5 Great Golf Swing Drills for Tempo:
- Shawn Clement – Don’t Rush Drill
- Mike Malaska – Close Your Eyes Drill
- Bobby Lopez – Full Swing at Half Speed Drill
- George Gankas – Find Your Own Beat
- Tour Tempo – 3 to 1 Drills
See below for complete details on each drill listed above!
Seeking ways to improve your tempo in your golf swing?
We all want to play more consistent golf and hit our good shots more often while minimizing our bad shots. Tempo plays a major role in the golf swing.
We all have those days when everything feels in sync and the tempo and rhythm allow us to play great golf. We have also all had the days in our golf journey where something just seems off and we can’t get it matched up.
So what do you do on these days and how to maximize the good days and increase how frequently these happen?
We dive into some different drills you can utilize to help build a solid tempo and use a tempo that is utilized on tour by the players to maximize their golf swing day in and day out.
In my own golf journey, I have had the feeling of playing competitive golf or golf for enough money to make your nervous and anxious and I have tried to study how I feel during thse times and how to manage it.
Did you know that if you maximize your tempo you will get more distance? (See Drill #5 for more details)
Follow along as we explain the 5 drills below that we have found most helpful! I check out some of my favorite online golf instructors when seeking drills and have discovered the 5 drills below. Here are my top 5 online golf instructors if you are interested in full reviews that i have created during my golf journey.
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
5 Golf Swing Drills for Tempo
1 – Shawn Clement – Don’t Rush Drill (Perpetual Motion)
Shawn Clement is an incredible golf instructor. If you haven’t checked him out in greater detail, it is worth some time. Here is our review of Shawn Clement – Can He Help My Game?
Shawn Clement promotes a swing that is very fluid and athletic based. He allows us to use gravity to control the direction of the club, while focusing on the target where we want the ball to go. In this drill, he uses the perpetual motion drill, which doesn’t allow us to rush the downswing.
Many of our tempo issues are a result of us forcing or manipulating the swing. He promotes allowing the club to fall to improve your tempo and timing. Your tempo can increase from feeling like you are already in motion when the swing begins. He repeats, plant fall, plant fall.
Who Might This Drill Help the Most?
The golfer that feels rushed to hit the ball. They are nervous about messing up or trying to control everything in the swing and rush through. Instead of allowing the plant fall mindset and approach. Here is a quick checklist:
- The golfer who rushes the downswing.
- The golfer who is quick in transition.
- The golfer who wants to make a more athletic swing.
2 – Mike Malaska – Close Your Eyes Drill
One of the issues that golfers have with their tempo is taking that tempo from the driving range, practice area, or from their garage to the golf course. We all have had those rounds where we had a great warm up session then something went wrong when we arrived at the first tee and throughout the round.
In this video Mike Malaska promotes closing your eyes in two different settings. When you are warming up and feel that you are swing is working, close those eyes and get the feel for what it truly feels like. By eliminating the vision, we are further enabled to train our system to tap into that tempo at a later time.
He also promotes using this drill when you are on the course and struggling to find that temp. With your eyes closed you can really sense and feel where the golf club is going. Use this both on the driving range and on the golf course. Replicate this feeling when you stand over the ball for the actual shot.
Mike Malaska promotes a launch monitor. I happen to have the SkyTrak Launch Monitor in my golf simulator setup in my garage. I am also able to take it to the course or driving range with me for instant feedback on ball speed, ball launch, side spin and other great data to help me improve. Here is a link to the many posts I have created on golf simulators.
Who Might This Drill Help the Most?
The golfer that can say yes to any of these checklist items below:
- You struggle to take your swing to the course.
- Your tempo changes throughout a round of golf.
- You want to better feel the club and where it is at during the swing.
3 – Bobby Lopez – Full Swing at Half Speed Drill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2rTaLniW9su0026t=91s
The full swing, half speed drill is an excellent drill not only for tempo, but for positioning of your golf swing. Can you truly control the club face? This drill forces you to be more aware of where the clubs are at. Tiger Woods has been known to do this drill.
Not only does it help with tempo and positioning, but it also can help you improve the mechanics of your swing. When you get on the course and it is windy, it can also help when you need to swing easier into the wind. This drill can also help build your confidence as you won’t be trying to hit the ball 200 miles per hour. You can find your comfort zone.
Who Might This Drill Help the Most?
The golfer that can say yes to any of these checklist items below:
- You struggle to slow your swing down at key times.
- You struggle with certain positions in the golf swing.
- You always feel like you are swinging 120 miles per hour even with your Pitching Wedge
4 – George Gankas – Freezer Drill and Find Your Own Beat
George Gankas actually has a couple of different drills. The first one is a freezer drill, once again, another Tiger Woods drill that is famous for. This helps you organize your sequence and be sure you have everything in the proper sequence while dropping the club in the slot.
The second recommendation or drill that George Gankas provides is to find your personality and how it might impact your tempo. If you are slow moving, slow to respond, the type of person that is chill than the Fred Couples type of swing might be best for you.
How do you walk around, how do you talk, what is your overall personality like? These will help you find your pace and tempo. If you are a quicker type of person than a swing like Rickie Fowler or Nick Price might be best suited for you. The key is to find your own beat – fast or slow. Figure it out by how you walk around and talk.
Who Might This Drill Help the Most?
The golfer that can say yes to any of these checklist items below:
- The golfer who gets “stuck” on their downswing – Freezer Drill
- The person with a slow or quick type of personality and movements who has a swing that is the opposite.
- The golfer who struggles with sequence and to get their swing organized.
5 – Tour Tempo – 3 to 1 Drills
My number one recommendation comes form the work of John Novosel. His father was studying different swings on film and found that a 3:1 ratio – backswing to downswing seemed to be in all great players. Now there are different tempos such as a 27:9, 24:8, 21:7 and even a 18:6 ratio (frames in video). This matches up with the above tip to find what works best with your personality.
However, wherever your personality and style is, there should be a 3:1 ration. John has an app that he sells that helps you train at these different speeds through audio beats. The full swing beats are 3:1 and the short game beats are 2:1. I have measured my swing and find that the 21:7 best matches up with my game and my personality.
Too many high handicap golfers might take 30-40 frames for their backswing, which is way too long. One of the best ways to get more distance in your swing is to swing quicker on the way back.
I know this goes against the long and slow approach that has been advocated, but I would recommend this app and the book by John Novosel if you really want to improve your swing. It helps eliminate the manipulation of the club that we are all guilty of.
I have posted a complete review of the Tour Tempo system and remain a big believer in this approach. Tour Tempo – Can It Help My Game?
BONUS – Tired of Trying to Control Your Tempo and Movements?
While this swing won’t be or everyone, there are some that might be interested in the Jim Venetos approach to the golf swing. It is a swing that promotes pre setting a closed, front loaded golf swing with the main swing thought of staying still.
I know it sounds different and nit is, but it works. I have hit some of my best and more accurate iron shots with the Jim Venetos approach. He is an unique instructor that offers a membership site where he will coach you throughout the entire process.
If you are tired of trying to control body movement and are constantly let down by inconsistent contact or overall golf, then it is worth at least checking out and possibly giving it a shot.
Next Steps?
Give these drills a shot and find out what works best for you. Take some notes or keep a golf journal to help you understand when to turn to these different drills. Most of these drills can be utilized at your house, the driving range or on the golf course.
Find what works best for you in your journey to get better and play more consistent golf. At the end of the day, we all have similar goals in playing more consistent.
What You Can Do To Play Better Golf Today
Outside of purchasing a golf simulator and playing everyday, there are some other options.
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.
More on a Golf Simulator
Did you know that I built a golf simulator in my garage to be able to play golf 365 days a year? It might cost less than you expect. The opportunity to play golf year round has helped me improve my game drastically and I get to play the best courses in the world.
My favorites include Augusta, Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and Bethpage Black. To learn more about a golf simulator build, check out some of the resources below: