Golf Tips: Swing Timing

Once you begin to understand proper golf swing mechanics, you’ll soon realize that the key to consistency in managing your distances and as such dropping your handicap is to improve your golf swing timing.

I am often asked how to achieve consistent timing in the golf swing.

Quite frankly, if you are consciously thinking about your golf swing timing you probably aren’t going have it for that outing.

Timing in the golf swing is really a product, an end result. Not a conscious action that your brain fires to your muscles at just the precise moment. Not at all.

With all the physics involved in the golf swing and propelling the golf ball down the course with maximum efficiency, it would be impossible for us humanoids to consistently ‘pull the trigger’ on the golf club at precise moment in the swing to achieve the best results.

Not only impossible to do so consistently, but toss in all the various distances and it now becomes even more than impossible.

So, proper golf swing timing; how does it happen?

Remember, I started out with the premise that you have begun to understand proper golf swing mechanics and you have and are applying them through practice.

If so, you are becoming aware of timing’s closest friend and ally… rhythm. Just like the pendulum is to an old reliable grandfather clock, so is rhythm to your golf swing. Tick – tock.  The proper timing of your golf swing won’t show up with out his good friend rhythm.

Your golf swing should be executed with your shoulders and your upper arms taking the club back on your target line with your forearms and hands remaining quiet and enjoying the ride. Your legs control your weight shift and distribution and they anchor your full turn inside your body line.

As your legs begin to transfer your weight from your back foot to the front your hands must

remain quiet and calm. It is at this critical juncture, that you must resist the urge to ‘fire’ the hands and club head at the golf ball. Be patient. Your hands and club head will catch up; and catch up in a big way.

Remember, your rhythm will bring your timing in your golf swing and as a result evoke the immutable laws of physics. This will bring everything together and release a vast amount of stored energy at the precise moment with very little conscious effort on your part.

Its tick-tock, back foot-front foot; Tick-tock, back foot-front foot. It’s the comfort of a metronome like swing that your golf swing timing will consistently flourish in.

Work to establish a consistent rhythm in your golf swing. Learn to trust your swing timing as a product of your mechanics and rhythm.

Golf Swing Help

All golfers agree that working on and refining your golf swing fundamentals so that they can be consistently repeated over and over, and that will hold up under the pressure of those nerve racking $5 Nassau’s is the key to long term improvement in your golf game and your wallet.

The fundamentals of the golf swing itself are the takeaway and backswing, the transition to and the downswing, and the impact and the follow through.

Within each of these segments are sub actions and categories but let’s take high level look at these basic foundations of golf swing fundamentals.

The takeaway and the resulting backswing is where it all begins. This is what sets up the rest of your golf swing and the results that your swing will produce. Tempo, body rotation, and arm extension are three very important aspects of this part of the golf swing.

Tempo is established at this point. The tone of your swing is tempo. Even with all other physical aspects in reasonably good shape, bad or inconsistent tempo will only allow for spotty results at best. Work on a smooth rhythmic tempo.

Probably the most difficult part of golf swing fundamentals (from a physical aspect) for every golfer is making the transition from the backswing into the downswing.

At the top of the backswing, and poised for striking the ball, the biggest mistake made (especially by higher handicap golfers) is to initiate the downswing by accelerating the hands and forearms toward the golf ball. This is wrong end of the body and nothing much good can happen when you do this.

The backswing to downswing transition is always… always initiated from the ground up with

your weight beginning to transfer from you back foot to your front. This is followed by your hips beginning to rotate with the occurring weigh shift. In fact, your upper body and ultimately your hands and arms should feel a slight delay behind the actions of your feet, legs, and hips.

Although certainly an important part of the golf swing fundamentals, the impact and follow

through are a result of the backswing – transition – downswing.

If you haven’t completed the first actions in good fashion, your impact and follow through have little chance.

If however, you’re still on track, at impact your weight should be just on the outside of your front heel and on the inside of your back foot with your left hip rotated and clearing the path for your right hip, arms, and hands to track down the target line.

The physics and fundamentals of the entire golf swing is an exercise in creating resistance and tension in the body then transitioning it and releasing it at the most precise time; all the while being effortless, smooth, and with good tempo.

By definition this is an awkward movement for your body to create with great consistency. But with great consistency and dedication to your practice routine, your golf swing fundamentals and your score will improve over time.

Golf Tips: Golf Swing Consistency

Golf swing consistency improvement is what every golfer at every level is in constant search and stability thereof.

It is indeed an elusive animal, but let’s take a look at what gives you the best opportunity to improve your golf swing consistency.

The first aspect that comes to most people’s mind when trying to improve the consistency in their golf swing is to immediately start looking at and discussing the mechanics of the golf swing.

Although this is indeed a vital part of swing consistency, let’s take a small step back and consider what it is that executes your golf swing and what it is that effects your play more than any knowledge you may posses or any equipment that you may carry in your golf bag.

I am referring to your body and the physical condition that you are in.

Now don’t run off… or should I say ‘click’ off just yet.

I’m not going to spend a vast amount time suggesting or laying out an exercise routine for you.

But, if you are seriously looking at your game and you know that golf swing consistency improvement is a goal for you then I simply suggest that you honestly evaluate your current strength, flexibility and stamina.

Honestly, even if you completely and competently understand and can even replicate excellent golf swing mechanics; can you maintain that precision throughout an entire round or rounds of golf?

You want the same consistency on the last tee box as you had on the first don’t you? Consider getting yourself on some stretching exercises 3 to 4 times a week. And do some walking a few times a week as well.

You should take a look at GolfGym PowerSwing Trainerif you want to personalize specific exercises, or if you are seriously dedicated to your game take and want a more comprehensive fitness approach thenFitness for Golfin an excellent resource and would be the best for you.

Either way, improving your strength, flexibility, and stamina, is the first step toward golf swing consistency improvement. Your body is the machine that’s swings your golf club.

Improve Your Golf Swing Now

In a previous article on golf swing consistency improvement I discuss the importance of golf fitness when it comes to insuring that your golf swing consistency improves for you.

As you probably well know by now if you have been working on your golf swing or just beginning, this thing we call a golf swing is a very complex set of movements and dynamics that have to come together at a fairly precise moment in order to produce a good golf shot.

And not only that, this incredible chain of events doesn’t only just have to happen once; it has to happen again and again in order to produce a satisfying round of golf for you.

So, if you have decided to indeed improve your golf conditioning with your own program or perhaps an even more serious approach with an overall golf fitness program, that great! You are definitely on your way.

Since you are officially underway on your quest toward golf swing consistency improvement, I would like to discuss with you a moment about setting your expectations on this endeavor.

First of all, a thought on practicing.

As you work on your golf swing, practice with a purpose. Don’t just go to your local practice range and pound buckets of balls.

This will do you more harm than good. In the early stages of your learning curve it is extremely more effective to adopt a strategy of it’s not how much I can practice at one time; it’s how often I take the time to practice the consistency in my golf swing in short focused sessions. Hitting ball after ball until you mentally and physically tire is very counter productive.

This next part is extremely important.

Whether you are just beginning or perhaps have been playing awhile and are seriously now trying to improve your golf swing consistency, you need to understand that your proper practice is going to bring about change, and change will bring about some ugly golf shots. And, unfortunately, ugly golf shots will bring about some doubt and maybe some lack of confidence. Know that you are not alone or unique in this experience.

Hardly. Everyone will go through it from the amateur to the professional golfer.

If doubt or lack of confidence begins to overwhelm you, take a step back and get a lesson or lessons. Work with your teaching professional. But, don’t give up. The golf swing is complex and it isn’t learned (or changed) just by hoping so.

Golf swing consistency improvement is a project always under construction. Don’t give up. And do just ‘go back to the way I was hitting the golf ball’. You’re not standing on the practice or have read this article because your are happy with how you were hitting the ball.

Be patient and persistent with yourself and your swing improvements will come.

« Previous Page — Next Page »