What is your single most used drill for improved tempo?

[UKGolfer86]

As the title asks, what is your single most used drill for swing tempo? 

 

Recently over here in the UK, getting on the golf course has been tough with the lockdowns, short days, pairs only and higher membership take up at my course.   Meaning ive only managed to play twice in the last 3 months.  When i managed to play and get to the range before our current lockdown, my tempo was all over the place and crazy quick through transition and downswing.  I felt like i was slapping at the ball with very little lag and in general took quite a few shots to get back to anything resembling my 'normal' tempo.

 

I dont have anywhere to hit a ball for the next 2 months of lockdown at least, so guess i have plenty of time to gather some drills before heading out to try them out.  Fingers crossed our vaccination programme here in the UK goes well and we can get this whole mess behind us so that golf can resume before the warm weather arrives in March/April.

 

Thanks all!

[gators78]

At a minimum the Tour Tempo FrameCounter app, the 3:1 ratio is a really good starting point for a lot of people, and you get some starting point of where you fall. I think their books are good and quick reads, but that's if you want to get into the theory of it. The vast majority (myself included) take it back too slow, when I do that my transition is a mess. 

[nitram]

Tour Tempo Y and L Drill.

 

Whenever I feel out of sync or my ball striking goes awry, I go back to TT and usually a 10 minute session with both the short and long game tunes gets me back on track. You don't have to buy the books as the app has everything you'll need to learn the system. Last I checked the app on itunes was around $25USD. It works on every club in the bag, including the putter. And yes, it's worth it.

[gators78]

6 minutes ago, nitram said:

Tour Tempo Y and L Drill.

 

Whenever I feel out of sync or my ball striking goes awry, I go back to TT and usually a 10 minute session with both the short and long game tunes gets me back on track. You don't have to buy the books as the app has everything you'll need to learn the system. Last I checked the app on itunes was around $25USD. It works on every club in the bag, including the putter. And yes, it's worth it.

 

Just to not cross wires here, the tour tempo frame counter app is free, the main Tour tempo app is $25 and has the coaching program.

[GLF4EVR]

I am old so this is old school.  What has worked for me is to take a full swing with a club with my feet together.  Too fast, damn near fall over.  Too slow, get off balance real quick.  Actually doing this while hitting range balls really helps.  At least it has always worked for me.

[nitram]

3 minutes ago, gators78 said:

 

Just to not cross wires here, the tour tempo frame counter app is free, the main Tour tempo app is $25 and has the coaching program.

 

For sure. And you need both of them for it to work effectively. Thanks

[Long_Left]

1 hour ago, nitram said:

 

For sure. And you need both of them for it to work effectively. Thanks

The reviews on the App Store are all VERY old... I'd greatly appreciate any insight you have as this topic interests me very much, I've been able to get my putting tempo consistent lately thru brute force of will and practice but my driver tempo is garbage and I have no intuition as to what is right... as a tech nerd, this seems like a solid option.

[Barfolomew]

Just count in your head whatever length you want.... I do it on putting tooooo

 

1, 2, 3, 4  where 4 is my contact.  Just play with the tempo till you get what you like.  No need for computers applications... jus sayin there's no apps on the course, plus computers suck.  I can even start counting before swinging and be late but I know where I should be in relation and I'll finish smooth and on time. 

 

If you play music and jam with other dudes then you know what I'm talkin bout, I play guitar/sing and jam every Sat night with the boys......you might miss a spot or be late but you'll def find the beat and be right on time in a split second.

Edited January 8, 2021 by Barfolomew

[nitram]

19 minutes ago, Long_Left said:

The reviews on the App Store are all VERY old... I'd greatly appreciate any insight you have as this topic interests me very much, I've been able to get my putting tempo consistent lately thru brute force of will and practice but my driver tempo is garbage and I have no intuition as to what is right... as a tech nerd, this seems like a solid option.

 

If you have decent basic fundamentals, TT can help you get over the hump towards the next level. Prior to John doing his TT "thing", everyone talked about tempo but no one was able to quantify it to where it is teachable.

 

I'll put it this way, in the past year or so I've suggested the TT app and frame counter to 8 people who were struggling with their ball striking. Without exception they've all said it was money well spent. Two of these guys went so far as to pay for the TT clinic up near Kansas City and have improved a ton. One guy going from a solid -8 to a -2 in less than 2 months.

 

I'm in no way associated with TT. I just tell folks what its done for me and a few guys I personally know. It's a simple concept and instruction that provides the missing link for most. And for $25, why not give it a shot? Good luck.

[alfriday]

Several years ago I went to a 3 day workshop and tempo was one of the main focuses.  The "drill" was to have a phrase or mantra that matches your tempo.  Count 1,2,3 in waltz timing, tic-tock, swing-hit.  Mine is "to-the-tar-get." It fits the 3:1 mentioned in tour tempo.  The key to making it work:  say it out loud on every shot you hit, until it is automatic.  Every practice shot, every putt, every practice swing.  It is startlingly effective to say it out loud.  Once it becomes ingrained, then go sotto voce.  

 

It's been years since the workshop, but I still use the phrase and will say it out loud when timing gets off.  I will repeat it in my mind when visualizing the shot--sort of presetting tempo.    

[nitram]

12 minutes ago, Barfolomew said:

Just count in your head whatever length you want.... I do it on putting tooooo

 

1, 2, 3, 4  where 4 is my putt or swing.  Just play with the tempo till you get what you like.  No need for computers applications... jus sayin there's no apps on the course, plus computers suck.  I can even start counting before swinging and be late but I know where I should be in relation and I'll finish smooth and on time. 

 

If you play music and jam with other dudes then you know what I'm talkin bout, I play guitar/sing and jam every Sat night with the boys......you might miss a spot or be late but you'll def find the beat and be right on time in a split second.

 

FWIW I don't disagree with what you've said. Once you know what your "correct" tempo is for your swing, then yes, its as simple as counting to 4 or hopefully find the right riff and using it while you swing. The problem with it is most folks trying to find the  correct 3:1 tempo (almost everyone) initially says it's too fast. So you need a baseline example, whether its 27/9, 24/8, 21/7, etc. On the short game, finding the correct 2:1 ratio is the same way and finding a tune has proven difficult for me. You don't have to have TT, but for less than the price of a couple sleeves of Pro V1's, it's worth it (to me) to learn it from the teacher and use his drills. 🍻

[stryper]

44 minutes ago, Long_Left said:

The reviews on the App Store are all VERY old... I'd greatly appreciate any insight you have as this topic interests me very much, I've been able to get my putting tempo consistent lately thru brute force of will and practice but my driver tempo is garbage and I have no intuition as to what is right... as a tech nerd, this seems like a solid option.

 

Money well spent.

 

I’ve had the TT app for quite some time.  Used it a lot initially, then sort of let it slip by the wayside.  Started working with it a lot more lately when’s John Jr. came up with the new TT Force book and tones.  Since my return to TT, using some of John Jr.’s ideas, I’ve picked up probably an average of 5-7 mph of (measured) clubhead speed.  And at age 61, that’s a HUGE deal.

[swagee]

4 hours ago, UKGolfer86 said:

As the title asks, what is your single most used drill for swing tempo? 

 

Recently over here in the UK, getting on the golf course has been tough with the lockdowns, short days, pairs only and higher membership take up at my course.   Meaning ive only managed to play twice in the last 3 months.  When i managed to play and get to the range before our current lockdown, my tempo was all over the place and crazy quick through transition and downswing.  I felt like i was slapping at the ball with very little lag and in general took quite a few shots to get back to anything resembling my 'normal' tempo.

 

I dont have anywhere to hit a ball for the next 2 months of lockdown at least, so guess i have plenty of time to gather some drills before heading out to try them out.  Fingers crossed our vaccination programme here in the UK goes well and we can get this whole mess behind us so that golf can resume before the warm weather arrives in March/April.

 

Thanks all!

I second the tour tempo app. 
Probably my best $25 investment in golf to date. 
Been working on it for a couple of months now and see an immediate improvement in both my tempo and distance.

Cheers

[nitram]

3 minutes ago, stryper said:

 

Money well spent.

 

I’ve had the TT app for quite some time.  Used it a lot initially, then sort of let it slip by the wayside.  Started working with it a lot more lately when’s John Jr. came up with the new TT Force book and tones.  Since my return to TT, using some of John Jr.’s ideas, I’ve picked up probably an average of 5-7 mph of (measured) clubhead speed.  And at age 61, that’s a HUGE deal.

 

I'm 4 years your junior and feel exactly the same way. I don't use it everyday and have gone a season without using it. But if I need a tune up, it's the first thing I turn to and it works every time.

[Long_Left]

I appreciate all the replies! I'm the guy who went out and shot 36-43 in my last golf association tourney round... when my tempo goes it goes far and I need a long range session to find it again. Hoping to get from 14-15 par or better holes a round with 2 doubles and a triple down to 14 par or better and 4 bogies...

[nitram]

If you buy the TT app and frame counter, come back and let us know in a week or two how it works for you.

 

[Long_Left]

16 minutes ago, nitram said:

If you buy the TT app and frame counter, come back and let us know in a week or two how it works for you.

 

100% will, I'll have a look through the instruction parts this afternoon/evening and I have some range time tomorrow and a match on Saturday against a buddy who I haven't beat in a month... My PR at the course is 75 and if he's "on" I need to shoot 78 or better to stand a chance giving him 3 a side.

 

Edit: I should add that I have no expectation of shooting a personal best 48 hours after downloading an app... but finding a "trigger" to get back to working timing would be a massive benefit to prevent me going full sideways!

Edited January 7, 2021 by Long_Left
caveats and disclaimers!

[b.mattay]

I'm going to be a contrarian here (respectfully, I know there are some great players who focus on tempo).

 

I am of the opinion that when most people get "quick" from the top, most of the time they are leaving their foot pressures (and center of the chest) too far towards their trail foot for too long. 

 

I can't say I've ever thought about tempo in the last 5ish years, just movements and sequencing. Not trying to dissuade the topic, just giving another potential route to look at. 

[getitdaily]

5 hours ago, Long_Left said:

100% will, I'll have a look through the instruction parts this afternoon/evening and I have some range time tomorrow and a match on Saturday against a buddy who I haven't beat in a month... My PR at the course is 75 and if he's "on" I need to shoot 78 or better to stand a chance giving him 3 a side.

 

Edit: I should add that I have no expectation of shooting a personal best 48 hours after downloading an app... but finding a "trigger" to get back to working timing would be a massive benefit to prevent me going full sideways!

Tour tempo 100%. I went from a 2 to a scratch within a couple of months of getting TT app a couple of years ago. 

 

I very rarely practice without it. I use it when warming up before rounds. I make the tones in my head starting when I pull the club from the bag during a round. 

 

A key: get to know your backswing tempo well. It's easy to hit the last 2 tones. But you can tend to be fast at the start of the backswing and still hit the final 2 tones but be off tempo. Backswing tempo is key.

[UKGolfer86]

14 hours ago, Long_Left said:

100% will, I'll have a look through the instruction parts this afternoon/evening and I have some range time tomorrow and a match on Saturday against a buddy who I haven't beat in a month... My PR at the course is 75 and if he's "on" I need to shoot 78 or better to stand a chance giving him 3 a side.

 

Edit: I should add that I have no expectation of shooting a personal best 48 hours after downloading an app... but finding a "trigger" to get back to working timing would be a massive benefit to prevent me going full sideways!

It looks like youve taken ownership of my thread overnight LL!  Ha, i jest. 

 

Tour Tempo is definitelty something i have seen before and i think i actually have a copy of the book that a friend came across in a charity shop, complete with the original CD...  Il download the app and give it a try.  We get shafted here in the UK, its £25.00 GBP, so $35.00! 

 

12 hours ago, b.mattay said:

I'm going to be a contrarian here (respectfully, I know there are some great players who focus on tempo).

 

I am of the opinion that when most people get "quick" from the top, most of the time they are leaving their foot pressures (and center of the chest) too far towards their trail foot for too long. 

 

I can't say I've ever thought about tempo in the last 5ish years, just movements and sequencing. Not trying to dissuade the topic, just giving another potential route to look at. 

 

This is also something that i have been guilty of and had been working on earlier in the year before everything was derailed and is certainly something that will come back into my work when i have access to any way of hitting balls.  I know my tempo gets out of whack, as i have a Garmin S60 which can measure your tempo. I switched it on last time out at the range and i was inconsistent and my tempo was much closer to 2:1 than 3:1, likely through a combination of slow back and too quick in transition.

 

Maybe im just looking for something to blame and hang onto through these dark times while i cannot actually work on my swing... who knows.

 

[Long_Left]

4 hours ago, UKGolfer86 said:

It looks like youve taken ownership of my thread overnight LL!  Ha, i jest. 

 

Tour Tempo is definitelty something i have seen before and i think i actually have a copy of the book that a friend came across in a charity shop, complete with the original CD...  Il download the app and give it a try.  We get shafted here in the UK, its £25.00 GBP, so $35.00! 

 

 

Apologies, this is a topic that fit the "perfect storm" for me, last time out I shot an 82 losing 9 strokes from the tee box... I'm one of those who can hit driver inside a 40ish yard box all day on the range and that box then doubles or triples in width on the course... two way misses in desert golf lead to excessive rattlesnake encounters...

 

17 hours ago, b.mattay said:

I'm going to be a contrarian here (respectfully, I know there are some great players who focus on tempo).

 

I am of the opinion that when most people get "quick" from the top, most of the time they are leaving their foot pressures (and center of the chest) too far towards their trail foot for too long. 

 

I can't say I've ever thought about tempo in the last 5ish years, just movements and sequencing. Not trying to dissuade the topic, just giving another potential route to look at. 

You are, in my case, exactly right... when my backswing timing is off my whole sequence goes out the window. My curiosity and enthusiasm here comes from finding a way to get back to "close" without a bunch of physical or mental gymnastics. If I can use this to waltz in my head and reset with a couple practice swings it will pay for itself in 3 or 4 rounds!

[Barfolomew]

23 hours ago, nitram said:

 

FWIW I don't disagree with what you've said. Once you know what your "correct" tempo is for your swing, then yes, its as simple as counting to 4 or hopefully find the right riff and using it while you swing. The problem with it is most folks trying to find the  correct 3:1 tempo (almost everyone) initially says it's too fast. So you need a baseline example, whether its 27/9, 24/8, 21/7, etc. On the short game, finding the correct 2:1 ratio is the same way and finding a tune has proven difficult for me. You don't have to have TT, but for less than the price of a couple sleeves of Pro V1's, it's worth it (to me) to learn it from the teacher and use his drills. 🍻

 

Once you know your tempo you say.... but that's what golf is about finding your stuff. 

 

Tempo is not a complicated thing to work on its either faster or slower and just see what you like.... simple is good in golf..... so much going on

[stryper]

59 minutes ago, Barfolomew said:

 

Once you know your tempo you say.... but that's what golf is about finding your stuff. 

 

Tempo is not a complicated thing to work on its either faster or slower and just see what you like.... simple is good in golf..... so much going on

 

As long as it’s understood that the slowest tempo on tour is insanely fast compared to what you typically see on a Sunday morning at your local muni.

[Long_Left]

On 1/8/2021 at 1:24 PM, stryper said:

 

As long as it’s understood that the slowest tempo on tour is insanely fast compared to what you typically see on a Sunday morning at your local muni.

I learned this the "hard" way Friday and Saturday... I'm slow taking the club back in relation to the 3:1 goal of the app.

 

For those out there with more experience/knowledge I have a question: Do the drills in the TT app just "click" at some point or do they always remain challenging to complete? I started with an 8 iron as it's my normal warm up club and felt great and thought I had just spent $25 for nothing... then I pulled a wedge and it got really weird... really fast... is the end goal for every full swing to be the same tempo? (I'm pretty sure the answer is yes and it terrifies me how much work I need to put in)

[nitram]

In the app you see the "L Drill" as well as the mini version. Use the 2 to 1 tones for these kind of shots plus your putting. When you progress to the L-drill use the 3 to 1 although I use the 2 to 1 for most shots less than left arm parallel. If you're going to hit full wedges you'll need to use the 3 to 1. You should really try to do the workout as shown. It'll help you get accustomed to the  tempo. And yes, it will click sooner than later, just follow the instructions and the workout and it'll come together.

 

 

[Long_Left]

On 1/7/2021 at 12:54 PM, nitram said:

If you buy the TT app and frame counter, come back and let us know in a week or two how it works for you.

 

Two rounds in, 4 or 5 practice sessions on full swing only as I'm currently working with my pro on short game and don't want to cross the wires.

 

Today I fired off a tidy 76 (74 is my personal best at that course and that was making several ludicrous putts) with my "B" game, at best. Playing off a 6 I've ALWAYS fought the big miss, I've had several rounds with 4 birdies, two bogeys and a double and triple thrown in for good measure but today I played steady golf while I struggled with alignment, didn't hit a single ball "badly" just couldn't get anything going. No doubles, one birdie...

 

I played smart golf today as well knowing I didn't have it but I feel like putting in some time with the app and focusing on tempo is already improving my misses. I have to add, the first time out on the range the 27/9 felt impossibly fast, I decided to step back and follow the regimen and feel like 21/7 is the actual fit for me. Still feels like I'm "rushing" a tiny bit on the way back  with the longer clubs but every swing I'm trusting it more. Not having room for random position swing thoughts is a definite plus for those of us who tend toward the technical and OCD side of golf 🤣

[nitram]

Man I'm glad you came back and told us how it's going. Tempo is so misunderstood and yet its a keystone to a consistent swing. Keep working with it and you'll see even more improvement. I'd also mention it to your short game coach and see what he has to say. Almost everyone who's used the short game tones says it's eliminated almost all of their "chunks and skulls".

 

Have you used the frame counter to see what's your actual ratio? 21/7 is really quick but if it fits you, it is what it is. It's good to know. Thanks for sharing. 🍻

 

 

[Long_Left]

44 minutes ago, nitram said:

Man I'm glad you came back and told us how it's going. Tempo is so misunderstood and yet its a keystone to a consistent swing. Keep working with it and you'll see even more improvement. I'd also mention it to your short game coach and see what he has to say. Almost everyone who's used the short game tones says it's eliminated almost all of their "chunks and skulls".

 

Have you used the frame counter to see what's your actual ratio? 21/7 is really quick but if it fits you, it is what it is. It's good to know. Thanks for sharing. 🍻

 

 

I will admit I'm not, typically, what you'd consider a "reader of instructions" so I usually try, and fail, a few times before I go back and admit that I need to educate myself on the intended use... same story here. I jumped straight in and started with the 27/9 tone which felt brutally fast at first. I captured a few swings early that had me at nearly 4/1 with driver, about 3.5/1 with short irons but all were "slow" as I think my fastest backswing was around the 36 frame mark.

 

After a step back and a little more digging into the app and a couple youtube videos I found from the guys who made the app with them saying that it truly is "trial and error" finding the best fit and I decided to go straight for the hard stuff first and set it to 18/6 with a 9 iron in my hands. I ran thru all of the timings several times over the course of 2 range sessions and in my backyard firing golf balls into the desert 🤣 and my best "feel" was with the 21/7. I will recapture some additional video probably this week to see how, and if, I'm actually hitting that mark.

 

100% agree on the misunderstood reference as well, in 25+ years of golf I have associated "too quick" with bad contact and learned in the last two weeks that "too quick" is just skipping transition and getting my hands in a bad spot. I've always tried to slow down, especially my backswing, in response and it's never worked. I think with some work here, I'll be able to find "correct" and come up with a method of resetting myself after a poor shot.

 

For my short game, I'm in the "just don't suck" phase right now, I'm making great progress in practice but it has yet to materialize on the course. As I get a little more comfortable with what I've worked on for the last few months I will definitely start to incorporate it. Putting has always been a strength and I've used a "one two" count for years there, you'd think it would have turned a light on in there somewhere...

[stryper]

For fans of Tour Tempo and Swing Like a Pro, the book/study by Mann and Griffin, here’s TT combined with a computerized Model Pro Swing...the tones used here are annoying, but otherwise I could watch this all day: