In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Making The Ball Sit
2) Never Top It Again
3) Question of the Week - Ladder Drill Grooves Putting Stroke
4) Article - Knock It Home When Between Clubs
5) Article - Oakland Hills To Test PGA’s Best

Jack’s Note: Hopefully you guys enjoyed the videos I sent recently on adding power and distance to your game. If you missed them you can see the first one here and the second one here.

As I said earlier this week, next week I’ve got a brand new DVD coming called “Maximum Distance” next Tues. the 12th. We’ve been working on it for over 6 months and it’s without a doubt the single best DVD we have created. Over 90 minutes of pure distance techniques and strategies that can help even the shortest of hitters. Really good stuff folks.

And I’ll be giving away some great golf stuff too so be sure to take a look. Talk to you soon!

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1) Making The Ball Sit
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You’re about 20 yards from the hole, with a bunker between you and the pin. Or, maybe it’s a stream or a bush. Whatever it is, you have to hit over it to reach the green. What you need to do is to hit a shot that carries the bunker and sits when it hits. In the past, you’ve either flubbed this shot and grounded the ball into the bunker or skulled it and drove the ball over the green. But some minor adjustments will change that.

Here are six keys to hitting this shot:

1. Focus on making solid contact
2. Place your feet closer together
3. Keep your arms loose and extended
4. Move your hands inside the target line
5. Brush the grass in front of the ball
6. Minimize your wrist hinge

Making solid contact is a must on this shot. Place your feet closer together, position the ball in the middle of your stance, and lean your body toward the target. You want your head in front of the ball. This sets you up perfectly so you can come down sharply into impact. Hitting down on the ball pops you over the obstruction.

When you swing, keep your arms loose, as if they’re extending through impact, and swing your hands left of the target after impact (right of the target, if your left-handed). If you swing your hands toward the target at impact, you might shank the shot. Make sure the clubhead never gets higher than your hands from start to finish. In other words, minimize wrist hinge. Try to brush the grass in front of the ball.

All your wedges have the loft to carry the bunker. You don’t need to flip or scoop the ball over it. Focus, instead, on hitting the ball low.

Learn to hit this shot and you’ll save yourself a ton of strokes over your golfing career. The ball will carry the bunker and sit when it comes down.

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2) Never Top It Again
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Topping the ball in the fairway is among the more common swing faults of weekend golfers. Toping has various causes. Overswinging often causes men to top. Lack of flexibility often forces seniors to top. And trying to scoop the ball in the air often makes women top a shot. Whatever the cause, topping costs you some embarrassing moments and a stroke or two on the hole. The key to eradicating this swing fault is hitting down on the ball.

Below are three drills that help cure topping:

* The Cup Drill
* Hit The Bag Drill
* Over The Bag Drill

The Cup Drill helps cure even the worst case of topping. This drill is more of a visualization exercise than anything else. Take your normal stance with a wood or iron. Position the ball appropriately for the club you’re using. Now imagine there’s a cup a few feet in front of the ball. Try hitting the ball into the cup. The drill forces you to keep the ball low.

The Hit The Bag Drill is a different version of the Cup Drill. Instead of visualizing a cup two or three feet in front of you, lay your golf bag in that position. Now take a 7-iron and try chipping a ball into the bag.

Once you’ve groove the feeling of chipping shots into your bag, try the Over The Bag Drill. Lay your bag in front of you as in the previous drill, but instead of hitting the ball into the bag, hit full shots just over the bag using a 7-iron.

These drills force you to do the one thing that’s guaranteed to stop all topping: Hitting down on the ball. Master this swing fundamental and you’ll be well on your way to never topping again.

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3) Question of the Week - Ladder Drill Grooves Putting Stroke
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Q. Dear Jack, What is the ladder drill for practicing your short game?

Thanks,
Jim Wilson

A. Thanks for the question, Jim. The ladder drill is a great. Designed to help you improve your putting, it’s one of the best drills around for curing the yips. That’s when a person has a problem sinking putts three to four feet out or less. Here’s how the drill works:

On the practice green, find a straight in, slightly uphill putt. Align 10 tees in a row a foot apart from the hole out. Put a few golf balls next to each tee. Play a game and begin putting starting from 1 foot out. The rules are: If you make the putt at 1 foot, progress to tee at 2 feet and so on. If you happen to miss a putt, regress to the previous tee. Try to graduate all the way up to the tenth tee.

Use your imagination to create slightly different versions of the game to maintain interest. The drill reinforces confidence by repeating success. It also grooves your putting stroke. You will make far more short putts than you miss using this system. Enough practice with the drill will carry over into your next round of golf.
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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter08062008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Knock It Home When Between Clubs
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/knock-it-home-when-between-clubs.html

5) Article - Oakland Hills To Test PGA’s Best
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/oakland-hills-to-test-pgas-best.html

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/newsetter.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.

By Jack Moorehouse

The hybrid is THE club of the last decade. It’s become so popular that most golfers have one in their bags. In fact, almost every student I give golf lessons to has one. Some even have two. If they don’t, I advise them to get one. The hybrid is among the most versatile of all clubs. It’s ideal for a wide variety of shots and is shorter and easier to hit than longer irons. In the hands of a good player, the hybrid cuts strokes from a golf handicap.

While chopping strokes off one’s handicap is driving the hybrid’s popularity, the real key to success is finding one that’s right for you. Generally, golfers buy hybrids “off the rack” from a Dick’s or a Golfers Warehouse. But the hybrid is so much in demand these days that manufacturers are now offering iron sets with hybrids integrated into them. So what’s better? Buying one off the rack or buying a set of irons with an integrated hybrid? That depends.

Eliminate Yardage Gaps
Most golfers who have a hybrid bought them separately from either a local sporting goods store or a golfer’s warehouse. To make it work, they added it to their bag and dropped their 3-iron and 4-iron. In buying the club, they probably gave no thought to whether the hybrid fits into their iron set or not. If the club felt good in their hands, they bought it. While this approach is cost-effective, it may not be the best way of buying a hybrid.

The key to a good set of irons is eliminating yardage gaps and tailoring the set to your game. Buying a club separately from a sporting good’s store doesn’t always help with either of those things. As one golf magazine points out, “buying a club because its loft seems to be next in line with your iron set isn’t the best way of eliminating yardage gaps in the set.” The goal is to assemble a set that builds “a consistency of gapping and trajectory by using all the variables at your disposal.”

The problem is that weekend golfers don’t look at things the same way as manufacturers do when it comes to golf clubs. Weekend golfers, as I’ve mentioned in my golf tips, often neglect key factors, like face consideration (the distance between the club’s leading edge and the shaft axis) and shaft weight, that can dramatically impact how they play. In other words, they forget to make sure the club matches the others in their set. That opens them up to potential yardage gaps. What’s more, differences between clubs are sometimes subtle. These differences have to be accounted for as well. For example, one manufacturer’s shaft lengths are an eighth of an inch longer than the traditional half-inch found on most iron sets. This design, the manufacturer feels, provides a better approach to eliminating yardage gaps for golfers with high golf handicaps than traditional irons. Adding a hybrid to this set, even if it’s from the same manufacturer, may not account for these subtleties. With an integrated set, the manufacturer automatically accounts for them in production.

Buying An Integrated Set
To get the most out of an integrated hybrid set, you have to make some hard decisions, like what type of player you are, before buying. Most integrated iron sets are made for weekend golfers with high golf handicaps. That means they’re game improvement clubs. However, more and more sets are being made for players with mid- and even low golf handicaps. These sets lack the design advantages found in sets designed for players with higher handicaps that can radically affect your play. In other words, don’t buy a set of irons designed for a low handicapper, if you have a high golf handicap.

Hybrids Benefit All
Nevertheless, hybrids are great clubs. A recent study done by a manufacturer indicates that a hybrid benefits everyone. The study shows that even scratch golfers hit 3-iron lofted hybrids as much as seven yards father than a conventional 3-iron. The mid-handicappers hit a hybrid farther and cleaner than their 3-irons and 4-irons. And the high handicappers saw benefits in the 3-iron, 4-iron, and 5-iron range.

But you need to find a hybrid that’s right for you to get the full benefit. So what do you do if you want to buy a hybrid? If you have the time and interest in searching for a hybrid that matches up with the rest of your set in terms of feel weight, length, and distance, you can probably get a good deal on one. If you don’t have the time or interest, you may be better buying an irons set with an integrated hybrid. Either way, make sure whatever you buy fits your game.

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 handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

In this issue we’ll discuss…

1) Draining Fast Downhill Putts
2) Trashing Hooks and Slices
3) Question of the Week - Hitting Into The Wind
4) Article - Are New Irons In Your Future?
5) Article - Scoring With The Sand Wedge

Jack’s Note: Hopefully you all enjoyed that video I sent earlier this week on adding distance and the single biggest mistake that leaks power. We’ve gotten a TON of positive feedback so I’m glad you like it. You can see the video here. I’ll be sending out another one in the next couple of days that goes into more drills on distance so look out for that one. In the meanwhile, hope you’re playing your best!

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1) Draining Fast Downhill Putts
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Fast downhill putts are dangerous. Hit them too hard and they’ll sail well past the hole, leaving you with a long uphill putt. If the slope is severe enough, they’ll roll right off the green and into the rough, forcing you to chip back to the hole. Either way, they can cost you strokes. But you can drain more of these putts, or at least leave them close, if you know what you’re doing.

Below are five keys to sinking fast downhillers:

* Make it a straight putt
* View the putt from the side
* Find the “breakpoint”
* Use your imagination
* Commit to the shot

The key to sinking a fast downhiller is making it a straight putt. To do that, you must find the putt’s “breakpoint” or “speed spot”—the point at which the ball starts traveling down to the hole. Once you’ve determined that, focus on putting straight to that point with the right speed. Let gravity do the rest.

To find the breakpoint, walk halfway between the hole and the ball. View the putt from there and try to get a sense of the slope’s severity. Find the breakpoint. Use your imagination to view how the ball will behave from this point on. Once you’ve developed this mental picture, return to the ball and take some practice swings.

The breakpoint is now your hole. Forget about the real hole. Instead, focus on hitting the breakpoint with the right speed.

Also, make sure you commit to the putt. If you don’t, you’ll leave it short, forcing you to make another tricky downhill putt. Putt with confidence and you’ll drain more downhillers or leave the ball close enough for a tap-in.

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2) Trashing Hooks and Slices
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You have to be very precise to hit a golf ball perfectly straight. As most golfers know, it’s easier hitting a draw or a fade than a straight shot. But nobody wants to hook it or slice it. These shots only get you in trouble.

If you’re an inside-out swinger and you hit more hooks than straight shots or you’re an outside-in swinger and hit more slices straight shots, below is a simple drill that helps straighten out your iron shots:

Take a small trash bucket with you next time you go to the range. Use your 7-iron or your 6-iron and hit some shots with the trash bucket placed just inside the big toe of your back foot, with the longer sides parallel to the target line.

If you hit the bucket with your right knee, you’re committing a fundamental error that’s contributing to your hook or slice. Your back knee is moving out to the right of the target. It should be moving straight ahead or even slightly left of the target if you’re right-handed (right of the target, if your left-handed).

Moving the knee properly is key to hitting an iron straight. It allows you to roll the inside of your back foot. More importantly, it lets you shift your weight and spin your hips correctly, providing leverage. When your back knee moves out instead of straight ahead or slightly left, you lose leverage for the shot. Being stuck on the back leg also contributes to hooks and slices.

Next time you’re at the range, try the bucket drill. It will help you hit iron shots straight. Think about moving the back knee forward. Moving your knee forward instead of out will trash those hooks and slices.

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3) Question of the Week - Hitting Into The Wind
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Q. Dear Jack, Thanks for the very informative newsletters. They’ve vastly improved my game. I’m stretching my irons 20 yards further than before. I never thought I could hit my 7-iron 167-170 yards. My question is how do I control ballflight? My balls go really high (still with distance) and flop to the greens. I’m hitting down on the ball and divots are after the ball spot. My friends get distance with the same clubs, but the flight is completely different. The disadvantage with my ball flight comes when it’ s windy.

Thanks,
Vernon Harris
Philippines

A. Thanks for the question, Vernon. The key to playing well on windy days is controlling ball flight. Here are some tips: When it comes to club selection, personal experience is generally a better barometer than the yardage book on windy days. In general, use more club in a headwind and less in a tailwind.

Also, you don’t need to make radical changes to your swing. You just need to make some minor adjustments. Here are six keys to hitting when it’s windy:

1. Maintain a smooth rhythm to your swing
2. Focus on transferring your weight correctly
3. Swing more softly—even with a head win
4. Concentrate on making a complete turn
5. Stay low to the ground in the hitting zone.
6. Keep the hands ahead of the club

Since you want to drive the ball forward on a low, penetrating trajectory, you must finish with your weight going forward. That’s key. And turn your left hand (right hand for lefties) downward slightly. It delofts the club. Make sure your back shoulder faces the target at the finish and maintain balance throughout the swing.

Here are additional suggestions:

* In a crosswind, play the ball into the wind, if you want it to land softly. If you want it to land and roll, ride the wind.

* In a headwind, play the ball back in your stance. Swing about 80 percent of your normal swing.

* In a tailwind, do the opposite. Play the ball forward in your stance and hit it higher for more distance.

Practice on the range on windy days. Work on hitting low trajectory shots with your there. It will prepare you for when it’s windy.

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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter07302008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Are New Irons In Your Future?
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/are-new-irons-in-your-future.html

5) Article - Scoring With The Sand Wedge
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/scoring-with-the-sand-wedge.html

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/newsetter.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.

We recently shot some video on generating power and distance and I’m going to be sharing them with you right now.

I’ve got a great video for you today and it’s sure to open your eyes.

Steve Soule, PGA Professional will demonstrate one of the biggest swing myths in golf instruction today.

We all want more distance right? Well you can’t hit it far if you commit this power-killer mistake.

In order to generate good clubhead speed you have to know what creates that speed and how to execute it.

But don’t listen to the golf commentators on TV because they’ve got it all wrong. In fact, they’re misleading the average golfer when they talk about this one thing and it actually hurts most of our games as a result.

Enjoy folks!

Let me know what you think of the video.

Go Low-

Jack