your address position. And move your hands to your hips, with your thumbs forward. Now pinch your elbows toward each other behind your back, locking your shoulders and hips together.

Start your backswing by turning your lower and upper bodies away from the target. When you’ve turned as far as you can, hold that position for a second or two. You should have turned your hips far enough so that your lead knee is pulled slightly toward you’re back knee.

Start the downswing by moving everything together. Turn as if you’re swinging a club. Move through impact to the finish and stop. Now look at where you are. Your chest should point left of target, if you’re right-handed. Your weight should be on your forward foot. Your back toe should be up for balance and be weightless. And your back knee should be covering your front knee. Repeat this drill 25 times while keeping your head and spine in the same position fixed.

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 – Saving Shots Around The Green
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/saving-shots-around-the-green.php

5) Article – Shaking Off The Shanks
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/shaking-off-the-shanks.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

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Golf Instruction & Tips 5/5/2010

jack — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:16:15 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Swing Smoother For Straighter Shots
2) Generate More Power With Knee Coil
3) Question of the Week – Pick It Clean On Long-Range Bunker Shots
4) Article – The Aerodynamics Of The Golf Ball
5) Article – A Golf Lesson on Plane Angles Shifts (Part II)
1) Swing Smoother For Straighter Shots

If you’re struggling to find the fairway, there may be a simple explanation. Your swing may be too short and too quick. Sometimes, short quick swings throw off tempo and pace. Anytime you do that, you’re likely to hit a bad shot. Often, this happens because we’re trying to hit the ball too far, so we swing harder and faster instead of smoother and slower. If you think your swing is too fast and quick, set some time aside to work on regaining tempo and pace. Below are two drills that can help.

Drill #1:
This drill teaches you the tempo and swing speed needed for different length shots. Start with your driver and three balls. Using a full swing, try to make solid contact but hit it only 150 yards in the air. On your next shot, try to hit the ball 200 yards in the air. Now, increase your swing speed just a bit and try to hit the ball 250 yards. Remember to keep your swing under control no matter how far you’re hitting the ball.

Also, concentrate on staying balanced throughout the swing. If you use a target on the range for this drill that’s even better. You’ll start hitting more fairways on the course in no time.

Drill #2:
This drill teaches you how to use a smooth, consistent swing tempo regardless of the club. Take out your pitching wedge, 6-iron, and driver. Swing your pitching wedge in a smooth and relaxed manner. Concentrate on your tempo. Now hit a few pitches. When you’re comfortable with your wedge shot, switch to your 6-iron. Swing the 6-iron with the same smooth rhythm and tempo you used with your pitching wedge. After hitting several balls with the 6-iron, switch to your driver. Before hitting it, try to visualize and feel your pitching wedge swing. Try to copy the rhythm and tempo of the PW swing.

In doing these drills you’ll find your distance with the longer clubs doesn’t come from how hard you swing, but rather from achieving a smooth and consistent tempo. If you practice these two drills often, you’ll find your shots will be longer and straighter. Remember: For best results, swing smoother not harder.
2) Generate More Power With Knee Coil

A lack of distance puts pressure on your game. So while it’s better to be short in the fairway than long in the rough, it’s okay to try swing techniques that help generate more power. But be careful which techniques you try. Some diminish your ability to strike the ball well. Using your back knee correctly isn’t one of these techniques. It generates more power by improving your ballstriking, adding distance to your shots.

Below are five keys to using your back knee correctly:

* Tilt your spine at the hips and flex your knees
* Position your back shoulder slightly lower
* Keep the flex in your back knee constant as you coil
* Make a full coil and shift your weight back
* Make a longer forward swing than backswing

A key to generating more power is to think of your right knee as a coil that’s wound in the backswing and unwound in the forward swing. Below are the keys:

* At address, tilt your spine at the hips and position your front shoulder slightly lower than your back shoulder. Hang your arms down vertically and flex your knees to ensure balance and stability.

* As you start back, make a full coil and shift your weight back. That positions your swing center behind the ball at the top, increasing accuracy. Shift your weight forward as you unwind, returning your swing center to a point directly above the ball at impact.

* Try to maintain your initial setup posture from the start of your swing to the finish. Maintaining your posture and the angle of your back knee adds power to your swing.

* Using a shorter backswing with a longer forward swing also adds distance to your shots, thanks to the power stored in your backswing coil.

Use your back knee correctly and you’ll add more power to your swing without losing accuracy or efficiency. That in turn will take some pressure off your game.
3) Question of the Week – Pick It Clean On Long-Range Bunker Shots

Q. Hi Jack, You recently answered a question on hitting long-range bunker shots. But nowhere do you say how much sand you should take with the shot. Hit an inch behind the ball? Two inches? Pick it clean?

Thanks for the newsletter. I really enjoy the info.

Ike Isenhour

A. Thanks for the question, Ike. When hitting long-range bunker shots, you need to pick the ball clean. Hitting behind the ball prevents you from getting the distance you need to reach the green. In case you missed the rest of the answer to the question, here are the key points:

* Use a 9-iron on this shot. It gives you the distance you need to hit the green.

* Use your normal stance. Set your clubface slightly open at address, but square it like you usually do. Pull your feet in closer together, but don’t dig them into the sand too much, just a little.

* Turn through the shot, just like you do with a normal iron shot. You’ll need extra body with this shot, so keep everything moving—body, arms, and club—to a full finish.

* Keep your back heel down. It stabilizes you. And don’t try pivoting on your back heel. You’ll lose your balance.

These adjustments, combined with extra body behind the ball, should land you on the green and leave you in good position.

Also, for past issues of this newsletter and some of my most recent articles, visit our blog at www.HowToBreak80.com/blog

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – The Aerodynamics Of The Golf Ball
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/the-aerodynamics-of-the-golf-ball.php

5) Article – A Golf Lesson on Plane Angles Shifts (Part II)
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/a-golf-lesson-on-plane-angles-shifts-part-2.php

Until next time,

Go Low!

Jack

P.S. Feel free to share this newsletter with family and friends. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, go to http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter.htm
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Golf Instruction & Help 4/30/2010

jack — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:54:46 +0000

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie
2) Attacking A Pin From 100 yards
3) Question of the Week – Keep Your Hands In Front Of Your Body
4) Article – Roll It Like A Pro
5) Article – A Golf Lesson on Plane Angles Shifts (Part I)

Jack’s Note: Wondering how to get the most of your hybrids? Check out this video.
1) Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie

A sidehill lie with the ball above your feet is tricky. Miss-hit the shot and it could be costly. You could add several strokes to your score, depending on where the ball lands. No one wants that. To knock it close, you must factor in three things: the distance to the green, the hill’s slope, and the type of club in hand. Many weekend golfers factor in the distance to the green and the slope of the hill, but fail to account for the club in hand. That proves their undoing.

Below are six keys to this shot:

1. Match your stance to the shot
2. Center the ball in your stance
3. Distribute your weight evenly
4. Shape your swing to the slope
5. Consider the club being used
6. Keep your weight on your heels

A sidehill lie with the ball above your feet causes the ball to curve. The amount of curve depends on the club in hand. A short iron, for example, points much farther left (right, if you’re right-handed) from the same lie, which means you must aim farther right to compensate.

Keep two rules of thumb in mind when hitting from this type of sidehill lie:

* If you’re hitting a short iron, aim your shoulders, hips, and feet 10 yards to the right of where your clubface is pointing.

* If you’re hitting a mid-iron or a long iron, cut the amount you aim your body to the right in half (about 5 yards).

If you set up properly, the clubface looks like it’s facing a little left of your bodyline.

Also, keep your weight back on your heels throughout the swing. If you set up with your weight on your toes, you’ll fall back onto your heels during your backswing and your contact will suffer.

Don’t let sidehill lies throw you. Let the club in hand point you in the right direction, saving strokes in the process.
2) Attacking A Pin From 100 yards

If you watch the pros carefully, you’ll notice that they play aggressively, especially when they’re within 100 yards or so of the pin. When they’re that close, they go for the green whenever the opportunity presents itself. So should you. But that advice comes with a caution: On well-protected pins, the smart play is to lay-up. That saves you from hitting into trouble and adding strokes to your score.

Below are three keys to this thinking process:
1. Know your lay-up distance
2. Assess the pin location
3. Decide on the type of shot

First, know your perfect lay-up distance. Most professionals on the tour can hit a full sand wedge about 95 yards, so they use a SW to lay-up with. Weekend golfers may need to use the pitching wedge to hit the ball that far. But that’s okay. The club doesn’t matter. The key is to know your perfect lay-up distance.

Second, assess the type of pin location your facing. Is the pin in the back or the front? Is the green protected or wide open? If you’re faced with a pin in a position that dares you to make an extremely difficult shot, aim for the center of the green.

Third, decide on the shot:

* If the pin is back, bring the ball in lower than usual, so it skips up to the pin after it lands. Move the ball back a hair in your stance, pinch it at impact, and cut your follow-through.

* If the pin is in the front, create a shot that flies high and stops by playing the ball in the center of your stance making a full finish.

* If the pin is short-sided without any hazard, go right at it. The worst that can happen is that you’ll end up in the rough.

Smart golfers play aggressively when the opportunity presents itself. When it doesn’t, they lay up, avoiding trouble in the process.
3) Question of the Week – Keep Your Hands In Front Of Your Body

Q. Hi Jack, I started working on your drills and noticed that my arms and hands still come way inside on the backswing. How do I keep my arms and hands in front of my body?

Thanks,

Mark Cardelli

A. Thanks for the question, Mark. Many weekend golfers have the same problem—keeping their hands in front of their bodies. But there’s a simple drill to correct this:

Get square by setting a club parallel to your target line and your feet parallel to the club. Make your normal swing. Start with a smooth backswing. When you’re half way back, stop. Check to make sure your club shaft is parallel to the club on the ground and the clubface is in a square position.

Practice this drill until the move is ingrained. When it is, you’ll find yourself hitting straighter and longer shots.

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 – Roll It Like A Pro
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/roll-it-like-a-pro.php

5) Article – A Golf Lesson on Plane Angles Shifts (Part I)
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/a-golf-lesson-on-plane-angles-shifts-part-1.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

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Golf Instructions & Tips 4/22/10

jack — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:58:33 +0000

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Pinpoint Your Aim For Increased Accuracy
2) Stop Overturning For Straighter Drives
3) Question of the Week – Eliminating Pulled Putts
4) Article – Three Drills To Improve Your Touch
5) Article – Building A Better Golf Swing
1) Pinpoint Your Aim For Increased Accuracy

Many golfers use the imaginary line between tee markers to align their drives. Usually, that’s right on target, but not always. Tee boxes can fool you. They don’t always point to the best spot on the fairway to hit your ball. In fact, some tee boxes are intentionally set to create trouble. It’s what course designers do to increase the shot’s visual difficulty. What you need is an alternative way to align your drive.

Below is a three-step technique for increasing accuracy off the tee:

1. Aim for a small spot down the fairway
2. Aim for an intermediate target
3. Aim for a target a few feet from the ball

Rather than trusting to tee markers, check out the hole’s shape. Locate the area on the fairway you think is the best spot for a second shot. Make this your target area. If you’re not sure about a good spot, work backwards from the green and pick out where you want to take your approach shot into the green.

Having chosen a good landing spot, get even smaller. Pick out an area in this spot you want to hit. It could be a dark patch of grass or a small brown patch of fairway. Just make sure it’s in the landing zone.

Having chosen a landing spot, pick out an intermediate target to the spot. Use the top of tree, a jutting branch, or anything that gives you a good line to your smaller target. This will ensure that even if you miss your target area, you’ll still make the fairway for your approach shot.

Finally, pick out a target within a few feet of your ball. Take you address position, aim for the closest target, and swing a way.

Don’t be fooled by the tee boxes and tee markers. Use the method described above to increase driving accuracy.
2) Stop Overturning For Straighter Drives

Everyone knows a big turn produces power. More power generally translates to better approach shots when team with good accuracy. But you must avoid overswinging when trying to generate more power. That spells trouble. Overturning pushes your head toward the target and out in front of the ball, causing you to miss-hit. So while you want to make the biggest turn possible, avoid overturning.

Here are five tips to help you stop overturning

* Start with your head behind the ball
* Let your shoulders lead your arms
* Finish your backswing when you stop turning
* Let your body unwind through impact
* End with your head behind the ball

You can stop yourself from overturning by keeping your arms in check. Start with your head behind the ball at address. As you swing back, allow your shoulders to lead your turn away from the target. When your shoulders have turned as far as they can, don’t swing your arms any more.

The key is finishing your backswing as soon as your body stops turning. If your arms continue to swing back after the turn is complete, you will force your head out of position, creating a power leak.

But allowing your shoulders to control your arms keeps your head behind the ball, where it should be, and you’ll be able to turn as far as your body allows. This enables your body to unwind at impact, allowing you to make the most of your backswing in the form of extra power.

If you’ve lost some flexibility over the years, you may not be able to turn as much you once could. To increase your flexibility, try this drill:

Stick a club behind your back parallel to the ground. Hold the club in place with your arms and turn your body as far as you can to the right. Turn back to center. Then turn your body as far as you can to the left. Then turn back to the center.

Do this drill religiously and you’ll improve both your flexibility and your turn, increasing your power.
3) Question of the Week – Eliminating Pulled Putts

Q. Hi Jack,Is it just practice or are there ways to ensure your putts go on the line you would like? I am getting to the green in three or less, but I still make a mess of the putts! Even from in close (3 feet). I don’t have the confidence to “go for it” because I pull it left too often and miss. I think it’s using the wrists in the final event, so is there a way to ensure the rotation of the shoulders, if you think that’s the problem?

Thank you for the helpful tips,
John Inman
Aylesbury, UK

A. Thanks for the question, John. It sounds like you’re not squaring yourself at setup. It’s essential to good putting. The direction your putterface points at address determines where the ball goes. A closed putterface at address, if you’re right-handed, causes you to miss left. An open putterface at address, if you’re right-handed, causes you to miss right. Use the lines created by the putter alignment aid on your putter, plus the heel and toe sections of the blade, to square yourself to the target line.

Also, work on developing good rhythm. All great putters have it. To develop good rhythm, make a fluid transition from your backstroke to your forward stroke. You want to almost pause your putter at the end of your backswing, then smoothly accelerate through the ball. Also, match the length of your backstroke to that of your forward stroke. Do these two things and you’ll achieve right ball speed without jerking your hands forward or slowing down through impact.

Square up at address and you’ll stop missing those pesky three footers. Draining more of these short putts builds trust and confidence in your stroke for longer putts. Trust and confidence are essential to good putting.

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 – Three Drills To Improve Your Touch
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/three-drills-to-improve-your-touch.php

5) Article – Building A Better Golf Swing
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/building-a-better-golf-swing.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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Golf Instruction & Tips 4/14/2010

jack — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:24:54 +0000

April 14, 2009

“The Web’s Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter”

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hitting From Pine Straw Like Phil
2) Conquering Short Uphill Chips
3) Question of the Week – Stop Pulling The Ball
4) Article – Golf Tips To Help Master Your Irons
5) Article – Simple Tips To Master Six Of The Strangest Golf Rules

Jack’s Note: Wow! What a Masters. Congrats to Phil…and what could have been for Tiger, Freddy and Lee. One thing that stood out was the exceptional iron play of all the leaders. You can’t go low without accurate approach shots and the good news is we’ve got a free video for you to see some of the secrets of the Pros. Our Perfect Impact DVD will make sure you hit all your irons flush each time you go for the green. We recently re-launched it with a limited quantity so give it a look before they’re gone.
1) Hitting From Pine Straw Like Phil

If you saw the Masters on TV, you might have seen Phil Mickelson’s extraordinary shot from the pine straw. Lee Westwood hit a shot from there as well. So did Tiger Woods. Hitting from pine straw is tricky. It’s slippery, so you have to watch your footing when you swing. You also have to be careful not to nudge the straw touching your ball. If you do and it moves the ball, you incur a one-stroke penalty.

Below are six keys to hitting from pine straw:

1. Play it safe. Don’t sole the club
2. Hover the clubhead off the ground
3. Stand a bit taller than normal
4. Make ball first contact
5. Sweep the ball off the ground
6. Pretend your standing in cement

This shot is similar to hitting from a fairway bunker. To avoid a one-stroke penalty, play it safe: Don’t sole your club. This prevents you from disturbing the straw and moving the ball. Instead, hover your club an inch off the ground and stand a bit taller at address to compensate for the change.

To prevent slipping, pretend you’re standing in cement. Keep your feet planted and your weight centered as you swing. This helps you steady yourself and make solid contact.

Also, you must make thin, ball-first contact. So sweep the ball off the ground, as you would in a fairway bunker, instead of swinging down on it.

Not every course has pine straw. But many do. If you land in it, avoid soling your club, stand a little taller at address, hover your club above the straw, keep your lower body quiet, and sweep the ball off the ground. If you’re in among the trees and there’s no opening to the green, aim for a good spot on the fairway, setting yourself up for the next shot.
2) Conquering Short Uphill Chips

Short uphill chips are tricky shots for some weekend players. If you watched this year’s Masters on TV, you saw plenty of these shots. You also saw several methods of playing them, from putting to chipping with a fairway wood. These methods all work because they allow you to control the shot’s spin and speed. But the best way to handle this type of shot—at least for the weekend player—may be the running chip, a short-swing shot that minimizes risk.

Below are five keys to this shot:

* Choose a 6- or 7-iron
* Play the ball off your back foot
* Lean your weight forward
* Use your arms and shoulders
* Pinch the ball against the dirt

The running chip cuts short uphill shots down to size. The shot is easy to learn and simple to execute. When you’re close to the green, you want to hit low risk shots like this.

Use a 6- or 7- iron for this shot. Try both in practice and see which works best for you. Position the ball opposite your back foot, lean three quarters of your weight on your front side, and swing the club back using your arms and shoulders. Hit down, pinching the ball against the turf. This kills the club’s momentum and cuts off your follow-through. The ball will jump forward, bounce a few times, and roll like a putt.

Pinch Shot Drill
Stick a shaft in the ground about 12 inches ahead of your front foot. Practice hitting down on the ball, never letting the clubhead reach the shaft in the ground. With your weight forward and the ball back, swing down on the ball. Keep practicing until you’ve ingrained the shot and can control the distance of each shot. You can also practice with the different irons until you feel comfortable with one.

Mastering the running chip helps you conquer troublesome uphill shots. If it’s hit correctly, the running chip shot turns three strokes into two, lowering your score.
3) Question of the Week – Stop Pulling The Ball

Q. Dear Jack,

I am always hitting my drive to the left. When the fairway is narrow, I lose the ball. Could you let me know how I can correct this, please? This does not happen on all the drives but more often than not.

Thanks,
Bipin Patel

A. Thanks for the question, Bipin. Sounds like you’re pulling the ball—assuming you’re a right-handed golfer. The key factor is the clubface’s position at impact. If it’s closed too much at impact, you’ll pull the shot.

To eliminate this fault, you need to the club on an in-to-out swing path or change the clubface’s position at impact. You can achieve both by trying one, all, or a combination of the five golf tips below. It’s often a case of trial and error, but the cure is here somewhere.

1. Strengthen your grip
2. Close your body alignment
3. Close the clubface slightly
4. Straighten your right arm early
5. Encourage your right arm to cross over

To strengthen your grip, move both hands to the right until you can see three knuckles on the back of your left hand. The thumbs and “V”s between both thumbs and forefingers should be parallel.

Also, try closing the overall alignment of your body a little by aiming your feet, hips, and shoulders to the right of the target and by moving the ball back a little in your stance. Or, close the clubface slightly as you move the ball back, keeping it “looking” at the ball for a little longer than usual.

In addition, try straightening your right arm a little earlier in the downswing and/or encouraging your right arm to cross over. If you’re left handed, try straightening your left arm a little earlier in the downswing and encouraging your left arm to cross over.

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 – Golf Tips To Help Master Your Irons
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/golf-tips-to-help-master-your-irons.php

5) Article – Simple Tips To Master Six Of The Strangest Golf Rules
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/simple-tips-to-master-six-of-the-strangest-golf-rules.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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Golf Tips & Instructions 3/19/2010

jack — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:13:02 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Practice Routine Eliminates Bad Chips
2) Putting From A Tie
3) Question of the Week – Demystifying A One-piece Takeaway
4) Article – Mastering The Three Wood
5) Article – Six Keys To Knocking Down The Flag

Jack’s Note: Does your short game need help? Try taking up to 12 strokes off your store here.
1) Practice Routine Eliminates Bad Chips

Poor chipping hurts your game more than you know. Catching chips fat or thin or hitting them off line can cost you. Poor chipping often stems from poor technique. If you don’t practice chipping as much as you should, you’re technique can slip and you can acquire bad habits. But improve your technique and you’ll not only become a better chipper, you’ll also save a ton of strokes.

Below is a six-step practice routine that improves chipping:

1. Sole your wedge on the ground
2. Raise your wedge on its toe
3. Stand closer to the ball with your feet together
4. Shift weight forward
5. Take club back like your putting
6. Make smooth forward stroke

Chips shots are specialty shots, so if you using your standard setup to chip, you’re making things difficult. Adjust your setup and you’ll eliminate bad chips. Practice the following routine to improve chipping.

1. On the practice green, sole your wedge on the ground. Grab your putter and do the same
2. Raise your wedge up on its toe until the shaft angel matches your putter’s shaft angle. (This removes the need to swing on an arc, minimizing the chance that you’ll hit the ball off line.)
3. Drop your putter and stand close to the ball with your feet together.
4. Shift your weight forward a bit
5. Take the club back like your putting, which is why you made the shaft more vertical
6. Make a smooth forward stroke using the same length and pace as your backswing.

Once you have a good feel for the angle at which you need to place your wedge, stop using your putter. But continue working on this practice routine until you ingrain its other steps. Eventually, it will be come second nature.

Bad chipping can cost you strokes. Don’t let it. Improve your technique by practicing the routine explained above. You’ll not only improve your chipping, you’ll chop a boatload of strokes off your golf handicap.
2) Putting From A Tie

Last week we reviewed how to put up a tier. This week we address how to putt from a tier. The goal when putting from a tier is not to stroke the ball so it races past the hole out of makeable range. You want to either sinking the putt or leave it close enough for a tap- in. To do this you can’t just hit it softly like you would if it were a straight downhill putt. It’s a bit more complicated than that.

Below are five keys to putting from a tier:

- Assume your normal putting setup
- Aim for a spot on the precipice
- Commit to that intermediate spot
- Shorten your putting stroke
- Keep it even on both sides of impact

Your goal when putting from a tier is to roll the ball at just the right speed so it makes it over the precipice and let gravity do the rest. In essence, it’s just half a putt, but you still need to be careful. If you hit it too hard, there’s nothing to stop the ball from rolling past the cup.

Start by assuming your normal putting setup. Now change your target. Instead of using the hole as your target, pick a spot on the tier’s crest. Once you have that spot nailed down, commit to it. You want to hit the ball hard enough to where it almost stops before hitting that spot.

Also, don’t slow down to hit the ball softly. If you do, you might not hit your target spot. Instead, shorten your swing, just make sure you keep the putting stroke even on both sides of impact, just like you’d do for a routine putt. Gravity will do the rest.

Putting from a tier is a bit more challenging than making a straight downhill putt but no overly so. Putt the ball just enough to where it reaches the crest of the hill and then trickles down to the hole. That way you’re assured the ball won’t race past the hole out of makeable range.
3) Question of the Week – Demystifying A One-piece Takeaway

Q. Hi, Jack. What is a “one-piece takeaway”?

Thanks,
Don Ernst
Olympia, WA

A. Thanks, Don. A “one-piece takeaway” refers to the action of your arms and hands as you take the clubhead back to start your backswing. Ingraining a one-piece takeaway helps you hit longer, straighter shots.

To execute a good one-piece takeaway, picture your arms and hands forming an inverted isosceles triangle. Now take the triangle back with your chest and your naval. As you do, concentrate on bringing the club back low and slow. Sense that you’re using the bigger muscles in your shoulders and trunk to move the club, instead of the small muscles in your arms and hands. Maintain the triangle’s shape until opposite your back leg and then start hinging your wrists.

To see if you’re doing this correctly, place a second ball about a foot behind your object ball—just inside the ball-to-target line. Take the club back slowly. If you sweep the second ball away smoothly as you move your triangle back, you’re using a one-piece takeaway.

If not, practice this drill:

Select your driver. Choke down on the club a few inches. Place the butt end of the club at a point just above your belt. Now practice making small swings. Concentrate on keeping your arms close to your sides, with the club touching your navel. This drill imparts the feel of a one-piece takeaway.

The first move away from the ball is critical. It determines the shape and tempo of your swing. That’s why making a one-piece takeaway is so critical. Work on the drill explained above to generate the feeling of a one-piece takeaway. Then, take it to the course. Before you know it, you’ll be hitting longer straighter shots.

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 – Mastering The Three Wood
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/mastering-the-three-wood.php

5) Article – Six Keys To Knocking Down The Flag
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/six-keys-to-knocking-down-the-flag.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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Golf Tips and Instruction 03/10/2010

jack — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:15:52 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Perfect Your Posture For Better Swings
2) Putting Up A Tier
3) Question of the Week – Playing Soft Shots
4) Article – Simplifying Your Sand Play Saves Strokes
5) Article – Dial In Your Short Irons Now

Jack’s Note: Tired of hitting bad chips? Watch the free video on the foolproof chipping method here.
1) Perfect Your Posture For Better Swings
===================================================
It gets harder to change bad habits the longer you have them. So you need to correct them as soon as you discover them. Otherwise, they’ll become ingrained and you’ll never root them out. If bad habits plaque your swing and you’re looking to make a change, the best place to start is with your posture. Good posture increases the chances of striking the ball solidly.

Below are five keys to good posture:

1. Keep your spine straight through the swing
2. Bend forward from your waist
3. Keep your knees flexed but not too much
4. Place your kneecaps over your insteps
5. Point your fingertips outside your shoes

You address position greatly impacts your swing. If your looking to perfect your swing or get rid of bad habits, a good place to start is with your posture. Good posture increases your changes of hitting the ball on the sweet spot.

To check your posture, set up to an imaginary ball. Relax your body and let your arms hang straight down. Your posture is good if your kneecaps are over the insteps of your feet and your fingertips point to the tips of your shoes. If your fingertips point inside the tips of your shoes, you’re too upright. If the point outside the tips of your shoes, you’re bent over too far and your too flat.

Also, keep an eye on your knees. Many golfers don’t flex their knees enough. In addition, make sure your spine is straight and that you’re bending forward from the waist to avoid slumping your shoulders.

If you’re unhappy with your swing or you’ve developed bad habits and you’re looking to make a change, start with your posture. If you’re set up with good posture, your chances of hitting balls crisply greatly increase.
2) Putting Up A Tier

A long putt of about 40 feet up a tier is tricky. We tend to leave the putt short on the first tier well below the hole. If the slope is high enough, the ball may even roll back to you. Either way, you’ll probably three-putt or four-putt. If you play on a course with numerous tiered greens, leaving these types of putts short can really cost you. But staying true to your stroke fundamentals provides the solid contact you need to get the ball to the hole.

Below are five keys to putting up a tier:

1. Add the pace of the two putts together
2. Set your eyes over the ball
3. Set your hands under your shoulders
4. Keep everything still at impact
5. Imagine yourself bowling up a hill

The problem here is that you’re really dealing with two putts: The one that gets the ball up the first tier and the one that gets the ball from the edge of the tier to the hole. To determine the ideal stroke length for this putt, add the stroke lengths for those two putts together.

Next, take your normal putting stance. Then set your eyes over the ball and your hands below your shoulders.. This sets you up to make solid contact, enough to get you up and over the first tier and to the hole

As you make your practice strokes visualize yourself “bowling” the ball up the hill. Get the feel in your right hand (left hand for lefties) for giving the ball sufficient force to get it up and over the tier’s crest. Try re-creating the feeling when you putt. Keep your sternum still at impact

If you’re putting from the left side of the hole (the cup is to your right), the slope tends to bend the ball the right. The opposite is also true.

Long putts up a tier can cost you a ton of strokes. Golfers often leave these putts short. Sometimes, we’re so short the ball rolls back. The secret to sinking tiered putts is making solid contact. Follow the golf tips given above and you’ll do it.
3) Question of the Week – Playing Soft Shots

Q. Hi, Jack. How do I play a soft landing approach shot from 50 yards and less or from the bunker? My shorts normally run six feet after pitching.

Thanks,
Charles Pitara

A. Thanks for the question, Charles. You’ve actually asked two questions here. One questions is about soft approach shots. The other is about soft landing shots from a bunker. Let’s address them one at time:

Soft Approach Shot
The key to the super soft pitch shot is the left arm action (right arm action for right-handers) given to the ball on the shot. You must swing the club and the left arm to the left of the target after impact on nice soft pitches from 30-50 yards out.

To start, use a sand wedge for this shot. Open your stance and the clubface a bit. Then, make an upright swing. These adjustments encourage the clubface to cut across the ball slightly, imparting sidespin, which helps the ball stop. The key is holding the club firmly with your left hand after impact. Don’t let the clubface’s toe pass its heel the way it does normally. To see if you’re making the shot correctly, check your divots. They should be small and should point to the left of your target. If they do, you’ve hit the shot correctly.

Soft Sand Shot
Your sand wedge is the club of choice for this shot as well. Position the ball forward in your stance and open the face of your sand wedge, adding loft to the club. As you swing back and through, keep most of your weight on your back leg. By keeping your weight on your back leg, your sand wedge maintains its original loft at impact. The ball pops out high and settles quickly on the green.

Many weekend golfers slide forward on this shot, shifting their weight to their front side dramatically on the forward swing. The shift takes loft off the club and causes it to dig into the sand, making the ball come out low and hot.

These shots are somewhat advanced. So if you’re a poor pitcher, work on the basics before trying it. But if you’re a good pitcher and you want to improve accuracy, this shot may be just the thing. Practice it to master it.

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 – Simplifying Your Sand Play Saves Strokes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/simplifying-your-sand-play-saves-strokes.php

5) Article – Dial In Your Short Irons Now
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/dial-in-your-short-irons-now.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

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Golf Tips and Instruction 03/04/10

jack — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:01:38 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hitting Crisp, Clean Irons From Soggy Lies
2) Drop It Close From Every Bunker Lie
3) Question of the Week – Adjusting To “Real” Fairways
4) Article – Hybrids To The Rescue
5) Article – Playing Smart Saves Strokes
1) Hitting Crisp, Clean Irons From Soggy Lies

Few things in golf beat playing when the conditions are perfect. But you can’t always do that. Sometimes, you have to play when things are less than perfect. In fact, most times you play things will probably be less than perfect. Often, it’s nature’s fault, like when it rains heavily the night before. Heavy rains can leave fairways soft and soggy the next day, making it hard to hit crisp, clean iron shots and costing you strokes. But you can hit good irons from soggy lies by adjusting your stance and swing.

Here are seven keys to hitting irons from soggy lies:

1. Take a bunker set up
2. Choke down on the club an inch
3. Position the ball in the center
4. Stand taller over the ball
5. Hover the club above the ground
6. Line up the leading edge
7. Hit the back of the ball

You need to treat shots off wet turf as if you were hitting from a fairway bunker. That means you must make ball first contact. It also means you must compensate for you feet sinking into the soft ground, lowering your swing arc.

To do that, take a bunker stance, grip down an inch on the club, and position the ball in the center of your stance (or slightly forward for longer irons and hybrids). In addition, stand taller to the ball by bending less at the hips. Standing taller lets you hover your club above the ball and line up the leading edge with the ball’s equator.

As you swing, aim for a spot an inch in front of the ball. You want to hit the back of the ball and drive your club down and into it at that spot. A good swing thought to keep in mind is to picture your clubhead and back knee reaching the ball at the same time.

Making ball first contact and offsetting a lower swing arc produces crisp, clean irons on soft, soggy turf. But remember, you can take relief without penalty from casual water (outside a hazard), but the water must be visible before or after taking your stance.
2) Drop It Close From Every Bunker Lie

Your feet are the key to blasting it close from every bunker lie. Since you can’t ground your club in a bunker, it’s not always easy to tell what kind of sand you’re in by sight. But your feet can tell you what kind of sand you’re dealing by how far you sink in the sand. Is it fluffy, hard, or something in between? Knowing the type of sand you’re dealing with can help you hit it close.

Below are six keys to making bunker shots:

1. Play the ball just inside your front heel
2. Keep your hands directly above the ball
3. Dig your feet in for balance
4. Distribute your weight evenly
5. Choke down on the club to compensate
6. Match your swing to the depth of the sand

If you use the wrong swing in the wrong sand, you’ll either leave it in the bunker or blast it over the other side of the green. Either way, it costs you strokes. Instead, let your feet tell you the type of sand you’re dealing with, use your normal bunker shot setup, and adjust your swing accordingly.

If you’re sitting on top of thin sand, there’s less sand your club can extract, so the ball comes out “hotter” than normal. Swing from hip-high to hip-high in your finish. This gives you about 10 yards in the air with 2 yards of roll with your sand wedge.

If you’re sitting in fluffy sand, there’s more sand to extract. Your club tends to stick in this type of sand. Hitting a good explosion shot here means taking a large divot using a fast swing. Swing three-quarters back and make a complete follow through. This gives you about 10 yards in the air and 2 yards of roll with your sand wedge.

Ultimately, you want to get out of the bunker in one. But to blast it close use your feet to tell the type of sand you’re in. Once you know that, lengthen or shorten your swing to match its speed to the sand’s depth.
3) Question of the Week – Adjusting To “Real” Fairways

Q. Hi, Jack. I started playing golf on a very hard surface, where the “fairway” was a few tufts of grass on some rock-hard ground! Bottom line, there was no chance of taking a divot, so I learned to pick-up (scoop?) the ball off the hard surface. Years later, I can afford to play on real fairways. However, I still pick up the ball. How can I change my swing to hitting down on the ball and taking a divot?

Thanks,

Gregg de Wet

A. Thanks for the question, Gregg. You’re right in likening your swing to scooping because that’s essentially what you’re doing. Scoopers are trying to help the ball in the air. They set up with their weight on their back foot, their front shoulder very low, and their back arm bent to an extreme on middle- and long-iron shots. To hit the ball, scoopers must then spin out and fall backward, hitting up on the ball rather than down.

To cure scooping, move the ball back a bit toward the middle of your stance. Lower your front-shoulder just enough to allow you to turn it under your chin and aim it parallel to the target line. Distribute your weight evenly. And make a smooth transition from the top of the backswing to the forward swing. Make a full, balanced finish. These changes encourage a descending blow.

To groove these adjustments, stick a tee in the ground where you would normally place the ball. In this case it would be slightly back a bit from your front heel. Now place a second tee in the ground a few inches in front of the first tee where you would create a divot if you were to swing down on the ball. When you swing, try to pick the tee from the ground. To do that, you’re going to have to use a descending blow, not a scoop motion. Done often, this drill helps eliminate a scooping motion.

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 – Hybrids To The Rescue
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/hybrids-to-the-rescue.php

5) Article – Playing Smart Saves Strokes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/playing-smart-save-strokes.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.

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Golf Tips and Instruction 02/24/10

jack — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:02:27 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Draining Breaking Downhill Putts
2) Gas Up Your Swings
3) Question of the Week – Cutting Fairway Bunkers Down To Size
4) Article – Think Your Way To A Lower Golf Handicap
5) Article – How To Drive More Fairways Starting Now
1) Draining Breaking Downhill Putts

Has this ever happened to you: You blew past the pin on a breaking downhill putt on one hole, then on the next breaking downhill putt, you leave it short. That’s because you probably were focusing on the hole, which can get you in trouble. Breaking downhill putts can intimidate you. But they don’t have to. You can conquer them if you make a slight re-adjustment in your thinking and make some adjustments.

Below are six keys to sinking slick downhill putts:

1. Forget about the hole
2. Read the slope carefully
3. Try envisioning the break
4. Identify the speed spot
5. Make a commitment
6. Use a nice rhythmic stroke

The key to draining slick downhill putts that break is to forget about the hole. Aiming for it increases your chances of blowing past the hole. Instead follow these steps:

Start by walking halfway between the ball and the hole to get a sense of the green’s slope. Try envisioning how the ball will behave. Where it will break? How far will you need to hit the ball before the slope can carry it the rest of the way?

Once you’re determined how the ball will behave, identify your “speed spot,” the spot you need to reach before the slope will carry the ball the rest of the way. Think of that spot as the hole. If you’ve determined that this putt will break, move your spot to the side to allow for how you think the putt will curve.

Also, make a mental commitment to the spot. Don’t waffle. If you do, you have no chance of sinking the putt. Having made a commitment, make your putt to the spot and let the slope do the rest. Use a rhythmic, pendulum-like stroke.

Don’t let breaking downhill putts scare you. Walk the target line, identify the speed spot, move it to the side for the break, commit to the shot, and make a nice easy stroke. Do that and you’ll either sink the putt or leave close.
2) Gas Up Your Swings

There’s nothing wrong with sacrificing distance for accuracy. It’s better to be in the fairway with a 250-yard drive, than the woods with a 265-yard drive. But sacrificing too much distance off the tee can cost you—especially when you’re playing a very long hole. To generate 10 to 15 extra yards off the tee, you must focus on three areas of your swing. Fine-tuning the areas increases clubhead speed.

Here are three tips to help generate more clubhead speed:
1. Turn your back
2. Soften your wrists
3. Rotate your hips

Three easy moves give your drives more oomph. First, turn your back to the target. How do you know when you’ve made a complete turn? When you feel your left (right for left-handers) shoulder turn underneath your chin and your back directly at the target, you’ve made a complete turn.

Second, soften your wrists. Weekend golfers often stiffen their wrists during their downswing, sapping power from their swings. Instead, let your wrists go soft. This increases clubhead lag. The longer your hands lag the clubhead, the more speed you generate at the bottom of your swing when you release the club.

Third, turn your hips fast. As you approach impact, make sure your turning your hips to the left strongly. This move in combination with soft wrists allows your left arm to lead the clubhead into the ball. This is a key power move. Do it correctly and the clubhead whips threw the impact zone at high speed.

You can sacrifice a little distance for more accuracy. But be careful. You don’t want to sacrifice too much. It can hurt you on long holes. Instead, focus on executing the three tips describe above and you’ll add yardage to your drives without forfeiting accuracy.
3) Question of the Week – Cutting Fairway Bunkers Down To Size

Q. Hi, Jack. Brilliant website. Magnificent tips. One area of the game I struggle with is playing irons out of fairway bunkers. I tend to take too much sand and only get 10 to 20 meters on the shot. I’d really appreciate any tips on how to hit short, mid, and long irons in the bunker.

Thanks,
Paul P.
Dublin, Ireland

A. Thanks, Paul. The keys to iron play from a fairway bunker are minimizing the use of your lower body and picking the ball cleanly from the sand. Recreational golfers tend to drive down on the ball, like their hitting a normal iron. This lowers their centers of gravity, which in turn cause you to hit behind the ball and take so much sand on the shot. To avoid this, make the following adjustments:

* Stand a little taller at address
* Move closer to the ball
* Dig your feet into the ground
* Choke down on the club,
* Play the ball toward middle

Also, don’t try to take a big divot. Instead, pick the ball cleanly from the sand using your arms, leaving little or no divot. In addition, use a half to a full club more than normal from that distance and stay within yourself. Don’t try to do too much with your swing. Hitting the ball in the fairway or anywhere on the green beats being in the bunker.

Try this drill to master this shot. Go to a fairway bunker and drop several balls in the dirt. Address a ball. Get a friend to hold a club butt under your chin. When you start your downswing, he or she removes the club. Continue your swing. Try hitting the ball 10 to 20 yards at first. Extend the distance until you’re hitting the ball on the green. Holding the butt under your chin: (1) forces you to stand tall at address, (2) straightens the spine angle, and (3) helps quiet your lower body.

Don’t try to hit down in a fairway bunker. It causes you to hit behind the ball. Instead, set-up as described above, maintain a quiet lower body, and pick the ball cleanly from the sand.

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 – Think Your Way To A Lower Golf Handicap
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/think-your-way-to-a-lower-golf-handicap.php

5) Article – How To Drive More Fairways Starting Now
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/how-to-drive-more-fairways-starting-now.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

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Golf Tips and Instructions 02/17/10

jack — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:37:34 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) How To Squat For Power
2) Make The Second Shot Count
3) Question of the Week – Handling Loose Sand Over A Hard Surface
4) Article – Sorting Out The Spin On Golf Balls
5) Article – Crush It Off The Tee
1) How To Squat For Power

There are certain techniques that pro golfers weekend golfers you shouldn’t use. The reason: Weekend golfers lack the athleticism to use them. On the other hand, there are certain techniques that pro golfers make that weekend golfers can—and should—copy. Squatting for power is one. Many pro golfers make this move to add yards to their drives. It’s Tiger Woods signature move and a key reason he’s able to drive the ball a ton.

Here are seven keys to making an effective power squat:

1. Squeeze your shoulder blades
2. Keep your arms near your body
3. Drop your hands straight down
4. Turn your hips to the left
5. Flex the knees slightly
6. Throw your arms past the ball
7. Point your right shoulder at the target

Once your set up, flex your knees slightly and move your weight over the balls of your feet. Then, squeeze your shoulder blades together and relax your neck muscles, encouraging your arms to extend naturally. Keep your arms close to your body as you go into your backswing and rotate your left arm as you near the top.

At the top, keep your torso turned by the same amount as you start to pivot your hips toward the target. This sends your torque sky-high. Flex your knees downward ever so slightly, as if you were going to sit down. Don’t just bend your torso. Now drop your hands straight down like their being pulled by your hips.

As you approach impact, slow down your lower body so your arms can release properly. After impact, “throw” your arms past the ball. This improves your extension and eliminates the instinct to steer the shot. Finish by getting your back shoulder to point at the target, which encourages you to release the club and increases your clubhead speed.

Next time you see your favorite pro on the tee, watch him or her closely. See if he or she makes a power squat to generate those extra yards on their drives. If he or she does, feel free to copy it. It’s one technique you can—and should—copy from the pros.
2) Make The Second Shot Count

Your drive lands in the fairway on a long par 5. You’re in good position, but you need a good second shot to capitalize on your drive. You know you can’t reach the green in two even with your best 3-wood shot; however, your tempted to hit your 3-wood anyway hoping to get as close to the hole as possible. But hitting the 3-wood—an easy club to hit off line—can get you in trouble.

Consider these three questions before hitting it:

1. Is the pin clear?
2. Is the pin protected?
3. What’s your favorite approach club?

Before hitting the 3-wood, check out the pin’s placement. Is it in the center of the green unprotected? If it is, use your 3-wood, but make a controlled swing to a target. Don’t use a wild swing and get yourself in trouble. If you pick a good landing spot and hit it, you’ll have an unobstructed chip to the hole.

If the pin is protected, rethink your strategy. If there’s a bunker or other obstruction between you and the pin, you don’t want to be 20 to 30 yards away. You won’t be far enough away to put backspin on the ball and stop it. So even if you hit a good shot, you’re out of position. Instead, select a shot that leaves you with a full pitching or sand wedge to the green.

If you don’t hit your pitching wedge well, but you’re lights out with another club, like a 9-iron better, pick a landing spot with your second that’s about 120 yards away—a good distance to hit your 9-iron. Focus on that spot when you hit your second shot like it’s the green. You want to hit that shot. If you do, you’ll be hitting your best approach club into the green.

Second shots on long part 5s can present a dilemma. But they don’t have to trouble you. If you lay-up wisely, you can make par or birdie and save yourself strokes.
3) Question of the Week – Handling Loose Sand Over A Hard Surface

Q. Hi, Jack. Is your chipping technique good for sand traps that have no sand only fluff on top, even one close to green? Or, will there be problems getting over the lips? My home course has rocky sand traps. The club just bounces off top of the sand. It’s very hard to get a layer of sand to send the ball out on blast shots.

Thanks,

Norm

A. Thanks, Norm. Hitting from loose sand over a hard surface is tricky. If you dig down too deeply with the clubface, you’ll hit the hard underbelly. That slows the clubhead down and causes you to leave the ball in the bunker.

Here how to approach this shot systematically:

* Determine the sand’s hardness by testing it with your shoes. This tells you if the sand is hard-packed, just firm, soft with a thin crust, or soft with a hard underbelly.

* If the sand is firm, replace the sand wedge with a pitching wedge. It digs in and under the ball better than a sand wedge, preventing skulling. Also, set up a little wider than normal. Make a low sweeping takeaway. And hit down briskly an inch behind the ball

* If the sand is hard-packed, like Norm’s, play the ball as you would from hard dirt. Square the blade of pitching wedge, position the ball back in your stance, and set the hands ahead of the ball. Pick it cleanly from the surface.

* If the sand has a thin crust, play the shot as a typical bunker shot. Use a sand wedge, especially if the sand is deep and powdery.

Don’t let bunker shots get to you. Most have a slight margin for error. Attack them confidently. Getting out of them in one regularly will shave strokes from your scores and golf handicap.

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 – Sorting Out The Spin On Golf Balls
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/sorting-out-the-spin-on-golf-balls.php

5) Article – Crush It Off The Tee
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/crushing-it-off-the-tee.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

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