Speed of Play

[Keith412]

I started golfing back in August of last year and i have now taken ten lessons. We have worked hard on the fundamentals and setup and i feel confident when i get up there now. The group of friends i play with tell me i actually look like i know how to golf now which is nice to hear. But i have a problem. I slow down the group terribly because i take far too long between shots. I take too many practice swings, when i get to the ball i run through my fundamental checklist and re-set far too many times. What ends up happening is i over exagerate each fundamental each time i re-set until i am completely out of position and then i swing all arms. During my lessons my ball striking is great and i don't hesitate..Any drills or swing thoughts to speed me up? All help is appreciated!

[Uber$winG]

Pre-shot routine…

Get in the habit of engaging in the same ritual for every shot, and doing it in roughly 20 seconds.

[zeg]

This is something you can practice on the range. Keep up the concentrated practice, but throw in some time working on your whole routine, not just swinging. You need to develop your swing (and your confidence in your swing) to the point that you don't need to feel a perfect practice swing before you execute the real one. When I'm at my best, I don't even take a real full practice swing, I just walk up, maybe take a 1/3 or 1/2 swing just to feel something about the swing (usually holding my wrists set to "remember" not to flip), address, waggle, relax, and fire.

On the range, I do this by spending time after my swing practice by taking out a single ball at a time, setting it, then stepping back and going through the whole routine. Pick a new target every shot (or every few shots) and change clubs frequently.

[Fourputt]

You should never need more than 2 practice swings (except maybe on a chip or short pitch), and you should be shooting for only 1. You are simply thinking too much on the course. Save that for the range. Eventually with practice those fundamentals should come automatically, but when you're on the course, play golf. You are not going to make perfect swings every time, so don't worry about it.

Another hint. When possible, be going through your routine while your mates are hitting. That way when it's your turn you are ready to pull the trigger, not just starting the process. No rule of golf says that 2 balls can't be in the air at the same time. As long as you aren't in a position to bother anyone else, go ahead and get started. There is a saying in golf.... "paralysis by analysis". That comes from thinking to much and too long over the ball. The cure..... just hit it.

[ohiolefty]

I think it's not a mystery as to why most pros hardly EVER take full practice swings on full shots.

Most pros, and most good golfers, have stuff in their routine about certain feelings they're trying to create in their swing. Now, I'm no pro...but lately I changed my routine to reflect a new thought/position in my swing. I do 2 mock take-aways where I try to create a certain feeling in my front side. If I'm playing on a weekend or with an unfamiliar group, I try and do this before it's my turn to hit so I don't slow anybody down and/or piss anybody off.

If you're making multiple full swings before each shot and constantly backing off of the ball, you need to work more on the range until you've got something swing-wise that you feel halfway good about and you feel is repeatable. If you don't have that, you're going to make yourself batshit crazy when you play anyway.

Once it's your turn to play, you shouldn't take more than 30 seconds to hit your shot unless something extreme happens i.e. a big wind gust, someone makes some odd screaming noise on the course, or some other oddity or act of god transpires.

Bottom line: Practice until you have a concise routine of no more than 2 rituals and no more than 2 or 3 swing thoughts (1 is preferrable). Then, go out and PLAY. Think about and visualize the shot before it's your turn to hit. Get up there, do your brief ritual, set up, deep breath, and make the shot. The worst that can happen is a bad shot - there are plenty things worse than that.

[Dub]

My advice is to not beat balls repeatedly at the range. We've all done it....hit a shot & rake another ball in place...hit it...etc.

Have a ball in place. Stand a few steps behind it. Pick out your target line and target. Make your grip and take a deep breath as you stare down the target line. Step up and address the ball....look down the line at your target & back to the ball...waggle if you wish and then hit the ball.

Do this over and over at the range and you'll engrain the rythm and pace.

From the time you stand a few steps behind the ball until the time you swing should not take more than 30 seconds. I'd avoid going to any course untill you could do this. Otherwise you'll be holding up your group and generating tension for all.

Slow play due to elaborate and involved rituals is enough to drive everyone to the beer cooler too soon. It is enough to make me insane.

[RIduffer]

I used to play pretty slow--basically searching for my swing during a round (doesn't work of course). Thankfully, one of my friends mentioned it, because I actually wasn't aware I was that slow.

It's tough when you're new to the game, because it takes alot more concentration than it does for people who are experienced and have a grooved swing. Especially when you are taking lessons, it can feel like alot to remember.

But you might be surprised at how well you can play just stepping up and hitting the ball. After my buddy told me to speed up, I played my next few rounds without practice swings, and my scores improved. Even if your play doesn't improve, at least you won't be slowing down the guys in your foursome, and they'll keep inviting you to play.

[Gibby]

Most people have enough patience and don't get frustrated if you tend to have a slower/longer practice routine. But i'll admit, if someone takes 40 seconds to hit, only to shank it 30 yards, it can get annoying.

By standing there and thinking too much about the swing, you are just putting more pressure on yourself. Think of basically any other sport. Almost all other sports are fast-paced, and you have to rely on reflexes, and do what comes natural for you. In the end, you just have to trust yourself. Personally, after I pick my target and such and step over the ball, I think about basketball. Not that i'm particularly good at basketball, but it's a sport that you pretty much have no time to think. Everything has to come naturally. When someone comes off a screen for a fadeaway jumper, do you think he has time to think about how far away he is from the basket, how close any defenders are, where his right elbow is, or anything that has to do with his shooting form? Nope, you just shoot it. Everything happens subconsciously, and in the end, you just have to trust that your body will know how hard to shoot it, and at what angle. It comes from doing it thousands of time in the gym. Unfortunately, in golf, we have eons to stand over that damn ball and stare at it, thinking of all the horrible shots that could be resulted in, and the thirty seven swing thoughts we read about the other day on the forum. Thinking is for practice. When your on the range, analyze your swing and think about what you have to do. Then, practice it enough, and when you step on the course, you just have to trust you will be able to execute. Worst case scenario, you don't. Oh well, go practice more =P. But on the course, just clear your mind, and swing.

-Gibby

[colin007]

there is nothing worse than a slow player. you need to get over this. just hit the damn ball. there is no magic advice. just hit it.

[Bump-n-MI]

I take too many practice swings, when i get to the ball i run through my fundamental checklist and re-set far too many times.

Take less practice swings, change your "fundamental checklist", and address the ball only once.....that should just about do it.

there is nothing worse than a slow player. you need to get over this. just hit the damn ball. there is no magic advice. just hit it.

+1

[sean_miller]

This is a great thread idea - people could post videos of an an entire routine fairway or tee shot.

Include the shot and club selection, preshot routine, finish pose, getting the club back in the bag, and getting the hell moving.

There are lot of things we all do even without thinking - bags on the wrong side of the hole, too much time lining up lag putts, etc - those are easy to fix. Allowing our peers to see this might be a real eye opener.

I've read that preshot routines should be "less than 30 seconds". When we play, once someone has the right stick in their hand, that ball had better be in the air within 10 to 15 seconds for a routine shot.

[WUTiger]

This is something you can practice on the range. Keep up the concentrated practice, but throw in some time working on your whole routine, not just swinging. ...

Besides doing this at the range, practice your set-up at home. You can do it indoors, or in the back yard. Use the colored, fiberglas driveway marker rods to check your railroad tracks/ alignment. The idea is for the setup - grip, posture, and swing trigger - to be automatic.

On the course, go with alignment as primary thought (because you need to process this info before each shot). Also, on full shots you might go with a waggle rather than a full practice swing. The waggle - a slight initial backswing motion - helps relieve tension and gives you a smoother overall swing. Emphasize alignment, and don't overthink your swing. Overthink leads to tension, and as you said,

when i get to the ball i run through my fundamental checklist and re-set far too many times.