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How To Break 80 Newsletter

October 17, 2007

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

1) Controlling Short Shots Near The Green
2) Dangers of a Shut Clubface
3) Question of the Week - Conquering Downhill Chips
4) Article - Making Better Decisions Off The Tee
5) Article - Salvaging Your Short Game

Jack’s Note: How’s your swing look in the mirror? If you asked me a few months ago, I’d  have said “who cares?” as long as it gets the job done, right? Well, that still is true and I stick by it.

However, that’s the exception, not the rule. If you’re looking to master the golf swing, it DOES help to see how it is done correctly and then match that up and apply it your swing.  For me, I always made good ball contact but as I got older I knew the way I was swinging would not hold up the test of time and my body wasn’t agreeing with it. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to play golf til I’ve got one foot in the grave! To do so, I knew I need to change some things about my swing. 

During  that process of “straightening out” my swing, I put together my last DVD of the season, the Full Swing. I’m going to show you how to create a repeatable, reliable and consistent swing so you can significantly transform your game. I’ll let you know more about it next week but suffice it to say that this one is, hands down, the best I’ve done to date (awesome new angles, better visuals, graphics and drills)...and the most enjoyable to make for you guys! Stay tuned.

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1) Controlling Short Shots Near The Green
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You've probably had some delicate short shots near the green at some point in your career. These shots require both good feel and good technique. The best way of developing feel and technique is through practice. The more you practice, the better your feel and technique. Work on it long enough and you'll not only perfect technique and feel, you'll also master distance control.

Here are five tips on hitting short delicate shorts

Approach these shots with care. Use a slightly open stance, with the back of your left hand facing the target (for a right-hander), and your hands nice and relaxed. Gripping the club too tightly hampers the shot. Also, position the ball slightly forward in your stance, place your weight on your front foot, and maintain your spine angle from start to finish.

Next, choose a flat landing spot. Decide how far you want the ball to roll and how far you want it to carry. You'll also need to decide on the shot's trajectory. Vary it—depending on the green's slope—by either shutting the club face down through impact for lower shots or opening it up for higher shots. Then, take one last look at the landing spot and swing away. Using a more vertical takeaway pops the ball out of the grass.

Solid contact on this shot is critical. To achieve it, you'll need to work on it until you develop a good feel for it. Since the key here is carry, practice these short shots by sticking a tee in the ground at both your landing point and the hole location, and practice hitting those targets. In time, you'll master both technique and feel and cut strokes from your scores.

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2) Dangers of a Shut Clubface
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Inconsistency plagues many weekend golfers. Usually, it results from not playing a lot or practicing enough between rounds, causing the player to develop swing faults. One fault that contributes to a great deal to inconsistency is a shut clubface. A shut clubface occurs when the clubface points at the ball during his/her backswing. Taken to extremes, this swing fault leads to a steady stream of weak shots.

Two things cause a shut clubface. One is mental. The other is physical. Players shut their clubface because they think they must keep it pointed at the ball as they take the club back, which is not true. A too-steep shoulder turn also causes a shut clubface. Either way, the swing contributes to inconsistency and weak shots. You must eliminate this fault if you want to drive the ball longer and straighter with any kind of regularity.

But first you need to determine if your clubface is shut during your backswing. To do so, assume your normal stance. Start taking the club back as you normally do. When you get to hip height, stop. Keeping your arms steady, turn your body so the clubhead is once again in front of your chest. Lower the club to the ground.

If the clubface is identical to your set-up position—square to the stance line— when it reaches the ground, your clubface is open. If the face is pointing to the left (or to the right, in the case of left-handers), you're clubface is shut.

Repeat this drill until you can find the "halfway-back, toe up" position that allows you to keep the club's face square to the swing plane. When you're able to do that, you'll have taken a major step toward increasing the consistency in your swing.

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3) Question of the Week - Conquering Downhill Chips
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Q. Hi Jack, On the course I play a lot, I seem to face a lot of downhill chips. I seem either to run it way past the hole or dub it short, leaving me with nearly the same shot and in a very bad mood!

Jeff Bramhall
Bronxville NY

A. Thanks for the question, Jeff. My advice: Try using a more a more lofted club. Club choice is always a key when chipping—regardless of the type of chip you have, but it's even more important with downhill and uphill chips. Ideally, you want to choose the club based on how far you want the ball to roll. Then, let the club’s loft do the work. The idea is to get the ball run to the hole like a putt.

Generally, the higher the club’s loft, the shorter the ball will roll. The lower the club's loft, the longer the ball will roll. Obviously, then, the farther you’re away from the pin, the more roll you'll need to get the ball closer to the hole. And vice versa. That rule of thumb works well with most chip shots.

With downhill lies, you have to factor in the slope's steepness, which is why players use a more lofted club than normal. The greater the downslope, the more lofted the club. So when you're facing a downhill chip in which you would normally hit an 8-iron, try a 9-iron or PW. If you do use a more lofted club, you have to swing a little harder to get the same distance as you do with a less lofted club.

Other tips on chipping it close on a downhill lie are

An excellent chipping drill is hitting downhill chip shots with different clubs from different distances. This drill gives you an idea of how much roll to expect with each club. Keep practicing the drill until you have a good feel for roll. Once you do, your downhill chipping will improve.

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/newsletter10172007.html

Here are some of my recent articles:

4) Article - Making Better Decisions Off The Tee
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/decisions.html

5) Article - Salvaging Your Short Game
http://www.howtobreak80.com/articles/salvage.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.