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How To Break 80 Newsletter
December 31, 2008
"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement
Newsletter"
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In this issue we'll discuss...
1) Finding The Right Golf Instructor
2) Holing Double Breaking Putts
3) Question of the Week - Shanked Shots
4) Article -
Cut Strokes With Toski's Golf Tips
5) Article - Staying Fit For Life
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1) Finding The Right Golf Instructor
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Good instructors are invaluable—whether you're a newbie or a veteran. They can spot swing faults, speed the learning process, and build confidence and self-esteem. If you find the right one, hang on to him or her. But finding the right instructor isn't easy. It takes time, patience, and work. Sometimes you have to meet several before choosing.
Below are five tips on finding the right teacher:
1. Find the right level
2. Select a local teacher
3. Look for someone you like
4. Go for credibility
5. Find the right teaching method
If you've decided to take golf lessons, it's imperative you find the right instructor. First look for one that's had success with players with the same ability as you, as well as the same sex, age, and so on. Ask potential teachers who their typical students are. Talk to a few students, if you can.
Second, find a teacher that's local. Look for a teacher who's close to where you live and work. If he or she is far away, you might not stay with it. Also, find a teacher who has time for you and isn't overbooked.
Third, look for someone you like. He or she should be someone you like spending time with. Take a couple of lessons, have a coffee or drink with them, or invite then to lunch with you. The meetings don’t have to be long. But take time to get to know him or her.
Fourth, go for credibility. Look for a teacher with the right credentials. If you don't trust the person you're working with, you won't trust the message. If you don't trust the message, you're wasting your time.
Finally, decide if you want a teacher who is technical and analytical or visual and intuitive. Both approaches work. But some golfers respond to one better than to the other.
Finding the right instructor is like finding the right spouse. It takes time and effort. But you must find the one that's right for you. Otherwise, you'll just be spinning your wheels and getting nowhere.
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2) Holing Double Breaking Putts
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Double breaking putts are tough. No doubt about it. But you can sink more of them if you approach them correctly. Putting the ball down the middle and ignoring the breaks isn't the answer. Nor is playing the putt as if it were one big breaker. To sink a double breaking putt, you must treat each break individually. That means considering ball speed, the break, and slope and grain.
Five keys to sinking double break putts include:
* Crouch down to get a good read
* Check the green's slope and grain
* Study both breaks carefully
* Look at the putt from all sides
* Overestimate the second break
Reading a double breaking putt correctly is essential to sinking one. Crouch down to get a good read on the putt. Imagine how the ball will break as it travels toward the hole. Keep ball speed in mind. The more speed on the ball the less it breaks and vice versa. Also, check the green's slope and grain. Uphill putts require more speed and less break than downhill putts. Putting against the grain slows a putt down.
Also, study the breaks carefully, especially the second break. Pinpoint the spot at which the second break occurs and study the second break from that point on. Always overestimate this break. As the putt loses speed, the surface's slope and grain have a bigger influence on the ball than the first break.
In addition, walk around to the backside of the putt. Viewing the putt from the hole back to the ball can provide additional information on the how the putt will break. If you're not the first to putt and another golfer has a similar putt, watch the breaks. Use the knowledge you gain from this to your advantage
Don't let double breaking putts scare you. Just remember that you must play the first break so that when the ball starts going the other way, it's tracking toward the hole. And always overestimate the second break. Take these tips into account and you'll sink more double breaking putts.
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3) Question of the Week - Shanked Shots
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Q. Hi Jack, Occasionally, I swing my driver and hit the ball on the club's heel. What is the best way to overcome this? Is there a drill that helps eliminate this fault?
Thanks.
Archie Buie,
Lakeland, FL
A. Thanks for the question, Archie. What you're talking about is a shank, which occurs when you hit the ball off the club's heel. A shank results from either a severe in-to-out swing path or an equally exaggerated out-to-in swing path. While standing too close to the ball or maintaining too tight a grip can cause a shank, the most common cause is incorrect weight shift.
Have a friend watch you swing to determine the cause. Then apply the right adjustment. If you're:
* Standing too close or too far from the ball, work on good posture and alignment. Make sure you settle your weight back on your heels before swinging.
* Shifting your weight incorrectly, curl your toes inside your shoes. Maintain them that way throughout the swing. Or, place a golf ball under the front of each foot. Both adjustments push your weight back on your heels.
* Gripping the club too tight, lighten up on the grip before swinging the club. Waggling the club before swinging loosens your grip.
Finding the cause and applying the right adjustment will eliminate the shanks.
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
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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.
