I’ve got something a bit different for you today.

You see, attached is a golf improvement PDF that has almost everything a golfer could do to improve their golf game.

BUT…

There is one B-I-G improvement aspect missing from it. Sadly, if you’re not doing what is missing from this PDF then you’ll never play consistently to your golf potential.

I’m sure you know what is missing, because my subscribers are a sharp bunch. But just to make sure here is what I need you to do…

Open up the attached PDF now. Click here to see it. (If you want to save it, right-click on it and select “Save target as”)

Study it and then leave your comment below and tell me what you think is the ONE B-I-G golf improvement focal point missing from the mind map.

I look forward to reading your answer shortly.

Hopefully it’s the correct one!

Either way, I’ll send you an email later this week that will reveal the answer.

Jack

P.S. I’m very serious about this. Open up the PDF now. It’s only 1 page but the one thing that’s left off will be a revelation for many, I’m sure. Are you one?

Take a look at the PDF then hit the reply button on your email program and let me know what the ONE B-I-G
thing missing from the mind map is and remember…

THE answer will be sent to you later this week so look out for that.

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie
Three Critical Decisions On Short Pitches
Question of the Week - Overcoming Bunker Shot Blues
Article - Strengthen Shoulders To Lower Golf Handicap
Article - Re-Thinking Strategy Off Tee

Hit It Close From A Sidehill Lie

A sidehill lie into the green is a delicate shot. But miss it and you can add two or more strokes to your score. You must factor in not only the distance to the green, but also the effects of the sidehill lie. The biggest danger is taking a straight-back backswing into the slope. That’s the quickest way to shank the shot and tack strokes onto your score.
Below are five keys to this shot:

1. Plan your shot based on the lie
2. Match your stance to the shot
3. Center the ball in your stance
4. Distribute your weight evenly
5. Shape your swing to the slope

Plan your shot based on what you expect. If the ball is above your feet, the ball will hook. It the ball is below your feet, the ball will fade. Also consider the club being used. With longer irons the ball will hook or fade more than with shorter clubs.

Now, match your stance and swing to the slope.

• If the ball is above your feet, address the ball with a slightly closed stance, position the ball in the center, and distribute your weight evenly. Take the club back on an inside-out path. That will produce a drawing trajectory.
• If the ball is below your feet, set up with a slightly open stance, position the ball in the center, and distribute your weight evenly. But use an outside-in path to the ball. That will produce a fading trajectory.
• If the ball is in the rough, expect a straighter shot than from the fairway. The grass will catch and turn the clubface. That’s means you can take a more aggressive line at the pin. Just don’t over do it.

Knowing what to expect from this type of lie is half the battle. The other half is matching your stance and swing to the slope. Plan your shot accordingly and knock it close to save strokes.

Three Critical Decisions On Short Pitches

Golfers often commit two costly mistakes on short pitches. They square their stances and they open their clubfaces. Both hurt the shot big time. A square stance leads to a steeper swing and an open clubface shanks the ball sideways. But asking yourself three key questions before making the shot and you’re chances of hitting it close rise dramatically. Use this a routine whenever you have a short pitch.

The questions are

1. What kind of shot do I hit?
2. What’s the best club for the shot?
3. What kind of swing do I use?

Many golfers choose the wrong club, use the wrong shot, and/or employ the wrong technique on short pitches. Check your lie carefully on short pitches before choosing your club. The lie is good if you can slide the ball under the club. A good lie allows you to use a more lofted club, like a 60-dgree wedge, for maximum touch.

Also, open your stance. This pre-rotates your body to the target. That in turn keeps your swing shallow and helps the club slide through the grass.

Now, play the ball off your front heel and open the clubface. Swing down along your stance. And don’t flip the club. There’s no need. You have plenty of loft to get the ball in the air. It comes out high and soft, just like you want.

Don’t commit two common mistakes on short pitches. It just adds strokes to your score. Before hitting, ask yourself the three questions mentioned above. Answering them will help you choose the right club, the right shot, and the right technique.

After that, it’s just a matter of applying the right amount of touch to hit it close, saving a stroke or two on the hole.

Question of the Week - Overcoming Bunker Shot Blues

Q. Dear Jack, Even though I try to apply all that I can read about bunker shots around the green, I still either skull the ball over the green, or I hit too far behind the ball and it stays in the bunker. The result is frustration. Do I need a lesson?

Thanks,
Archie Buie

A. Thanks for the question, Archie. Golf lessons never hurt. In many cases, they help a great deal. But there are drills you can do on your own to improve your bunker game, in addition to studying technique and reading golf tips.

Below are two exercises for improving their bunker technique:

* This drill establishes how the sand wedge should really work. Stand in a practice bunker without a ball. Adopt your normal bunker stance and take several swings down into the sand. The object is to get the feel of the clubhead dragging through the sand, not digging into it. After a dozen shots, try hitting a ball. Pick out a spot where you want the ball to land and then go for it. Repeat the exercise until you’re comfortable with the feel of the wedge splashing through the sand.

* The Two Lines drill eliminates the tendency to lose focus during the shot. Stand in a bunker and take your normal bunker stance. Now draw two lines in the sand, about six or seven inches apart. The lines represent the length of the sand you should carve from under the ball. Line up several balls between the two lines, and then hit them. The clubhead should enter the sand where the first line is and emerge where the second line is.
Practicing these two exercises builds better bunker technique. As you improve your technique, you’ll increase your confidence in the shot. And confidence leads to a lower score per round and a lower golf handicap.

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.

===================================================
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/newsletter06172009.php

Here are some of my recent articles:
Strengthen Shoulders To Lower Golf Handicap

Re-Thinking Strategy Off Tee

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, go to http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter.htm

About the Author

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.

The story line about this time of year is always about the same…this year’s tournament will be even more brutal, challenging, and demanding than any in history.

But with Bethpage 2009, this is not the case.

The last outing at Bethpage in 2002 was extremely grueling for the entire competition, but this year’s should be substantially easier.

Some of the shrubbery and excessive penalties have been replaced, and the 18th hole is one of the most forgiving in the history of the tournament.

Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that the winner will be under par but I’d be surprised if the winner weren’t.

Don’t get me wrong; Bethpage is a beast and it will take superb rounds to contend for an under-par score.

That said, there are a few pros who have fairly large advantages heading into the tournament.

I believe there are only a handful of guys who can tackle this challenge:

Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson
Steve Stricker
Jim Furyk
Geoff Ogilvy

Because of the extreme difficulty of this event, anything can happen and anyone can win….but I’d like to hear from YOU. Who do YOU think will win this week and be crowned the reigning U.S. Open champ? Just post your answer here in the comments. Answer correctly and we’ll put you into a drawing on Monday June 22nd for selection my products. If your name is drawn, you get to pick any three of our award-winning DVD’s or instructional books (we have thirteen to choose from)…on the house. And yes, we pay for the shipping too

There’s only one rule….only those posts submitted by end of day Thursday will count. Those who vote after that won’t be counted toward the contest because by then you will have an unfair advantage. You’re more than welcome to post at any time though! Good luck and I hope you choose wisely and get some instructional products for free!

In this issue we’ll discuss…

Negotiating Around Trees
Severe Downhill Greenside Chip
Question of the Week - Maintaining Tempo Increases Consistency
Article - Play Bethpage Black Course Free
Article - Go To Shots Trim Scores And Golf Handicaps

Negotiating Around Trees

Nobody plans to end up behind a tree. But even the best of us end up there occasionally. A tree requires a decision. You either have to go over it or go under it. Going over it is risky. It requires crisp contact and a lot of carry. It’s the option to choose if you have to get it close to the green with little roll or if there’s a bunker in front of it. A safer play is going under the tree by playing a punch shot. If you choose wrong, it can cost you big time.

Below are five keys to playing a punch shot under a tree:

Use a long iron or a hybrid
Play the ball in the middle
Use minimal cock in the wrist
Employ a sweeping motion
Make ball-first contact

If you decide to go high, on the other hand, play the ball forward in your stance. Open the clubface. And keep your weight on your back foot. As you take the club back, make a full backswing, with a swift and steep wrist cock. The wrist cock is the key to getting the ball in the air.

Begin the downswing by turning—not shifting—forward. This is critical. If you shift your weight forward, you de-loft the club. Also, keep the clubface open well through impact. And don’t try to scoop the ball. Trust the loft on your club.

Don’t let one bad shot ruin your hole. When behind a tree, weigh the decision carefully. If you’re not adept at going over the tree, don’t risk it. Go under it and try to set yourself up for the next shot.

Severe Downhill Greenside Chip

This is one tough shot. No doubt about it. You have to deal not only with a difficult lie, but also with the green’s break. Why? From a down hill lie, the ball rolls more than normal after hitting the green. Thus, you must factor in break and speed to have any chance of getting the ball close.

Below are six keys to the shot:

Chose your most lofted club
Adjust your weight to the slope
Play the ball back in your stance
Aim the clubface at landing spot
Keep your hands forward

Choose your most lofted club. Address the ball with an open stance. And adjust your weight to the slope of the hill. Align your club as perpendicular to the ground as possible. Doing so will force your weight on to your forward foot, which is where it should be.

Next, play the ball in the back of your stance. Position your hands forward with the clubface aiming at your chosen landing spot on the green or fringe, where you want the ball to start rolling. As you start your back swing, swing along the ground and keep your hands low to the ground well into the finish. This is key.

Also, don’t hesitate to land the ball on the fringe, if that’s your best landing spot. The ball has some spin so it will roll through the fringe before stopping. Whatever you do, don’t try to scoop the ball. It doesn’t work from this lie—or from any other lie for that matter.

This shot is a challenge. But it can be made, if you remember our keys. You probably won’t face it a lot during a round, unless you’re playing on a very hilly course. Even then, you might not get it more than once a round. But knowing how to hit it can save strokes.

Question of the Week - Maintaining Tempo Increases Consistency

Q. Hi Jack, I am a weekend golfer and play to a handicap of 12. My swing is out to in and I end up slicing while using irons. My ball placement for long irons is centre, mid irons an inch back of center, and one inch back for short irons.

Regards
Yash

A. Thanks for the question. Ball position is a fundamental question golfers often take for granted. There are two schools of thought on the subject. Jack Nicklaus says there’s one position for the ball—opposite the heel of your front foot. When Jack played, he used this position for every club.

Tradition says change ball position depending on the club. The driver’s ideal ball position is just inside the heel of your front foot. The ideal long-iron position is slightly back from drivers’ ball position. The ideal mid-iron position is one or two balls back from the long iron position. And the ideal short-iron position is in the middle of your stance. Keep in mind you may have to make adjustments for slope and lie.

These different positions place the ball at the lowest point in your swing given the club’s length and swing taken. In addition, positioning the ball at the different positions encourages clean contact with a crisp descending blow—the key to blasting solid iron and wood shots.

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.

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

Here are some of my recent articles:
Play Bethpage Black Course Free

Go To Shots Trim Scores And Golf Handicaps

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, go to http://www.howtobreak80.com/newsletter.htm

About the Author
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.