play better golf today- how to drop seven shots in seven days

A Special Report from Jack Moorehouse

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Copyright © 2006 How To Break 80TM, All Rights Reserved

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Copyright © 2006 How To Break 80TM, All Rights Reserved www.HowToBreak80.com

Table of Contents

PREFACE .................................................................................................................................4

WHY I WROTE THIS REPORT ............................................................................................5

WHY MOST GOLFERS STRUGGLE....................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................7

DAY 1: CREATE A PRE-ROUND STRATEGY....................................................................8

DAY 2: DEVELOP A PRE-SHOT ROUTINE......................................................................10

DAY 3: ADOPT THE RIGHT SWING THOUGHTS ..........................................................11

DAY 4: DRIVE FOR DISTANCE .........................................................................................12

DAY 5: CHIP IT CLOSE .......................................................................................................14

DAY 6: ESCAPE THE SAND ................................................................................................16

DAY 7: DRAIN MORE PUTTS.............................................................................................17

CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................19

WHAT TO DO NEXT ............................................................................................................19

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.........................................................................................................20

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Are You Stuck With Your Golf Game And Just Can’t Seem To Get Your Handicap To Where You Want It?

If so, you’re in luck because what you are about to read will catapult you on your way to your lowest scores ever. If you’re not stuck, the contents of this report will certainly give you new ideas and strategies to keep your game and handicap where you want it to be.

I’ve personally helped well over 10,000 golfers from around the globe, with all different skill levels and swings to lower their handicaps in record time. So, whether you’re a seasoned amateur or someone just taking the game up, I can honestly say that I’ve seen just about every swing there is and most every fault or mistake in the game of golf. What is to come in the pages that follow will provide you with a solid, quick and reliable strategy to drop as many as seven shots in as little as a week. Think of it as a plan to rely on whenever you need to shave a few extra strokes from your game or you simply need to remind yourself of the most important and effective techniques for dropping shots.

Each step in the process has a specific purpose and role in the overall strategy. This strategy is, by design, highly tactical. In other words, I’ve taken all the things I know to be most effective at lowering golf scores quickly and distilled them down to seven simple parts to deliver quick and effective results. The report is organized according to days. Each day I lay out for you the specific area of your game we’ll be working on, the challenge and an associated solution. Lastly, I give you specific drills to do incorporate the technique into your game quickly.

How to Get the Most Out of This Report

• Take inventory of where your game is currently- You can’t possibly know how to improve if you don’t know the current state of affairs. I’m referring to thinking of weaknesses and strengths in your game. Maybe you drive the ball well but can’t putt to save your life. Taking stock of your game will help you to determine which steps to focus on the most.

• Think about what you want as a result- Do you want to drop seven shots in seven days or do you want to shave ten or twelve strokes? It’s really up to you but I encourage you to be clear about what you want BEFORE you begin reading this because it will help you digest and retain the information in more specifics. There’s nothing wrong with saying to yourself “I simply want to improve my game.” However, if you said something like “I usually make 3 three-putts per round and would like to turn them into two-putts. This will help me drop an average of three strokes from my rounds by simply working on putting”, wouldn’t that be a bit more compelling and meaningful?

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• Print this report out- Take it to the range with you or have it in front of you when doing the drills to easily and quickly leaf through it as a reference.

• Take notes- Write in the margins, draw pictures, write down thoughts or ideas…it doesn’t matter. I just want to encourage you to think about this topic you are reading about in a very focused manner so you can maximize your own time involved here.

• Keep this report in a safe place- What I’m about to teach you is not going to change any time soon. The methods and techniques are designed to help your game throughout your golfing life. You will always be able to refer back to this report any time you need a small “pick-me-up” or correction.

Preface It was late one night in August of 2005 that I got a call from my friend Michael who had been golfing for about 5 years and played off a respectable 15 handicap. Here’s how the conversation went as best I can recall… Michael: Hey, Jack. I’ve got good news and bad news-which do you want first? Me: Umm. I’ll leave it up to you. Michael: Remember that new country club up in the valley we’ve been talking about playing for the longest time? Well, I got invited to play there. That’s the good news. Me: Sounds like a good time. So what’s the downside? Michael: It’s a member-guest tournament. I’m obviously the guest but the member is pretty good…plays off a 5 handicap….name is George. He seems to think my 15 handicap is a shoo-in for an easy win and for some reason he thinks I’m more like an 8 or 9 handicap. The reality is that I haven’t logged a round of golf in the last three months and my last round out I had four pretty ugly doubles. No clue where he got that info but regardless, it’s hard to say no to the invitation. Me: I don’t see the problem. Just tell this guy you’re a 15 and if he still wants you as a partner then go for it. Michael: Unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy. Me: Why not?

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Michael: Jack, George is my boss. He’s the CEO of our company and him inviting me to his country club is a sure sign I’m in line for a nice step up the corporate ladder. If I say no or excuse myself I could be blowing the chance of my career. It’s a well known fact that each and every vice president of our company has been asked to the club before their promotions. Me: Oh. Well, did you think of…Oh. Oh boy. Michael: I can’t say no. I really have to play in that tournament and I have to play like I’ve never played before. You know when you have your high school or college reunion and you need to lose a few pounds to look good for all your old friends? Well, I need that for my golf game. Can you help? Me: You want me to help you lose roughly 7 shots from your average scores? No small task, Mike. In fact, very tough, but with the proper strategy and technique I think we can do it. Let me think it over tonight and I’ll let you know tomorrow if I can help. Michael: OK, great. I’ll owe you big time if you decide to help me and I promise I’ll do exactly as you say. Thanks for even considering this crazy request. Me: No problem. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Michael: Thanks again. And Jack, I nearly forgot, there’s one more small thing. Me: Shoot. Michael: The tournament’s in 9 days. Yikes! I nearly had to pick my jaw up off the floor when he told me that and was barely able to even say good bye. Seven shots in less than nine days! You could go to Leadbetter or Harmon and each would tell you to take a long walk off a short pier with that scenario. This was a recipe for disaster for sure.

Why I Wrote This Report I gave this challenge with Michael a great deal of thought that night and two things really stood out about it. First, Michael was a good friend and I knew he would listen to what I would tell him and take it to heart. He was certainly a hard worker and quick learner. Second, what if I could actually do this? What if I was able to effectively help Michael play to an 8 instead of a 15 handicap? Wouldn’t it make me better at helping all of my subscribers and also create a “down and dirty”, no-fluff method for playing

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better golf in a very short period of time? It was because of these two compelling reasons that I decided to accept this challenge. Now, Michael looked forward to playing in the tournament, but since his foursome included his company’s CEO, he was somewhat anxious. A good athlete, he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of his CEO, so he needed something very simple and effective. With the tournament only 9 days away, I had to develop something that would have a real impact on Michael’s game. The challenge was focusing on the right activities. What would help Michael the most in such a short time? After contemplating the question and drawing upon my interactions with thousands of my students, I developed this seven-day program designed to take Michael’s game to a new level. I worked with Michael prior to the tournament and his improvement was noticeable. To be completely honest, it was better than noticeable…it was significant. In the end, while he didn’t win the tournament with his boss, he played very well… and has been ever since. He ended up shooting 82 on a par 72 course with a slope rating of 128. Considering that the typical golfer shoots roughly 2-3 strokes higher than his/her actual handicap (the higher the handicap, the more strokes over your handicap you may be and the lower your handicap, the fewer strokes over your handicap you may be), he played well below his 15 handicap. With his “Pre-Jack” game, he would be expected to shoot maybe a 90-91 but after applying precisely what you’re about to learn, he was able to shoot 9 strokes better than his average. Better yet, he played so well that his CEO has asked him back several times to golf with him since the initial outing. In fact, what I learned later was that Michael had “fessed up” to his boss about his 15 handicap the day played the tournament. His boss was so impressed how quickly Michael was able to play at a level beyond his handicap he was intent on learning how Michael did it. Michael tells me that the main reason for his success that day (and continued success) is what he learned in that seven day stretch leading up to his tournament. See Michael’s remarkable achievement and realizing that this same program could help others, I developed this report. I hope my program works as well for you as it did for Michael.

Why Most Golfers Struggle I’ve worked with hundreds of golfers over the years at all skill levels. Early on I realized that most recreational golfers fail to improve for the same reason. Instead of working on developing a functional swing, they concentrate on creating a perfect swing. Instead of working on accuracy and consistency off the tee, they focus on hitting 300-yard drives. Instead of working on their weaknesses, they practice the things they do well.

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In other words, their practices lack direction and focus. When they don’t improve quickly enough, they lose interest. The program outlined in this report provides the direction and focus golfers need to improve. And golfers see improvement quickly. While how much an individual player improves depends on several factors, including the time and effort devoted to doing the drills described herein and how serious the player is about improving his or her game, golfers of all skills levels will benefit from the program contained in this report. The seven day program that is contained in this report is the documentation of the exact formula and strategy I used for Michael’s preparation. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Introduction

Even the world’s best golfers— Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els— want to improve their games. They know that improvement is critical to staying among the best players in the world. Tiger Woods, the number one ranked player in the world and maybe the best player ever, is always trying to improve. But it isn’t easy. It takes hard work, dedication, and determination. More importantly, it takes the right kind of instruction— the kind contained in this report.

Golfers at all levels will benefit from this report. Designed to cut several strokes from your scores in just a few days, we’ll cover all of the important aspects of your game:

• Day One- Create Your Pre-Round Strategy

• Day Two- Develop Your Pre-Shot Routine

• Day Three- Adopt the Right Swing Thoughts

• Day Four- Drive for Distance

• Day Five- Chip It Close

• Day Six- Escape the Sand

• Day Seven- Drain More Putts

What’s unique about this report is that it addresses your game holistically, viewing it as a “process” in which all elements are interrelated. Improve one element and you improve the entire process. Improve the whole process and you’ll make dramatic

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changes. Success comes from perfecting the performance of each element, which in turn creates a synergistic effect that dramatically cuts strokes from your game.

The topics covered in the report represent key areas of golf. From forming a pre-round strategy to draining more putts, the areas are critical to a golfer playing his or her best. Each area has been carefully chosen to drive improvement and generate the most impact on your game in the shortest amount of time. By no means am I saying that a solid iron game or other aspects of the game not mentioned in this report are unimportant. Rather, they are more strategic in nature. If improved, they will not produce lower scores nearly as effectively as implementing those I’ve chosen in the seven days.

The techniques included in the report advocate the fundamentals of a sound golf swing. Each is explained clearly and succinctly and accompanied by a rationale. My goal is to provide as much information as possible in the least amount of time.

The drills described are proven methods of honing one’s skills. Each teaches a specific technique designed to improve your game. Like the techniques discussed above, the drills are explained clearly, succinctly, and efficiently.

When combined, the topics, techniques, and drills form a coordinated program of activities designed to shave several strokes from your scores. The program works because it not only improves your mechanics, one key to playing well at any level, but also forces you to think about your game in a new way—a smarter, more disciplined way.

I hope you enjoy this information and share it with friends and family who want a simple and rapid system to drop shots from their handicaps.

Day 1: Create A Pre-Round Strategy The Challenge: Most high-handicap golfers lack a pre-round strategy. In fact, they spend little time thinking about an upcoming round or match. And even less time thinking about course conditions. Instead, they just step up and hit the ball. Thus, they’re unprepared to address the challenging shots that arise during a round or a match. Lack of preparation often costs you strokes, many of which could have been avoided with a little forethought. The Solution: This one act alone of giving your round some careful thought beforehand can help you drop shots without even picking up a club! Developing a pre-round strategy is essential to playing well. Knowing what’s coming helps you focus on the job at hand and anticipate and overcome problems. While everyone’s individual

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strategy will be different, some common elements run through almost all pre-round strategies. Here’s what I recommend:

• Research the course • Develop objectives • Plan an overall strategy • Prepare for each hole • Work your plan

Most pre-round strategies start with the course. If it’s one you’ve played, develop a strategy for playing it but be prepared to modify it depending on the conditions when you play. If it’s a course you’ve never played, find out as much about it as you can. What type of course is it? What condition is it in? Does it play long? How are the greens? What holes can you score on? Are their problem holes? These are some of the questions you should be asking when evaluating a course. If you know someone who has played the course, ask him or her about it. Gather as much intelligence about the course as you can. Next, set some pre-round objectives. Again, these will depend on the individual, but may involve things like the total number of putts, the total number of fairways hit from the tee, or the number of greens hit in regulation. Whatever they are, it’s to your benefit to have something specific to shoot for in each round. After you’ve set your objectives, start thinking about a strategy for achieving them. If it’s the type of course that suits your game, you might want be aggressive. If it’s the type of course that doesn’t suit your game, you might want to play more conservatively. Plan how to play each hole. A lot of courses have their layouts on their Web sites. Or maybe you can obtain a scorecard or a yardage book. Familiarizing yourself with the holes and planning how to play them helps minimize strokes. Make notes if it helps. Finally, work your plan. There’s no sense in developing plans if you don’t use them. I’ve known players who’ve developed good pre-round strategies only to throw them away once they tee off. It’s not easy following a pre-round strategy, especially if you’re having a bad day; but if you develop one you may as well use it. Practice Drill: Plan For Success Find a course layout of your home course or the next one you’ll be playing and map out your plan of attack to drop seven shots. In my book, “How To Break 80…And Shoot Like the Pros!” I tell you two of my closest-guarded secrets to dropping unnecessary shots using course management. The first is to get a blank scorecard BEFORE our round and fill it in with your planned scores. I recommend doing this at least a day before your round if possible so you can really think about how you will be playing each hole and visualize the shots accordingly. Instead of letting bogeys happen to you, you

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are already factoring them into your gameplan so you are emotionally and psychologically prepared for the adversity that accompanies those scores. The second is to segment the round into smaller parts. In other words, set goals for 3 sets of 6 holes each rather than saying “I want to shoot 89 today”. This breaks up your larger goal into much more manageable parts and keeps you focused and attentive because you are set to achieve these smaller goals at 3 distinct times throughout the round rather than having to wait roughly 5-6 hours to to play the entire round and see if you made your goal. So, if you were trying to shoot 89, you would set a goal of 29.6 strokes per each group of six holes.

Day 2: Develop a Pre-Shot Routine

The Challenge: Many recreational golfers lack a pre-shot routine. They may do the same thing every time they hit the ball, but it’s not what I would call a pre-shot routine. There’s little thought given to alignment, ball position, flight path, stance, and so on. If interrupted while on the tee, they look away for a split second, then continue on, without making any effort to re-group mentally. It’s difficult for players without a pre-shot routine to develop consistency or accuracy.

The Solution: Everyone’s pre-shot routine will differ to some extent, but it should resemble that explained below.

1. Stand behind the ball

2. Select a target/ Visualize flight path

3. Address the ball with feet together

4. Place clubhead behind the ball

5. Re-position the feet

6. Look at target/visualize shot

7. Relax arms/waggle the club

8. Revisit target, sense shot

9. Exhale and pull the trigger

Stand a few feet behind the ball facing the fairway. Pick out a target and picture the shot. Visualize the ball’s flight. Then, walk to the ball and position yourself with your feet close together.

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Place the clubhead behind the ball, so it looks squarely at the target, and adjust your body so it’s parallel to the target line. Move your back foot back a few inches, then your front foot forward a few inches. Maker sure you’re in a stable but comfortable stance.

Following this sequence puts you in the correct position every time, so you won’t have to worry about where the ball is positioned.

Once you’re set, take another look at the target. Visualize the shot again, including ball flight. Gently shuffle your feet, and waggle your club a few times, relaxing your arms and hands. If your arms and hands are relaxed, the rest of your body will be relaxed as well. Constant movement also primes your body for the shot. After waggling your club, revisit the target. Sense the shot. Exhale. Pull the trigger.

Adopting a pre-shot routine prepares you physically and psychologically for hitting the shot. Use this routine, or something similar, as a guide to developing your own. Once you’ve developed one, work on it between rounds, until you’re comfortable with it. Use it every time you hit a ball. Remember repetition develops consistency and accuracy, which cuts strokes from your scores and lowers your golf handicap.

The Practice Drill: Ingrain Your Pre-Shot Routine

There’s no specific drill for practicing a pre-shot routine except doing it. While you need to practice the routine until your comfortable with it, you don’t always need to work on it while on the range. You can do it in your living room just as easily as on the course or the range. Just drop a ball and pick up a club. Pretend you’re on the first tee and practice your pre-shot routine.

You can even do it in the office. Eventually, it becomes so ingrained that you’ll feel like something’s wrong if you don’t do it.

Day 3: Adopt the Right Swing Thoughts

The Challenge: Swing thoughts on the practice range are an unquestioned strategy. But swing thoughts on the course are a different matter. While instructors differ on what to think about during a round, they all agree on one thing: Swing thoughts focused on physical activities (“Keep your elbow tucked in.” “Hold your head still.”) seldom work. You can’t command your muscles to work in a specific way. Trying to do so creates more problems than it solves. Replace those swing thoughts with more productive ones.

The Solution: You need to think about something that does one of the following:

• Mentally implants your target line

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• Mimics the swing itself

• Produces a smooth takeaway

• Triggers the downswing

• Promotes relaxation while swinging

The idea is to imitate the professional golfers who take practice swings before addressing the ball. They want to feel the swing before actually making it. Weekend golfers should think about something that communicates the feel of the swing as well.

Swing thoughts that I encourage are things like “slow and easy” or “nice and easy.” Both phrases remind you to make a nice smooth takeaway while mimicking the motion itself. You could also try swing thoughts that trigger your backswing, like “plant your left heel” or “slide your left knee forward.” Anything that promotes a forceful downswing works well.

Practice Drill: Refine Your Swing Thoughts

Try different swing thoughts when on the range. Test several, then choose one that works for you. Try to find something that fits your game and your swing, and that focuses on tempo and rhythm instead of how your muscles work. Once you’ve selected the right swing thought, continue using it on the range, then try it on the course.

Day 4: Drive for Distance

The Challenge: We all wish we could drive the ball farther. If you’re going to drop seven shots in seven days, you will definitely need to hit a solid tee ball. There’s nothing like blasting a 250-yard drive right down the middle. It not only builds confidence, it also shortens approach shots, making it easier to par the hole or make a birdie. But swinging the club harder doesn’t produce a longer drive. In fact, swing harder often produces a big hook or slice, getting you into trouble.

The Solution: To really power a drive, you need to generate clubhead speed. Unfortunately, many golfers equate clubhead speed with muscle power. That’s not the case. In fact, “muscling” the ball works against you when driving for distance.

Here are 7 keys to a great drive:

1. Widen your stance

2. Position the ball forward

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3. Hover the clubhead above the ball

4. Point front foot toward target slightly

5. Don’t rush the backswing

6. Hit hard with your right hand

7. Take advantage of the elements

Driving for distance is a matter of good technique. And good technique starts at address—by taking a stance designed to generate more power off the tee. For starters, widen your stance slightly. A wider stance provides stability and a solid foundation for a powerful swing. Also, position the ball forward in your stance, parallel to the inside heel of your front foot, which allows you to hit the ball on the upswing. Finally, point your front foot slightly toward the target. This move opens your hips so you can clear them more easily with your club.

Once set, lift the clubhead off the ground, and hover it behind the ball before swinging. Used by a lot of great players, including Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus, hovering promotes a smooth, one-piece takeaway and builds rhythm and tempo in your swing. More importantly, it promotes a wide swing arc.

In addition, take a full shoulder turn before starting your downswing. Your back should be pointed toward the target when you’re at the top of the backswing. Lifting your chin away from your chest facilitates a good turn, allowing your arm to come underneath your chin.

The transition from backswing to downswing is critical. If you rush it, you’ll narrow your swing arc, draining power. You’ll also create a tendency to come down on the ball, which also drains power. Instead, try shifting your weight to your front side and tucking your right elbow in—all while maintaining the angle of your wrists.

Also, keep a straight left arm during your swing, enabling the clubface to be returned to the ball squarely, at the right angle of attack. A straight left arm also re-establishes the swing radius, keeping it wide and power laden up to the point of impact and beyond.

This impact position distinguishes all great ball strikers. The image to keep in mind is that of swinging through the ball, not to it. And don’t be afraid to hit hard with your right hand (for right-handers). You can’t hit too hard with this hand if your left hand works in unison with it.

Practice Drill: The Mirror Drill

This drill helps you feel your shoulder turn. Take your address position in front of a mirror, then place your hands on your hips and look to the right (for right-handers), as

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if you were looking at someone behind you. You should be able to feel the rotation of your spine as well as the coil and torsion the turn generates.

Now take a look in the mirror. See how your back faces the target—your shoulders having turned about 90 degrees and your hips about 45 degrees. In addition, your left knee should point inward and your weight should be mostly on your right side, specifically the inside of your right foot. Work on this drill regularly. It will help you develop a more powerful turn. If you have to lift your left foot off the ground slightly, do so.

Practice Drill: Arms and Hands Drill

To improve the fluidity of your swing as the club changes direction from the backswing to the downswing, try this exercise: Take your 6-iron and with your feet only a few inches apart, hit a few shots. Swing smoothly back and let your body unwind to initiate the downswing. Make the transition as smooth as you can. Sense a “softness” in your arms and hands and simply let the club fall. Work on this drill regularly. After a while, graduate to your normal stance. Your swing should feel effortless and the ball should take off.

Day 5: Chip It Close

The Problem: How many times have you hit a chip shot several feet past the hole, leaving a testy 5-6 footer for par? The chip shot is one of the easiest to learn and one of the hardest to master. It’s also one of the most critical when it comes to cutting strokes from your scores. Accurate chipping saves you one to two shots per hole, and sometimes more. In match play, a good chip can win the hole and/or the match. In medal play, it can help you break 90 or 80, or whatever your goal.

The Solution: While confidence, experience, and imagination contribute to accurate chipping, technique also plays a role.

Here are 7 keys to accurate chipping:

1. Select the right club

2. Decide on a landing spot

3. Use a one-piece takeaway

4. Maintain weight on front side

5. Keep hands ahead of the clubhead

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6. Hold the clubhead

7. Accelerate the club through the ball

Selecting the right club is critical when chipping. Some players use a sand wedge. Others, a pitching wedge. Still others, a 9-iron. Use whatever club feels right and practice with it until you’ve mastered it. Equally important is choosing a landing spot for your shot. Aim for a spot a few feet from the hole and let the ball run to the hole. The spot depends on the club used and the type of shot.

Since the chip shot is hit mostly with your arms and hands, you don’t need a lot of weight transfer, so place your weight on your front side, and keep it there. Also, keep your head still when hitting.

The backswing is important, too. The length determines the length of the shot— the longer the backswing, the longer the shot, so be mindful of your backswing when chipping. Also, take the club back smoothly and slowly, allowing your wrists to hinge naturally.

When committing to the downswing, make sure your hands stay ahead of the clubhead to ensure crisp ball-before-turf contact. The objective is to slide the blade of the clubhead under the ball, taking only a sliver of turf in the process.

Also, don’t allow your right hand to cross over your left through impact. Known as “holding the clubhead,” the technique keeps the clubface open, creating a high shot that lands softly on the ground.

Finish in balance and with your hands slightly higher than the height of your backswing. Finishing in balance shows that you’ve accelerated the clubhead through the ball. The motion is similar to throwing a ball underhanded, a technique instructors use to teach players how the shot feels.

Practice Drill: Change-The-Club

In this drill you will chip with different clubs to get a feel for how far a ball rolls with each club. It’s one of the more popular short game drills. Take three-five balls and drop them all in the same spot in the rough or fringe. Then, use your sand wedge, pitching wedge and 9-iron to hit to the same target and see how each shot responds to the different clubs used.

Practice Drill: Change the Target

The strategy behind this drill is to land your shot on a relatively small spot to prevent your ball from being influenced by humps or valleys that cause it to drift far from the hole. With a single club, you can make small alterations in the shape and style of your chip shots by varying swing length. Hit to different targets on the green. Make sure that the line and distance changes dramatically, which sharpens your ability to change the

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size and pace of your strokes as your target changes. Be sure that you include uphill and downhill shots as well as right-to-left and left-to-right. Focus on changing the size of your stroke, not just the pace, for each shot.

Practice Drill: Birdie Chip Drill

You’re facing a greenside chip where you want to be aggressive, maybe even sink the shot. Maybe you’re in a match and your opponent has a makeable putt to win the hole.

Find a spot off the green with a good lie and plenty of distance to the hole but not more than 30 feet to cover. Take 10 balls and lay them on the ground. Take one and throw it underhanded at the hole. Now chip a ball. Repeat. On the third throw, try to hit the pin. On the fourth and fifth throws, try to get the ball to fall in the cup. Repeat.

Day 6: Escape the Sand

The Challenge: Watching your ball drop into a bunker after a great approach shot is a bummer. It’s worse when it’s a greenside bunker with a high lip. This type of bunker is enough to intimidate many players.

The Solution: Relying on the proper technique to get out of a bunker is imperative. The six keys to hitting this shot are the following:

1. Dig in for a solid foundation

2. Aim left and open clubface

3. Take the right path

4. Turn at the top of the swing

5. Use an extra steep angle of attack

6. Hit down and through the ball

The secret to hitting this shot is the angle of attack.

Use your basic bunker set-up. Start by opening the clubface and then take your grip, choking down on the club. This ensures that the clubface stays open during the swing and improves control. Align your shoulders, hips, and feet left of the target line. Digging in provides a stable base.

Normally, you’d keep your wrists passive as you sweep the club away from the ball. Here, however, you need a steep angle of attack, so hinge your wrists as soon as possible and swing your arms up instead of low and around.

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As the body turns, sense that the club is “cocked” to the sky, then hit down and through the ball with extra force. The path of the clubhead should run parallel to the alignment of shoulders, hips, and feet. The combination of left alignment and open clubface sends the ball straight while the angle of attack drives the ball high, landing it softly on the green.

Practice Drill: High Bunker Shot Drill

To practice the high bunker shot, try the head cover drill. Place a head cover a few inches behind a ball in a steep greenside bunker. Take the club back without hitting the head cover, hinging your wrists during the takeaway as soon as possible.

Practice the takeaway several times without hitting the ball. Then, try some shots without hitting the head cover either on the takeaway or at impact.

Practice Drill: Firm Sand Drill

Experienced players know that you can’t ground your club in a bunker. But you can use your feet to tell you about the consistency of the sand. This drill is ideal for situations in which you’re in a bunker that has firm sand.

First, place the ball forward to ensure that the club does not enter the stand too steeply. Since the bunker has a firm base of sand, the club will bounce more dramatically out of the sand. You need to use a club with less bounce or square the face of your sand wedge to reduce bounce. Alternate between your pitching wedge and sand wedge. Play the shots exactly the same and see how the ball reacts with each club. If the sand is extremely firm the pitching wedge might be the better selection. In either case the stroke should not be as hard nor will the finish be as full as a stroke in soft sand. Place 10 balls in the bunker. Hit five with the pitching wedge and five with the sand wedge. Repeat.

Day 7: Drain More Putts

The Challenge: Fact: You use your putter more than any other club in the bag. If you’re going to shave strokes of your scores, you must get the most from your putting. And putting, like chipping, requires not only good technique but also good “feel.” But what do you do when you lose the feel for putting?

The Solution: Sometimes the cup looks as big as a barrel. Other times, it looks as small as a shot glass. If the hole looks small to you, you’ve probably lost your feel for putting.

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Here are 5 things you should do to recapture your feel for putting:

• Check you alignment

• Check your stroke path

• Work on your rhythm.

• Check your routine

• Practice putting to a tee

The first thing you should do if your putting touch deserts you is to check your alignment. You won’t sink many putts if you’re out of line with the target. To check alignment, lay a club on the ground with the shaft pointing toward the hole, then rest your putter head on top of it Now take aim at the hole, making sure that the face is square to the shaft, forming a right angle.

Another reason we miss a lot of putts is that our putting stroke cuts across the target line, producing a poor roll. Check the path of your stroke. The putter should move from slightly inside your shaft to straight through to impact and on towards the hole.

Sometime tension causes us to miss a putt. To reduce the tension in your hands when putting, work on gripping the club lightly and learn to swing it freely. Counting “One … two” as you make your stroke helps by enhancing your tempo.

Developing a good putting routine is as important as developing a good pre-shot routine, maybe more so. Make two practice strokes, look at the hole, then step up to ball and putt. Develop a series of good putting habits and stick to them. It’s among the best ways of developing consistency in your putting.

Finally, try putting to a tee. This exercise takes the pressure off of putting to the hole, so you can work on solid contact. Then when you get on the course, the hole looks as big as a barrel.

Following this approach should help you find your lost putting stroke whenever your putting goes astray.

Practice Drill: Long Range Putting Drill

Long range putting is especially dangerous when severe slopes lie between you and the hole. To improve on this type of putt you need to develop better feel. This drill helps.

Stand on one side of a sloping green and putt to the other side. Try to hit the putt as close to the greens fringe as possible without going beyond it. Now go to the other side and hit back to where you first stood. Work on this regularly to develop a good feel for long-range putting.

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Conclusion

You should now have a really good idea of what you need to do to tidy up your game and cut some of the fat off your handicap. Remember, the first three days were really about using your head to manage your course strategy, preparation and thoughts. I designed them so that, above all else, you’d realize that you have to have a solid plan if you want to drop those unnecessary shots. We then discussed the importance of driving, chipping, sand play and putting to round off the technical aspects of my seven day program.

The tips and drills provided in this report offer sound advice on key areas of a player’s game. Some of this advice requires mental adjustments. Other advice requires physical adjustments. You absolutely, positively need to practice the drills I have given you in order to see results. It takes only minutes a day but go ahead, practice them and don’t be surprised when you start seeing results.

Keep in mind that I have designed this program from a holistic standpoint. Improvement in one area translates into improvement in other areas. And improvement in every area translates into dramatic changes in your entire game. But no one can do it for you. It’s up to you to make the adjustments discussed in this report.

Regardless of what you do, however, one thing is certain: Following this advice will help you cut strokes off your scores and your golf handicap. How many depends on how hard you work and how much you practice. As I said in the beginning, it takes hard work, dedication, and determination to improve. But if you invest the time, the tips and drills in this report will help you improve.

What To Do Next

I truly do hope you enjoyed this report. My goal is to help as many golfers discover their true potential and to do so, I can’t do it alone so I need your help. If you know of any golfer in your life who would be interested in this report, please feel free to share it with them. To do so, please go to this page to pass it on:

http://www.howtobreak80.com/spreadtheword.htm

Also, please tell me what you think about this report. I am always interested in feedback and would love to hear what you have to say. You can post your comments on our blog at www.howtobreak80.com/blog

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While this report contains plenty of excellent information and instruction, there’s only so much I can give in this report. To find out more about how YOU can start breaking 80 yourself, please visit:

http://www.HowToBreak80.com

If you’re serious about seeing how good YOUR golf game can get and really want to learn in detail the exact systems, techniques and strategies I’ve used to help thousands of golfers around the globe, RUN, don’t walk to the above pages. There are limited quantities of each of the products so I cannot guarantee that they will even be available as you read this report. Thousands of golfers have downloaded this report already so if we are sold out, please accept my apologies in advance.

Til next time,

Go Low!

Jack Moorehouse, Founder, HowToBreak80.com

About the Author

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling golf instruction book “How To Break 80…And Shoot Like the Pros!” and founder of HowToBreak80.com. Golfers of all skill levels all around the world have been using his system and teachings to discover their true golfing potential and ability.

He has a free weekly newsletter that is read by tens of thousands of people. Jack’s newsletter was awarded the APEX Publication Excellence Award in 2006 and voted the “Best Golf Email Newsletter” out of thousands of applicants.

Jack is not a PGA Pro, rather a working man like the majority of his readers. He played some collegiate golf and is devoted to helping as many golfers as he can in his lifetime. To learn more, please visit http://www.HowToBreak80.com

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