More on Tempo

This matter of tempo is so important - and so difficult to implement - that I want to write more on it. Even if I'm the only one that benefits, that's okay.
Back to the book, The Swing Factory, that I mentioned in my last posting. The big thing about tempo, it insists, is that it allows you to develop power in the right place. The place for that power is in the impact zone - basically, between the feet. The tendency for beginners like myself is to release power too early - to "hit from the top" in other words. That's because we tend to think in terms of "hitting the ball" rather than executing a smooth swing. In our nervousness, we hurry the down swing (or through swing) and release power too soon. As a consequence, we fail to time the shot - and much worse as well.

If we can think of tempo rather than power - that is, of the pace of a smooth, even swing rather than force imparted to the ball - it enables us to build a swing that naturally imparts the power at the right place. In a true swing of the club, the maximum acceleration and speed will occur exactly where it should, at the point of impact. That will result in perfect timing and maximum distance.

So the key thing is to think of swinging the club, and doing so in an even, repeatable way. And the key to that  is developing a smooth, even tempo. Try to hit it too fast and you will almost certainly impart power too early and your shots will be erratic. Develop a steady, even tempo and you will be focusing on swinging the club and not hitting the ball.