Golf Tempo is key, here is some help

I have written a number of times here on the site and in my golf tips book about how critical tempo is to the golf swing, especially for amateur golfers. I have developed some good drills that can help you, but now I have found a tremendous little device to go along with these drills and really help reinforce and ingrain a smooth tempo. Read on to find out more.

This device is called the Swing-Tempo and it’s put out by a company called GP Golf Innovations, Inc. I had the opportunity to use it about a week ago and I am hooked! Let me tell you a little about it and how it works. It is one of the best golf training devices that I have come across.
The Swing-Tempo is about the size of a cell phone (see picture below) and is designed so that you can wear it on your belt, in your pocket, or you can even lay it on the ground. I like being able to wear it on my belt like a pager or cell phone.
The basic operation of the Swing-Tempo is to swing along with the timed signals. Swing-Tempo emits three signals during your golf swing to get your tempo slow and consistent. The device signals you once at your ready/address position, again at the beginning and duration of your backswing, and third, at the start and duration of your downswing to complete finish. Again, the idea is to swing along with the timed signals. I would strongly recommended using the LED lights on the front to get accustomed to the timing method.
And Swing-Tempo is the only thing I’ve seen that allows you to adjust the time between all three signals to make sure that it matches the exact tempo that is best for your swing. To help find your ideal swing tempo, Swing-Tempo includes recommended tempo settings to start with. Feedback is instantaneous and digitally accurate. That is one of the things that make the Swing Tempo different from any other device on the market.
Another nice feature about this device is that it has three different learning modes. Some people are more visual learners and others like auditory or other types of reinforcement better (I am one of these). So the Swing-Tempo lets you learn the way that you prefer. If you are a visual leaner, the device has a series of red LED lights in a curving line that flash in a sequence to indicate the signals for your tempo. You can lay the device on the ground to use it this way for putting or your full swing. If you prefer a sound, it will beep the three signal durations. Or you can use the vibrate function like I do. I like this because I always have my cell phone on vibrate and I am very used to something vibrating on my hip.
Let me tell you how I use it and that will give you a better idea how it actually works. I wear it on my belt in vibrate mode. I have it set to a pretty slow tempo because the slower I swing the better I hit the golf ball. So when the device vibrates I get ready to start my backswing. During the second vibration is the start and duration of my backswing. The third vibration is start and duration of my downswing to complete finish. The idea is to practice with the Swing-Tempo until you can do this consistently. Similar to listening to a broken record, this is how Swing-Tempo ingrains one consistent tempo and rhythm when you swing.
On the practice range first I take a few practice swings without a golf ball. After a few practice swings in a row with the Swing-Tempo, my tempo starts to feel smooth and buttery. Then I step up and hit a couple of golf balls with the device running. Again, my focus is on matching my tempo to the Swing-Tempo. I will repeat this entire process a couple of times and then go through my normal practice routine. If I find my golf swing speeding up, I turn the Swing-Tempo back on until I get my tempo back.
I haven’t seen anything like this training aid available in the marketplace. I found one other device that someone mentioned to me but it didn’t begin to come close to the Swing-Tempo. It’s called the Metronome, but it really only has one series of beeps that you just speed up or slow down. You can’t make the adjustments to each swing point like with the Swing-Tempo and the Metronome doesn’t have a visual or vibration mode. To me, there is nothing available today that really compares to the Swing-Tempo.
Golf Nuts, I try to limit the golf products and golf training aids that I talk about so that you golf nuts out there don’t think that I am always pushing products, but this is one that I felt that I had to tell you about. I strongly encourage you to get this device if you are trying to get your tempo down to a smooth easy tempo. I use it and I love it.
Check it out at:
www.swingtempo.com
‘Till next time.
The Golf Nut