Know Your Numbers: Tempo & Backswing

Control Your Backswing, Control Your Tempo

Proper tempo will allow you to get the most distance and best direction out of your golf swing. With the right tempo, you can sequence your downswing to allow your body to give more powerful swings and consistent results. But, there are some misconceptions about how to achieve the golden 3:1 ratio. Slow and steady does not win the race if the race is to fine tune your golf swing. It’s not all about slow and steady if you lose the smooth, rhythmic motion that is a connected golf swing.

We can’t talk about tempo without talking about backswing. Think of your golf swing motion like pouring water from a pitcher to a glass. If you pour too slowly, the water will dribble out and you will miss the glass. If you pour too quickly you might overshoot your target and also miss the glass. The same notion can be applied to the golf swing. Just as a correct pouring motion is the first step to successfully filling a glass, a correct backswing is the first step to an ideal swing tempo. If your backswing is too slow it will become disjointed and you will lose smooth transition that is paramount to lead into your downswing. If your backswing is too quick it will not give your body the time to shift properly and you will not have the proper  balance to start your backswing with power.

Still not sure how you are supposed to improve your tempo? ClubHub has the answer.

See the Difference

The key to improving tempo is being able to see the numbers and feel the difference. When you use ClubHub you can see how your backswing time affects your tempo through numbers that will help guide you to a better and more consistent swing.

1. When your backswing is quicker, your tempo is quicker as well, decreasing your overall swing speed.

2. Notice the almost perfect 3:1 tempo ratio with the highest swing speed.

3. Here we have the longest backswing time of 1.2 seconds and the highest tempo but the lowest swing speed.