Keep Your Swing in Tempo  

- As a golf writer I see many new golf products each year. Some work, many do not. The Swing-Tempo falls under the banner of those that do indeed work.

I suffer from a very long backswing. I once played with John Daly and even he noted that my backswing was too long. I’ve tried many times to shorten it, but in trying I completely threw off my timing and tempo. The results were ugly to say the least.

I can play pretty well. I carry a 7.9 handicap index with my lengthy backswing, provided my tempo remains smooth and consistent for each shot. Until I found the Swing-Tempo (www.swing-tempo.com), I really didn’t have a way of imprinting that tempo into my swing thoughts. Now I do.

The Swing-Tempo is a digital tempo and rhythm training device about the size of a small pager. The unit features vibration, audio and visual feedback set to the tempo that works best for your swing. The unit provides a reference to find your perfect tempo, rhythm and timing. It keeps your body and swing mechanics in a proper sequence as well. You can even set the unit to the tempo of your favorite touring professional and see if his or her tempo works for your swing as well.

When hitting balls at the range I set the unit on continuous mode and clip it to my belt. My mind and body feel the tempo and mimic that as I hit balls, chip and putt. It works great for developing a solid tempo to make those testy 3 to 5-footers!

On the course, I set the Swing-Tempo to manual. When I arrive at my ball, I hit the button to start the 3-signal sequence. As I select my club and take my practice swing I get the feel for the tempo I want to have in my swing. By the time I’m ready to hit the ball, I have reminded myself of the tempo needed to hit a solid shot and I’m ready to go.

The Swing-Tempo has made a very positive difference in my ball-striking. My swing now flows at the same tempo each time, making it easier to duplicate a good swing, time and time again. I’m no longer worried about taking the club back too far because I know that I can return it to the impact position with consistency and timing. I’m hitting the ball better than ever, my confidence is soaring and my scores are dropping.

I highly recommend the Swing-Tempo to anyone, especially amateurs and recreational golfers. We don’t have the time to hit hundreds of balls to ingrain the tempo and timing we feel best with. I’ve even worn mine in the car on the way to the course to get the rhythm into my head before my round. It’s working. I think it will work for you as well.