Tempo Tempo Tempo

[puttliketiger2]

Hi! I'm interested in people's opinions on how you maintain a good swing tempo during your rounds. When I swing with a smooth 80% tempo, I strike the ball beautifully. I can hit 100's of balls on the range looking like a low handicapper. However, when I play 18, there are always 3-4 holes where I overswing and suffer the consequences. My coach describes my scoring distribution as skewed left (a good thing) with too much of a right tail (not a good thing). In other words, I'll have my pars, but for several holes when I lose my tempo, I'll blow up with some 7's or 8's. Yikes! The culprit is always a rushed or aggressive tempo. Help!

[LarryK]

I think the question you have to ask yourself is "What is happening on those three or four holes that is causing me to alter (and screw up) my tempo?"

For me, it is anything that is making me anxious. Anxiety is a direct threat to maintaining a controlled, reeeelaaaaxxxed tempo.

Is the group behind obviously pushing us or has a marshall asked us to speed up? Bad lie? Long carry over a hazard? Playing extremely poorly and trying to adjust? Playing extremely well and on the verge of a personal best? Any number of things can mess with your head.

I have almost always chased a target score before I teed it up for every round. The degree to which I enjoyed my round was totally dependent on how close I came to that target score.

DUMB!!! Talk about creating my own anxiety...

The last few times out, I have resolved that I will extract the enjoyment of the game from the physical action of ball striking itself. Before, this mindset was merely the means to an end (score). Now I am making it the whole point of being out there.

My new philosophy has already yielded more fairways and greens in regulation per round and, yes, better scores. But, most importantly, it's just more fun. Every time I stand over the ball is a new chance to do something special. If I make a good swing but still get a bad bounce, I have at least done my part.

If it's true what they say about great shots "bringing us back" in spite of our poor scores, I just figured, why not focus more on making great shots? A critical element of doing that, of course, is maintaining my proper tempo.

Hope that helps.

[Lbob]

I can empathize with you. Had the same experiences. I just internalized the 80% rule this year. I started thinking about making a nice smooth easy swing and started hitting the ball much better and farther. I think part of it is confidence. I used to think that I really had to belt the ball on shots of 150 yards or more. Now instead I think "Well I've got plenty of club." That helps me swing smooth and make better contact, which usually equals more distance. Just try slowing down a bit and thinking smooooooooth.

[wachesawgolfer]

Maybe try to internalize your tempo by getting into a set preshot routine which you should do on the range also, so you do not change speed as much during the actual swing. Try to in practice to also think a phase which is at a set time such as "swing-set-through" to internal a swing tempo which can be carried onto the course.

[elivate]

I suffer from the exact same.. and this weekends round is a perfect example... I started out pretty well, but once I got to the "easy" par 5 fifth hole, a hole that I always screw up on, I decided before hitting my drive that I was going for it in 2, I was hitting it well so why not...

Well, I proceded to hit my drive out of bounds and I wound up with an 8... So I end up finishing the front nine in 51... here we go I say, another crappy round...

I managed to relax and I got myself back into it and was playing well, I had a birdie and a par in a few holes on the back and then I get to the "difficult" par 5 17th and decide I will lay up and see if I can make par... Well, 8 strokes later I was unhappy again...

To make it even worse I ended up shooting 43 on the back nine... I should have had my best round but of the year but the two holes that I thought about too much killed me... The holes I parred and the one I made birdie in I had great tempo and never thought about the shots at all...

So for me right now it is a real mental game, trying to have that proper mindest all the time, it is so easy to get distracted by thinking too much... And a free and easy swing at 80% tempo is just such a great feeling, I have finally even talked myself into taking that extra club, I used to try and kill it every time...

Anyway, like you said Tempo Tempo Tempo

[Lbob]

Amen to this. 80% effort and 80% mental. Sometimes I think that the best thing a golfer can have is no memory. Forget the last shot, forget how poorly/well you're doing, just go through your routine and make a swing. It's funny but when I'm playing well I'm seldom thinking that much about the shot. After I decide on the club and where I want to hit it (well where I hope it will go) usually I start getting tune in my head. I've heard other golfers say the same thing (even Gary McCord, though God knows what music he'd be hearing!). One of my best rounds was accompanied by Kenny Rodger's "The Gambler". Know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away, know when to run.

[Rafcin]

...When I swing with a smooth 80% tempo, I strike the ball beautifully. I can hit 100's of balls on the range looking like a low handicapper...

are you really hitting 100 balls on the range? How many times a week are you at the range? I noticed from my own game that range work is my ONLY chance to get steady tempo in my swings. If I don't practice enough that's when the swing gets uneven, various speeds, planes, tempo. The idea of full swing practice is (IMHO) engrave the feel to make a repetition automatic. If it's not automatic - your engraving is not deep enough

[SubPar]

I think the question you have to ask yourself is "What is happening on those three or four holes that is causing me to alter (and screw up) my tempo?"

We all go through this phase... figuring out how to take the swing from the practice tee to the course. I have managed to work it out for myself, but there was a long period where I would go to the course and swing quicker and come out of each shot slightly. It is easy to get in a confident groove on the range. Working on preshot thoughts and tempo at the range, I have eventually brought the good swing from the range to the course.

On the range: hit most of your practice shots with short and mid irons to build confidence. Start with shot chips and pitches and work your way through the bag. Always aim at a target, so you get good feedback about your technique. Check yardages with a range finder. You don't want to get comfortable with your "100 yard" swing and then find out the hard way that it is actually 110 tot that sign. Good luck.