COMMUNITY

Have you ever had a day where you just didn't have any clue whatsoever where the ball was going once it left the clubface?  I would be willing to bet that a large part of that had to do with your tempo.

Golf is a rhythmic sport, in my view.  A good swing needs a good rhythm.  Sure, there have been players through the years that have played well at times with, shall we say, "un-rhythmic" swings.  But if you take a look at the great players who enjoyed a long and consistent career, you will probably notice that their swings have a very smooth, almost waltz-like rhythm.  Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Fred Couples, and the best example (I believe) and one of my biggest idols, Sam Snead, are all terrific examples of how to swing with great tempo.

And here's something to notice about all of those swings:  They are SWINGS.  There is no "stab" at the ball, no rushing at the transition from backswing to downswing, no drastic change in swing speed from backswing to downswing.  But wait a minute...Fred Couples?  Sam Snead?  Jack Nicklaus?  These guys all hit the ball extremely long!  What gives?  The truth is, a true swinging motion generates a massive amount of clubhead speed, even if it doesn't outwardly appear as such.  I'll explain why that is in a second, and how to achieve it.

What I have noticed, especially in younger players and especially since Tiger first came onto the scene, is the desire to hit the ball really long.  And they start off with all good intentions of swinging smoothly, and make a nice and slow backswing, but then they get to the top of the swing and WHOOSH!  They swing at the ball with everything they have, and their tempo becomes so rushed that it's almost impossible to hit the ball with any consistency.  Sure, if they manage to hit the ball correctly, it goes a long way.  But the ratio of bad shots to good shots is huge!

So how do we fix this?  How do we develop a good tempo?  There are two things I think about.  One is to feel that the downswing is the same speed as the backswing.  This actually will not be the case, because when you set your wrists on the backswing, you have created extra leverage that is eventually released into the golf ball at the bottom of the swing.  This translates into much, much greater speed coming down, but don't force the issue.  You want to feel as if you are swinging at the same speed throughout the swing--the extra speed happens naturally through your body's uncoiling and the release of the club.  The second thing I think about is to make as full of a shoulder turn as possible.  When you turn your shoulders fully, you create a wider arc.  A wider arc results in more centrifugal force on the downswing, which also ratchets clubhead speed even higher.  But again, all this will happen naturally without you physically swinging any harder.

The overall tempo of your swing is your own personal preference.  Some people swing better with faster swings, and some people (like myself) swing better with slower swings.  You need to experiment to find your correct tempo, but I bet you'll be surprised at the distance and accuracy you get with a slower swing!  Sam Snead, who had one of the slowest-looking swings ever in the history of the game, was known for hitting 300+ yard drives with much regularity, on equipment that most people--even current PGA pros--can only hit about 260.  That's the magic of good tempo!

Another thought that is absolutely crucial to playing good golf, and one that goes right along with this topic, is that you should swing THROUGH the ball, not AT it.  We hear this all the time in every Golf Digest, every instructional book, every Golf Channel telecast, but rarely do we heed it!  Next time you hit a golf ball, try this:  Make a swing without any thoughts about where the ball is going, but rather, think about what you want to look like at your finish.  Swing through to that ideal finish position, and I'll bet that you'll start hitting the ball more solidly, straighter, and longer almost immediately.

Youtube is a great, great resource for us golfers now.  Here is a video of Sam Snead hitting iron shots before the 1963 US Open.  (Ignore the guy in white at the beginning--Sam is wearing the red shirt and trademark straw hat.)  Keep in mind that Sam was one of the longest iron players ever as well, fully able to hit a 6 iron 170-180 yards even with antiquated equipment by today's standards.  With that in mind, watch how smooth his tempo is in these swings.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMb6nBhHr0&feature=related

So remember, if your ballstriking has suddenly gone out the window, it's probably time to check your tempo!