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Ever hit one of those drives where you just swing nice and easy and absolutely smoke it? Of course you have. And if you found yourself wondering how such an effortless swing could produce such amazing results, the answer is simple: Chances are your rhythm was right on the money. "Any swing will work with rhythm," says Lew Cooper, head golf professional at River View Golf Course in Santa Ana. "But even a perfect swing won't work if you remove the rhythm." Look at tour pro Mark O'Meara. He's got a great swing, but Cooper says he's also one of the best when it comes to being fluid. "If you removed the clubhead and watched him swing, you wouldn't know if he was swinging a 7-iron or a driver. The rhythm and tempo of his golf swing is perfect," Cooper said. "He could make two mistakes or 1,000 mistakes in his swing and it wouldn't matter because his rhythm is so good." Fred Couples is another tour player whose rhythm is a thing of beauty - and one whom any golfer can learn from. Case in point: If you were to view a split-screen video of Couples swinging a pitching wedge on one side of the monitor and a 3-wood on the other, you'd notice that he gets to the top of his backswing and reaches impact at exactly the same time with both clubs. "His rhythm is the same. The only thing that changes is the club in his hands," said Jason Denaro, director of instruction for America's Mind Power Golf Schools at Twin Oaks Golf Course in San Diego. "His impact occurs at exactly the same instant with both clubs because he doesn't alter his rhythm. He has developed a rhythmic swing and he repeats that swing every time." What do the pros know that we don't? Well, plenty. With that in mind, here are five things that will help you develop a rhythm that's right for you. BE YOURSELF Rhythm in the golf swing is different for everyone depending on their personality. People who do things quickly in their everyday life tend to swing faster. Conversely, people who do things at a more leisurely pace swing slower. Watch the tour pros. When you see Couples walking down the fairway, he appears laid back. Almost nonchalant. And his golf swing is the same. Sergio Garcia, on the other hand, moves around quickly. His golf swing is a reflection of that. "As a teacher, I look for mannerisms in my students and how they do things. I try to find out that information as soon as possible and adjust to that rhythm," said Mark Phelps, a PGA pro at Golftec in Irvine. "There's not one right or wrong rhythm in the golf swing. Everyone is different." Denaro agrees. He says people with type A personalities - those who rush through their daily lives - tend to have a quick rhythm to their swings, while people who are more casual have a more leisurely rhythm to their swings. "A good instructor would quickly become aware of this and avoid forcing a change to what is naturally your rhythm," Denaro said. The key is knowing which type of person you are and going with the flow. HAVE A ROUTINE One of the most important aspects of any golf shot begins before you step up to the ball. It's your pre-shot routine. This sets the tone for the rhythm in your swing - and it's critical to any success you'll have. The idea is to have a routine that is repeatable in every aspect. Watch any tour pro on television. You'll notice that the shot often starts 15 seconds before they hit the ball. Just as important is what you're thinking in those few seconds prior to hitting the ball. One trick is to pick a golfer you admire and, when you look down at the ball, see it through that player's eyes. "Swing thoughts are amazingly powerful and effective," Denaro said. "When I'm on the first tee, I think to myself: 'On the tee from South Africa, we have Mr. Ernie Els.' And I hear those words over and over. I have now mentally implanted an image of an easy, rhythmic swing. And this message has a reasonably good chance of being delivered to the muscles. "These are not my own words, but I believe in them very strongly: 'What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.'" Part of maintaining a rhythmic swing also includes having a routine to ease tension when the pressure is on - whether it's prior to your first tee shot of the day or having to wait to hit a difficult shot while players are on the green. It could be tossing a golf ball in the air repeatedly and catching it, or twirling the club around in your hands. There are many things the pros do to help them stay relaxed. "It's the idea of keeping things moving a little bit. That's where routine becomes so important," Cooper said. "It doesn't need to be a long, drawn-out thing. But make no mistake: Routine is important to maintaining your rhythm." BETTER MECHANICS Here's a great analogy: If you go to a dance studio to learn the tango, they're not going to throw you into a dance instructor's arms, start up the music and whirl you around the studio. There are going to be sequential steps or positions that you need to learn first. When you can repeat the positions with consistency, you then let them flow together - and that's how you build a rhythmic golf swing. In short, a few lessons never hurt anyone. Nothing good happens in the golf swing without a basic understanding of the fundamentals. "It all comes together with practice," Denaro said. "It's kind of like learning to drive your first stick shift - push in the clutch, shift the stick, let out the clutch, and so on. After a while you can whiz through the five gears, talk on the cell phone, and juggle your coffee, all without even thinking about the gear change. This is how your golf rhythm will commit itself to muscle memory." SWING EVERY CLUB LIKE YOUR WEDGE Let's refer for a moment back to Couples. Here's a guy who always has been one of the biggest hitters on tour. (Hey, you don't get nicknamed "Boom Boom" because you're a short-knocker.) And yet, he swings his driver with the same rhythm as his pitching wedge. What gives? How is it that swinging two different clubs with the exact same tempo can produce such drastically different ball flights? The answer lies in the golf club. With a driver, the shaft is 6 inches longer and there's 38 degrees less loft. Obviously, it's going to go much further. The key is to let the club do the work. "The pros make it look so easy because they've established a tempo," Denaro said. "The idea is to swing an 8-iron with the same tempo as your pitching wedge. The same goes for your 5-iron or 3-wood. There's no change in your rhythm or tempo. The only thing that changes is the club in your hands." It's not uncommon for golfers to want to swing harder and quicker as the clubs get longer. That's why the pros say that one of the best ways to work on your rhythm is by practicing with your pitching wedge on the driving range. Find your tempo using your pitching wedge and carry that throughout your bag. "Most people don't practice right," said Golftec's Phelps. "A lot of golfers spend time working on their swings with their 5-iron. I love to hit wedges because that is the tempo I want to swing at. I try to swing every club in my bag at the same tempo I swing my wedge." GET MUSICAL Jazz legend Duke Ellington was far better known for his music than he was for his golf game. But when he wrote "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" he could have been speaking to golfers. When it comes to rhythm in the golf swing, music can be one of the most helpful tools available. Think of a waltz. One-two-three. One-two-three. One-two-three. That's rhythm. Denaro takes it one step further. He uses George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" because it has great rhythm, he says. "If you watch your favorite players swing the golf club over and over on screen, listening to one piece of music, then take that soundtrack to the practice range, your mind will pull that swing from its filing cabinet," he said. "It's the old 'monkey see, monkey do' learning system at work." Denaro offers this advice: Go to the range and put on a headset, listen to your swing tune and your brain will reproduce that swing. He says the ability to re-create an image using mimicry is the quickest and most successful way to improve. While you're hearing or whistling a tune you can't be entertaining any negative thoughts or fears. "Look at Fuzzy Zoeller. He whistles while he's walking down the fairway. That's his security blanket. It helps his rhythm," Denaro said. "I tell my students, 'Give me Tchaikovsky, not Metallica. I want poetry and you're giving me rap.'" |
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