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How To Break 80 Newsletter

January 8, 2008

"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter"
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In this issue we'll discuss...

Jack's Note: Congrats to Daniel Chopra on winning the inaugural event for the PGA Tour this season.  Also, Tiger Woods was quoted as saying that it’s “certainly within reason” of his chances regarding another Tiger Slam in 08.  Pretty exciting stuff in my book.  And while it’s winter out there for most of us, make the most of it.  I like to work on my stance, posture and set up.  I also use a mat with a net I can hit into that sits in my garage and spend a lot of time putting on my rugs.  More often than not, my putting needs very little work when the weather improves because of this practice.  Give it a whirl yourself so you don’t get too rusty.

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1) Hitting It Thin
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Hitting the ball thin—also known as skulling—is common among weekend golfers. It's also frustrating when hitting an approach shot. Skulling an approach shot not only ruins your approach, but adds strokes to your score as well. Instead of being on the green sizing up a putt, you're in the fairway considering your next shot, or worse.

If you frequently hit your irons thin, keep these five swing keys in mind:

A poor backswing contributes to hitting a ball thin. A golfer who skulls a shot swings the club too steeply into the ball, which results from taking the club back too abruptly in the backswing. This forces the golfer to slide past the ball on the downswing, and requires him or her to swing the club straight down to make contact. As a result, the golfer slides too far past the ball and catches only the top of the ball.

The key to hitting a ball flush from the fairway—or anywhere else on the course—is making a full shoulder turn. Take your normal address position, and then take a couple of deep breaths to relax. You never want to rush your shot. It usually results in a bad one when you do.

Also, swing your arms back wide during your backswing. Make sure you turn your back to the target at the top of the swing, make a smooth transition, and turn completely through the swing. If you do all this, you'll make a more level strike at the ball and stop skulling the ball.

Hitting it thin is a common problem. You can hit the ball thin anywhere on the course and with any shot, but it's really frustrating when you're hitting an approach shot. If you relax before hitting the shot and make a full shoulder turn before committing to your downswing, you'll hit the ball flush every time, cutting strokes from you score.

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2) Adding Kick To Your Drives
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Small moves sometime bring big results. Jack Nicklaus turned his head slightly to the right before starting his swing to kick-start his swing. Gary Player kicked in his left leg a little before beginning his swing. These moves, which triggered their drives, initiated their backswings, and added rhythm to their swings, worked wonders for Jack and Gary during their playing days.

Flexing your back knee slightly is when on the tee is a small thing, but it can produce big results for you and your golf handicap. Flexing your knee

Many weekend golfers lock their back knees when swinging down on the ball, causing them to hang back in their swings and hit weakly off the back foot. Others move the back knee laterally toward the target, resulting in the hips sliding forward instead of rotating around the body's trunk. Both moves short-circuit power by preventing the golfer from shifting his weight to his front side.

Focus instead on flexing your back knee at address and during the downswing. Flexing your knee relieves body tension, supports correct posture, increases fluidity, and delivers more clubhead speed to the ball. In short, it promotes a powerful swing through the ball, generating more distance off the tee. And who doesn't want that?

Your back knee should point at the target line in front of the ball as the club approaches impact. To make sure it does, flex your knee slightly at address, which produces what many teachers call "a soft back leg" on the downswing. That in turn adds power and fluidity to your swing.

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3) Question of the Week - Producing a Powerful Swing
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Q. I started playing golf five years ago. I am a 21 handicap. For 2008 I would like to get down to a 15. I feel that my biggest problem is staying behind the ball during my weight shift on the downswing of the driver. I have problems sweeping the ball off the tee and pop up the golf ball a few times during a round. I am looking for a training aid or exercise routine that will help me with this problem. Hopefully you can help.
 
Thanks,
Rick Abend

A. Hitting pop-ups, as you've concluded, is a telltale sign that you're shifting your weight improperly. It's also a sign that you're approaching the ball on too steep an angle in your downswing. These faults cause you to pop the ball up. How do you eliminate them?

First, widen your stance a little, creating room for a bigger backswing arc. Second, focus on maintaining a higher position at the top of your backswing and a lower position at the finish. Third, take a full shoulder turn, making a slight hesitation and a smooth transition to your downswing. These changes, which encourage a proper weight shift and a higher and longer backswing arc, shallow out your swing plane and reduce the steepness of your downswing. Remember good weight shift is a key to a solid, powerful swing.

Here's a good exercise to work on:

Assume your setup position. Lift your front foot and position it next to your back foot. Now start your backswing. As you take the club away from the ball, lift your front foot and allow it to return to the original position in your setup as soon as your club reaches about waist high. Then complete your swing.

This drills teaches you to shift your weight first to your back foot at the beginning of your backswing and then to your front foot at the end of the backswing. It also promotes a better spin angle, both atop your swing and into the finish.

If you've got a golf question you'd like answered, send an email to us at questions@howtobreak80.com and we'll review it. I can't guarantee that we'll use it but if we do, we'll make sure to include your name and where you're from.

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If you want to truly discover the secrets of shooting like the Pros and creating a more reliable and consistent swing, check out: http://www.HowToBreak80.com  

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

To view this newsletter online, please visit:
http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter01082008.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Five Exercises To Lower Your Golf Handicap
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/fivefixes.html

5) Article - Four Golf Tips On Beating Blocked Shots
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/block.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, send a blank email to break80ezine@aweber.com

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