Tempo, Tempo, Tempo

[cdriver]

I played terrible yesterday, great today, and tomorrow is anybody's guess. When asked what I "normally" shoot, I always tell people that it depends entirely on which of my games shows up.

I believe it all boils down to tempo. When I am playing well, my swing is smooth as silk and never rushed from the top. The problem is on the days I play poorly, I can feel that something is "off", but jsut can't seem to correct it. My tempo is wrong and I start pressing and the next thing you know, I am trying to chip out of the woods to save double.

Does anyone have any good drills I can use to establish a good tempo on the range before I go to the first tee? Sometimes, I have the time to hit a whole bucket, but other times, I might get to hit 10 or 15 balls. I need help. I think conquering this one problem might just take those last few strokes off to get me from a 9 to a 4 or 5. When my tempo is off, it is always faster not slower. Help!

[ragontona]

A lot of times, when I feel my tempo's rushed, it's because I'm hurrying to get through the ball from the top, and my transition from backswing to downswing is far too abrupt and jerky. I may not even get all the way to the top before I'm flinging the clubhead at the ball.

So, if I find myself doing that during a round, I take a deep breath and (what I call) "1-2-Swing" it. Basically, in my head, I say "one" as I begin my backswing, then there's a beat as I complete my backswing, then "two" at the top, then I begin my downswing, but only after I've counted to two.

It's simple, yeah, but it helps me keep rhythm and tempo. It only takes a second to say, "two," but that second is all I need to get set at the top and properly loaded up for the downswing.

Not so much a drill, but I guess it can be used out on the range. Kind of an internal metronome.

[rembrandt]

A lot of times, when I feel my tempo's rushed, it's because I'm hurrying to get through the ball from the top, and my transition from backswing to downswing is far too abrupt and jerky. I may not even get all the way to the top before I'm flinging the clubhead at the ball.

Good piece of info there. With me however, if I concentrate on one, two, I forget the one thing I am concentrateing on with my swing.

[SuaSponteMn]

A lot of times, when I feel my tempo's rushed, it's because I'm hurrying to get through the ball from the top, and my transition from backswing to downswing is far too abrupt and jerky. I may not even get all the way to the top before I'm flinging the clubhead at the ball.

When things go bad for me, it's the exact thing you're both describing. While I attempt to slow things down, I've never really found something that gets it to happen. This sounds simple enough that it could work.

Going to try it this afternoon if it stays dry outside

[cdriver]

Thank you, Ragontona!! I am going to try that out the next time I feel my tempo slipping. I think that is the one thing that has kept me from being more consistent. I believe that what you called "not much of a drill" could just answer my problem. The sensation of not finishing the backswing is just what I experience.

[iacas]

Odd timing for me to see this thread. Today I shot 39 on the front nine (no warmup, teed off at 7:20 or so... so stiffness may have been a part of it too), then thought to myself on the 8th hole "just finish on balance."

Shot 35 on the back. Made two bad swings - one with a pitching wedge (led to my only bogey), one with a driver (still hit the fairway, but with the assistance of a squirrel). On the rest I finished on balance, and the balls were on a rope.

[greenail]

I am a huge fan of the whippy tempomaster. I take my whippy driver and whippy 5i sandwedge and my putter to the range and that's it. You can't rush your swing with the whippy, it is impossible to cheat it. After a while you forget all about your hands, and swinging hard. I had the 5i and lost it and my game started to fall apart. I just ordered a new on, as well as the driver and I am already striking the ball 100% better with 5 GIR in a row for me on sunday I'm extreemly happy I have my tempo back and stopped casting and rushing my transition.

here is a review

http://www.golfrave.com/pages/review...empomaster.htm

Erik you should do a review I think you'll love it if you can get the hang of it.

[ragontona]

(still hit the fairway, but with the assistance of a squirrel)

You hit a squirrel.

[iacas]

You hit a squirrel.

Figure of speech - "the help of a squirrel" sounds better than "it happened to bounce into the fairway after hitting the trees." Another way of saying it is "the squirrels threw it back [or out]."

No squirrels were harmed in the playing of my round.

[BigAl5150]

I flip the club around and grip down by the hosel and make some full swings. Really forces me to slow my swing down and hear the "whoooosh" sound.

[cdriver]

Off topic, but I cannot resist.

During a round a couple of years ago, one of the guys in my group hit a wormburner straight down the middle of the fairway and directly into the side of the head of a poor, unsuspecting squirrel. The squirrel fell over on its side and we all were having trouble containing ourselves and teasing him about killing this innocent squirrel. We began walking toward the squirrel and about halfway there, he sat up, shook himself all over and turned to see us advancing on him. Obviously disoriented and woozy, the squirrel started running for the shelter of the nearest trees. Every few steps, he would tumble over onto his side, right himself and keep moving like a drunk on a carousel. The closer he got to the tree the more he recovered. By the time we reached him, he was slowly climbing up the side of the tree.

Of course, the Squirrel Man took a major amount of kidding for months. It also seemed someone told the story around the clubhouse (I don't have any idea who) and he became infamous. It lasted long after he still found it humorous.

[Finn07]

Tempo is a big problem for me as well. I read a great article here a few weeks back on Tour Tempo and it really helped me alot. The problem is Ive gone back to my old ways of swinging a bit hard at the ball and having a few blow up holes that seem to keep my handicap higher then I believe it should be. That along with three putting a few holes will do it. Im gonna buy the book Tour Tempo, hopefully that should help. Anyone have any good things to say about the book?

[SubPar]

check this thread for more advice on tempo.

[SubPar]

Tempo is a big problem for me as well. I read a great article here a few weeks back on Tour Tempo and it really helped me alot. The problem is Ive gone back to my old ways of swinging a bit hard at the ball and having a few blow up holes that seem to keep my handicap higher then I believe it should be. That along with three putting a few holes will do it. Im gonna buy the book Tour Tempo, hopefully that should help. Anyone have any good things to say about the book?

Get the Tour Tempo book. It has really changed my game. For me at least, I had most of the mechanics of the swing worked out but my tempo was not the same day after day. That book and CD helped quantify a tempo that works for me so I can get in sync with it in a few minutes before hitting the course.