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How To Break 80 Newsletter
February 14, 2007
"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter"
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In this issue we'll discuss...
1) Hitting the Short Pitch from Tall Grass
2) Hitting the High Soft Sand Shot
3) Question of the Week- Hitting a Hybrid from a Fairway Bunker
4) Article- A Simple Power Strategy For Seniors
5) Article- Determining Your Personal Par
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1) Hitting the Short Pitch from Tall Grass
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Hitting a soft pitch shot from tall grass isn't easy. In fact, it's probably among the most difficult of all pitch shots. It's the pitch shot weekend golfers botch the most and the one they'd most rather avoid. But it doesn't have to be a difficult shot, if you make the right adjustments.
The problem is the grass. Normally, the clubhead approaches the grass from a shallow angle, enabling the grass to "grab" the clubhead before it reaches the ball. This slows down the clubhead's momentum, draining force. It also prevents you from making solid contact. Not surprisingly, the shot falls short. If you swing too hard, on the other hand, you can easily drive the ball over the green.
Here are 5 tips to help with this shot:
• Set up for a normal pitch shot
• Use your sand wedge
• Play the ball back in your stance
• Lean toward the target
• Address the ball at its equator
The key to this shot is positioning the ball correctly. Set up as you normally would for a pitch shot, but position the ball back in your stance. It should be almost about even with your back foot. That way, the club head will be traveling down at a steep angle when it reaches the ball, preventing the grass from grabbing the clubhead too much.
Use a sand wedge for this shot. It's heavy enough to penetrate the grass and has plenty of loft, allowing you to get the ball airborne. The wedge's leading edge also helps. Lean your body toward the target, so your weight is leaning on your front side. This position encourages a sharper descending blow.
Suspend the leading edge of the club so that it's slightly off the ground and level with the middle of the ball. Don't worry about hitting the ball thin. The club's weight on the down swing straightens your arms and lowers the sole of the club, enabling you to make good contact. Let the length of the pitch determine how far back you swing the club and how much you cock your wrists.
This shot isn't easy. You need to make the right adjustments to pull it off. But with practice you'll make it more often than not.
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Hitting the High Soft Sand Shot
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A student was telling me the other day about making three sand saves on the back nine during her last round. She ended up with an 81 for the day. She's good player, with a low golf handicap and a good short game. So her three sand saves came as no surprise.
One save was a greenside bunker shot on the par-3 12th requiring a high trajectory and a soft landing. Most weekend players have a tough time with this shot. Even some good players have trouble with it. But the shot's easier than you think.
Here are five keys to making it:
• Use your sand wedge
• Position the ball forward
• Open the face of the sand wedge
• Keep most of your weight on your back leg
• Take your normal sand shot swing
Your sand wedge is the club of choice for this shot. Just remember to position the ball forward in your stance and to open the face of your sand wedge, adding loft to the club.
As you swing back and through, keep most of your weight on your back leg. Many weekend golfers slide forward on this shot, shifting their weight to their front side dramatically on the forward swing. The shift takes loft off the club and causes it to dig into the sand, making the ball come out low and hot.
By keeping your weight on your back leg, though, your sand wedge maintains its original loft at impact. The ball pops out high and settles quickly on the green.
Hitting the high soft sand shot is easier than it looks. But it requires practice. Remember the five keys to the shot and work on the shot at the range. Once you have a good feel for it, you'll be able to hit it successfully when you need to.
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Question of the Week- Hitting a Hybrid from a Fairway Bunker
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From Kamal
Hitting a Hybrid from a Fairway Bunker
Q. I am having a problem hitting a decent shot from a fairway bunker with a hybrid club. I've never made a good shot from a fairway bunker with a hybrid. When I use my 4-hybrid from one particular fairway bunker, I don't get the distance I want. Sometimes the ball doesn't even get out of the bunker. How do I hit this shot?
A. Thanks for your question, Kamal. The hybrid is practically a universal club. You can use it on the tee, from the fairway, in the rough, in a fairway bunker, or near the green. To hit a hybrid club, you must make adjustments based on where you are on the course. For pitch and run shots near the green, you can hit the shot as you normally would.
When hitting from a fairway bunker, position the ball in the center of your stance. Dig your feet into the sand, use a shorter swing than usual, and complete the follow-through, just as you normally would. Don't try to kill the ball, just swing naturally. Swing down and through the ball. This approach to hitting the hybrid should give you the distance you want from the bunker.
Here are some additional tips for hitting the hybrid:
- If you're using the hybrid on the tee, tee the ball low. Position it near the center of your stance but towards the target. Use a smooth tempo, with a full swing, and complete the follow-through as usual.
- If you're on the fairway, position the ball closer to the center of your stance. Swing down and through the ball, just as if you were hitting an iron. Hit the ball first and then take a small divot. Complete the follow-through as you normally would.
- If you're in the rough, position the ball in the center of your stance. Use a three-quarter backswing, with a full follow-through and a smooth tempo. Accelerate the downswing through the ball. Don't try to kill the ball. Your goal is to get the ball out onto the fairway, in good shape to make the next shot.
Hitting a hybrid takes a little getting used. So don't get discourage. Work on hitting one at the range and you should learn to hit it within a reasonable time frame.
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
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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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