Spend Less Time Over the Ball

[saevel25]

 

A study done by the European Tour shows spending less time over the ball produces better shots. 

This makes sense. I can see where if you are over the ball a long time you lose the ability to make a more athletic swing. There is also the possibility of just overthinking the shot while over the wall as well and not being in the right headspace.

[JetFan1983]

Without knowing the study at all, this could be more of a reflection of who is tournament ready and who isn't. If you have a quick trigger, it could mean your swing is working really well. Fidgeting, lots of rehearsals, maybe means your swing's not functioning as well as you'd like it to and you need more time to feel it all out before you hit your shot.

 

[saevel25]

  On 2/16/2025 at 5:34 PM, JetFan1983 said:

Without knowing the study at all, this could be more of a reflection of who is tournament ready and who isn't. If you have a quick trigger, it could mean your swing is working really well. Fidgeting, lots of rehearsals, maybe means your swing's not functioning as well as you'd like it to and you need more time to feel it all out before you hit your shot.

 

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Not sure, I think players have their own pace. Speith was always slow, regardless if he was in contention or not. Well, more so when he was in contention. It might be a push there on that question. 

[JetFan1983]

  On 2/16/2025 at 6:30 PM, saevel25 said:

Not sure, I think players have their own pace. Speith was always slow, regardless if he was in contention or not. Well, more so when he was in contention. It might be a push there on that question. 

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Patrick Cantlay's strokes gained from 2024:

I wonder if he takes more time on approach shots given that was the worst part of his game last season.

And then here are his 2023 stats:

Much better ball striking season. I wonder if there are any differences in his times between these two seasons.

I tend to think he's just slow in general, but it'd be interesting to see his time differences.

[gbogey]

I think there's a difference between taking time over the ball and taking time to play a shot, at least IMO. One thing I've noticed in a few guys I play with who take a long time over the ball to pull the trigger, is that their backswing is really fast and I think it makes it harder to have a smooth rhythmic down swing. It's almost like they take so long to swing that when they do they speed to catch up. Doesn't lead to good golf IMO.

[GolfLug]

I speak for myself. If I inventory my swing thoughts, swing tempo, optimum muscle tension and rehearse a swing before I take my address, then I pull the trigger reasonably quickly with usually acceptable results. Like a proper program download before deploying it. If I don't bother to by forgetting or just not caring, I am inclined to look for my cues while hovering over the ball after taking the address, while tension builds up and then I fire with a half ass program that is still buffering. I guess that's no better than rolling a dice.

In other words, a good pre-shot routine does wonders. I am not advising folks to take 13 practice swings while the flowers wilt waiting for something to happen, but one or maybe two are reasonable and good for you. I am certain hitting half ass shitty shots and making double bogey takes longer than making a par. 

My desire this year is to just that as I have not developed a habit taking a practice swing and as a result have tendency to freeze over the ball after address, that is counter productive for both time and result. I think that is what @saevel25 is talking about in the OP.      

Edited February 17 by GolfLug

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 2/17/2025 at 1:41 PM, gbogey said:

I think there's a difference between taking time over the ball and taking time to play a shot, 

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I'm not sure who said it first but I've seen it a lot. There's this "think box" vs "play box" theory. I've also seen it with a planning vs doing line on the ground. The idea is basically you stand away from the ball (a couple feet) and do your "think box". This is where you do your planning, your swing cues, your practice swings (if you believe in practice swings.) All of that is done in the "Think Box". Then you step into your "play box" address the ball and hit it. Sometimes it's done with a imaginary line on the ground. You do all of the think box stuff behind the line. Then once you cross the line you step up and hit it. 

Here's Annika Sorenstam demonstrating the "Think box" and "Play box":

So, Annika's time over the ball is really short. Because she did all of that other stuff not over the ball, but in her "Think box". 

There are lots of variations on this theme. But I think you get the idea. 

[JetFan1983]

Ah, I didn't realize this was about standing over the ball versus time to play the shot. Definitely two different things there. Yea I would imagine being static over the ball/taking a long time over the ball does make things worse in the long run, hence all the waggles guys will do before pulling the trigger.

[gbogey]

  On 2/17/2025 at 4:30 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

I'm not sure who said it first but I've seen it a lot. There's this "think box" vs "play box" theory. I've also seen it with a planning vs doing line on the ground. The idea is basically you stand away from the ball (a couple feet) and do your "think box". This is where you do your planning, your swing cues, your practice swings (if you believe in practice swings.) All of that is done in the "Think Box". Then you step into your "play box" address the ball and hit it. Sometimes it's done with a imaginary line on the ground. You do all of the think box stuff behind the line. Then once you cross the line you step up and hit it. 

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It's from "Every Shot Has a Purpose" which was co-written by one of Annika's coaches. Decent read about reducing uncertainty and committing to the golf shot.

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 2/17/2025 at 5:16 PM, gbogey said:

It's from "Every Shot Has a Purpose" which was co-written by one of Annika's coaches. Decent read about reducing uncertainty and committing to the golf shot.

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Yeah, that's right. I remember now. Pia Nilsson. I've read a couple of her books. "Be A Player" and "Every Shot Must Have A Purpose". 

I read them back maybe 10 years ago. ... maybe 5? ... pre-pandemic anyway. 

Good memory. 

[p1n9183]

Rush or delay your own pace and you are probably going to suffer in the long run. PGA pro are well oiled machines that work on an specific pace, it's not surprise that if you move them out of their normal routine things are going to go sideways.

I normally don't rush shots, but I sometimes delay the trigger if I'm not feeling it. The result is a lack of athleticism, I kind of get a little stiff and I could loose some yards and accuracy. 

 

[saevel25]

  On 2/18/2025 at 7:02 PM, p1n9183 said:

Rush or delay your own pace and you are probably going to suffer in the long run. PGA pro are well oiled machines that work on an specific pace, it's not surprise that if you move them out of their normal routine things are going to go sideways.

I normally don't rush shots, but I sometimes delay the trigger if I'm not feeling it. The result is a lack of athleticism, I kind of get a little stiff and I could loose some yards and accuracy. 

 

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I don't think that is what the study was showing. It just showed that golfers who spent less time over the ball performed better. It didn't say pending their normal pace.

[JetFan1983]

 

Patrick Cantlay standing over the ball at the 2018 PGA Championship haha. Dunno what the story behind this is.

But at the 2012 Players, Kevin Na was going through some rough swing thought stuff. This article I linked below says he was fixing early extension at the time while also trying to get used to feeling less weight in heels at address, and tho he hit it better than with his old swing, he had a really tough time with it, even in practice rounds.

https://vault.si.com/vault/2016/01/18/kevin-na-fit-be-tied-just-ask-him

 

Anyway, just a couple high level examples of this.

 

[TourSpoon]

Lately, I feel that sometimes I stand over the ball a little too long and I twitch my shoulders like a spaz. I have been playing really well, but feel that I need to get set and go. There is always something to improve on. 

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 2/19/2025 at 2:29 AM, JetFan1983 said:

 

Patrick Cantlay standing over the ball at the 2018 PGA Championship haha. Dunno what the story behind this is.

But at the 2012 Players, Kevin Na was going through some rough swing thought stuff. This article I linked below says he was fixing early extension at the time while also trying to get used to feeling less weight in heels at address, and tho he hit it better than with his old swing, he had a really tough time with it, even in practice rounds.

https://vault.si.com/vault/2016/01/18/kevin-na-fit-be-tied-just-ask-him

 

Anyway, just a couple high level examples of this.

 

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Oh my, I actually thought the Patrick Cantlay one was a gif on repeat.... 

[StuM]

  On 2/18/2025 at 9:23 PM, saevel25 said:

I don't think that is what the study was showing. It just showed that golfers who spent less time over the ball performed better. It didn't say pending their normal pace.

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I may be misreading, but in the upper left quadrant it reads "A majority of players are more likely to hit poor shots when they spend more than a second longer than their average time" (emphasis added by me).  It seems to me the study absolutely implies time over the ball vs. their normal pace..  It also references "Consistency" in the bottom half of the graphic.

[iacas]

  On 2/28/2025 at 6:45 PM, StuM said:

I may be misreading, but in the upper left quadrant it reads "A majority of players are more likely to hit poor shots when they spend more than a second longer than their average time" (emphasis added by me).  It seems to me the study absolutely implies time over the ball vs. their normal pace..  It also references "Consistency" in the bottom half of the graphic.

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Yes, plus, cause and effect may be misconstrued here. If you're not feeling comfortable or playing well, you might play more slowly and stand over the ball longer.