Pace Yourself

One of the swing flaws that I see quite often is the inconsistency in the rhythm in which golfers swing the club. If you happened to see the recent Northern Trust Open, you witnessed the smooth even tempo swing of Fred Couples. This is a swing that has held up for many years and is repeatable. Everyone talks about how laid back Fred is when he is playing and that his swing looks effortless. While it looks effortless, he still hits the ball a long way, too. Practice the following and you will see your swing and consistency improve greatly:

* Pace yourself. When swinging the golf club, the pace should be the same back as well as through. The only increase in forward swing speed is due to the proper uncoiling of the body. Imagine a metronome for your golf swing. Think about how a clock ticks. (you may have to go find a clock that actually ticks) Think Tick________Tock; not Tick__Tock.

* Start out making passes over the golf ball with your golf club going from 8:00 to 4:00 and make the same pace back and through. Then go to 9:00 to 3:00 and finally make a full back swing and full follow-through. This will give you the sense of a pendulum swinging. Feel the pace.

* Hit golf shots now using the same drill as mentioned above. If you see your pace pick up, start again. You will find that you will begin to make better contact with the golf ball. REMEMBER to let the club swing; not you swing the club. Keep your big muscles out of the swing. Finally, make sure the club head does not pass your hands. Do not flip or throw the club at the ball. This will kill your rythym.