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How To Break 80 Newsletter
September 5, 2007
"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement
Newsletter"
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In this issue we'll discuss...
1) Turn on Your Chips
2) Pop It Through The Fringe
3) Question of the Week - Maintaining the Right Swing Thought
4) Article - Choosing the Right Swing Plane For You
5) Article - 3 Proven Power Moves
Jack’s Note: Looks like the FedEx Cup race is heating up and proving to be a success so far. In case you didn’t get my previous email announcing the new Bunker DVD, it’s set to go on sale next Tuesday Sept. 11th at 12pm ET. As a way of acknowledging the tragedy of this date 6 years ago we will be donating a portion of each sale to the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. We will only have a limited supply of this superb DVD so if you want to sign up for a priority list please go here. It’s also going to be very affordable. If you sign up, you’ll be able to get access to the DVD 30 minutes before anyone else at 8:30am ET on the 11th.
This is just a sign up list (no purchase necessary) and a chance to get a head start on everyone else.
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1) Turn on Your Chips
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The mechanics of chipping are simple. Most players learn them in a single lesson. And that's the way all shots should be. The simpler the shot, the easier it is to learn. The goal of chipping is also simple: loft the ball over uneven terrain and on to the relatively smooth surface of the putting green.
With all this simplicity, why do some golfers fail to master the chip shot? Over time, they forget to execute one or more of the fundamentals of chipping. Among the most common forgotten fundamental is turning one's body.
Here are five keys to chipping accurately:
* Assume ball back/hands forward address
* Choke down on the club
* Shift weight forward
* Hinge the wrists on takeaway
* Let your hands lead in the hitting zone
Most players can execute these keys fairly easily. But some players get so fixated on striking the ball cleanly when they chip, they fail to rotate their bodies during the shot. If your arms collapse and your body stops turning, the bottom of your swing ends up behind the ball, creating a fat or bladed shot. You must extend your arms and rotate your body to chip accurately.
Random Chipping Drill
One of the best exercises for improving accuracy is the random chipping drill. That's because it closely imitates game conditions. Throw several balls around a green and then play each as it lies. Have three or four clubs at hand and picture each shot before addressing the ball. Using different clubs will help you determine which works best for you when chipping.
Practice this drill until you can chip to within a one-putt most of the time. Most players on the tour chip close enough to the hole to one-putt about 80 percent of the time, minimizing strokes.
Everyone wants to cut strokes from their scores. Chipping accurately helps. It turns three shots into two, as I've said before. Eliminate extra strokes by chipping well and your scores—and golf handicap—will drop dramatically.
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2) Pop It Through The Fringe
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How often has this happened to you? You hit a great approach shot, but it hits the green's apron, rolls by the pin, and ends up on the fringe just in front of the high grass, leaving you with a tricky downhill putt. With greens rolling so fast these days, it's probably happened to you more than once.
The problem is that you're on short grass, but the rough is just behind your ball. You want to putt it, but the high grass might interfere with your stroke. How do you play it? One option is the "fringe putt." This shot let's you putt the ball near the green's collar without getting the clubface snagged in the grass. Here are five keys to the fringe putt:
1. Adopt your normal putting set up.
2. Lower your front shoulder.
3. Take your normal putting grip.
4. Hinge your wrists going back.
5. Strike down and through.
While you use your putter for the shot, you play it more like a chip shot than a putt. Lowering your front shoulder promotes a steeper backstroke, which is especially important if you're hitting downhill. Let your wrists hinge going back and then hit down and through the ball. You'll feel more "hit" than you do with a putt, but that's expected.
After hitting the ball, it will skid onto the green, and then start rolling toward the hole like a normal putt. You need a long blade-type putter for this shot, so those of you with mallet-style putters may need another option.
Work on the fringe putt next time you're on the practice green. It provides a great option when your approach shot ends up at the edge of the rough.
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3) Question of the Week - Maintaining the Right Swing Thought
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Q. When you use the driver (or on any other shot), what should your thought or thoughts be during your swing?
Thanks,
John T. Calevas
A. Thanks for the question, John. Maintaining the proper swing thought or thoughts is essential to good ballstriking—whether it's hitting a driver, an iron, or a putter. Many weekend golfers focus on their mechanics during the swing. If they're having problems turning their hips properly, they focus on turning their hips during the swing. Thinking about mechanics seldom works. Usually, it throws your concentration off, causing you to mis-hit.
Instead, do what the pros do. They focus on their swing tempo and rhythm, and on making a smooth transition from their backswings to the downswings. They retain a mental picture of the proper ball flight and say to themselves something like "low and slow" as they swing the club. Or, they count mentally—"one" on the backswing and "two" on the downswing. This approach enables them to concentrate on hitting the ball solidly with a nice smooth swing.
Think about your mechanics during practice, not when playing. When playing, concentrate on making a one-piece takeaway and a smooth transition from backswing to downswing. Do those things and you'll hit the ball solidly time after time after time.
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/newsletter09052007.html
Here are some of my recent articles:
4) Article - Choosing the Right Swing Plane For You
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/swingplane.html
5) Article - 3 Proven Power Moves
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/power.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.
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