Swing Tempo

[ReefBoy]

Hi Guys

Just wanting to get some thoughts on tempo of the swing. I am starting to get the impression that I am rushing the downswing when I get to play on a course. What tends to happen is I hit cleanly at the range(no pressure) but when I get on the course I catch a lot of turf. The contact with the ball can be thick or thin.

I have a one plane swing and according to Jim Hardy, you swing back and let it rip. I have been doing this and I am wondering if this is the cause of the inconsistency on the course(a little over excitement and too much ripping).

What are some of the cues that have worked for you guys on the course to slow this down a bit?

Christopher

[GregJWillis]

Re: Swing Tempo

...What tends to happen is I hit cleanly at the range(no pressure) but when I get on the course I catch a lot of turf. The contact with the ball can be thick or thin.

This is probably not a tempo issue, but rather a driving range mat vs. real grass issue. Just guessing without seeing your swing (and also assuming that you are warming up/practicing on mats), that you might want to look at practicing mostly on grass. This should get you into a more realistic setup and expectation of what you swing is like on the course. Mats are amazingly forgiving. They square up the face at impact, then allow what would be a fat shot on grass to turn into a really nice one. You get over confidant and groove a bad swing. Then get out to the grass and where the ball can sit up higher with your feet sinking lower all contributes to the fat shot.

If you are on grass in practice, then look at my "hitting it fat" issues here.
(most often it is the "Back-leg Accordion")
http://mysite.verizon.net/gregjwilli...RAL%20TIPS.htm

[bill reed]

Re: Swing Tempo

hi
i found when i slowed my swing i hit the ball much better and seemed to hit it closer to the sweet spot and that gave me consistent distances.
i tried "tour tempo" and my swing is a slower 27/9 my swing speed with a driver is 110mph and with a 5 iron its 96mph.
i have tried to get my swing to faster 24/8 but i can't seem to get into that rhythm so I'll stick with the slower 27/9.
i think if you can find a rhythm that suits you then stick with it and your results will be consistent, even if its a slower swing.
i did find that "tour tempo" did help me find a rhythm that suited me.
cheers
bill

[ReefBoy]

Re: Swing Tempo

This is probably not a tempo issue, but rather a driving range mat vs. real grass issue. Just guessing without seeing your swing (and also assuming that you are warming up/practicing on mats), that you might want to look at practicing mostly on grass. This should get you into a more realistic setup and expectation of what you swing is like on the course. Mats are amazingly forgiving. They square up the face at impact, then allow what would be a fat shot on grass to turn into a really nice one. You get over confidant and groove a bad swing. Then get out to the grass and where the ball can sit up higher with your feet sinking lower all contributes to the fat shot.

If you are on grass in practice, then look at my "hitting it fat" issues here.
(most often it is the "Back-leg Accordion")
http://mysite.verizon.net/gregjwilli...RAL%20TIPS.htm

Thanks Greg. No I have always practiced on mats. I have found a driving range near me that allows practice on grass. So I guess I'll head down there on the weekend and see what the results are. I was thinking of using this range to practice some teed up shots but now I think I need to enlarge the scope a little.

Does it also make a difference if the ground is sodden from recent heavy rain as opposed to dry grass that I normally play on?

Christopher

[ReefBoy]

Re: Swing Tempo

hi
i found when i slowed my swing i hit the ball much better and seemed to hit it closer to the sweet spot and that gave me consistent distances.
i tried "tour tempo" and my swing is a slower 27/9 my swing speed with a driver is 110mph and with a 5 iron its 96mph.
i have tried to get my swing to faster 24/8 but i can't seem to get into that rhythm so I'll stick with the slower 27/9.
i think if you can find a rhythm that suits you then stick with it and your results will be consistent, even if its a slower swing.
i did find that "tour tempo" did help me find a rhythm that suited me.
cheers
bill

Thanks Bill. I checked out the website, I don't think I'll rush out and buy the unit yet but it did give me a clue how to time my swing rhythm. So I'll experiment with that a bit and see what happens.

Christopher

[GregJWillis]

Re: Swing Tempo

The only good thing about hard ground is that you do not get the favorable "bounce" absorption affect. You have to pick it perfect. So if you get good there, you are going to be better overall. It is always better to practice on a harder conditions and play under better.

[ReefBoy]

Re: Swing Tempo

The only good thing about hard ground is that you do not get the favorable "bounce" absorption affect. You have to pick it perfect. So if you get good there, you are going to be better overall. It is always better to practice on a harder conditions and play under better.

Greg are you saying it is harder to hit a ball on harder ground then soft?

I have always found it easier to hit on the hard ground as the club head doesn't get lodged in the turf at all. Or have I just indicated my problem with soft ground, that as I am not expecting the affect of the club taking a divot, the club head gets left behind the hands and I don't release the club?

Christopher

[bill reed]

Re: Swing Tempo

hi
you don't need to buy the unit you can do it yourself by taping you talking into a MP3 player and saving the one that you feel is the right tempo for you,
just count = 1 and 2 swing.
like it a three count swing. 1,2,3 but put an and in between the 1 and 2. and thats your backswing. swing is the downswing and through to the finish.
i find that works just as good as the peep,bleep of the "tour tempo"
i tent to find that with the down swing i get to impact about the "W" in swing and get to finish just after the G of swing.
but changing the speed of the 1 and 2 swing you change the rhythm of your swing. that really all the "Tour tempo does.
hope this helps.
i recorded the bleeps onto a Mp3 player that about the size of my thumb and use that as it smaller and less bulky.
cheers
bill

[GregJWillis]

Re: Swing Tempo

Greg are you saying it is harder to hit a ball on harder ground then soft?

Yes.

I have always found it easier to hit on the hard ground as the club head doesn't get lodged in the turf at all. Or have I just indicated my problem with soft ground, that as I am not expecting the affect of the club taking a divot, the club head gets left behind the hands and I don't release the club?

Probably. Unless you are talking about heavy rough grabbing the club, but on fairway, it is significantly easier to have the freedom to take the divot after striking the ball rather then always picking it clean. Much more room for error.

[bill reed]

Re: Swing Tempo

hi Greg
i find i don't really take a divot but its more like i shave the grass but can see the mark like you do with a divot but not as deep.
do you think this could be with playing links golf where the fairways are cut shorter than most inland courses.
in the summer he ground does get very hard too.
cheers
bill

[GregJWillis]

Re: Swing Tempo

Defiantly. We have to adapt to our environment, lest we parish in an unnatural-selection.

[ReefBoy]

Re: Swing Tempo

Defiantly. We have to adapt to our environment, lest we parish in an unnatural-selection.

ROTFL

I didn't know Darwinism applied to golf.

Christopher

[ReefBoy]

Re: Swing Tempo

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the advice on tempo. It is working a treat, I was definitely rushing. I have a pretty good head for a rhythm and now I have one of the examples you gave me in my head, I just repeat it silently a couple of times then I hit the ball. Works great(especially with the driver).

Christopher

[bill reed]

Re: Swing Tempo

hi Christopher
good to know that it helped you, i found that once i found a tempo that suited my swing i could do as you do and count it in my head and it also stoped me having other thoughts that spoiled my swing as my only thought was my tempo.
cheers
bill

[ReefBoy]

Re: Swing Tempo

hi Christopher
good to know that it helped you, i found that once i found a tempo that suited my swing i could do as you do and count it in my head and it also stoped me having other thoughts that spoiled my swing as my only thought was my tempo.
cheers
bill

Yes I also noticed the effect of less swing thoughts Happy days.

Christopher