Pause for thought.

[tugglesf239]

At the top of the backswing that is.

As some background, I am a person who has always had a very fast backswing. It’s the cause of the majority of my faults tbh

I am guilty of fanning the club inside and flat and guilty of swinging through the ball with my arms.

Problems are the usual ones. High weak push or a lethal hook.

On certain days my timing is good though and I can hit the ball as good as anyone.

Problem is though that replicating this timing has proven extremely difficult. When I’m having an off day it will be catastrophic.

Been having a few lessons with Phil Archer at tour X in Wigan and he identified the fanning as the first thing that needed to stop.

Generally I’ll have a great lesson and on my first range session I’ll be striking the ball like a Cat 1 player.

After session three or four though I will start to lose the rythym and old faults start to re-emerge.

I’ve found it very disheartening.

Now I know this will sound completely obvious to the majority of you.

However today as I felt my swing disappearing I decided to pause at the top of the swing for as long as I possibly could.

Now to me it felt like it was there for a few seconds but the reality was probably milliseconds.

What it did allow though, was a conscious pause that allowed my to fire my hips before arms. Also just knowing I was about to pause prevented me from throwing the club behind fast, meaning I swung more on plane and upright

The results were fantastic tbh. I felt I’d managed to salvage the improvements from my last lesson.

Ball flight and strike were really pleasing. The fact that I managed to identify the fault and Fix was more pleasing.

Not sure why I am posting this other than I’m really chuffed. I suppose if you are like me with the most aggressive backswing ever, give it a try.

Really worked for me

 

[USER1999]

I agree with you. I play my best golf when i stop being a nervy idiot, and finish my back swing. This gives the impression of a pause, but probably isn't much of one, if at all. It is just a full swing. Finish going back, before coming down.

I am certainly no Matsuyama, but I feel like I could be.

 

[tugglesf239]

I agree with you. I play my best golf when i stop being a nervy idiot, and finish my back swing. This gives the impression of a pause, but probably isn't much of one, if at all. It is just a full swing. Finish going back, before coming down.

I am certainly no Matsuyama, but I feel like I could be.

Nervous idiot would be a good term for it.

Nervously wanting to murder the ball with extreme aggression.

Funny you should mention Matsuyama. I felt like my pause was longer than his.

Blatantly was not but still a good swing thought to have.

Going to the range tomorrow and will see if this is just another eureka moment #464574 as GarryinDerry referers to the phenomenon ha

 

[bobmac]

What goes back goes back together, what comes down comes down together
Wait for the power
Let the backswing settle
Keep the legs quiet

Just a few thoughts to help with the pause

 

[tugglesf239]

What goes back goes back together, what comes down comes down together
Wait for the power
Let the backswing settle
Keep the legs quiet

Just a few thoughts to help with the pause

Legs quiet is very applicable to me. I normally spot me lifting feet of the floor on the way back quite quickly. Results in some very iffy contacts and obvious loss of balance.

I try and keep as still as possible in the legs until I start the downswing then turn my hips as fast as humanly possible with control.

Totally agree with that. Not that I would have reason to dispute a knowledgable chap as your good self.

 

[r0wly86]

Tempo is such a key to the game.

I used to have a cycle of slowing everything down, playing very nicely, then getting confident swing harder, then swing so hard my swing went to pot, giving up for a week, coming back, slowing everything down and repeat.


There's the old Peter Allis tip, that you say Alistair Cadogan during your swing, obviously not loudly. But Alistair on your back swing and cadogan for you foreswing.

My old pro sorted my tempo with a simple tip as well, whenever I felt I was speeding up I should step back, take a breath and then practice swing with 1 and 2. 1 was the back swing, and was the pause at the top and 2 was the foreswing. Do this until your swing is feeling nice and slow and relaxed then hit the ball.

Although sometimes I do swing too fast, it now takes me a hole or two to get it back rather than weeks

 

[ScienceBoy]

Instead of a pause my coach teaches a push up of the hands, it creates lag and introduces a pause at the same time.

Did wonders for my swing and coming down on place etc.

You and I seem to have gone down a similar road and found the same solution works.

 

[User62651]

Bit like when you decide to hit an easy iron for a lay up or positional tee shot and it travels a good bit further than your standard iron shot. All because you actually timed it right by thinking 'slower'.

 

[garyinderry]

Nervous idiot would be a good term for it.

Nervously wanting to murder the ball with extreme aggression.

Funny you should mention Matsuyama. I felt like my pause was longer than his.

Blatantly was not but still a good swing thought to have.

Going to the range tomorrow and will see if this is just another eureka moment #464574 as GarryinDerry referers to the phenomenon ha

They are real. They are another bit of the golf Rubik cube slotting into place.


Part of getting better is finding out what works for your swing.

 

[Jensen]

I too pause at the top of my swing, as I find this helps with tempo and transition.
Interestingly, as a one planer I'm told that this should not happen, it should be recoiled straight back. However I find it helps me better, I don't feel as hurried