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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
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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

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 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.

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 – 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.

Share and Enjoy:

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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Golf Tips and Instructions 01/28/10

jack — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:30:39 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Pitch It Close Every Time
2) Punch It Out From The Trees
3) Question of the Week – Lag Putting Is Your Best Option On Long Putts
4) Article – Four Quick Fixes To Salvage A Bad Round
5) Article – Five Golf Tips That Help You Set Up For Power

1) Pitch It Close Every Time

Forget about those booming drives. If you can’t pitch it close, you’ll never go low. Ask any pro. But some weekend golfers hit short pitches because they don’t know how to control the distance of their shots. So from 30 yards, they’re vulnerable. If your pitch shots fall short or fly too long, you maybe using the same swing for every pitch or you consider the pitch swing the same as a small full swing. Neither method works.

Below is an alternative to these methods:

1. Set the club early in the backswing
2. Then turn all the way through
3. Hold your finish at backswing height
4. Open the face for high pitches
5. Close the face for lower pitches

The set and hold method encourages consistent contact and consistent distance control—exactly what you need to pitch it close. Follow these steps:

Take the club back as you normally do, but hinge your wrists early in the process. For a 30-yard pitch, that’s about hip high. Once you’ve done that, commit to accelerating through the ball. Not accelerating through the ball is a common pitching mistake. Keep the angle between the clubshaft and your front forearm. Then, use your body to do the rest.

For a high pitch shot, play the ball forward in your stance and open the clubface the appropriate distance. Aim a few feet to the left of your target (right for left-handers).For a lower pitch shot, play the ball toward your back foot and close the clubface down a few degrees. Aim a few feet to the right of your target.

The set and hold technique gives you a consistent, predictable shot. You don’t need to release or use a lot of arms. Practice the shot from about 30 yards out and before you know it, you’ll be pitching it close almost every time.

2) Punch It Out From The Trees

Here’s the situation: You’ve just shanked one deep into the trees. There’s a gap on a line with the green, with just enough room to squeeze through without too much risk. But you’ll need to hit a shot that flies low to avoid the overhanging branches, doesn’t spin so it won’t rise, and releases once it hits the fairway.

Here are five keys to hitting this shot:

1. Select a club you have confidence in
2. Play the ball just back of center
3. Take a short flat backswing
4. Make sure your left wrist faces the ground
5. Finish with the club pointing left of target

Keep one thing in mind when sizing up this shot. The farther the gap is from you, the wider it must be. Otherwise, you won’t make it through. Every yard the ball moves it will go offline.

Select a club you have confidence in. Some players use a long iron. Others, use a hybrid. Use whichever club you can control the best, since you’ll need to stay beneath the overhang. Playing the ball just back of center in your stance will help keep the ball low.

To reduce spin, make a short flat backswing. Keep the shaft below your right shoulder (left for left-handers) when you go back. And try to swing the club a little behind you. To make it run once it hits the fairway, make an aggressive release. The back of your left wrist should face the ground, with the club pointing left of your target (right for right-handers).

Actually, you can use this shot whenever you need to keep the ball low and you want to run it to your target. It’s also an option when you slice everything you hit. It will keep the ball straight and low.

3) Question of the Week – Lag Putting Is Your Best Option On Long Putts

Q. Hi Jack. My question is on controlling long putts. I always seem to leave it way too short and go far too long on these putts, sometimes right over the hole. My normal putt is pretty compact and works out ok for most putts within 10 feet. But I was recently putting for eagle on a par 5, and ended up barely making par. I’m constantly 3-putting or more when I’m over 10 feet. It’s truly frustrating.

Thanks for you input!
Eddie Rosario
Dominican Republic

A. Thanks for the question, Eddie. With a 20- to 40-foot putt, lag putting is your best option. It reduces the chances of three-putting and eliminates the pressure of trying to sink the putt.

Start by stepping off the distance to the hole to get a good idea of how long the putt really is. Then, follow your normal putting routine. When taking your practice strokes, face the target. It gives you a feel for the type of stroke you’ll need for the putt. Standing taller in your stance encourages a long, smooth stroke.

Also, visualize a three-foot ring around the hole. Aim for the ring and take a nice easy stroke. Make sure your follow-through equals your takeaway. Your goal is to get the ball within the three-foot circle, which is easier than trying to sink the putt. This leaves you with a highly makeable putt, if you’re successful.

Speed and distance control are also keys to long putting. Your stroke’s tempo is usually the culprit when speed is off. That’s because the stroke’s pace controls the ball’s speed. Practicing with a metronome helps evens out your stroke in terms of beat and length, which in turn improves pace.

To improve distance control, practice fringe putting. Start at the fringe on one side of the green. Try putting the ball as close to the opposite fringe as possible with out touching it. Also, try putting with your eyes closed. Blind putting forces you to visualize the stroke needed to sink the putt. It also helps speed and distance control. Finally, putt with confidence. It’s the single biggest factor in 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 – Four Quick Fixes To Salvage A Bad Round
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/four-quick-fixes-to-salvage-a-bad-round.php

5) Article – Five Golf Tips That Help You Set Up For Power
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-golf-tips-that-help-you-set-up-for-power.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 Instructions 01/13/10

jack — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:32:38 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Hit It Sweet From The Start
2) Recovering From Trouble
3) Question of the Week – Controlling Your Short-Game Backswing
4) Article – Hit It Longer And Straighter
5) Article – Take The Guess Work Out Of Pitching

1) Hit It Sweet From The Start

If you’re like many golfers, you can’t always get to the range before playing. Your schedule just doesn’t permit it. So you tend to feel stiff at the start of a round. And even when you do make the range, you may still feel tight on the first hole. Nonetheless, you hit a good first drive. You’re about 170 yards from the hole and in the fairway. Now what? Will you be able to hit an iron to the green? Below is an exercise that will prep you for the iron shot.

Here are the five keys to this exercise:

Take your address position

Cock the club head straight up

Take the club back by bending your wrists

Check for wrinkles in your wrist

Go back to address and swing

The exercise warms up your wrist hinge. If you hinge your wrists properly during your takeaway, chances are good you’ll start your swing smoothly.

Take your regular address position with your iron of choice. Cock the clubhead straight up and down until the shaft is just short of horizontal. Take the club back by bending your right wrist and bowing your left until the shaft is parrellel left of your target line (right for right-handers). (You should see wrinkles across the back of your right wrist.) Go back to your address position and hit the ball. Try to get your wrists in the same position as you did above.

The exercise takes only a few seconds, so you should be able execute it quickly before swinging. You can probably run through it while the other guys are hitting. If it’s done correctly, the exercise improves your rhythm and helps you hit it sweet from the start.

2) Recovering From Trouble

If you’re like some weekend golfers, you’re struggling to get rid of a slice. So why would you want to know how to hit one on-demand? That’s easy. It can save you strokes and help you make more pars. Let’s say you drive one off the right into the woods. Instead of punching out like you normally do, leaving you miles from the green, slicing it hard right gets your ball rolling on the fairway and puts you back in business.

Below are five keys to hitting a hard right-to-left slice:

1. Aim your body about 20 yards left of target
2. Point your club about 10 yards right of toe line
3. Turn your hands well to the left on the grip
4. Make your normal swing
5. Hold the clubface open through impact

To hit a hard slice when in trouble, you must make adjustments. At address, aim your body 20 yards left of target, point the clubface 10 yards to the right of your toe line, and turn your hands well to the left on your grip (right for left-handers). These adjustments add loft to your shot. To hit the ball your normal 7-iron distance, use your 4-iron.

Make your normal swing, but hold the clubface open through impact. When you block the clubface’s rotation like this, you create a glancing blow that puts sidespin on the ball. You know you’ve done it right if your clubface points to the sky in your follow-through.

This shot can get you out of trouble, but you must keep two things in mind. First, check your stance. The ball jumps hard right on contact, so you have to be angled correctly. Second, check the trees. This shot takes off much higher than your usual punch out, so look for overhanging branches.

Slicing off the tee is bad. But slicing from the trees can help you get back on track after a bad shot and save more pars.

3) Question of the Week – Controlling Your Short-Game Backswing

Q. Hi, Jack, I have a major problem controlling my backswing when I’m chipping or pitching. I can’t stop going back. When I do keep it short, I hit the ball so soft it just goes a little forward and in the wrong direction. Is there practice drill I can do to stop going back too far?

Thanking you in advance for your response.

Marie Holleran

A. Thanks, Marie. Dave Peltz is a short game guru. He has worked with many Tour players. and written several books on the short game. When it comes to pitching, he has his students do this: Visualize a clock in your heads, with 12:00 at the top. Take the club back to 7:30 for a short pitch. Take the club back to9:00 for a medium pitch. And take the club back to10:30 on a full pitch. Work on this in practice until you’ve ingrained the three swings.

Here’s a recommendation for chips: Put a ball where you normally position it for a chip shot. Put your golf bag (or something else) about a foot or so behind the ball. Practice your chipping. Take the club back almost as far as the bag, and then come forward. If you hit your bag on the way back, you’ve gone back too far.

When you chip, use this swing for all your shots. For distance, change clubs depending on the chip’s length. Use longer irons for longer chips and shorter irons for shorter chips. This approach simplifies your chipping decision.

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 – Hit It Longer And Straighter
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/hit-it-longer-and-straighter.php

5) Article – Take The Guess Work Out Of Pitching
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/take-the-guess-work-out-of-pitching.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 01/06/10

jack — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:41:16 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) One-Handed Drill Improves Chipping
2) Set Up On Top To Hit Crisp Pitches
3) Question of the Week – Overswinging Can Cause You To Slice
4) Article – Manufacturers Make Strides In Golf Shoes
5) Article – Golf Tips On The Iron Swing

Jack’s Note: Looking to get more distance from your shots? A sound fitness and stretching routine can make all the difference as I said earlier this week via email.

Also, totally off-topic here folks but I’m a bit of a movie buff and am a member at a movie review site called AllTopMovies.com. This week they are giving away a free Sony Blu Ray player, no strings attached. They do this a few times per year so if you want to get your hands on a fancy new Blu Ray player for zilch, check them out.

===================================================
1) One-Handed Drill Improves Chipping
===================================================
Many golfers play chip shots all wrong. Instead of executing a nice rhythmic swing, they stiff-arm the shot. That results in cupping the left wrist (for right-handed players) and scooping at the ball—the most common chipping mistake among weekend golfers. But the one-handed drill used by many PGA and LPGA pros improves your motion back and through.

Six keys to chipping it close:

* Grip down on club
* Aim for a spot on green
* Hinge your wrist at takeaway
* Have your hands lead in the hitting zone
* Keep wrists firm through impact
* Follow through on the shot

The key to a good chip shot is to hinge your wrists slightly during your takeaway and strike down on the ball crisply in the downswing. To ensure ball-then-turf contact, return your hands and arms to where they were at address, keep the wrists firm through impact, and maintain them that way during follow-through. Stay relaxed and loose throughout the shot.

The one-handed drill hones your chipping stroke. And it’s easy to do. Take several balls with you and spread them around the green. Pick out as many different lies as you can. Try to create realistic scenarios. Now, hit the balls one-handed with your right hand (left hand for left-handers). Make sure you pick out a spot on the green before swinging. You want the ball to hit that spot and roll to the hole like a putt.

The one-handed drill teaches you to execute a smooth takeaway and a rhythmic backswing. Keep the right elbow pointed at your right hip throughout. And add a little knee action to create an accelerating forward swing.

Hone your chipping stroke with this drill, then practice using two hands. Improve your chipping and you’ll become a force on the course.

===================================================
2) Set Up On Top To Hit Crisp Pitches
===================================================
Weekend golfers tend to hit pitch shots fat or thin. These golfers believe pitches are hit on the upswing. So they play the ball forward in their stances and place their weight on their back feet. This promotes a sweeping motion. That’s wrong. If you want to hit crisp pitches, you must hit the ball with a descending blow. That gets the ball rolling up the clubface, creating backspin. Setting up correctly encourages a descending blow.

Below are five keys to setting up for a pitch shot:

1. Narrow your feet in your stance
2. Play the ball in the middle or the back
3. Lean the hands toward the target
4. Shift your weight to your front foot
5. Aim for ball-first, turf-second contact

Hitting a good pitch begins with the setup. Narrow your feet, position the ball in the middle or back of your stance, and lean toward the front leg. Lean your hands toward the target as well. This position places your head on top of the ball at address. It also promotes a downward angle of attack, facilitating ball-first, turf-second contact.

To assure a proper setup when playing, assume your normal stance. Then remove your left hand (right for left-handers) from the grip and place the hand behind your front knee. This forces you to lean toward your front leg and helps get your head on top of the ball. You should feel as if 70 percent of your weight is on your front foot. Return your left hand to the grip, but keep the position intact otherwise. Now you’re set up to hit down on the ball.

To hit a high pitch that lands softly, play the ball towards the middle of your stance. To hit a low running pitch, play the ball opposite your back foot. Whatever pitch shot you decide to hit, always remember that the key to hitting a good crisp pitch shot is in the setup.

=====================================================
3) Question of the Week – Overswinging Can Cause You To Slice
=====================================================
Q. Hi, Jack, Why can’t I control where my ball goes when I attempt a full swing. I send it off on a slice every time.

When I swing at three-quarters, I ht the ball down the centre of the fairway and achieve reasonable distances (200metres). But as soon as I wind up for a full swing “whammo.” I’m all over the place.

Any idea on what causes me to slice and how to correct it?

Cheers,
Norm Beddis
New Zealand

A. Thanks for the question, Norm. It sounds like you’re trying to hit the ball too hard, in which case you’re either losing control of your swing or losing the natural width radius of your backswing arc—in which case your right arm (left arm for left-handers) isn’t working correctly.

Many PGA pros swing the club 75 percent to 80 percent as hard as they can. That way they’re not losing the natural radius of their backswing arcs. Never try to do more than you can do. It usually ends badly.

The split-grip drill is useful in training your backswing. Split your hands a few inches apart on the grip, then swing the club back and push your right arm away to form a 90 percent angle at the elbow. This move determines the natural radius of your backswing arc.

Once you’re familiar with the sensation of a shorter backswing, go back to your normal grip. Try to recapture the same feeling as when you hit balls with the split grip. That’s a good formula for achieving swing consistency.

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 – Manufacturers Make Strides In Golf Shoes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/manufacturers-make-strides-in-golf-shoes.php

5) Article – Golf Tips On The Iron Swing
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/golf-tips-on-the-iron-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

===================================================
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 Tips and Instructions 12/30/09

jack — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:03:43 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Knowing How To Hit It Low Saves Strokes
2) Playing Offense From Fairway Sand
3) Question of the Week – The Basics Of The Bunker Blast
4) Article – Curing Swing Flaws Helps Reduce Golf Handicaps
5) Article – Increased Power Helps You Attack The Greens

1) Knowing How To Hit It Low Saves Strokes

Controlling ballflight trajectory saves strokes. Knowing how to hit it high or low when you need to enables you to escape from tight spots that could pile up strokes—like when you need to hit out of the woods or go over trees. It also expands shots to your game, like lob pitches, knockdowns, and recovery shots. The more shots you have in your arsenal the better your ability to save par when the chances of making bogey or double-bogey loom large.

Here are six factors to controlling ballflight:

* Ball back
* Weight forward
* Shoulders level
* Hands forward
* Swing slow
* Finish low

To control ballflight trajectory, you need to make changes to your set-up and your swing. To hit it low, for example, position the ball back in your stance, anywhere from dead center to the heel of your rear foot, shift your weight to your front foot, and lean your hands and the club’s shaft forward. Keep your shoulders level as well. If you focus on a spot on the ground, you’ll automatically keep your shoulders level.

These changes to your setup tend de-loft the clubface and ensure a descending swing into the ball. But you also have to change your swing to keep the ball low. Use a slower swing with an even pendulum like rhythm, lowering the ball’s spin rate and preventing it from shooting up. Also, keep your finish low. Try holding the club below your waistline after impact.

Sooner or later you’ll have a lie where you’ll need to keep the ball low, like when you’re in the woods. When you do, knowing how to hit it low will come in handy. Knowing how to control ballflight trajectory increases your chances of making par. It also enables you to get more creative when you have a lie that could cost you stokes.
2) Playing Offense From Fairway Sand

There’s nothing wrong with playing it safe from a fairway bunker. If you’re playing poorly, it’s probably the smart play. Instead of going for the green, take a 7- or 8- iron and punch it out to a safe spot on the fairway and set yourself up for your next shot. Playing defense like this can save you from making a double bogey or worse. But on days you’re playing well, you may have to go for it from the bunker. If you do, you’ll need to adjust your set-up accordingly.

Below are six keys to taking on a fairway bunker:

* Use a half to full club more
* Play the ball toward the middle
* Set up a little closer to the ball
* Dig your feet into the sand
* Choke down a similar amount
* Stay level throughout the shot

The key to playing aggressively from a fairway bunker is to set up a little closer to the ball than normal. Doing so makes you to stand a little taller than usual and helps you clip the ball from its lie without taking much sand. It’s what great bunker players like Jack Nicklaus and Mark O’Meara do with this lie.

In addition, use a half- to a full club more than normal, play the ball toward the middle of your stance, which encourages ball-first contact, and dig your feet into the sand while choking down a similar amount. Stay level throughout the shot. The ball comes out lower than normal because you’re trying to hit it a little thin. If you take too much sand, you won’t hit it well.

There’s nothing wrong with playing defensive from a fairway bunker — especially when you’re playing poorly. But on days you’re playing well, you may decide to go for it. If you do, keep our six keys in mind.
3) Question of the Week – The Basics Of The Bunker Blast

Q. Hi, Jack, I hear so many different ways to hit out of sand. Can you give me a basic set up and routine for sand, middle of stance, etc.

Thanks.
Eddie McKallen

A. Thanks, Eddie. Blasting out of a greenside bunker is easy, if you use the right technique. The key is holding the clubface open through impact. If you close it, you’ll mis-hit the shot, costing you strokes.

Here are five keys to the standard bunker set up:

* Open your clubface
* Position the ball slightly forward
* Keep your body open to the target
* Rotate your palm open (reverse release)
* Swing the club along your bodyline

To escape a greenside bunker, you need to swing the club on an outside-to-in path, with the clubhead held open through impact. This enables the club to slide under the ball and throws it up and out of the sand, settling the ball softly on the green.

To hold the clubface open, rotate your right palm open (left palm for left-handers) as you start to move toward the ball. Continue rotating it open as your club slides through the sand and under the ball. It’s what’s known as a reverse release.

And don’t stop when you hit the sand. Keep accelerating through the swing to a full finish. If you don’t, you won’t get the ball over the bunker’s lip. Decelerating your club at impact is among the most common errors committed by weekend players in greenside bunkers.

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 – Curing Swing Flaws Helps Reduce Golf Handicaps
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/curing-swing-flaws-helps-reduce-golf-handicaps.php

5) Article – Increased Power Helps You Attack The Greens
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/increased-power-helps-you-attack-the-greens.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 12/17/09

jack — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:32:05 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Use This Grip On Short Putts
Chipping From Thick Greenside Rough
Question of the Week – Use This Drill To Improve Your Chipping
Article – Five Equipment Myths: Fact Or Fiction
Article – Five Golf Tips On Buying Balls

Use This Grip On Short Putts

Bad things happen when we decelerate the clubhead on either a swing or a putt. Acceleration in golf is the increasing speed at which the clubhead moves through the ball. It’s important for both full shots and short putts. So if you’re missing a lot of short putts, you may be failing to accelerate the putter through the stroke. It’s a habit many develop from time to time. Using an alternative putting grip is an option to prevent this habit from hurting your putting.

Key these five tips in mind when using this putting grip:

Keep your hands ahead of the ball
Adopt a left-hand low grip
Minimize excessive wrist movement
Follow through on the putt
Hold the finish for a couple of seconds

The left-hand low grip (right hand for left-handed golfers) has helped many golfers accelerate through short putts. Using this grip keeps your hands from releasing too much. It also keeps the putterface facing the hole, even after contact with the ball, and encourages acceleration through the stroke.

Acceleration Drill
Find a hole on the practice green that permits you to set up for a flat straight putt. Place a sand wedge perpendicular to the line of the putt, so the face is down and the thinner part of the shaft lies across the putt’s line. The shaft should lie just on the cup’s edge.

From the distance of three feet, putt the ball to the hole with sufficient speed so that the ball hits the shaft, pops into the air, and falls into the hole. If you decelerate the putterhead through the stroke, you’ll generate insufficient speed to overcome the shaft in front of the hole. But smooth acceleration produces enough speed to hole the putt over the shaft.

Make this drill part of your normal practice routine. It teaches you to accelerate through putts and boosts confidence on short putts critical to good scoring. If you’re really brave, try this drill on short break putts as well.
2) Chipping From Thick Greenside Rough

Some golfers like to hit a normal chip shot from thick greenside rough. That’s a hard shot to pull off, even for veteran golfers. The problem is the grass. It can twist the club’s hosel as the clubhead cuts through it, which makes controlling the shot difficult. On a delicate shot like this, you need optimum control. Otherwise, it can cost you strokes. Here’s another way to play it:

Below are five keys to hitting a shot from really thick greenside rough:

Use a sand wedge
Open your stance
Play the ball back
Pick a landing spot
Make a steep swing

Smart golfers know the benefits of being creative around the green. Instead of relying on a single short-game shot, they learn different shots around the green and let the situation dictate the shot. A short chip from greenside rough is one situation where it pays to have mastered different shots around the green.

Start by selecting a more-lofted club than normal. The club of choice is the sand wedge, but you could also use a lob wedge. The key with these clubs is the “bounce” on the clubface’s bottom. The bounce enables the club to cut through the snarled grass without getting entangled. Clubs with less bounce lack this capability.

In addition open your stance slightly to allow your hands to clear and play the ball back in your stance. Before hitting, pick out a landing spot on the green. Now make a steep aggressive swing. The ball pops out of the grass, bounces a couple of times on the green, and rolls to the pin.

Chipping from thick greenside rough is a challenge. But if you master the shot, you can turn three or more shots into two. Just remember that a club with more loft provides more margin for error.

3) Question of the Week – Use This Drill To Improve Your Chipping

Q. Hi, Jack, I somehow developed a case of what I call “chipping yips.”. I’ll be 20 feet (or less) off the green, put my weight to the left, keep my hands ahead of the ball, and wind up scooping my right hand under it, which shank’s the ball right. Any chance I can lose this bad habit?

Tom Wells.

A. Thanks, Tom. Golfers sometimes lose the feel of a good chipping stroke. This leads to bad habits, like trying to scoop the ball instead of hitting down on the ball. Scooping forces you to collapse your left arm and wrist (right arm and wrist for left-handers) at impact. You need a stiff left wrist at impact to hit a good chip. Below is a simple drill that teaches you to make a good chipping stroke by keeping a stiff left wrist at impact:

Start by sticking a pen or pencil under a watchband on your left wrist. This automatically flattens your left wrist at impact. Now practice hitting chip shots. Make sure to brush the grass after hitting the ball with a slight downward stroke. This may be a new feel for you, so stick with the drill even if the initial results aren’t as good as you’d like. Eventually, you’ll ingrain the feel for the stroke. Now take the pencil or pen out and chip some more balls using the same stroke.

This proven drill works. Use it whenever you find yourself trying to scoop the ball on a chip. And remember, a good chip turns three or more strokes into two.

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 Equipment Myths: Fact Or Fiction
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-equiptment-myths-fact-or-fiction.php

5) Article – Five Golf Tips On Buying Balls
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-golf-tips-on-buying-balls.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 12/02/09

jack — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:46 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Avoid Plumb Putting To Drain More Putts
Going With The Grain
Question of the Week – Stop Topping Your Ball
Article – Use Lead Tape To Square Clubface At Impact
Article – Controlling Trajectories Helps Lower Golf Handicap

Avoid Plumb Putting To Drain More Putts

Instructors don’t always agree on golf mechanics. But one thing they do agree on is not exaggerating the arc of your putting stroke. Exaggerating the arc often leads to what some call “plumb putting. It’s a flaw recreational golfers are prone to when they “overcook” or exaggerate the putting arc.

A good putting stroke moves on a slight arc—with the putterhead tracing a path slightly inside the target line on the way back and then again after impact. That’s your ideal putting arc. But sometimes golfers pull the putting stroke too far inside by exaggerating their stroke. That spells trouble.

If you pull the putterhead too far inside on the way back, you must save the stroke with your hands. They shove the putterhead out on the way back. As a result, the face gets held open and you miss putts short and to the right (left for left-handed players).

This is called plumb putting. If you hung a plumb line from your hands, you’d want the putting stroke to stay away from that line on the backstroke. Instead make a gentle arc, and don’t let your wrists arch or the putterhead “get tall.” Your stroke will be smoother and more reliable:

The following drill helps improve your putting stroke:

Place two golf balls on the green. Set them up so there’s just enough room for your putter to swing through them freely. Practice with out a ball for several minutes. Your goal is to move your putterhead through the two balls without touching either one. If you hit the inside ball, you’ve pulled the putterhead inside. If you hit the outside ball, you’re looping out. In both cases, you must adjust your stance, head position, grip pressure, and shoulder alignment to generate the proper arc. Now use a ball in the drill. Start with short putts, then move out gradually to about 20 feet.

Don’t let plumb putting cost you strokes. Develop a good putting stroke and you’ll sink more putts.
Going With The Grain

Nutrition counts in golf. So that hot dog and candy bar you grab at the turn may not be the wisest snack choices. You may need a “higher grade of fuel” to ignite your play on the back nine, so grains are a much better—and healthier— snack choice than the hot do and candy bar. They give you the energy, endurance, and concentration you need to play well.

Here are six healthy snacks to pack in your bag:

Whole grain granola bar
Freshly popped popcorn
Whole grain crackers
Baked tortilla chips
Whole grain muffin
Turkey sandwich (whole grain bread)

Carbohydrates fuel the body. They turn into sugar, which is converted to energy. All carbohydrates, however, are not equal. When it comes to energy and endurance as well as your health, complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, top the snack list. They’ll give you what you need to finish strong.

Whole grains include whole wheat bread, oats, popcorn, and brown rice. They are better food choices because they contain all three parts of the grain: the bran, endosperm, and germ, the combination of which provides unique health benefits.

Typically, whole grains are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant nutrition. These nutrients are essential to life. Compared to whole refined grains, whole grains are digested faster and converted into blood sugar more slowly. The slower process provides a gradual and sustained release of energy to help you reach the 18th green. It’s why whole grains are recommended as the foundation of a healthy diet.

Don’t underestimate how important good nutrition is on the course. Next time you’re playing a round and you feel your stomach growl, reach for a whole grain snack. It’s healthier and more satisfying than hot dog and candy bar…and a great way to go low.

Question of the Week – Stop Topping Your Ball

Q. I have a number of problems with my swing, but the one that really hurts my game is my mid irons. I always top the ball. When using irons from the 7-iron through the SW wedge I don’t have any problem. It is only with my 4-, 5- and 6-iron. Instead of hitting a nice high shot with these clubs, I’m usually looking at the ball rolling down the fairway. Is there a drill that I can practice over the winter that will help me with this problem?

Sonny

A. Thanks for the question, Sonny. From your question, it sounds like you’re trying to “scoop” the ball, rather than compress it against the turf when using these irons. The key to hitting these irons is being on your front side at impact. That means you may have to make some slight adjustments to your swing.

Take your regular address then shift your weight to your back leg. Ideally, your back hip should be over your back heel. This move tilts your shoulders upwards slightly and away from the target. Next, take the club back slowly. Stretch out your arms in your backswing as much as possible and keep your back heel planted. Keep your weight on your backside.

Now swing down on the ball. With your back side stretched taught at the top of your backswing, you’re in position to deliver the club powerfully to the ball, compressing it and adding spin.

To get the feel of this stretching move, use a Theraband, which you can get at most sporting goods stores. Place the band around the instep of your front foot and the fingers of your left hand (right, if you’re left-handed). The Theraband adds resistance as you swing to the top, the kind of resistance you should feel when swinging.

If you hit your longer irons thin, focus on compressing the ball. It’s the key to hitting solid longer irons consistently. You might also consider getting a hybrid for your 3-, 4-, and 5-irons. Hybrids are easier to hit and provide the same yardage as these longer irons.

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:

Article – Use Lead Tape To Square Clubface At Impact
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/use-lead-tape-to-square-clubface-at-impact.php

Article – Controlling Trajectories Helps Lower Golf Handicap
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/controlling-trajectories-helps-lower-golf-handicap.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 11/25/09

jack — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:50:17 +0000

Don’t Let Poor Chipping Cost You
How To Drain More Putts
Question of the Week – Determining When To Hit Driver
Article – Five Keys To Making Your Swing Great
Article – The Lost Ball Rule: Not As Simple As It Seems

1) Don’t Let Poor Chipping Cost You

Short chips are critical to going low. Run one by the hole and it can cost you big time. That’s why pro golfers practice incessantly. They can’t afford to run one by the hole. Neither can you. If your chipping leaves something to be desire, you may want to change your technique. The simple technique described below improves your chances of chipping it close.

Below are six keys to this chipping technique:

Choose your club
Adopt a putting grip
Play the ball forward
Set the shaft on its toe
Keep the body still
Use a pendulum swing

Credit the late Paul Runyan, who beat Sam Snead for the PGA Championship in 1938, for inventing the chip-like-a-putt technique.

The technique’s mechanics are straightforward. Use your normal putting grip, play the ball inside your front heel, and set the club on its toe. Then use a pendulum like swing to chip the ball onto the green. If the ball is sitting down, place more weight on your front foot. This move encourages a slight angle of descent through impact.

The key to this shot is setting the club on its toe. Simplifying your motion, it helps replicate your putting stance. It encourages the club to slide through the grass. And it promotes hitting the ball near the club’s toe, which softens the shot and increases feel.

In addition, make sure you keep your body is still when swinging. Swing the club up with your arms going back, then let it swing down.

If poor chipping is costing you strokes, try Paul Runyan’s chip-as-you-putt technique. It will take the fear out of chipping and put the feel back in. You’ll be shocked at how many strokes it saves.

2) How To Drain More Putts

Putting is all about control. If you can control the putterhead, you’ll sink more putts. If you can’t, you’ll sink a lot fewer—and the ones you sink will be because of luck. It’s that simple. To boost putterhead control, determine which hand is your controlling hand. Then practice one-handed putts with this hand.

Use this five-step drill to find your dominant putting hand.

1. Drop a ball 3-6 feet from the hole
2. Hit 10 putts with one hand
3. Hit 10 putts with the other hand
4. Determine which did best
5. Practice putting with that hand

To improve your putting, find out first which hand is the controlling hand. Here’s how:

Drop a ball from 3 to 6 feet from the hole. Take your stance. Put the putter in one hand. Then putt one-handed. Hit 10 putts with this hand. Keep track of your success. Now switch hands. Hit 10 putts with this hand. Keep track of your success. Whichever hand sunk more putts is your controlling hand.

Often the controlling hand is your naturally dominant hand. If you’re right handed, your dominant hand is your right hand. If you left-handed, it’s the left hand. Few golfers think their non-dominant hand controls the putterhead.

After learning which hand is your controlling hand, practice putting with just this hand. It will improve putterhead control. When putting for real, grip the club with the dominant hand first before sliding your other hand on the club. Use a lighter grip pressure with the other hand for support.

By using one hand to for control and the other for support, you’ll improve your ability to control the putterhead. This, in turn, will start the ball online more frequently. Do that and you’ll drain more putts.
3) Question of the Week – Determining When To Hit Driver

Q.Hello Jack,Over the past few months I’ve been working on a “draw” using the techniques you described in your newsletter. Now I have two drives in my armory. The problem is, that when I’m on the tee, I can’t always decide which drive is right for the hole. Usually, it’s no contest. I usually find myself going for the “big one,” that is, hitting the draw because of the extra distance I get. This often gets me into trouble, but I don’t want to come off the course feeling cheated because I used the safe option every time.

So, my question to you is: How do I talk myself into “curbing my enthusiasm” and making the right selection for the job.

Peter Morris
Spain

A. That’s a great question, Peter. Deciding what to hit off the tee is nerve wracking sometimes. A lot depends on how much control you have over the shot, the hole’s layout, how your playing that day, and so on. So there are no set rules on this, only guidelines to help you choose.

The traditional approach holds that good driving isn’t just about hitting it long and straight. It’s also about accuracy. It’s about setting yourself up for your next shot. In essence, its about risk and reward. You have to weigh the risk versus the reward, then decide. If the reward isn’t worth it, don’t risk it. Be conservative. Go with the shot you have the most control over. Use the same criteria when deciding which club to use: 3-wood or driver.

For example, if you’re playing a short par-4, say 350 yards, the average shot with the driver might be around 250 yards, leaving about 100 yards to the hole. With a 3-wood the average shot might be about 230 yards, leaving about 120 yards to the hole. Is gaining that extra 20 yards worth the risk of hitting the driver? You also might favor a 3-wood over a driver on long par-5s. If you know you won’t be able to reach the green in two, even with your best drive and best 3-wood, why risk it?

Use the same type of logic to decide on whether to hit a fade or draw. The draw may give you some added distance because it will run when it hits. But you’ll have less control of where the shot finally ends up. The fade may give you less distance, but it will stick pretty much where it hits. That increases your control over the shot. If you deem the risk of hitting one shot over the other is great, go with the conservative approach. More often than not, it will save you strokes.

Golf is about finishing with the fewest strokes possible, not the most yardage off the tees. My advice: use whichever shot you hit the best plus hot it sets you up for the next shot, especially if it’s into the green. That’s the shot that really determines how well you do on the hole. The more greens you hit in regulation, the lower your score.

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/newsletter11252009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – Five Keys To Making Your Swing Great
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/five-keys-to-make-your-swing-great.php

5) Article – The Lost Ball Rule: Not As Simple As It Seems
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/the-lost-ball-rule-not-as-simple-as-it-seems.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 11/18/09

jack — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:41:09 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Short-sided In Tall Thick Grass
The Sand Chip
Question of the Week – Stop Hitting It Fat
Article – Three Principles To Get Your Swing In Sync
Article – Two Simple Exercises To Boost Power

1)Short-sided In Tall Thick Grass

Shots from deep rough are hard. So are downhill putts. But is there a harder shot than being on the back lip of a bunker in tall, thick grass? This shot is about as hard as it gets. You have to deal with not only the thick grass, but also an awkward stance—since you need both feet in the bunker to hit the ball. If you miss, you could plop it in the bunker, costing you a stroke or two. It’s not your everyday shot.

Below are five keys to hitting this shot:

Widen your stance
Set your weight on front side
Grip down on the club
Hold the club tighter
Take the club head up quickly
Play an explosion shot

The keys to hitting this shot are stabilizing the lower body and keeping the clubface from closing through impact. Another key is not trying to hit a miracle shot. You’re goal is to get on the green in one. So stay within yourself.

Select a club with a leading edge, like a pitching wedge, to cut through the grass. Then, widen your stance and set most of your weight on your front side, which restricts lower body movement.

Since the ball is well above your feet, choke down on the club and grip it a little harder than normal. These adjustments keep the club from twisting in your hands as it cuts through the tall grass and from flipping over when it hits the ground.

When you swing, take the clubhead up quickly and play an explosion shot, just as you would a greenside bunker shot. Also, accelerate the clubhead through the ball. Keep the face pointing skyward after impact.

You won’t face this shot many times in a season. But it’s good to know how to hit it anyway.
2) The Sand Chip

If you have two golfers of equal ability playing on the same course on the same day, chances are the player with the better short game racks up the lower score. One short-game area weekend golfers need to work on is bunker play. It takes practice to master this area of the game. Meantime, there’s an alternative to the normal bunker shot that gets you out in one: the sand chip.

Below are six keys to hitting the sand chip:

Raise the club on its toe
Play the ball off the back foot
Move the shaft forward
Place your weight on the front foot
Keep the wrists firm on the stroke
Make ball first contact

The key to hitting the sand chip is making ball first contact. Start by taking a normal stance and then raising the club on its toe. Raising the club makes the shaft more upright and lessens the chance of catching the sand during the shot. If you catch the sand, the shot will probably stay in the bunker.

Also, play the ball off your back foot and move your hands forward so the shaft points to your front shoulder, which helps produce a low running shot that tracks like a putt.

Make the stroke with as little wrist break as possible and with your weight on your front foot. These adjustments allow the club’s butt end and its clubface to move together back and then through the ball.

When swinging, guard against dropping down into the ball in an effort to lift the ball out of the bunker. This miscue—the most common made with the sand chip—destroys ball first contact.

The ball comes out of the bunker low and with lots of roll. So make sure you have a low bunker lip and plenty of green to work with.
3) Question of the Week – Stop Hitting It Fat

Q. Hello Jack, I find myself in a great position on the fairway. Then, I think I’ll take a nice easy iron, whether it’s a 7-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron, or PW, depending on the distance. Instead, I take a divot behind the ball and it flops 10-20 yards up the fairway. Can you offer any help and an explanation as to what I am doing wrong? I play left handed.

Thanks,
Alan Cardiff
South Wales

A. Thanks for the question, Alan. Your miscue is called hitting it fat. The reasons for hitting it fat apply no matter which way you hit.

One reason why you’re hitting it fat could be that you’re trying to take an easy swing. When we do that we sometimes throw off our rhythm and timing. Take a normal swing instead. Other reasons for hitting it fat are an excessively V-shaped swing, a tight lie, a rushed backswing, or a desire to scoop the ball.

To avoid hitting it fat, remember that:

* Ball position determines impact point. You want to strike the ball with a descending blow with your irons, so you should hit the ball just before the lowest point of the arc.

* Loft determines trajectory. There’s no need to scoop the ball or try to get under it. If you strike the ball properly, loft sends the ball skyward.

Also, when you hit, visualize a U-shaped swing, with a pronounced “flat spot” through impact. Use that visual as a guide. Then, focus on hitting the ball at the right impact point and taking a complete backswing.

Here’s a drill that help eliminate fat shots:

With an iron, take your normal stance and ground the club. Make a slight mark there. When you swing, try to create a shallow divot just past where you ground the club. Concentrate on executing a complete backswing and follow-through.

This drill helps improve rhythm and ballstriking. It also ensures that you hit the ball at the right impact point in your swing, curing you of an excessively V-shaped swing.

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/newsletter11182009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – Three Principles To Get Your Swing In Sync
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/three-principles-to-get-your-swing-in-sync.php

5) Article – Two Simple Exercises To Boost Power
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/two-simple-exercises-to-boost-power.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 11/12/09

jack — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:59:46 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Hit Driver Off The Deck
Beating Bermuda Grass
Question of the Week – Use This Drill To Finish Off The Swing
Article – Conquer The Perimeter For A Better Golf Handicap

Article – Find A Putting Grip That Works… And Then Change It

Hit Driver Off The Deck

When you’re in the fairway and need something that provides plenty of distance, one option is hitting driver off the deck. It flies low and goes a long way. Driver off the deck is ideal on long par 4s with a ton of yardage left or when going for the green in two on par 5s. It’s not your every day type of shot, of course. But it eats up yardage–if you can pull it off.

Below are five keys to hitting driver of the deck:

Use a slightly open stance
Position the ball forward
Keep your feet and body still
Focus on rotating your torso
Make a full shoulder turn

The secret to hitting driver off the deck is re-creating your setup position at impact. Make sure you keep your hands in front of your body and strive for full extension of your arms at impact and a balanced finish.

To start, adopt a slightly open stance and a ball position allowing you to pick it cleanly from the turf. Usually, this spot is just forward of a normally teed ball.

During takeaway, keep your feet and legs as quiet as possible. This provides a solid foundation to support the swing’s power. Also, focus on rotating your torso and making a full shoulder turn for power.

From the top, turn your back toward the target, use the ground to push off on, and transfer your weight to the inside of your front foot. Now, power your hands and clubhead into the impact zone.

Next time you find yourself with a ton of yardage to the green on a par 4 or par 5 and you need something low, consider hitting driver off the deck. It’s seldom used, but it works, if executed well.

Beating Bermuda Grass

The type of grass you play on important isn’t important. It’s critical. Just ask those golfers who play a lot on Bermuda grass–a major turf species installed in sports fields, lawns, parks, golf courses, and general utility turfs in Australia, Africa, India, and South America. It’s also popular in the Southern region of the United States, including Florida and Georgia. If you’re not accustomed to playing on Bermuda grass, you’ll be surprised at how it impacts your game.

Here are five tips on how to play on Bermuda grass

Use a normal stance
Play the ball back
Hit down and through
Follow through to a finish
Never try to scoop the ball

Bermuda grass grows aggressively in the sun’s direction. This characteristic creates a crook in its growing pattern that causes your ball to “sit up,” which in turn tempts you to try to scoop the ball from the grass. Never try to scoop the ball. Instead, use a normal stance, play the ball back a couple of inches, and hit down and through to a normal finish.

Bermuda grass also affects putting. Get a good read of the green’s grain. Know in which direction it’s running. And give the cup’s sides a good look. One half will look brown and ragged. The other half will look green and clean. The brown side is the side opposite the grain. Your putt will generally drift towards that side.

The type of grass you play is critical. If it’s not what you typically play on, find out what type it is and how it plays. Then adjust to compensate for the turf’s characteristics. It’ll save you a lot of strokes.

Question of the Week – Use This Drill To Finish Off The Swing

Q.I’m left-handed and having a hard time completing my backswing and getting a full shoulder turn. What’s a good drill to follow to get me to get my r/shoulder under my chin and then complete my downswing?

Many Thanks,
Edward

A. Thanks for the question, Edward. One reason golfers have problems like yours is that their strong sides dominate the swing. In your case, that’s your left side. The Let Go Drill helps equalize your sides and trains you to finish your swing off correctly. It’s a simple drill, but if practiced enough, works wonders.

Here’s the drill:

Swing slowly back to the top using a 7-iron. Make sure your make a full shoulder turn on the swing. As you swing through, let go of the club with your left-hand (right hand for right-handers). The club will fly through the impact zone and continue to a full finish. You can’t stop it. Repeat the drill until you feel you’ve trained your right arm (left arm) to keep moving and are finishing full on every shot.

Next, hit balls. Tee up every ball. Now swing. You should feel how doing the drill brings equality to your sides. When you hit shots, the right hand (left hand) leads the club into impact . You’ll be amazed just how far you can launch the ball down the fairway with just your left arm finishing the shot.

It may feel awkward at first practicing this drill, but you’ll get used to it. When it’s time to hit balls, focus on regaining the feel of equality you achieved in your practice sessions.

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

Here are some of my recent articles:

Article – Conquer The Perimeter For A Better Golf Handicap

Article – Find A Putting Grip That Works… And Then Change It

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 Tips and Instructions 11/04/09

jack — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:03:34 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

What’s In Your Bag

Five Keys To Hitting It Straighter

Question of the Week – Easy Fixes For Golfers Who Pull

Article – Maximizing Distance Off The Tee

Article – How To Become A Great Shotmaker (Part II)

What’s In Your Bag

If you’re just starting to play golf, you probably don’t care about what’s in your bag. But you should care. Carrying too many clubs can make a difference in your scores. It can create confusion when choosing a club to hit and cost you strokes. Carrying too many clubs can also slow down your rate of improvement. Smart golfers carry only the clubs that suit their games.

Below are five tips on what to carry in your bag:

Driving club with 13 to 16 degrees of loft
Fairway wood with 19 to 23 degrees of loft
Oversized irons with forgiving design
PW and SW with substantial bounce
Putter with heel-toe weighting

A good beginner’s set includes a driving club with 13-16 degrees of loft, with a regular-flex shaft of standard length. Using a 3-wood as your main driving club is a good idea for beginners. It’s shorter and easier to hit than a driver. Later, you can switch.

A good beginner’s set also includes a fairway wood, with loft of 19-23 degrees and a shaft with the same flex as your driving club. If you’re using a three wood off the tee, use a 5-wood in the fairway.

You should also carry a set of oversized irons (5, 7, 9) with a forgiving design, perimeter weighting, and low center of gravity. Choose irons with light, flexible shafts (graphite or steel). Also carry pitching and sand wedges with substantial bounce (12 degrees). The bounce helps prevent the leading edges from digging.

In addition, you should carry a putter that feels comfortable. You may be using this club for a long time. So you want it to feel good. Other putter features to look for are heel-toe weighting and a shaft length that fits your posture.

Golf lessons are important. But not as important as what you carry in your bag. If you’re new to golf, use a half set of clubs. Until you can hit those correctly, you don’t need any more.

Five Keys To Hitting It Straighter

Your goal on every hole should be to hit the green in regulation. That would leave you with a putt for birdie, or better still, an eagle. Hitting a green in regulation is hard if you can’t hit it straight. Hitting slices and/or hooks all the way down the fairway makes it difficult to reach the green in regulation. But a good swing combined with a good line of play should produce a straight shot.

Below are five keys to hitting straight shots:

Relax your right side
Memorize the line of play
Visualize the image of the target
Fix the line of play in mind
Start on the line of play

The mental preparation you do before you swing is critical to hitting straighter—and longer— shots. Begin at set-up by thinking about relaxing your right side (left side for lefties). The thought helps keep that side of your body lower through impact.

Next, visualize the line of play and commit it to memory. Create a visual image of this pathway in your mind. When it comes time to hit the ball, the path you want the ball to travel on is fixed in your mind.

In addition, start the club on the line of play. An on-line takeaway increases your chances of actually hitting the ball where you want and often helps compensate for a bad swing.

Triangle Takeaway Drill
This drill grooves a one-piece takeaway and helps you start the club on the line of play. Select a driver. Grip the clubshaft a few inches below the club’s handle and place the butt end of the club gently against your stomach, at a point just above your belt. Practice making small swings while concentrating on keeping your arms close to your sides with the club touching your navel.

Combining this drill with the mental keys described above will help you to hit straight and accurate shots with regularity. That’ can’t hurt your game.

Question of the Week – Easy Fixes For Golfers Who Pull

Q.You always have advice for slicers, but none for us “pullers.” I couldn’t slice in a million years, but I can “pull,” even hook, all day long. It’s more pronounced with my fairway woods. Help!

Roger
Council Bluffs, Iowa

A. Thanks for the question, Roger. Believe it or not, slices and pulls stem from the same fundamental swing flaw—approaching the ball on an out-to-in swing path. To eliminate pulls (and slices), you need to learn to swing on an in-to-out path and square off the position of the clubface through impact.

Try one or more of these fixes:

Close the overall alignment of your body
Close your clubface a little
Encourage your right arm (left arm for lefties) to close early in the swing
Encourage your right arm (left arm for lefties) to aggressively cross over your left (right).
Strengthen your grip

To strengthen your grip, move both hands to the club’s right until you can see three knuckles. Left-handers would move their hands to the club’s left.
Fixing a pull is often a case of trail and error. So you may have to try a combination of these fixes until you find the right answer. But the solution to your problem is there somewhere.

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:

Article - Maximizing Distance Off The Tee

Article - How To Become A Great Shotmaker (Part II)

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 Tips and Instructions 10/21/09

jack — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:51:43 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Throw Away Those Bunker Problems
Five Equipment Tips From The Pros
Question of the Week – Making Captain Hook Walk The Plank
Article – Sink More Putts With The Quiet Eye

Article – Five Match Play Strategies That Work

Throw Away Those Bunker Problems

The biggest obstacle to getting out of bunkers isn’t always physical. Sometimes it’s psychological. Many golfers execute the mechanics of a bunker shot perfectly. But after a bad shot or two, they become too tentative with their swings. That, in turn, causes them to mis-hit the shot, which costs them strokes.

Below are six tips to keep in mind when hitting from a bunker:

Open the clubface
Form the grip
Choke down on the club
Open the stance
Aim right of stance
Dig a solid foundation

The mechanics of bunker shots are straightforward. Start by opening the clubface first and then gripping the club. This ensures that the clubface stays open throughout the swing. Many weekend golfers do the opposite.

Also, choke down on the club to improve control and compensate for digging your feet into the sand. Digging your feet in tells you how soft the sand is and how the club will react when it enters the sand. Digging your feet in also provides a solid foundation, so you won’t slip when swinging.

Open your stance by pointing your feet, hips, and shoulders left of the target line (right of the target line for left-handers). Aim the clubface right of your stance, placing it in line with the target. Then, swing away.

Here’s where weekend golfers often mess up. Afraid of mis-hitting the shot, they take a half-hearted swing and either skull the shot or hit it fat. To prevent this, imagine yourself picking up a handful of sand and then throwing it back over your shoulders at the finish.

Visualizing this commits you fully to the shot, improves the shape of your swing, and allows your sand wedge to glide evenly through the sand, splashing the ball out softly on the green.

Don’t let bunker shots intimidate you. Adjust your stance to the type of sand in the bunker. Then, commit fully to the shot using the sand-tossing image. You’ll get out in one every time.

Five Equipment Tips From The Pros

How important is confidence to your game? Most experts say it’s a critical to playing well. Usually, you can boost confidence by practicing. But sometimes you can boost confidence by finding a club that feels just right. Since that’s hard to do, you may be forced to tailor your existing clubs to improve feel.

Below are five equipment tips employed by the pros to improve feel:

Shrink the putter grip
Tip the club’s shaft
Change shafts completely
Counterbalance the club
Check the driver’s clubface

Good putting requires a good touch. That’s especially true on the Tour, where the greens are fast and slick. To enhance feel, the pros will often fit their putters with thinner grips. Better feel can only improve your putting, not harm it.

Tipping refers to how a shaft is cut before being placed in the club head. Most times, players who shorten their clubs cut from the grip’s end. But for extra stiffness and increased control, the pros cut their shafts from where it’s inserted into the clubhead.

Today, shaft options exist for nearly every kind of player. If you want to imitate the pros, change your shafts to high-performance ones. Better yet, get fitted for your clubs by a clubfitter.

Counterbalancing a club adds weight away from the clubhead. That shifts the club’s balance point more toward the shaft’s middle, providing a more balanced feel. Look for counterbalanced shafts when buying clubs. Or, add lead tape.

Tour players carry drivers with either square faces or faces that are a few degrees open. These types of faces help prevent big hooks. Consider making the change if hooking is a major problem. But be careful, they also produce a lower ballflight.

Making equipment changes won’t guarantee you’ll shoot par next time you play. But it can boost your confidence. And confidence is vital to playing well, so anything that boosts it is worth considering.

Question of the Week – Making Captain Hook Walk The Plank

Q. Hello Jack, I’ve been playing golf for two or so years and have been trying hard to apply as many golf tips (plenty from you!) to my game as I can. I very rarely slice the ball, but instead I hook/draw the ball too often without getting the ball in the air (mostly from the fairway).

I’ve been told I use too much hip movement and take my eye off the ball, along with a too speedy backswing. Also, I’m not sure what my wrists should be doing in a full shot during back and forward swings.

Any tips would be appreciated!

Thanks
Mark Piper

A. Thanks for the question, Mark. Fixing a hook can be just as hard for some as correcting a slice is for others. To correct a hook, you must adjust your swing and then practice the new swing until it’s ingrained.

Basically, there are three ways to fix a hook:

Use a slicer’s grip
Hooking is sometimes due to excessive hand and wrist rotation through the downswing. So instead of hitting the ball with a squared clubface, you hit it with a closed one. If that’s why you hook, the cure is to adopt a slicer’s grip. At address, instead of having the two folds in your hands between both thumbs and index fingers pointing to the right shoulder (right-handers), point both folds more toward your sternum. The change prevents a too closed clubface at impact and encourages you to get more of your body into your swing.

Turn and burn
You may also be hooking because you fail to turn your body during your swing. When the body fails to turn, the clubface closes too fast, causing the ball to hook. To cure this problem, speed up your turn to the target. Increasing your body’s rate of rotation delays the closing of the clubface, eliminating the hook.

Equipment Changes
A third way to fix a hook is to through equipment changes. You could fatten your grips, making it more difficult for you to over-rotate your hands and hook the ball. Or, you might try shortening the shafts on your club. The shorter shafts make you stand a little more upright. You may lose some distance by doing this, but it’s better being on the fairway short than out of bounds long.
Any of these three approaches will correct your hook. The trick is discovering which one works for you. When you do, practice until it becomes second nature.

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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter10212009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:

Article- Sink More Putts With The Quiet Eye

Article - Five Match Play Strategies That Work

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 10/14/2009

jack — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:33:06 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Reading Break From Off The Green
Achieving A Good Swing Plane
Question of the Week – Hitting From a Bare Lie
Article – Five Golf Tips From An Old Caddy
Article – Fixing Your Game When Things Go Bust (Part II)

Reading Break From Off The Green

Playing from the fringe is trickier than it looks. Unfortunately, some weekend golfers take this shot for granted. Smart players don’t. They approach the shot with the idea not of sinking the shot, but of just getting it close. But dropping one in from off the fringe every so often saves strokes and boosts confidence.

Below are three golf tips for playing the fringe:

1. Play the same amount of break
2. Hitting a low running shot
3. Hitting a high shot onto the green

Next time you’re on the fringe, remember these three scenarios:

* If you’re putting from the fringe (or hitting a low or high shot) that’s going to land on the fringe, play the same amount of break as you would for a putt. Be sure to take into account the direction of the fringe’s grass. If the grass is dark, the grain is against you. It will slow down your ball. If the fringe is shiny, the grain is with you. It will speed up the ball.

* If you’re hitting a low running shot with a low lofted club, a fairway wood, or a hybrid, the amount of break depends on the slope of your landing area. Low shots hit with these clubs travel faster than those hit with wedges. Thus, the slope in the line will affect your ball less, at least until the ball slows down as it approaches the hole.

* If you’re hitting a high shot onto the green with a short iron or wedge, keep in mind that shots with these clubs travel slower than those hit with less lofted irons. That means they’ll be more affected by the slope in the line.

Don’t take the shot from the fringe for granted. Study the break carefully and put a good shot on it. Sinking one from the fringe saves you at least one stroke and sometimes two. It also boosts your confidence.

Achieving A Good Swing Plane

Some experts consider swing plane the most important concept in golf. Others disagree. But one thing is clear: achieving the correct swing plane is critical to solid ballstriking. Staying on plane in golf relates directly to how straight, high, and far you hit the ball.

Below are five keys to a great swing plane:

1. Rotate your upper body against steady hips
2. Retain the triangle formed at takeaway
3. Keep the hands parallel to the target line
4. Maintain the bend in your knees
5. Don’t move the club behind you

To envision a perfect swing plane, imagine a dotted line drawn from the ball through the club shaft and grip. This is your swing plane line. The club should remain on this dotted line on the same plane angle through takeaway until the club shaft is parallel to the ground. From there, the club may move slightly off plane as you complete your backswing. This is natural.

At the top, the transition from backswing to downswing drops the club back on the dotted line so the club approaches the ball on the same plane as before. The rotation of your forearms through impact keeps the club on line well into the finish. While the bend in your knees formed at address creates a solid platform to support your return. Don’t allow the club to get behind you or under the swing plane during your backswing.

Swing Plane Drill:
Grip down on the shaft of a short iron so that the club’s butt end almost touches your belly. As you swing back, maintain the triangle formed by your hands and forearms by keeping the butt end of the club pointing at your belly until the head is just outside your back foot. As you start our downswing the drop your arms so the butt end of the club points away from your belly. This is the correct delivery position.

Do this drill correctly and your clubface will remain square and on plane. As a secondary check make sure the club head lies outside the hands and your top arm sits above your bottom arm.

No one has a perfect swing plane. But good ballstrikers keep the club on plane throughout the key parts of the takeaway and follow-through.

Question of the Week – Hitting From a Bare Lie

Q. Hello Jack, Thank you for all your advice. What are you supposed to do when you’re 50 yards from the pin on a bare lie? I find sand wedge has so much risk (topping/thinning etc.) that it’s just too much trouble. Yet, you’re too far out for a putt/chip. It looks like a sitter at that range — but it seldom is.

Best regards,
Tony

A. Hitting from a bare with a sand wedge is risky. It’s an easy shot to botch, since the ground is less forgiving than the grass. So you want to be as conservative as possible with the shot.

To avoid a mis-hit, use a 9-iron instead of a sand wedge. A 9-iron has a sharp leading edge, which cuts through the back of the ball, but offers less risk than the sand wedge. Also, use more of a chopping motion when you swing. Aim for the lower half of the ball when you swing. You want to hit the ball cleanly off the ground.

Otherwise, you don’t need to make many other adjustments. Take your normal stance, put your weight on the front foot, position the ball toward the back of your stance, and place your hands in front of the ball.

You must practice the shot to perfect it. Pick a spot about 50 yards from the green with a hardpan lie. Take the setup described above except with no ball. Practice by sticking the club in the ground using an up-and-down motion, instead of a back-and-forth one. After taking several practice swings, drop a ball on the hardpan and hit away using the same motion.

Repeat this sequence until you hit clean shots regularly. Don’t worry about distance or accuracy in the beginning. It will come as you master the shot.

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:

Article – Five Golf Tips From An Old Caddy

Article - Fixing Your Game When Things Go Bust (Part II)

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 Instructions 09/23/09

jack — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:53:42 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Save Strokes from Hillside Lies
Hitting the 3-Wood High Or Low
Question of the Week – Conquering Those Long Bunker Shots
Article – Four Keys To A Perfect Swing
Article – Become A Lights Out Putter With A Practice Routine

Save Strokes from Hillside Lies

Golfers botch hillside lies for two reasons: They either fail to make solid contact on or lose their balance during the shot. The reason: With sidehill and downhill lies, you tend to lean into the hill as you swing. The result: an inconsistent array of fat and thin shots. But if you make clean contact on hillside lies, you’ll hit it straighter and save strokes.

Below are four keys to making clean contact with hillside lies:

Adjust your club selection
Adjust your ball position
Flare your downhill foot
Make your normal shot

The key to this shot is making sure your shoulders match the hill’s slope, which you can do with a simple adjustment of your front foot.

Start by choosing your club. An uphill lie adds loft to your club. Use a less lofted club. A downhill lie subtracts loft from your club. Use a more lofted club.

Adjust your ball position as well. For an uphill lie, play the ball forward an inch or two. For a downhill lie, play the ball in the middle of your stance or slightly back.

Finally, match your shoulders to the slope without losing your balance. Do this by flaring your front foot about 45 degrees. Then swing normally.

Your flared foot evens out your stance and puts the ball at the bottom of your swing. This keeps you from slamming your clubhead into the hill or the center of your ball. A flared foot also gives you more freedom of movement in your backswing and makes you feel balanced while swinging.

Don’t let hillside lies throw you. Make solid contact by (1) adjusting your club selection and ball position, and (2) matching your shoulders to the slope by flaring your front foot. Learn to make clean contact on hillside lies and odds are you’ll eliminate those extra shots that pad your scores.

Hitting the 3-Wood High Or Low

One course I play has two different types of par 5s. Both greens are reachable from the fairway in two with a 3-wood. But on one you must go over a small pond to reach the green. On the other you have nothing but fairway between you and the green. On the first you want to hit a high shot that falls softly on the green. On the second you want to hit a low shot that runs to the green.

Here are five keys to hitting the 3-wood from a tight fairway lie:

Play the ball back in your stance
Sweep the ball off the turf
Hit with a descending blow
Shift your weight to the front side
Swing through the ball

The key to hitting different shots with the 3-wood is to adjust your stance, not your swing, to achieve the lofts you need. In fact, it’s almost always better adjust your stance than change your swing.

For the high shot over the water, play the ball a little more forward in your stance and drop your hands slightly at address. Also place a bit more weight over your back foot by tilting your spine away from your target. These adjustments position you perfectly to sweep the ball off the turf while adding loft to your clubface.

To play a shot with a lower, more piercing trajectory, do the opposite. Position the ball where you’d play a mid-iron and set more weight on your forward leg. These adjustments de-loft the club at impact and produce the lower ball flight you need to run the ball to the green.

Adjusting your stance to achieve a different shot with the 3-wood is the preferred option when you need different ball flights from the same club. It’s both safer and easier to execute this move than changing your swing.

Question of the Week – Conquering Those Long Bunker Shots

Q. Hi Jack, I get out of greenside bunkers fairly easily, but the longer bunker shots are a problem. What do you suggest for a 25- to 50-foot bunker shot?

Robert K Mokros
Spring Hill, Florida

A. Thanks for the question, Robert. The goal with a long bunker shot is to hit the ball high and drop it softly on the green.

Using a normal set-up, position the ball just inside your front heel, open your stance slightly, and grip down on the club, applying light to moderate pressure. Point the clubface at the target and the shaft’s butt at your stomach.

As you start back, cup the back of your left wrist (right wrist for lefties). This adds loft to the clubface. On the way down, maintain the cup of the left for a long as possible. Feel as if you’re pulling down with the left arm. Then lock the back of the left wrist, allowing the clubface to slide through sand without it closing.

Finally, let your hands and wrist fall together as the body weight shifts to the outside of the front foot. Keep your head behind the ball by trying to peek under it at impact.

You’ll need a lot of backspin with this shot. So use a wide arc during your backswing by keeping your hands as far from your shoulders as possible. Also, use an inside-to-square-to-inside swing path.

Execute the golf tips explained above and you’ll hit a long bunker shot that drops softly on the green.

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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter09232009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:
Article – Four Keys To A Perfect Swing

Article – Become A Lights Out Putter With A Practice Routine

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 Instructions 08/26/09

jack — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:43:08 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Slide and Turn For Distance
Sticking It With A Hybrid
Question of the Week – Increasing Driving Accuracy
Article – Five Keys For A Simple Swing
Article – A Simple Plan To Improve Your Short Game

Jack’s Note: Golf’s playoffs are finally here… the Fedex Cup. I am personally nota huge fan of it because I think the real trophies are the four majors. But I will say it keeps the season interesting.

How much is a good golf lesson worth? It really depends on how bad you want to improve I guess. And now we have a way you can get seven of those priceless lessons for about half of what a normal lesson would cost.

Slide and Turn For Distance

To really drive the ball, you must make a full shoulder turn. By doing so you assure proper weight transfer and boost the chances of swinging on the correct plane. Both things lead to increased distance. But if you’re going to drive the ball, you also must employ your hips properly.

Below are the five keys to employing your hips properly:

Make a smooth transition
Start down with your hips
Slide hips slightly toward the target
Shift weight to front foot
Return front foot to ground

To hit for power, you must retain the front-side tension built up in the backswing. Ultimately, the tension creates the clubhead speed needed to drive the ball. To retain that tension at the start of the downswing, you must move forward with your hips, slide them slightly toward the target, and then uncoil them back to the left. In other words, slide then turn your hips at the same time.

Also, as you start forward, shift your weight onto your front foot, and return your front heel, pulled up on the backswing, to the ground. During the hip slide-turn, keep your arms and shoulders in the same position they were in at the top of the swing. You can feel the tension of the backswing coil as you complete this sequence.

The best players actually start forward with the hips before the upper body has quite completed the backswing. But that requires perfect timing, so it’s best that weekend golfers slide then turn to start the downswing. Below is a drill that helps improve your shoulder turn:

Get a driver or an iron and take your normal stance. Tuck a golf ball under your back armpit. Now swing the club. If you move your arms without turning properly, the ball drops out. If you execute the turn properly, the ball remains in your armpit throughout the backswing.

This drill teaches you to keep your arms from separating during the backswing. From there, it’s just a matter of following the sequence described above. If you do that, you should start getting additional distance from your drives.

Sticking It With A Hybrid

For those who watched the final round of the PGA Championship, the shot of the day was Y.E Yang’s chip-in for an eagle. It gave him a one shot lead over Tiger Woods, which Yang never lost. But an equally critical shot was Yang’s second shot on the 18th—a hybrid draw to within 12 feet of the pin. That shot was just as important and dramatic as the chip-in because it sealed the win. It’s a great shot to be able to hit on command. Let’s review the shot’s keys:.

Below are six keys to hitting the hybrid draw:

Adopt a closed stance
Hood the clubface
Follow an inside path
Hit down, not up
Stop short of parallel
Turn the hands over

You have to make some minor adjustments to hit a good hybrid draw. Begin by setting up with the ball slightly back in a closed stance. To ensure a low, right-to-left ball flight (for right-handers), hood the clubface by turning its toe toward the target. To hit a higher, hybrid draw, position the clubface square to the ball, and put a little more weight on your back foot. Also, move the ball slightly forward.

When swinging, concentrate on taking the club back inside. Pull the club back as usual, but stop well short of parallel on your backswing. Once you get to the top, swing down, as if you were hitting an iron off the fairway. Turn your hands over on the way through the ball, with the right hand eventually resting on the left. Also, maintain the slight bend that occurs in your right wrist all the way through impact.

Of course, you’ll need to practice a hybrid draw to ingrain the feeling of hitting one solidly. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to hit the hybrid draw on command. It’s a good safe shot to have in your bag of tricks.

Question of the Week – Increasing Driving Accuracy

Q. Hi Jack, My main problem with my woods is a fade. Occasionally, I hit a slice with my woods. The driver is the worst. My 3-wood is the better of the woods, at 60-70% accuracy. With my irons I usually reach the greens in regulation. I have broken my handicap in my last three rounds and used metals for no more that five strokes. Currently playing off 23 my goal is to reach 10. This will require more accuracy with my drivers. Any suggestions?

Regards
Geoff Dening

A. Thanks, Geoff. Accuracy is about balance, control, and rhythm. So when it comes to my students, I generally tell them: Keep your swing on plane, maintain good rhythm, and control your clubface. Don’t lift your right heel (for right-handed golfers) too high. Don’t pin your right elbow to your body. And feel your right shoulder hit your chin as you make contact with the ball.”

If I had to give mental tips, I would keep the five tips below in mind the next time you have to hit the fairway:

Don’t assume your going to hit a perfect shot
Relax. Don’t allow tension to creep into your set-up
Tee up on the side of trouble to guard against a bad shot
Aim for a clear definite target within reach
Don’t worry about distance. Accuracy is the priority.

Keeping these mental tips in mind and using proper swing mechanics will help improve your accuracy.

Here’s a drill used by Davis Love III to improve accuracy. His father taught it to him when the son was young. The father had young Davis work on hitting 125 yards shots and then 150-yard shots while taking a full driver swing. Once Davis learned this, he progressed to 175, 200, and 250 yards. The drill lengthens your swing arc, helps develop great control, and creates a heightened sense of rhythm.

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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter08262009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:
Article – Five Keys For A Simple Swing

Article – A Simple Plan To Improve Your Short Game

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 07/03/09

jack — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:07:31 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Hitting A Long Explosion Shot
Hitting A Flop Shot From Bare Ground
Question of the Week – Hitting A Ball Above Your Feet
Article – Which Shot Hits The Spot?
Article – Swing Keys Help Trim Golf Handicap

Hitting A Long Explosion Shot

A greenside bunker 20 to 30 yards from the pin isn’t where you want to be with an approach shot or a drive. But even the best of us find ourselves there occasionally. The long explosion shot from a distant bunker is one of the hardest shots for weekend golfers to make, if not the hardest.

Below are six tips for hitting a long explosion shot:

Close your stance instead of opening
Widen your stance a couple of inches
Work your feet firmly into the ground
Concentrate on just skimming the sand
Rotate the clubface open to closed

The keys to this shot are two adjustments in your stance. Since you want to make a long accelerating swing, you need a firm foundation. Widening your stance helps. So does working your feet into the ground. But don’t work them in so much that you can’t move them. In addition, close your stance. Your feet should be parallel. That lengthens your swing and makes it easier to bring the club into the ball from inside the line of play.

Use your sand wedge for this shot and focus on just skimming the sand as you go through the ball. Also, rotate the clubface from open to closed on the downswing, which you can do by turning your right hand over your left through impact. Incorporating these adjustments into your stance helps you hit an accurate shot.

We can’t stop ourselves from landing in a bunker 20 to 30 yards from the green. No one can. But good golfers get out in one. Hitting a long explosion shot will help you do that, keep your scores in check, and trim strokes from your golf handicap.

Hitting A Flop Shot From Bare Ground

Phil Mickelson hits accurate flop shots from difficult lies—including bare ground. Hitting a flop shot from bare ground is a challenge. It’s also risky. If you mis-hit it, it can cost you strokes big time. That’s why golfers stay away from hitting a flop shot from this type of lie. But when you have to do it, a flop shot from bare ground can help turn three strokes into two.

Below are six keys to hitting a flop shop from bare ground:

Use a lob wedge with minimal bounce
Keep the shaft vertical or leaning away
Swing your arms to the left (right for left-handers)
Swing longer for higher shots
Keep legs quiet throughout the shot
Complete your follow-through

The secret to hitting a flop shot from bare ground is the wedge’s sole. Use a lob wedge with a sole that has minimal bounce—especially in the heel. Bounce is the flange on the club’s sole that extends below the leading edge. To hit a good shot, you must use the bounce effectively.

Also, keep the shaft vertical or slightly leaning away from the target, which means your hands will be even with or slightly behind the ball. Keeping the shaft vertical exposes the club’s bounce and enables its leading edge to slide under the ball. You want the trailing edge to go into the ground.

And keep your legs quiet from start to finish. On the follow-through, swing your arms to the left (right for right-handers). This prevents the club from de lofting and bouncing off the ground and into the ball. Remember, the longer your swing the higher the ball goes. But it travels only slightly farther.

This approach to hitting a flop shot works for any lie. Of course, there’s no flop shot approach that’s fail-safe. That’s why you need to be judicious about when you use it. But if you’re going to use it, make sure you commit to the shot before swinging.

Question of the Week – Hitting A Ball Above Your Feet

Q. Dear Jack, My question is, whenever I have a shot where my feet are lower than the ball I tend to take more dirt than I would like to, loosing all power and distance.

Help?
Judy Siblock
Northern Ontario, Canada

A. Thanks for the question, Judy. Hitting a ball above your feet is simply a matter of making a few adjustments.

Three things can happen when you don’t make the right adjustments. First, since the ball automatically moves left to right, you’ll pull the shot out of bounds. Second, on shots above your feet, you can shift your upper body forward during the swing and come into the ball at a lower than normal, hitting the ball fat. Third, you can lose your balance and pop out of you stance, resulting in a weak slice.

To hit a ball above your feet, adjust your stance so you’re aiming right of the flagstick, which compensates for the tendency to pull the ball left. Center your weight above your arches feet, not on the balls of your feet, which helps you swing along the slope and stay in balance throughout the shot. And keep your posture constant so you can maintain the same spine angle you set at address through impact. You can also choking down on the club.

Make these adjustments next time you have this type of lie and you’ll hit the ball solidly.

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

Here are some of my recent articles:

Which Shot Hits The Spot?

Swing Keys Help Trim Golf Handicap

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 & Instruction 6/17/09

jack — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:11:58 +0000

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie
Three Critical Decisions On Short Pitches
Question of the Week – Overcoming Bunker Shot Blues
Article – Strengthen Shoulders To Lower Golf Handicap
Article – Re-Thinking Strategy Off Tee

Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie

A sidehill lie into the green is a delicate shot. But miss it and you can add two or more strokes to your score. You must factor in not only the distance to the green, but also the effects of the sidehill lie. The biggest danger is taking a straight-back backswing into the slope. That’s the quickest way to shank the shot and tack strokes onto your score.
Below are five keys to this shot:

Plan your shot based on the lie
Match your stance to the shot
Center the ball in your stance
Distribute your weight evenly
Shape your swing to the slope

Plan your shot based on what you expect. If the ball is above your feet, the ball will hook. It the ball is below your feet, the ball will fade. Also consider the club being used. With longer irons the ball will hook or fade more than with shorter clubs.

Now, match your stance and swing to the slope.

If the ball is above your feet, address the ball with a slightly closed stance, position the ball in the center, and distribute your weight evenly. Take the club back on an inside-out path. That will produce a drawing trajectory.
If the ball is below your feet, set up with a slightly open stance, position the ball in the center, and distribute your weight evenly. But use an outside-in path to the ball. That will produce a fading trajectory.
If the ball is in the rough, expect a straighter shot than from the fairway. The grass will catch and turn the clubface. That’s means you can take a more aggressive line at the pin. Just don’t over do it.

Knowing what to expect from this type of lie is half the battle. The other half is matching your stance and swing to the slope. Plan your shot accordingly and knock it close to save strokes.

Three Critical Decisions On Short Pitches

Golfers often commit two costly mistakes on short pitches. They square their stances and they open their clubfaces. Both hurt the shot big time. A square stance leads to a steeper swing and an open clubface shanks the ball sideways. But asking yourself three key questions before making the shot and you’re chances of hitting it close rise dramatically. Use this a routine whenever you have a short pitch.

The questions are

What kind of shot do I hit?
What’s the best club for the shot?
What kind of swing do I use?

Many golfers choose the wrong club, use the wrong shot, and/or employ the wrong technique on short pitches. Check your lie carefully on short pitches before choosing your club. The lie is good if you can slide the ball under the club. A good lie allows you to use a more lofted club, like a 60-dgree wedge, for maximum touch.

Also, open your stance. This pre-rotates your body to the target. That in turn keeps your swing shallow and helps the club slide through the grass.

Now, play the ball off your front heel and open the clubface. Swing down along your stance. And don’t flip the club. There’s no need. You have plenty of loft to get the ball in the air. It comes out high and soft, just like you want.

Don’t commit two common mistakes on short pitches. It just adds strokes to your score. Before hitting, ask yourself the three questions mentioned above. Answering them will help you choose the right club, the right shot, and the right technique.

After that, it’s just a matter of applying the right amount of touch to hit it close, saving a stroke or two on the hole.

Question of the Week – Overcoming Bunker Shot Blues

Q. Dear Jack, Even though I try to apply all that I can read about bunker shots around the green, I still either skull the ball over the green, or I hit too far behind the ball and it stays in the bunker. The result is frustration. Do I need a lesson?

Thanks,
Archie Buie

A. Thanks for the question, Archie. Golf lessons never hurt. In many cases, they help a great deal. But there are drills you can do on your own to improve your bunker game, in addition to studying technique and reading golf tips.

Below are two exercises for improving their bunker technique:

* This drill establishes how the sand wedge should really work. Stand in a practice bunker without a ball. Adopt your normal bunker stance and take several swings down into the sand. The object is to get the feel of the clubhead dragging through the sand, not digging into it. After a dozen shots, try hitting a ball. Pick out a spot where you want the ball to land and then go for it. Repeat the exercise until you’re comfortable with the feel of the wedge splashing through the sand.

* The Two Lines drill eliminates the tendency to lose focus during the shot. Stand in a bunker and take your normal bunker stance. Now draw two lines in the sand, about six or seven inches apart. The lines represent the length of the sand you should carve from under the ball. Line up several balls between the two lines, and then hit them. The clubhead should enter the sand where the first line is and emerge where the second line is.
Practicing these two exercises builds better bunker technique. As you improve your technique, you’ll increase your confidence in the shot. And confidence leads to a lower score per round and a lower golf handicap.

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Strengthen Shoulders To Lower Golf Handicap

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Until next time,

Go Low!

Jack

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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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