"Tour Tempo" by John Novosel

[Chicago Lefty]

I tried the tones last night...as stated by someone else, they need to put more space between the tones.  It starts over so fast I think it was raising my heart rate just listening to it.  Seemed very frantic.  On video it appears I am about 33/8, so I figured I would try the 24/8 and speed up my backswing.  Wow did that feel slow?  So I went to 21/7...even that felt slow.  Odd...

Ballstriking was ok, but I had a lot of high push misses.  As soon as I took the headphones off, I had no problem hitting the ball straight.

[dc3032]

I'm gonna be honest here, there is really no need to buy this book.  As one of the other posters already pointed out, the theory proposed is simple and the book gets repetitive, probably b/c it is so simple and he needed to fill pages.   That being the theory in the book is VERY EFFECTIVE.

I went to a local B&N; and skimmed the book in about 20 min.  Maybe this isn't the morally right thing to do, but I find it ridiculous to pay $14 for a small book that repeats the same thing over and over again.  The book is accompanied by a CD that has videos and comes with a timer that beeps at the corresponding intervals in the Tour Tempo ratios for practice purposes, but you can download the Tour Tempo app to you smartphone for the same cost as the book (it seems like all your paying for with the book is the CD).  In addition, it is smarter to simply skim the book and take out all pointers and then purchase the app for $14.  You need the app more than the CD anyway b/c how many people want to lug a laptop to the range just so you can hear beeps?  As you have to purchase the app seperatly from the book, the actual cost of the book jumps to $28 - a total rip off if you ask me.

So to those of you who want to know the main gist of what the book says, here are my notes:

- The three common Pro swing ratios: 21/7, 24/8, 27/9, with the first # corresponding to the number of frames (video) it takes to get from address to the top of backswing and the second # corresponding to the number of frames it takes to get from the top of the backswing thru contact.  Each frame equals approx. 0.033s (ex. the 24/8 ratio = approx. 1.05s in total swing time... you can do the math for the others).  Notice that each ratio is 3/1?  This is the "Tour Tempo" the author is talking about.

- The three drills to practice to maintain the right fundementals throughout the Tour Tempo swing:

1.  Maintain a "Y" shape at address.  This means that if you drew a line straight down from the bottom of your hands at address, your arms would make a "Y" shape. (Duh).

2.  Form an "L" shape at the top of your backswing.  This means that your wrists should bend so as to allow the shaft to be perpendicular with angle of your left arm (for a righty) which maintains its straightness throughout the swing.

3.  Maintain the "Power Angle" throughout the downswing.  Once you have made the "L" at the top of your backswing (as noted in drill #2 above), it is important to maintain this right angle all the way through your downswing until right before you make contact.  When looking at video of your downswing, at any particular frame you should still see the semblance of the L you formed at the top of your backswing (download swingreader app - free).

That's it!  Now make sure you at least download the $14 Tour Tempo app for you phone so the author get his due.  HOPE THIS HELPED!

[MiniBlueDragon]

I bought the app and the benefit has been great. The book however I see little point in as there seems to be nothing in there that's missing from the app.

It's all very well knowing the gist of the technique from a forum post but it pales in comparison to experiencing the tempo yourself as you're actually performing your swing during sessions at the range.

[rb224315]

I'm new to The Sand Trap (and just picking up my clubs for the first time in 3-4 years) and wanted to chime in on Tour Tempo.

Here is the short version of a really long story:

Played lots of golf from 1996-2007 or so, with a personal best round of 92.  Took a few lessons toward the end of that period and saw some improvement.  Found Swing Like a Pro to be a good resource, and picked up Tour Tempo just before I quit playing.  [I didn't quit because of TT, BTW.  ;-) ]  I felt that TT was making the biggest difference for me, and my playing partners noticed it also.  Golfing weather ended and I put my clubs down for an extended period, and now I've picked them up again.  After 2 buckets at the range over the course of a week, I shot a 99 in my first round in 3-4 years.  Since that round on Friday, I've been going back through TT and made an interesting discovery.

Before Friday's round, I hit balls into the net in my back yard.  I hit a few solid ones in the middle of the net but for the most part the pure hit was very elusive, as has been my experience generally.  I took some video to try and identify any major issues and noticed a tendency to cast from the top, which I believe is the biggest issue with my swing, until . . . . I counted the frames as done in TT.  I count 27-28 frames on the backswing and 13-14 on the downswing.  In reality, I'm sure the casting affects the timing and working on tempo/timing will probably help my ball flight.  Hitting balls into the net while listening to the tones has resulted in more consistently hitting solid shots.  Now I'm looking forward to getting to the range.

Here's a question for discussion:  Is it the case that a golfer would hit the ball farther with a 21/7 tempo than he/she would with a 27/9 tempo (with other things being equal)?  I think so because the clubhead would have to move from the top of the backswing to impact in a shorter period of time, resulting in a faster clubhead speed.  Is this the case or am I missing something?

[CuppedTin]

Hey guys, if you are not happy with Tour Tempo please let me know because I am wanting to buy it... Thanks

[k14]

I tried this for about 2-3 months. It made my ball striking quite a lot better and was a great swing thought. But now I have ditched it. I don't know why but I just started hitting it poorly thinking about the beats. So I stopped thinking about it and now I am back to hitting it quite nicely without thinking about the tempo beats at all. I think it is definately helpful but maybe not for everyone.

[CuppedTin]

Can someone please explain what these numbers mean in relation to the swing? I was researching the Tour Tempo App and I noticed these numbers on the app screen. Are these numbers tempos, and if so are there basically only (3) tempos for all tour players?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

Can someone please explain what these numbers mean in relation to the swing? I was researching the Tour Tempo App and I noticed these numbers on the app screen. Are these numbers tempos, and if so are there basically only (3) tempos for all tour players?

Yep.

Again, please stop making new threads for existing discussions. I've merged this.

[CuppedTin]

Can someone please explain what these numbers mean in relation to the swing?  Are these numbers tempos, and if so are there basically only (3) tempos for all players?

[johnthejoiner]

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

Can someone please explain what these numbers mean in relation to the swing?  Are these numbers tempos, and if so are there basically only (3) tempos for all players?

[Leftygolfer]

I just ordered it today.  I bought the little device since it was so cheap along with the book.  I will post what I think when I get it.

[golfdu]

I'm new to The Sand Trap (and just picking up my clubs for the first time in 3-4 years) and wanted to chime in on Tour Tempo.

Here is the short version of a really long story:

Played lots of golf from 1996-2007 or so, with a personal best round of 92.  Took a few lessons toward the end of that period and saw some improvement.  Found Swing Like a Pro to be a good resource, and picked up Tour Tempo just before I quit playing.  [I didn't quit because of TT, BTW.  ;-) ]  I felt that TT was making the biggest difference for me, and my playing partners noticed it also.  Golfing weather ended and I put my clubs down for an extended period, and now I've picked them up again.  After 2 buckets at the range over the course of a week, I shot a 99 in my first round in 3-4 years.  Since that round on Friday, I've been going back through TT and made an interesting discovery.

Before Friday's round, I hit balls into the net in my back yard.  I hit a few solid ones in the middle of the net but for the most part the pure hit was very elusive, as has been my experience generally.  I took some video to try and identify any major issues and noticed a tendency to cast from the top, which I believe is the biggest issue with my swing, until . . . . I counted the frames as done in TT.  I count 27-28 frames on the backswing and 13-14 on the downswing.  In reality, I'm sure the casting affects the timing and working on tempo/timing will probably help my ball flight.  Hitting balls into the net while listening to the tones has resulted in more consistently hitting solid shots.  Now I'm looking forward to getting to the range.

Here's a question for discussion:  Is it the case that a golfer would hit the ball farther with a 21/7 tempo than he/she would with a 27/9 tempo (with other things being equal)?  I think so because the clubhead would have to move from the top of the backswing to impact in a shorter period of time, resulting in a faster clubhead speed.  Is this the case or am I missing something?

Yes, 21/7 and 24/8 has faster clubhead speed than 27/9 because it is faster but it depends on contact, too. Say you hit the toe all the time with 21/7 or 24/8, if you hit center contact with 27/9, that means faster ball speed than those 2 tones on contact. It also depends on how natural it feels. You certainly don't want to feel "rushed" on 21/7.

[Leftygolfer]

I've had the book and player for about two weeks.   My first impression was the tones were quick.  I've been working with the 24-8 and can hit a lot of great wedges and short irons.  But when I move up through the bag I feel like I'm rushed and loose smoothness.  I had some good play and poor play post tour tempo.

I had a particularly bad round tonight.  Worst in a while.  I felt out of sorts.  I came home and listened to the 27-9 and swung a while.  It sounds slow but when I'm swinging with that tempo it felt really good.

Question.....First off am I going in the right direction using this training aid.  I felt like I was starting to hit the ball well and almost feel like I've stepped back.

Second....Can I use the 24-8 with the wedges and half shots then use the 27-9 with the full swing.  I just don't feel like I have enough time to make a nice move and keep a good tempo.  I'm going to work with that tone for the next week and see if it helps me.

[Precis1on]

I didn't get the book, but the Videos and MP3s was easy enough to figure it out.

My fiancee said to me "You're already have great rhythm from music performance, there's no way you're going to be happy reacting to beats. You will anticipate them." She was right. After listening and trying to sync my swing to the beats... I couldn't do it. I would always anticipate them. So instead of listening to the beats, I would ingrain the rhythm in my head and play it over and over in my mind, moving the club along with my internal rhythm.

Overall was a good drill, but if you already have good rhythm or anticipate beats, you probably won't get anything useful from Tour Tempo except the ratio that you need to swing a club.

[x129]

I don't think this is true. Here is an analogy: One car takes 7s to go from 0-60 and another takes 9 secs. The first car is "faster" but both have the same speed when they hit the wall at  60mph. With the slower tempo you accelerate slower but for a longer period of time to get to the same top speed.

Originally Posted by golfdu

Yes, 21/7 and 24/8 has faster clubhead speed than 27/9 because it is faster but it depends on contact, too. Say you hit the toe all the time with 21/7 or 24/8, if you hit center contact with 27/9, that means faster ball speed than those 2 tones on contact. It also depends on how natural it feels. You certainly don't want to feel "rushed" on 21/7.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by x129

I don't think this is true. Here is an analogy: One car takes 7s to go from 0-60 and another takes 9 secs. The first car is "faster" but both have the same speed when they hit the wall at  60mph. With the slower tempo you accelerate slower but for a longer period of time to get to the same top speed.

Exactly. And kudos for using a car analogy that works.

Fred Couples hits it farther than Nick Price.

[newtogolf]

Not sure why, but Tour Tempo 2 is soon to be released.  In recent article I read, the author uses video of Tigers swing to calculate his tempo and potentially explain some of his problems.  He claims if I remember correctly that  Tiger under Foley now has an inconsistent tempo that's roughly 21/7 which is different from his time with Haney where he was 24/8.   I have the iPhone app, but haven't really dedicated much time to working with it.

[x129]

Supposedly it adds in short game and putting stuff. I think the critical point to take away isn't that Tiger switched to a 21/7. It is that instead of being constant (every swing 21/7) he is all over the map with 24/7,21/7,18/7,... so his game is inconsistant.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I find it pretty useful and feel that swinging along to the beats has helped smooth out my swing. On the other hand the book can be pretty much summed up in a couple  sentences:"Swing as close as you can to a  21:7(or 24/7, 27/9, 30/10) tempo. Working on being super consistant". Paying 27 bucks for that seems like a lot. For 8 bucks at the borders close outs I feel I got my moneys worth.

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Not sure why, but Tour Tempo 2 is soon to be released.  In recent article I read, the author uses video of Tigers swing to calculate his tempo and potentially explain some of his problems.  He claims if I remember correctly that  Tiger under Foley now has an inconsistent tempo that's roughly 21/7 which is different from his time with Haney where he was 24/8.   I have the iPhone app, but haven't really dedicated much time to working with it.