Tempo in Golf | Just How Important is it?
Learn the 3 Tour Pro Consistency Secrets You've NEVER Heard!
Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
Published: February 16, 2014
Create good tempo in golf by letting speed build naturallySome golf instructors recommend counting to help develop tempo in golf.
It's true that there is statistical data showing that the ratio of backswing to downswing is very consistent among Tour pros with good rhythmical tempo in their golf swings.
However, there's no need to get all caught up in the tempo issue.
We've seen time and time again that Chuck can go to the top of his golf swing, stop, have a conversation, then come down and hit it close to his full distance, so obviously tempo isn't everything.
Of course we're not saying that tempo is unimportant.
Rhythm and tempo are what help glue everything together and make your golf swing consistent. A lot goes into that.
It's No Cure-All
Is tempo in golf important? Sure it is, but it's not a cure-all.
There are books out there on the importance of tempo, claiming that it fixes golf swing flaws. That's just silly.
Tempo doesn't change your movement patterns. You may swing faster than before, but you're still making the same moves.
The one thing it might do is help you stop manipulating the club as much. It might glue things together a little better, but it's not going to change your movement in golf.
Tempo Doesn't Mean Rush
Most golfers tend to rush things, ramping their speed up suddenly, as fast as they can.
Instead, learn to sequence your golf swing correctly and start down smoothly. Think of it as building to a crescendo.
Build speed steadily, not suddenly. Let it ramp up slowly.
Let the speed come to you, because that's what will allow you to sequence the bigger body parts that can't attain the high speeds that your hands and arms do.
In other words, yes. Tempo is important, but the slower you can go at first, the better.
Learn the new movement patterns, sequence things correctly, and then let the speed come back to you once you've mastered it.
Checkpoints for Practice
- Rhythm and tempo help smooth out the golf swing and make it consistent
- Swinging faster or on-tempo will not fix existing problems or change movement patterns
- Aim for a smooth, consistent tempo, but start slow when learning new patterns
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