Tip From the Archives

The Pause

Problem

You do not have any pause at the top of your swing. This causes you to have an unsynchronized downswing so that your arms flail around or ahead of your body.

Cure

Normally, you are not supposed to think about the pause at the top of the golf swing because it should happen naturally. However, there are a few golfers that are so busy whipping the club around, that they do not have any pause at the top of their swing. If you do not think this is a problem for you then please stop reading this tip because it could mentally ruin a good tempo. If you fear that you are one of these golfers then you might need to slow down your backswing or make a conscious effort to pause at the top.

Therapy

Try slowing down your backswing first and see if that helps smooth out your swing. If your arms are still swinging out of control of your body or you lose balance then you will need to consciously add in a pause at the top of your swing. To do this, swing the club back and count for two seconds then start your forward swing. Repeat this several times until you can naturally work in a pause at the top of your swing without having to think about it. Once you have worked in a pause then focus on maintaining a fluid tempo throughout your swing. To help, try saying 123 BACK, 123 DOWN as you swing.

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12 votes

 
commentor | 5 years ago, at the end of September

This is to help you from rushing to the top of your backswing. I think it was VJ who said that he uses 14 15 16 because it harder to rush saying the double digits in your mind. I like to add a 'step' to the top of the backswing, being a right handed golfer, it reminds me to get my weight on my left side. The 'step' is a feeling that I am crushing an aluminum can with my left foot... a small move that you don't want to over-exaggerate. So it's 18 19 20 Step. After I say Step, then I uncoil my upper body and let my arms/hands respond naturally. Never think about releasing the club by manipulating or adding any extra effort with your arms/hands. Simply turn your upper torso as fast as possible.



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