Tempo

[revkev]

Typical of upscale clubs in Florida mine is populated with a number of people who have, are trying to or are making a living at golf as professionals. Our staff has six pros on it four of whom serve officially in that capacity two of whom regularly teach.

 

I was on the range today with Brent who is 75 and played on the PGA and European tour including wins in Europe. His dreams of playing on the Senior Tour were dashed when hi suffered a stroke.

 

Brent hits balls nearly every day. He has a beautiful swing, doesn't hit it that far but you could put a blanket over anything he hits.

 

I walked up to him on the range and asked what he was working on. Here's his reply.

 

“Tempo! It's always the same thing. Tempo keeps the club in front of you (exactly what my teacher is always talking about.) Here, here and here the club is a n front of your body with good tempo. We all try to swing the handle too fast. The handle doesn't hit the ball, the club face does. Good tempo delivers the face squarely to the ball every time.”

 

Let me tell you I striped six three woods and a couple of 6 irons after that before hitting a few pitches and heading out.

 

Wise words.

 

 

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[MDGolfHacker]

I know I seem to be struggling with that lately. Good advice!

 

MDGolfHacker

[ole gray]

If I'm not careful my backswing gets too quick and I have to go with a count in my head.  Like back and through or the big easy.   I have to remind myself you don't hit the ball with my backswing. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

Tempo os one of my biggest struggles. And it definitely causes club to get out of position as well as my sequencing

[TWar]

Pretty cool to see someone accomplished in the game still working on basics.  

 

Has anyone tried any of the tempo apps?  Tour Tempo or anyone similar?  any positive feedback?

[tony@CIC]

Pretty cool to see someone accomplished in the game still working on basics.

 

Has anyone tried any of the tempo apps? Tour Tempo or anyone similar? any positive feedback?

Not familiar with them - do tell more.

 

 

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[DawgDaddy]

I have read and practiced Tour Tempo, I think it works.  They said that when the swing gets quick to think to yourself Swing, Set, Through.  With the Swing being the beginning of your swing, the Set being the transition with the body beginning the forward motion and the hand and arms completing the backswing.  The Through is the impact thought,  they discuss the different tempos too, if I recall correctly swings are on a 3:1 ratio but can be fast or slow.  Mine is somewhat slow.  

 

Before my back began giving me problems 4 years ago, I actually had a  pretty good tempo but it has completely gone away over those years while I was fighting pain every time I played.  I have never been a long hitter but for my age I am not super short either, hitting the ball square with a good tempo will lead to some good scores IMO.  I am hoping to begin play again either the last week of this month or early next month and tempo will be my main thought when I return to play. 

 

I would recommend you buy the book and seeing how it can help.

[GolfSpy_BNG]

That is great advice for Mr. Brent. 

 

When I was younger, I had an older neighbor that I always said "Hi" to but never really had a meaningful conversation with growing up.  Well one day several years ago I was on the range just hitting some balls since I didn't have time for a full 9.  Right next to me happened to be my old neighbor.  He watched me hit a few shots, then stopped me between balls and asked me if I ever took lessons.  I told him "No, I just picked up a club, hit a ball, and was hooked from them.  All self taught I told him proudly."  He looks at me and says "I bet you hit a nasty push slice almost everytime with the driver, huh?"  Like a smarta$$ I said "why because I set up so far left?".  He proceeds to tell me a little story I will never forget.  As it turns out this "Old Timer", as I used to call him,(I was a punk as a kid!) used to play a little professional golf.   He tells me while trying to make it on tour, he was on the range and Sam Snead came up to him and gave him the best advice he had ever received.  Sam told him that he needed to take his right thumb off the club to free up his wrist cock.  Turns out I was subconsciously doing the same thing, leading to not being able to unhinge my wrists because of tension   When I started practicing this way the slice turned into a fade and playable without aiming off the planet.  From that day until his passing, I always sought him out if I seen him to thank him and pick his brain for advice.

[revkev]

Pretty cool to see someone accomplished in the game still working on basics.

 

Has anyone tried any of the tempo apps? Tour Tempo or anyone similar? any positive feedback?

We had a lengthy discussion about Tour Tempo around three years ago. Lots of the guys on here at that time touted it.

 

I doubt Brent has ever heard of it. He knows nothing about equipment beyond blades and playing what feels right to him. He's does all my grips for me. He's very old school.

 

He told me that Tempo is the only thing he works on when he practices. I believe him because it never looks like he varies his routine.

 

 

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[ole gray]

I have read and practiced Tour Tempo, I think it works.  They said that when the swing gets quick to think to yourself Swing, Set, Through.  With the Swing being the beginning of your swing, the Set being the transition with the body beginning the forward motion and the hand and arms completing the backswing.  The Through is the impact thought,  they discuss the different tempos too, if I recall correctly swings are on a 3:1 ratio but can be fast or slow.  Mine is somewhat slow.  

 

Before my back began giving me problems 4 years ago, I actually had a  pretty good tempo but it has completely gone away over those years while I was fighting pain every time I played.  I have never been a long hitter but for my age I am not super short either, hitting the ball square with a good tempo will lead to some good scores IMO.  I am hoping to begin play again either the last week of this month or early next month and tempo will be my main thought when I return to play. 

 

I would recommend buy the book and seeing how it can help.

 

 

Bruther I can't wait til you get your big arse back on the course!

[Kor.A.Door]

Yes, tempo is where it's at, if my tempo is off, my game is no good. When it's on, it's like a hot knife through butter. Smooth and silky. When it's off, it's like trying to fix the birds nest while fishing.

[Kenny B]

NOTHING throws off my tempo like playing in wind, and brother have we had a lot of wind lately.  When the wind stops, I will have to learn how to swing all over again.

[Big money]

Whenever I play with sub 70 golfers are top club pros.There seems to be a consensus.They all say it is more tempo than worrying about ever millimeter of the swing that makes them play well.Maybe I need to listen to them more

[revkev]

NOTHING throws off my tempo like playing in wind, and brother have we had a lot of wind lately. When the wind stops, I will have to learn how to swing all over again.

Even the tour guys say this. They often have to retool after the British Open because of all the cross winds.

 

 

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[silver & black]

When I'm having a bad day with my swing, I make myself slow down and do the 1-2 count in my head, back and through the swing. It's amazing how slowing things down and getting your tempo/timing back brings what seems like effortless shots and distance. Too bad I can't keep that in my head all the time.

[excourse]

I bought a metronome on Ebay several years ago, and used it on the range as a tempo aid. Might be worth looking at.

 

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[russtopherb]

I like Tour Tempo, I prefer the songs they have vs the voice command tracks. Being a drummer, their method made sense to me. I don't have the app, just some of their tracks that I have on my phone for the range.

 

 

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[Golfspy_CG2]

I've often said. I would pay very good money to be able to develop good tempo and rhythm! I can't develop either. I'm a mess on the dance floor as well

 

 

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[Dilligaf]

I've often said. I would pay very good money to be able to develop good tempo and rhythm! I can't develop either. I'm a mess on the dance floor as well

 

 

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Yeah I'm not going to get he dance floor either. Proud to be a wall flower.

 

But as far as Tempo I. A golf swing, it's always a work in progress for me as well.

 

 

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[Golfspy_CG2]

Yeah I'm not going to get he dance floor either. Proud to be a wall flower.

 

But as far as Tempo I. A golf swing, it's always a work in progress for me as well.

 

 

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I guess you hit the key word....work! And you do put the work in, I know!

 

 

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[Peanut05]

This is something I've been working on a lot lately too.  I've slowed mine down a ton and it's helped my iron play tremendously, especially my long irons. It's also helped me have better contact with my driver.  

[Berg Ryman]

It's funny, I know a lot of guys when I played in high school warmed up with ipod earbuds in to find the tempo on the range. Problem was for me that I was more about establishing a modd for the round with the music than finding tempo.

 

What I have developed for my swing is a "reboot" swing if tempo or feel gets off. Basically it's a swing your hardest type thing that I call the hard reset which allows me to back it up to the way it was. I should probably work on tempo more though, maybe this is a wake-up call!

[00sportsman]

I bought a metronome on Ebay several years ago, and used it on the range as a tempo aid. Might be worth looking at.

 

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I have an app on my phone that I've used for this on occasion. I know there are several available. When I can get some alone time at a range I think it really helps me. 

[alfriday101]

Every range session or warm up before a round, I concentrate on my three fundaments--balance, tension and tempo.  I find that if one gets too far out of whack, my game goes south quickly.  The three are related for me.  If I grip the club too tight, I swing too fast and get off balance.  When I evaluate a shot on the course, I use the RIBS acronym: Rhythm, impact, balance and strain.  

 

This works for me:  My "swing thought" is also a tempo control.  I think "To the Target."  Take the club back on "To," top of the back swing at "Tar" and start the downswing arm movement on "get."  In practice I will say it out loud to ingrain the feel.  I see it on every shot, practice or on the course.   

 

I also carry a metronome with me on the course.  It is called a seven iron.  I hold it by the end of the handle between my thumb and forefinger and swing it back and forth like a pendulum or a child on a swing.  I repeat the "to the target" in sync with the club.  A seven iron works for my natural tempo.  Gravity is pretty constant on the courses I play and the length of the seven iron doesn't change, so I can find the rhythm anywhere on the range or course.     

[GolfSpy MPR]

Gravity is pretty constant on the courses I play....     

 

Lucky. On the courses I play, balls break uphill sometimes. It's very frustrating.

[revkev]

As a follow up I went to the range and as I came in Brent was coming off the putting green.

 

I was striping the ball on the range. I was also spot on out of the practice bunker.

 

I asked him how he takes his tempo from the range to the course. Here's the reply, “That's the longest 100 yards in golf from the driving range to the first tee. More strokes dropped there than anywhere else.”

 

“You have to play like you're a kid. Come on, let's go, I'll show you.”

 

We went and played 8 and 9 - two brutal par 4's. He went par, birdie and I went bogey birdie. 8 is 420 and it was dead into the wind.

 

That's the first time I've ever played with someone who was a regular on the PGA tour. He's 75 and still hits it pretty good, longer than I do that's for certain.

 

He said you should always end your practice by playing a couple of holes. If you can't then pretend up to and including walking over to the practice green on each “hole.”

 

 

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[Zylem]

One thing I noticed is the tempo of my back swing directly effects the down swing. If I rip the club back I am always going to slam it forward. Producing some wild tee balls. On the range I have been trying to take a smooth backswing. It seems to be helping some. I'll definitely look in to some of the tempo apps. Thank you for sharing Rev.

 

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[revkev]

In retrospect Tempo is where it all falls out. Anything to remove tension helps.

 

If I have the proper equipment it's simple a matter of swinging it and letting the club do the work.

 

 

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[null]

The funny thing is, for most amateur golfers, the harder they try to improve their tempo the more mechanical they get and the worse their tempo gets

[JohnSmalls]

As a follow up I went to the range and as I came in Brent was coming off the putting green.

 

I was striping the ball on the range. I was also spot on out of the practice bunker.

 

I asked him how he takes his tempo from the range to the course. Here's the reply, “That's the longest 100 yards in golf from the driving range to the first tee. More strokes dropped there than anywhere else.”

 

“You have to play like you're a kid. Come on, let's go, I'll show you.”

 

We went and played 8 and 9 - two brutal par 4's. He went par, birdie and I went bogey birdie. 8 is 420 and it was dead into the wind.

 

That's the first time I've ever played with someone who was a regular on the PGA tour. He's 75 and still hits it pretty good, longer than I do that's for certain.

 

He said you should always end your practice by playing a couple of holes. If you can't then pretend up to and including walking over to the practice green on each “hole.”

 

 

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I feel like I get more out of these posts than I do playing for a whole month.