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How To Break 80 Newsletter
December 20, 2006
"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement Newsletter"
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In this issue we'll discuss...
1) Improving Tempo and Rhythm
2) Curing Your Hook
3) Question of the Week- Keeping Your Head Down
4) Article- Getting Hip To Hip Work
5) Article- Thumbs Up for Power and Control
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1) Improving Tempo and Rhythm
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If you watch Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson swing a club, you can’t help but notice their tempo and rhythm. Like most professional golfers, they have great tempo and rhythm. That’s not by accident. They work at it. And so should you.
If you lack good tempo and rhythm, you’ll also lack control of your swing. Both are keys to a consistent swing. They’re also keys to good ball striking. An added benefit, if you’re focusing on your tempo and rhythm during your swing, you won’t be thinking about your mechanics, simplifying your swing thoughts.
So how can you improve tempo and rhythm? Here’s a simple drill to improve both:
1. Place a tee in the ground without a ball
2. Take your normal stance
3. Place a club in front of your toes
4. Take a regular swing; try clipping the tee
5. Concentrate on tempo and rhythm
This simple drill improves your tempo and rhythm. First, without a ball and with the club parallel to the target line, you get a sense of what direction you need to swing in—without getting distracted either by the lie or the ball.
Second, the club keeps you at a comfortable distance from the ball while the shaft along your toes keeps your feet in check. If your feet move too much during your swing so does your center of gravity. If your center of gravity moves, you’ll spray your shots all over.
Finally, as you initiate your downswing, the club near your toes reminds you to turn not lean or sway, either toward the ball or the target. Swaying and leaning are swing faults you must eliminate to hit straighter, longer shots and gain more control of your shots.
One last tip: Most recreational golfers try hitting the ball as opposed to swinging through it. To get a better feel for swinging through the ball, take a few short practice swings before working your way into full swings.
Practice this drill when you have a chance. You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll gain more tempo and rhythm in your swing.
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Curing Your Hook
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If you’re like many recreational golfers, you’ve probably struggled to overcome a slice at some point in your career. A lot of golfers do. It’s a common swing fault that must be addressed. That’s why you see so many articles about curing a slice in golf magazines and on golf Websites.
But some golfers have problems with a hook. Golfers who hook aren’t as plentiful as golfers who slice, but a good number exists. A hook, like a slice, can get you into trouble, especially if you’re playing on a narrow course. So if you hook and you’re serious about improving your golf game, you need to eliminate this swing fault.
A player who hooks the ball has a swing that’s flatter and more rounded than that of a player who slices. A hook also has the exact opposite impact and flight characteristics of a slice.
A flat swing tends to travel along the ground for longer than it should. When this happens, the clubface closes and sweeps across the ball with a hooking motion. A tell tale sign of a flat and rounded swing is the lack of a divot or a divot behind the ball instead of in front of it.
The great Ben Hogan was a flat swinger. But Hogan learned to overcome the fault. A right-handed golfer, he steepened his swing by reminding himself to keep his weight on his left side, which kept him centered. Staying centered is a key to eliminating a hook.
Left Foot, Right Toe Drill
To eliminate a hook, try balancing things out by staying centered, with your backswing resisting movement away from the target. Here’s a drill to help you eliminate that dreaded hook.
Take your normal address position. Stand solidly on your left foot, with your right heel raised and your right toe touching the ground (right-handers). Hit some shots from this stance. You’ll feel extremely centered over the ball, and you’ll have little or no head movement.
Any lateral movement will result in a loss of balance. Staying centered narrows the width of your swing. It also leads to crisper contact.
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Question of the Week- Keeping Your Head Down
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From William Buckley (Ireland)
Keeping Your Head Down
Q. I love your newsletter. I am now breaking 80 and using the putting system. I want to get to single figures in my handicap. But I have a question. How do I ensure that I stay down on my shots as I strike the ball? I have a habit of coming up off the ball as I strike it.
A. Thanks for the question. Taking your head off the ball is actually symptomatic of a larger problem—excessive head movement. Head movement can be classified in any one—or any combination of—the following ways: (1) from side-to-side, (2) up and down, and/or (3) toward or away from the target line.
One of the best ways to eliminate excessive head movement is focusing on maintaining your spine angle (as established at address) until just after impact. Try the following drill to learn the desired motion.
First, place a cushion between your head and a wall. Then fold your arms across your chest and adopt your normal address position. Now keeping the cushion against the wall, work on your pivot motion. Sense that your head rotates around a fairly steady spine angle. But allow your head to swivel slightly to help your rotation.
Don’t worry if the cushion falls after “impact.” By then the ball will be gone.
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
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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