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.

If you’ve got a golf question you’d like answered, send an email to us at questions@howtobreak80.com and we’ll review it. I can’t guarantee that we’ll use it but if we do, we’ll make sure to include your name and where you’re from.
If you want to truly discover the secrets of shooting like the Pros and creating a more reliable and consistent swing, check out: http://www.HowToBreak80.com

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

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article – Four 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.

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:

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?

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.

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 – 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

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 and Shoot Like the Pros!”. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicaps quickly. His free weekly newsletter goes out to thousands of golfers worldwide and provides the latest golf tips, strategies, techniques and instruction on how to improve your golf game.

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) 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.

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 – 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.

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.

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 – 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

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.