Lose the pause - smooth the swing

[ManinBlack]

I've always had a pronounced pause at the top of the swing. A couple of weeks ago we were one down with one to play & I was the only one who could clear the ditch in front of the green with my second shot. I needed to hit a high 4 iron. I was so tense standing over the ball I knew I wouldn't do it & didn't.

Afterwards, at the range, I experimented with swinging with no pause & gripping the club more lightly. The results have been a revelation. The ball is coming out of the middle of the club with a much better flight & the shanks have all but disappeared.

It's a difficult thing to do after a lifetime of stopping at the top but I can see now how it was destroying my rhythm. Managed 39 points on Saturday with 4 daft shots dropped on the last three holes and nothing holed. Must practise more to feel more comfortable but definitely a change for the better.

 

[bobmac]

I'm the opposite, I play better when I do pause.

 

[delc]

I've always had a pronounced pause at the top of the swing. A couple of weeks ago we were one down with one to play & I was the only one who could clear the ditch in front of the green with my second shot. I needed to hit a high 4 iron. I was so tense standing over the ball I knew I wouldn't do it & didn't.

Afterwards, at the range, I experimented with swinging with no pause & gripping the club more lightly. The results have been a revelation. The ball is coming out of the middle of the club with a much better flight & the shanks have all but disappeared.

It's a difficult thing to do after a lifetime of stopping at the top but I can see now how it was destroying my rhythm. Managed 39 points on Saturday with 4 daft shots dropped on the last three holes and nothing holed. Must practise more to feel more comfortable but definitely a change for the better.

Think I posted a similar thread a few weeks ago. Swing smoother, hit further!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Funny you are doing this. Every so often I throw in a pause as it adds control and relaxes me.

Good fun discovering something new and it coming off, isn't it? It's one of the reasons I like golf, you are always learning about your game.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm the opposite, I play better when I do pause.

Funny you should say that. As anyone that has seen my supersonic swing speed, I'm quick. Very. Recently I've started putting a pause in. Well actually, it's not a pause as such, but a feeling of it stopping at the top. I seem to have far more time on the way down and getting into the ball much better. It's a work in progress and I've not been able to get out and play for a couple of weekends so how it transpires when I play remains to be seen

 

[bladeplayer]

Ive no idea what goes on at top of mine TBH

 

[One Planer]

Interesting this.

I begin to slow my upper body as I approach the top of my back swing.

My lower half starts the transition when I'm at the top.

While I appear to pause, my lower half is turning back toward target. I suppose you could say my upper body pauses but my lower doesn't.

 

[ManinBlack]

Think I posted a similar thread a few weeks ago. Swing smoother, hit further!

You said you were swinging slower. If anything my tempo is a bit faster. I should explain that my pause wasn't so much as a pause as a complete stop, destroying all the rhythm in the swing. There probably is still a little pause but the transition is much smoother.

 

[MadAdey]

I avoid a pause at the top of swing. Dabbled with a few times seeing if it helps me set the club better, but I can't stop my body moving into the downswing, then I just end up with the club being left behind.

Never understood how it gives you more control.

 

[bobmac]

Never understood how it gives you more control.

What can happen is the hips turn first followed closely by the shoulders. Now if the golfer hasn't completed his shoulder turn on the backswing, the shoulders will be open on the downswing/impact.
Having a brief pause gives the golfer more time to complete his turn

 

[garyinderry]

Never seen anyone try it and not at least feel slightly more in control.

The pause that is.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Never seen anyone try it and not at least feel slightly more in control.

The pause that is.

I've been trying it recently as my swing gets way too fast. Seems to work for me.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I try to add a small pause, it feels like I'm doing a full Matsuyama stop but it's nowhere near that long.
It helps me to complete my backswing fully before starting the downswing. Otherwise I sometimes feel that I'm getting ahead of my hands and end up blocking the ball out right.

 

[the_coach]

'atop' the swing is a 'blending point', of 2 opposing directions of travel, a reversal of direction of body and club direction

to reverse the direction of the club folks have to in someways slow the club down atop the swing in order to move the club in the optimum ways from the blending point (optimum here meaning direction of initial travel with angles/torques/energy intact)

most efficient ways to do this is to start the lower body goin in the 'other' direction, lower body energy to target as the club is still just moving in the opposite direction goin back, leads to the 'slow down' and 'collection' of energy, torques and angles and efficient reversal of travel

- why folks will always see this in some form or another in an elite players swing motion

 

[bobmac]

most efficient ways to do this is to start the lower body goin in the 'other' direction, lower body energy to target as the club is still just moving in the opposite direction goin back,

For many handicap golfers, this would cause the lower half to get ahead of the upper half, throwing the club above plane and outside the line resulting in the clubhead being left behind with a big slice/pull depending on the clubface direction at impact.

 

[the_coach]

For many handicap golfers, this would cause the lower half to get ahead of the upper half, throwing the club above plane and outside the line resulting in the clubhead being left behind with a big slice/pull depending on the clubface direction at impact.

true ... if no 'slow down' and too violent a lateral shift or just a hip spin out ... and for the majority the lower half is not engaged at all, the 'throw' comes from folks top half