Tempo and timing are two pillars of a well maintained golf swing. Without one, it's hard to have the other. Your backswing and forward upswing are both related to tempo and timing, so it's important to understand how each can affect your overall game.
I received a question asking about the benefits of using a slow motion backswing in order to keep your tempo consistent and not rushed. With the Peak Performance Golf Swing, we get our power by holding our knees and swinging our arms faster towards the target. So, does that mean that a slow motion backswing won't work?
It all depends on what type of person you are. If you are a laid back type of person who moves slowly throughout the day, you might want to try using a slower backswing. If you're a fast paced individual, slowing your backswing down has probably never even crossed your mind.
Either way, as long as you're making solid contact with the ball and you're maintaining a 3/4, limited turn backswing, I'm not opposed to you trying new things to help get better. Stay within the parameters of the swing and you'll do just fine!
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
Slow mo BUS and Surge
Hi Surge
Great and timely video for me. We have been on A week long golf vacation and I toyed around with a "pause" at the top of the first practice swing. It has helped my transition and ball striking immensely on the actual swing
In your video today, I was astonished when you did a few slo-mo swings and you commented that perhaps you could do that. I had a lesson from one of your instructors and he cited your swing when he told me that I should swing a lot faster on both bus and fus. I tried for a long time to do that and it just didn't work for me.
What do your docs say about the physiology and the golf swing? I understand that muscles produce more speed If they are first stretched and then immediately contracted. And more speed seems to happen when faster movement, both back and forward, in the golf swing is performed.( I read some articles on plyometrics.)
I'd be very interested what happens to your distances and clubhead speed if you slow down. Can you do that and let us know?
Thanks,
Louie
speed
Louie,
Interesting question. Surge has covered the subject of that stretch/contraction speed many times. We have had many lengthy discussions on it and if you use the SEARCH bar (above right below the log in/ log out) you will find many.
It is the kinamatic sequence. The downswing starts with the lower body as the BUS reaches the top. Personally, I have never been able to consciously start my swing with the lower body (the bump) on purpose. Even without a purposeful stretch and bump I seem to have no problem with distance. Centered strikes using a 3/4 swing give me above average distance for my swing speed.
Slow Back Swing
Good video - I have tried the back swing both fast and slow, and slow works for me very well and does not sacrifice distance. It certainly helps being repeatable!!
Smooth Transition
I am one of the exceptions to the rule. The old country song about rushing and rushing until life is no fun fits me better that the slow and casual approach. However, when it comes to golf a slow meticulous BUS is what I need to perform. Whenever I tend to speed up either the takeaway or BUS it leads to a too quick a transition at the top between BUS and FUS. In others words to fast of a BUS and I miss my FUS. All kinds of bad things happen when I jerk it down, from over the tops to thins and chunks. Which leads me to the short but very important statement from Surge (5:55), the most important thing is a smooth transition between the Bus and Fus, for me any quickness or jerking in the transition zone leads to disaster.
Smooth Transition
Whew! Terry,
I am another exception to the rule. In all things I am fast, talking, walking, etc. Lately I have been swinging slower in the BUS and not trying to take the skin off the ball during the swing. Our last two outings have almost confirmed EXACTLY what you experienced. Even from a 'cold start' on our last outing[due to being slotted into the field on a day when two seperate 'corporate groups' swamped the course into gridlock], my first tee shot with the driver, was right up the middle. We only played 10 1/2 holes in the end. They were very satisfying, fruitful ones. Added to that a half hour session post round on the practice hole with my PW and putter where the new slower swing was peppering the pin from every distance and direction. Left me feeling good. Yesterday a swing session with a variety of clubs and not one 'chunk' or 'thin' with any of the 6clubs I used. Our old friends Ti-Ming and Tem-po are to be ignored at our peril ; - ) Off for a swing now and weather permitting we will be playing tomorrow. You are not alone Terry ; - ) DH
Giving the swing time to happen.
Very well said, Terry. A smooth transition is vital. Early this season, in a quest for more distance, I replaced my old 420 cc, shaft shortened driver with a new oversized one. On a good day the new driver was much longer than my old one, but on a bad day chunks with everything, including the driver were too common. Although this is an upright swing, it was necessary for me to find a way to be more shallow through impact. As soon as I figured out a way, to consistently slow the beginning of the Forward Upswing, with a tempo thought that worked for me, the problem was solved.
A couple of weeks ago I tried my smaller, old driver and was amazed to see how much better I was hitting it with a more shallow swing bottom. It's only about a 1/2 inch longer than my 3 wood and much easier to hit than my new driver. Now I don't know what I'll do with the new driver but at least it forced me to find a way to correct a too steep downswing. The ball striking is much better with all of the other clubs also.
Not " jerking it down" and giving things time to happen , produces "longer and straighter shots."
Giving the swing time to happen
Giving the swing time to happen.Amen to that good Sir! Just had a swing session on my front yard driving range on the mat and on the garden, murdering daisies. I had taken out my 400cc driver, which was in the bag prior to me using my old smaller headed wooden Ping Zing blond driver. They have both been shortened. Post the session, the old smaller headed one has still earned it's place in the bag over the metal larger headed Taylormade driver.
The TM driver is slightly longer and it was hitting the mat with a thump. I choked down only about 3/4" and the thumps went away immediately. The Dave Seeman, "Look at the horizon" tip yesterday helped yesterday and as soon as I elevated my chin and looked down my nose, it all just seemed to happen. The last time on the course I was stunned at the accuracy of my 5iron! More down to timing than anything else in my opinion. Sun out at last so we shall see on the morrow a continuinace of the better ball striking, due to a 'smoother' and more controlled swing tempo. Keep on with the longer and straighter shots. DH swinging in NZ, a golfers paradise Surge ; - )
Tempo, timing, and improvement
Timely video, I've been trying out various swing tempos lately in an effort to get more consistent with my ball striking. I've honed in one one that starts slow in the takeaway but gradually accellerates as I reach the top of the BUS and keeps accellerating in the Bump transition and through the FUS to T-finish. It seems to be the tempo that unlocks a good timing sequence for me. One of my issues has always been being too "handsy" in the takeaway, so lately I've been thinking about starting it with a SLOW back hip and back shoulder turn into the mitt then lifting up the tree. When I do it correctly with the gradually accellerating tempo it seems to take care of a number of things without me thinking about them: 1) sinking into my right side on the BUS; 2) the BUMP transition occurs automatically (like Robert Meade I've never been able to consciously do the bump correctly), starting from my feet up through my knees to the hips; 3) firing-up to the T-finish. All of this of course assumes I've gotten myself into a good setup to start with: PLHR, wide knees, proper posture and grip, the big A alignment, etc. BTW, for anyone that hasn't seen Surge's alignment video I highly receommend it, in fact I wished I had started with that before learning all of the other fundamentals.
ToddN in Ottawa Canada
PS. I'm hoping Surge and team bring their Golf School here someday. ;)
Golf School
Todd,
Send a note to customer service and let Surge know your interest in having a golf school come to Ottawa. You never know, he is always searching the earth over to spread the word.
Take care and good golf to you,
Robert M.
Thanks for the tip
Thanks for the tip Robert, will do.
cheers
Ottawa
Hey Todd,
I am in Ottawa too, going to play Irish Hills (Carp) tomorrow, Sunday, with definitely a heavy sweater and a slower BUS.
When I do it fast unintentionally, It's Army Golf for me.
Yes it would be nice to have the Surge here for an instructional treat.
Adel L.
Hey
Hey Adel, good to hear of another Surgite in the area. I'll send in a request per Robert's note. Yeah, 11C in the morning, a sweater would be a good idea. I'm in the east end, like to play Anderson Links because it's really convenient but play a lot of others around the valley too. Got out to the Oaks of Cobden about a month ago, greens were in great shape there.
cheers
smooth
Really enjoyed the many well thought out and helpful comments on a slower more deliberate BUS and then the thought of "no jerking" in the transition.
It all ties together with what happens as we hold our knees and then zip occures closer to the bottom of the swing where it is suppose to. For me it goes back to the idea of maintaining the same muscle tone throughout the swing. As Dave said, to "give it time to happen."
You know how they say our full swing game can carry over (in a good or badbad way) to our short game?
I have found the opposite thing to be happening lately. My better, quieter arms and hands pendulum putting is helping my ball striking and quieting the noise or tension in my arms, hands and body in my full swing. I like it!!
Re: Better,Quieter
Robert, Ironically I read an on-line copy of Jack Burke's "The Natural Way to Better Golf" last night. His whole concept on teaching the swing in his little 120 some odd pages was to start to work on your game with putter in hand. Making three foot putts using passive hands,wrists and arms letting the shoulders make the stroke. Then working that same stroke(or movement) into the others as you moved farther from the green. Chipping,pitching, scoring irons,long irons all the way back to the tee box.
In the book, he only talked about 3 positions that mattered to him; Address,At the Top & Impact.
I wasn't surprised to see that he used several phrases & ideas that Surge uses; passive hands (no hinging), action/reaction rule and a couple of others.
Keep 'em straight, Booger
Good stuff
Thanks Booger,
I will add that to my list of reads soon. Funny that some think the Surge Nation is so narrow minded. We are actually a generally well read bunch who have a keen interest in understanding golf but realize that the PPGS is what simply works better for most of us. Does sound like he shares many of Surges thoughts (or vice versa). I any case, great minds think alike :)
Aiming for the short grass, Robert M.
passive putting stroke
Ironically Burke's idea of the stroke is exactly what I do. Also exactly the opposite. I pull the putter back with the back wrist with no hinging or rotation and then pull it through with the forward wrist, again with no hinging or rotation.
Same stroke with the advantage of swinging the putter on the plane of the aim line even if the body isn't perfectly parallel left. Nicklaus wasn't parallel left with the exception of his eye line and he did pretty good for himself.
Thanks Surge. Hopefully I can
Thanks Surge. Hopefully I can continue to improve my bump and accelerate through the ball. Keep up the great dailies.
William
Funny Video
Hi All,
Here's a little video for pleasure. Careful though, you might recognize someone you know
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PNsMXe170Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Slow Backswing
Your article is "well-timed", if you will excuse the Pun. I won my 1st Competition on Wednesday since having knee replacement surgery in January. The reason was that the Weather was appalling and everyone was soaked to the skin. I determined to swing very slowly, not snatch at the ball and keep it in play. After 9 holes I was 4 over Gross, but did deteriorate on the back 9. This was a big lesson for me and a slow Backswing helped me a lot. One of the reasons is that I have always had problems with the Transition and this meant head movement. Also, thanks to Doc Griffin for fitting me with new Clubs.