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Need to slow down the backswing


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My instructor gave me a great tip that has really helped me slow down my backswing. He tells "Give me your 80yd swing". Of course I hit the ball just as far as my normal, fast tempo, swing and I am much more in control. On the course, when my tempo is off, I tell myself "80yds". Try it out. I hope it works for you.

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Never lose track of the heavy weight of the club head throughout the entire take away. That 'monitoring' sensation slows you down.

If you are quick you aren't feeling the head.

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[quote name='donaldsons' date='16 April 2010 - 04:54 PM' timestamp='1271462045' post='2384048']
Advice needed to slow down backswing. My take away has always been quick but recently it is so fast that I rarely make decent contact. Thanks
[/quote]

The moon is not made of cheese.

As a quick tip: you don't ever want your right thumb (r.h. golfer) ON the shaft and the left thumb and index finger should be relaxed (one benefit of the interlocking grip).

Post a video of your swing if you can. Very rarely do I find a golfer who's back swing is too fast. 99/100 golfers back swings are too slow vs their downswing and that is they have rhythm issues and blame it on their back swing.

I know a bunch of you will read this and think I'm nuts, but the timer on a video doesn't lie and the only thing slow in Ernie's swing is the illusion of it being slow. His swing is 1.3 seconds from takeaway to impact. Most Ams are 1.3 seconds to the top of their swing and then lurch to the ball to have some reasonable acceleration.

A golf swing is a reciprocating motion that requires some pace in the back swing.

Check out the data on Tour Tempo's website. Pretty interesting and relevant stuff.

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[quote name='porkman' date='17 April 2010 - 01:10 PM' timestamp='1271535015' post='2385193']
So what you're saying is that Els has a smooth transition at the top and that is what makes the whole swing [u]appear [/u]slow?
[/quote]


Not exactly.

I've taught golf for a lot of years and about 8 years ago, it dawned on me that back swing pace had a lot to do with how someone's overall rhythm appeared.

One guy in particular had a painfully slow back swing then lurched at the ball. Compared to the typical Tour player, he was near shoulder height in his back swing when a comparative video of a pro was already at impact. So, with him fighting all the way at first, we added pace to has back swing and his overall look smoothed out a ton.

Most golfers feel that the idea of careful or slow in the back swing is going to help. Perhaps. You even hear Tour Players say "low and slow;" but their low and slow is ripping fast in comparison to a regular golfer.

My first coach used to say, "you have to give up control, to gain control." I'm not saying "RIP IT" at all, there are elements of any swing that are smooth and fluid, but it all happens at a high pace.

Missed shots are not a result of "lifting your head" or "being too quick." I wish had a nickel for every time I've heard a 15 handicap mutter those words.

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I agree. It's not about slowing down the backswing, it's about having a proper tempo ratio. Most high cappers take it back too slow.

Look at some video of various pros, concentrate on their backswing, and you'll see that almost every one of them takes it back much faster than you thought.

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[quote name='DFinch' date='18 April 2010 - 02:02 AM' timestamp='1271574173' post='2385944']
I agree. It's not about slowing down the backswing, it's about having a proper tempo ratio. Most high cappers take it back too slow.
[/quote]

That's the whole concept behind Tour Tempo and its 3:1 ratio. It works.

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[quote name='Cmartingolf' date='17 April 2010 - 03:04 PM' timestamp='1271531065' post='2385126']
[quote name='donaldsons' date='16 April 2010 - 04:54 PM' timestamp='1271462045' post='2384048']
Advice needed to slow down backswing. My take away has always been quick but recently it is so fast that I rarely make decent contact. Thanks
[/quote]


As a quick tip: you don't ever want your right thumb (r.h. golfer) ON the shaft

[/quote]

what is the benefit to having your right thumb (RH golfer) to your left?

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[quote name='DFinch' date='18 April 2010 - 02:02 AM' timestamp='1271574173' post='2385944']
Look at some video of various pros, concentrate on their backswing, and you'll see that almost every one of them takes it back much faster than you thought.
[/quote]
Some real good examples are Tiger, Phil, and Padraig...come to think of it, lots of majors in that threesome as well. (cool)

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You have a fast tempo sounds like. Instead of trying to slow it down, use Tour Tempo or another training aid of that sort to make it more fluid and smooth. This is your natural motion obviously so figure out how to make it work for you. I found this to be easy to remember and it helped me with establishing solid pre-shot routine. I have it down to 14 seconds thanks to the timing it helped me establish. You can try and make it slower off the course but something this simple without an aid, can be easily forgotten during actual play.

Best of Luck

[center]www.tourtempo.com[/center]

TOUR TEMPO® TONES
The Tones will teach you how to swing with the tempo ratio exhibited by the Tour Pros. We measured the time of their backswings and downswings by counting how many frames of video each part took. The magic ratio on full swings turned out to be three parts backswing to one part downswing. Tones are provided for each of the three principle frame ratios of Tour Tempo® - Fast - 21/7®, Moderate - 24/8®, and Slow - 27/9®.

The Tour Tempo® Tones have a clear purpose. They establish the intrinsic tempo of the golf swing in your subconscious mind. Once this is accomplished, you will not have to think about tempo while playing. This is what the Tour Pros have already done. You are about to acquire that same ability.

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I always think of Nick Price or Annika. They both have very fast tempo, but they are smooth. Can you imagine how screwed up they would be if they took it back as deliberately as most of us amateurs? My only question is, how do you maintain a pretty quick backswing/tempo and still keep the swing real compact/short, i.e. 3/4 parallel with an iron? You need to stay connected, right?

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Follow Annika's steps to set yourself at the top and feel your way to trust it 100%. The backswing is 50% of the total movement and if overthought or overworked, can wreck any good movement back to the ball.
[url="http://http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2010-05/annika-top-game"]Stay on top of your game.[/url]

Watch Hunter Mahan to get a perfect model swing to follow. Pay close attention to his position at the top (trusted & on plane), his knees (bent), head (still), spine angle (maintained), and his follow through (inside & on plane). Again, trust what you feel at the top.

When you can, purchase a Golf hitting net and Hitting matt, you will be amazed at how much more relaxed you are practicing at home.

Best of Luck.

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  • 9 years later...

Your backswing feels fast because its probably disconnected. Its tough to feel smooth when nothing is working together

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  • 4 months later...

> @ironcat said:

> The only way I can get an on - plane backswing is with a painfully slow takeaway. Any quicker and I yank it inside, bowed wrists etc

 

I have a similar issue. But wouldn't this negatively affect tempo? I feel like the super slow takeaway should be rehearsed prior to swing maybe.

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Very interesting comments on a common problem loads of amateurs have. I've often felt my swing completely out of synch and the first thing I do is try to slow down my backswing. In a single session I destroy whatever was left of a swing. I found out that the problem is usually to do with putting everything together and in sequence. Everytime I tried to slow down my swing I ended up overswinging, bending my left arm, no extension at all and mostly a handsy backswing with no shoulder turn. I don't mean everybody will have the same problem but this is the danger of exaggerating the slow backswing.

 

I fully agree with pro swings at tour level: they are really really fast through the ball, you see the backswing and the followthrough and the backswing looks slow, but it isn't: it's a perfect slingshot creating torque for a superfast motion through the ball. You go too slow back and there's no torque to unwind through the ball.

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Steve Johnson highlights an interesting drill on his youtube channel that I have been doing as of late on the range. I'ts basically a purposeful pause at the top of the back swing for 3 seconds. It's meant to slow the transition down to shallow the club, but I think it also slows the backswing since you are in no rush to get or go anywhere. Count 1, 2, 3 and then swing. Hit a few balls like this. Then move down to a 2 second pause. Backswing, pause, 1, 2, downswing. Hita few balls, and then go to 1 second. You hit the ball just fine. There's no rush to get to the top or to start the transition down.

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> @donaldsons said:

> Advice needed to slow down backswing. My take away has always been quick but recently it is so fast that I rarely make decent contact. Thanks

 

perhaps you could try getting a very heavy club to practice with. alternate between (no ball) slow-mo swings where you get into good positions as well as real swings with a ball at 50%-80% tempo.

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> @hoselpalooza said:

> > @donaldsons said:

> > Advice needed to slow down backswing. My take away has always been quick but recently it is so fast that I rarely make decent contact. Thanks

>

> perhaps you could try getting a very heavy club to practice with. alternate between (no ball) slow-mo swings where you get into good positions as well as real swings with a ball at 50%-80% tempo.

 

Thats a good idea. Or grab 2 irons at the same time and swing.

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> @scooterhd2 said:

> > @hoselpalooza said:

> > > @donaldsons said:

> > > Advice needed to slow down backswing. My take away has always been quick but recently it is so fast that I rarely make decent contact. Thanks

> >

> > perhaps you could try getting a very heavy club to practice with. alternate between (no ball) slow-mo swings where you get into good positions as well as real swings with a ball at 50%-80% tempo.

>

> Thats a good idea. Or grab 2 irons at the same time and swing.

 

perhaps in a pinch, though there's something to be said for recreating as real a swing sensation as possible. i would guess holding two clubs would incorporate different muscles and feels, especially in the hands. a $5 club from goodwill with a bunch of lead tape on the head and some counterweights under the grip would be much better imho.

 

edit: plus, taking a whack at a ball with 2 irons might yield unpredictable results :D

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I had a pretty fast backswing but over the past few years I’ve managed to add more shoulder turn, hip turn and width to my swing which makes it look slower even though it probably really isn’t. FWIW I don’t consciously think of trying to take the club back slowly anymore and just let er rip which has been so freeing

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