Every golfer swings to his or her own rhythm, or tempo. Among the world's best players in the history of the game, swings range from syrupy and graceful like those of Sam Snead, Fred Couples and Ernie Els, to the quick, machine-like work of Ben Hogan and Nick Price. Amateur golfers can find that perfect tempo and play well, but then then lose the proper technique, and struggle for weeks. Sometimes golfers must work hard to get the proper rhythm back.
Step 1
Don't slow down, but put the speed in its place. If you're eager to obliterate the ball, your downswing will start with a wrenching move, and the speed of your swing will top out early in your downswing instead of at the bottom, at the ball. Butch Harmon, Tiger Woods' former instructor, recommends a "chip the driver" drill, in which you hit chip shots with your driver, swinging smoothly. Gradually lengthen your swing, but maintain the smooth tempo.
Step 2
Listen to the music. Grand Slam winner Bobby Jones used to play waltz music for pupils to understand proper tempo. Author John Novosel studied top golfers, and found they swing with a three-to-one ratio--three beats on the backswing, and one beat coming back down. Try swinging in waltz time to fix your tempo.
Step 3
Loosen up. Snead, who won a record 82 PGA Tour events, said he tried to feel "oily" when swinging a club. He once said, "When I swing at a golf ball right, my mind is blank and my body is loose as a goose." Tension saps power in a golf swing, so relax.
Tips and Warnings
- Novosel says it's not accurate to slow down your swing. Touring pros' swings take about 1.2 seconds from start to impact, much faster than amateurs who appear to be swinging hard. He recommends to learning to swing the club on a proper plane, and to swing quickly enough without ruining that plane during the swing.
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