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How To Break 80 Newsletter
February 7, 2008
"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement
Newsletter"
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In this issue we'll discuss...
1)
Stabilize Your Head and Body
2)
Hitting Short Irons Higher
3) Question of the Week -
Selecting The Right Wedge
4) Article -
Learning From Your Mistakes
5) Article -
Getting Out Of Trouble
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1) Stabilize Your Head and Body
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The simplest things can make a big difference when putting. Keeping your head and body still, especially on short putts, is one thing that recreational golfers often take for granted on short putts. Anxious to sink the putt and move on, the golfer looks at the hole before completing the stroke. If you look at the hole too soon, your head and body will move, throwing your putter off line.
Here are five tips to remember when faced with a short putt:
* Visualize hitting the back of the cup
* Adopt the right ball position
* Make a confident stroke.
* Set your weight back on your heels
* Listen for the ball to fall in
Stabilizing your head down and your body until well after you've putted the ball is critical to making short putts. An effective way of stabilizing your head and body is to set your weight on your heels at address and leave it there until after you've stroked the ball. With your weight back, it's hard to move your head and body without falling completely off balance.
Also, make sure you adopt the right ball position for the type of grip your using. Generally speaking, that position is an inch forward of the bottom of your swing arc, whatever stroke you use. That way the putter makes contact with the ball on a slight upswing, which starts the ball rolling.
Lastly, focus on a particular part of the cup, not the entire hole. Aim for the cup’s front lip, right lip, or left lip. Visualize the ball going in at that spot before making your shot. And make a confident stroke. Recreational golfers miss hundreds of putts each year because they're too tentative.
Keeping your head and body still when putting is a simple thing that can mean a lot to your game. Putt your weight back on your heels when putting and you'll keep your head and body still, which will help improve your putting
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2) Hitting Short Irons Higher
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Usually recreational golfers benefit more from hitting lower shots with their short irons than higher ones. Lower shots are easier to control because they get the ball on the ground sooner. The sooner the ball gets on the ground, the easier it is to control, which in turn increases your chances of getting the ball close to the pin.
But sometimes golfers need to hit higher shots with their short irons, like when a flagstick is tucked behind a bunker. These shots require not only a higher ballflight but also less roll, so the ball will stopwhen it hits.
Here are five tips on hitting higher shots with your short irons:
* Place the ball forward in your stance
* Tilt your spine away from the target
* Keep your chest behind the ball
* Release your hands earlier
* Swing to a full follow-though
Club selection, ball position, and setup are keys to achieving higher ballflight with your short irons. First, make sure you select the right club for the shot. You'll need one with sufficient loft to get the ball in the air quickly. Next, move the ball forward slightly in your set up, about an inch or two in front of the logo on your shirt, and tilt your spine away from the target a little. You want your back shoulder to be slightly lower than your front shoulder.
When swinging, keep your chest behind the ball, place more weight on your back leg than normal, straighten your back arm at impact, and release your hands a little earlier than normally—all of which adds loft to the shot. Swing to a full follow-through, just as you normally would on a typical short iron shot.
Following these keys will help you hit the ball higher with your short irons. Keep in mind that the ball won't go as far as it usually does because it's higher and has more spin on it. Take those factors into consideration when hitting the shot.
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3) Question of the Week - Selecting The Right Wedge
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Q. Hi Jack, Do you have a recommendation on which degree wedge I should use in which situations around the green? For instance, should I use my 56-degree or 60-degree wedge out of the sand? I have 52-, 56-, and 60-degree wedges.
B.C. Robins
A. Thanks for the question. Green play is more of an art, than a science, so it's hard saying which clubs you should use in which situations. There are just too many variables. For example, many players use a sand wedge out of a green side bunker if the sand is soft and the lie is decent.
But what if the sand is wet? What club do you use then. It depends on the sand's condition —hard packed, just firm, or soft with a crust.
* If the sand is hard packed, you might opt for a pitching wedge instead of a sand wedge. The PW digs in and under the ball better than a sand wedge, preventing skulling.
* 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.
* If the sand is powdery on top but hard packed underneath—perhaps the most difficult of all sand shots—you may want a heavier flanged club, like a sand wedge or something lower like a lob wedge.
What you use also depends on how well you swing a certain club, how good a bunker player you are, and where the hole is, to name a few other variables. Experience and practice are the best teachers of what clubs to use around the green.
Also, keep you eyes open and watch other players around the green, especially those who are good at it. See which clubs they use in which situations. Don't be afraid to ask questions of better players as to why they used a certain club in a certain situation. You can learn from asking questions In addition, read as much about golf as you can. You never know when you might pick up a tip that can help you.
If you do all these tings, eventually you will be able to decide yourself which wedges to use in which situations.
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/newsletter02062008.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article - Learning From Your Mistakes
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/learning-from-your-mistakes.html
5) Article - Getting Out Of Trouble
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/getting-out-of-trouble.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. |
