Tricks for slowing my swing down

[Alias]

Hello,

I'm a ~18 handicapper golfer, but I'm mainly in it for the fun. A few months back in the first competitions at my club I was doing really great, won the first two competitions and was a on a roll!

However, as I've been playing more and more I've been picking up really bad habits and messing up a lot. I know myself that if I hit a bad shot, its usually because I pulled my head up before I hit the ball, or was aiming wrong etc. However there is one problem I've had, and that is the the temp of my swing on my long iron (6 iron - 3 iron) shots.

Everyone I play with always says that with these irons (^) my swing its just extremely fast which causes me to thin the shot, top it or horribly hook/slice it. My short game and putting is fine, and when I use my driver, although I swing very fast, I seam to be able to hit it straight and a very long way - which is fine.

Does anyone have any tricks which can help in slowing down my swing?

I've been told a few things but none really seem to work;

> Counting "1 2 3" on my back swing and then performing the forward swing - however I still seem to try and knock the ball into space when I swing down at it
> Pausing on the top of my back swing - this just seems to unnatural for me
> Trying a rescue wood (23 deg or so). Although this works when I'm in the rough, it doesn't on the fairway (probably because I'm more focused at getting it out rather than hitting it as far as possible)

I've also been told I don't really take much of a back swing on my iron shots, could this be something to do with it?

 

[duncan mackie]

video yourself - see it; then it's a lot easier to believe and conquer

 

[RGDave]

Does anyone have any tricks which can help in slowing down my swing?

Learn to swing the RG way.

(I don't know what that is, but it sure is SLLOOOOWWW.)

 

[srixon 1]

Does anyone have any tricks which can help in slowing down my swing?

Go down the range (one with yardage markers) and hit balls with the club that you usually hit 150 yards. However, only try to hit the balls about 100 yards. I do this drill all the time when my swing "leaves" me. You should find that your tempo will slow down a bit. It does not matter if the balls fly past the 100 yards marker, you are just trying to slow down your swing tempo.

 

[Minhoca]

Go down the range (one with yardage markers) and hit balls with the club that you usually hit 150 yards. However, only try to hit the balls about 100 yards. I do this drill all the time when my swing "leaves" me. You should find that your tempo will slow down a bit.

I was doing this earlier trying to knock a 5 iron 100 yards.. It does work!

 

[Mattyboy]

I take pratice swings holding the club the wrong way around (holding the head end). Seems to work for me.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I take pratice swings holding the club the wrong way around (holding the head end). Seems to work for me.

Just remember to swap it back to hit the ball

 

[Curls]

I have the same problem, I mark the ball with an "S" next to the number, it serves as a visual reminder that I should try to slow down the backswing. Doesn't always work and when you walk up to your ball and the S isn't pointing up it might not have an effect, but you see it enough times when you're teeing up/putting so it does creep in all right.

Then I still step up and snatch at it sometimes. Stupid me.

 

[One Planer]

I have the same problem, I mark the ball with an "S" next to the number, it serves as a visual reminder that I should try to slow down the backswing. Doesn't always work and when you walk up to your ball and the S isn't pointing up it might not have an effect, but you see it enough times when you're teeing up/putting so it does creep in all right.

Then I still step up and snatch at it sometimes. Stupid me.

Similar thing here.

I trace the "T" at the start of Titleist in blue sharpie as a visual key to remind me of my tempo.

 

[sydney greenstreet]

Try tour tempo, worked for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s_lLL02Tys

 

[Roops]

Go down the range (one with yardage markers) and hit balls with the club that you usually hit 150 yards. However, only try to hit the balls about 100 yards. I do this drill all the time when my swing "leaves" me. You should find that your tempo will slow down a bit. It does not matter if the balls fly past the 100 yards marker, you are just trying to slow down your swing tempo.

Great advice, exactly what I was thinking. I use this drill a lot to resync my tempo. Always reminds me of a chap I was playing with who said to me, "nothing wrong with your swing, just slow it down to a blur and you will be fine......."

 

[Snelly]

Temazepam.