Swing Tempo

[nyjets2806]

I think clubhead speed is important. Not as important as being able to consistently hit the ball accurately, but the thing about using the 3:1 ratio is that it helps your consistency and accuracy as well. When your using the same tempo everytime your chances of repeating your shots is alot better, and when that tempo has the right timing and speed your accuracy and distance will improve as a result. You dont have to hit it far to score well but its alot easier to score well if you can hit short irons and wedges into greens instead of long irons.

[Gapwedge]

  nyjets2806 said:

I think clubhead speed is important. Not as important as being able to consistently hit the ball accurately, but the thing about using the 3:1 ratio is that it helps your consistency and accuracy as well. When your using the same tempo everytime your chances of repeating your shots is alot better, and when that tempo has the right timing and speed your accuracy and distance will improve as a result. You dont have to hit it far to score well but its alot easier to score well if you can hit short irons and wedges into greens instead of long irons.

Thanks NYJets. That was what I was trying to convey. You may have a much slower swing, like a 33:11 ratio like Nancy Lopez has now according to that book, but if you look at his examples of average golfers their timing was not 3:1, more like 4 to 5:1. Once is showed them the proper tempo they added 10-20 yards to their 5 iron and increased their club head speed as a result. That was my point.

[augafan48]

i find the tour tempo thing to be a bit odd. you need to have a decent golf swing with no major problems for it to really work. you know, no over the top or big hooks etc. i have never tried it though so i guess i cant really talk.

[SubPar]

For what ever reason, when I swing on the timing of the Tour Tempo files, I hit the ball better. It is obvious that whatever your tempo is, it should be consistent.

SubPar

[Gapwedge]

  augafan48 said:

i find the tour tempo thing to be a bit odd. you need to have a decent golf swing with no major problems for it to really work. you know, no over the top or big hooks etc. i have never tried it though so i guess i cant really talk.

If you will notice in the tour tempo book and video there are drills to give you a better swing. Avoid taking the club back too far to the inside on the takeaway is one of the drills it shows. Too far inside and you are left with an over the top downswing. There is more to this book and video than tempo. Like all golf books and videos one has to figure out what they are wanting you to do and gradually work that into your swing. It is no coincidence that all the pros he has timed have a 3:1 ratio in tempo. In other words, their backswings are not as slow as one believes because their tempo make it look so silky and smooth. The old addage take it back low and slow has its benefits to a point. I sound like I am endorsing this book, but I am not. I just find it to be a very interesting point in further learning about the swing.

[SubPar]

  Gapwedge said:

If you will notice in the tour tempo book and video there are drills to give you a better swing. Avoid taking the club back too far to the inside on the takeaway is one of the drills it shows. Too far inside and you are left with an over the top downswing. There is more to this book and video than tempo.

I just read the book and used the tempo audio files, and I got a lot out of it. It is particularly useful to listen the the files and take a few swings with them if you don't have time to warm up on the range. I play a lot of sunrise matches and listening to the files helps me start the day on tempo when I don't have time to work into it on the range.

SubPar

[Sean Cassidy]

I think it's worth experimenting and finding out what works best for you.

I'm an impatient person, typically aggressive and easily annoyed... so I like to swing fast and get it over and done with, lol.

Having said that, when I get too fast, I get all over the place and my ball striking sucks. Being the slow learner that I am, I'll got through a few weeks or months of this, and then just ease up and let it come.

Guess what!

When I ease up, my ball striking improves out of site - having gone through a few cycles of this, you think I'd learn.

I was playing with a trainee professional on the weekend and a middle age guy who was playing off 7.

The middle age guys swing was super slow on the backswing (position at top was way under play), but because he had a fairly long pause at the top, the young pro said he had plenty of time to correct on the way down.

This guy was a very consistent ball striker... watching him setup and swing back you'd think he had no chance.

As for myself, when I eased my swing up (closer to his "slowness") my ball striking immediately improved.

The more you practice or the better your hand eye coordination, balance etc - the more you can save a poor swing and keep the ball in play... otherwise, try easing up a bit on the takeaway and see how you go.

Sean

[Gapwedge]

  Sean Cassidy said:

I think it's worth experimenting and finding out what works best for you.

There is a lot to be said about watching other golfers play. You can learn a lot by watching good golfers. It reinforces good postures, good balance, and good swings.