Drills/Help with tempo and transition

[elvis14 46]

For quite a while, I've been working on slowing down my back swing.  I've always assumed that my tempo was bad because I'm just too quick back.  A couple of weeks ago when I went for a driver fitting, I told a friend of mine that I had hit enough balls to know that my swing speed was about 93.  His response was "yeah, but did you tell the guy that it's 93 back and 93 forward".  As I've been playing more, I've been doing a better job (sometimes) of slowing down my backswing and trying to smooth things out. Where I'm currently failing is in transition.  No matter how much I slow down my back swing it seems like the end of my backswing and the start of my down swing gets quick and violent. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it.  Playing weekly with a good friend, he'll just say "transition" to me.

So I'm willing to hit the range and put in work to correct this issue.  Anyone have advice on drills and or techniques to use and try to smooth out my transition and tempo?  Sometimes I convince myself to take a 'half speed swing' and it helps (although I logically know I'm swinging more than half speed).  I should probably try that more often but it's tough for a guy that played decades of softball where attacking the ball is right thing to do.

[chisag 12,272]

... Play a practice round and use 2 more clubs than you need but take a full swing. If you hit your 7 iron 160, use a 5 iron from 160 but take a full swing. It forces you to slow down your tempo/transition or you will hit the ball too far. Of course with a better transition you may still hit the ball too far and in some cases even farther than a "normal" swing, but correct distance isn't the goal. 

[elvis14 46]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

... Play a practice round and use 2 more clubs than you need but take a full swing. If you hit your 7 iron 160, use a 5 iron from 160 but take a full swing. It forces you to slow down your tempo/transition or you will hit the ball too far. Of course with a better transition you may still hit the ball too far and in some cases even farther than a "normal" swing, but correct distance isn't the goal. 

Interesting idea.  I'm willing to try it.  I have played rounds in the past where I've gone up a club and it worked out well.  My concern is that my most common miss right now is long and left but I think some of that is from being overly aggressive so clubbing up x 2 might help with that.

[alfriday101 971]

Chisag once again offers sage advice.

 

Here are a few things to try on the range.

 

1. Develop a tempo "mantra," a phrase tied to your desired tempo that you use on every shot--every shot.  Some people use "1,2,3", in waltz tempo, or "tick-tock".  Personally, I use "to the target."  Start out saying it out loud on the range as you swing to really get it down.  Then move on to saying it in your head.  Did I mention to do this on every shot?

 

2.  Practice hitting clubs to less than full distance (similar to what was mentioned above.)  For example, take your driver and hit the first ball to the 100 yard marker, the next shot to 125, then 150, etc until you get to full distance.  Take a full swing each time.  You can use any club in the bag.  

 

3.  Hit balls with your eyes closed on the range.  Set up, take a practice swing, then step up to the ball and close your eyes and hit to your target.  You will quickly feel your tempo and find out if you are too ball bound.   

[elvis14 46]

48 minutes ago, alfriday101 said:

Chisag once again offers sage advice.

 

Here are a few things to try on the range.

 

1. Develop a tempo "mantra," a phrase tied to your desired tempo that you use on every shot--every shot.  Some people use "1,2,3", in waltz tempo, or "tick-tock".  Personally, I use "to the target."  Start out saying it out loud on the range as you swing to really get it down.  Then move on to saying it in your head.  Did I mention to do this on every shot?

 

2.  Practice hitting clubs to less than full distance (similar to what was mentioned above.)  For example, take your driver and hit the first ball to the 100 yard marker, the next shot to 125, then 150, etc until you get to full distance.  Take a full swing each time.  You can use any club in the bag.  

 

3.  Hit balls with your eyes closed on the range.  Set up, take a practice swing, then step up to the ball and close your eyes and hit to your target.  You will quickly feel your tempo and find out if you are too ball bound.   

Thanks.  I've tried a version of #1 lately "1, 2, wait, swing".  Sometimes it works, sometimes I forget to use it, sometimes the wait gets skipped. Sounds like I need to be a little more diligent on that front.  I may need to get rid of the 'wait' swing thought, however because I find myself hitting 'wait', kinda slowing or stopping before the end of my back swing and then jerking back/forward with a quick transition. 

I've done #2 in the past when my driver gets inaccurate.  Haven't really tried it lately.  Usually I think of using #2 when my driver path gets goofy moreso than the tempo but it could be that it was my tempo all along.  Have to admit, that I've not even thought about #3 but I'll have to give it a try just out of curiosity (and I can 'see' where swinging with my eyes closed might help me be less aggressive or quick).

 

 

[xOldBenKenobiX 4,131]

8 hours ago, alfriday101 said:

Chisag once again offers sage advice.

 

Here are a few things to try on the range.

 

1. Develop a tempo "mantra," a phrase tied to your desired tempo that you use on every shot--every shot.  Some people use "1,2,3", in waltz tempo, or "tick-tock".  Personally, I use "to the target."  Start out saying it out loud on the range as you swing to really get it down.  Then move on to saying it in your head.  Did I mention to do this on every shot?

 

2.  Practice hitting clubs to less than full distance (similar to what was mentioned above.)  For example, take your driver and hit the first ball to the 100 yard marker, the next shot to 125, then 150, etc until you get to full distance.  Take a full swing each time.  You can use any club in the bag.  

 

3.  Hit balls with your eyes closed on the range.  Set up, take a practice swing, then step up to the ball and close your eyes and hit to your target.  You will quickly feel your tempo and find out if you are too ball bound.   

That is interesting and I'm going to take it to the range. 

[elvis14 46]

On 8/3/2020 at 11:26 AM, chisag said:

... Play a practice round and use 2 more clubs than you need but take a full swing. If you hit your 7 iron 160, use a 5 iron from 160 but take a full swing. It forces you to slow down your tempo/transition or you will hit the ball too far. Of course with a better transition you may still hit the ball too far and in some cases even farther than a "normal" swing, but correct distance isn't the goal. 

Played yesterday.  I went up 1 club instead of 2 and focussed on 2 things: slowing down swing/transition and finishing to the hole (too many pull/hooks).  I didn't play great but I feel like I finally was able to smooth out a lot of my swings. I was really trying hard not to care about anything other than those 2 things.  That includes the scorecard and distances.  Irons and hybrids (clubbed up) went pretty well. In fact I'd say that I got more distance from my hybrid (solid strikes).  Irons were shorter but straighter (except that one pure'd 8 iron that flew a green). Driver was goofy (couldn't club up there) but shortening my backswing helped there.  Overall, a much more enjoyable, relaxed round.  Still want to find time to hit the range and put in some real work (course where I played doesn't have a a driving range).

[alfriday101 971]

have you ever tried the Ben Hogan, a/k/a the perpetual motion drill?  You can do this at home in the yard or the house, if you have a high ceiling and an understanding spouse.  Hogan reportedly did the drill 30 minutes a day.  If it's good enough for Hogan...

 

 

Here is an update with a bit more explination:

 

Shawn emphasizes the balance aspect of the drill, but it also helps with transition and tempo.  

[TexasFullSend 38]

Good thread. I wonder if when taking a practice swing. If closing your eyes will help find tempo before you actually set up to the ball.

 

I've heard about putting with your eyes closed but never swinging with your eyes closed. 

[chisag 12,272]

27 minutes ago, TexasFullSend said:

Good thread. I wonder if when taking a practice swing. If closing your eyes will help find tempo before you actually set up to the ball.

 

I've heard about putting with your eyes closed but never swinging with your eyes closed. 

 

... If you are a feel player, swinging with your eyes closed can be very instructive. Not so much for technical player but it never hurts to try.