When the pressure of a nerve-racking shot or excitement of breaking a personal-best score creeps in, many golfers have a tendency to rush their tempo — or what your playing partners might call “getting quick.”
While a fast swing isn’t necessarily a bad thing, a hurried tempo can cause you to get out of sync, leading to poor contact and inconsistent results. Which is why learning how to maintain your tempo is essential if you want to shoot lower scores.
Just look at the pros. Even under some of the most challenging and anxiety-inducing conditions, they manage to keep their swings synchronized. The key? Major champion and Stinger GC captain Louis Oosthuizen says it all comes down to your routine.
“Under pressure, routine is so massively important,” Oosthuizen says. “If you’re playing really well and you know you’re hitting the golf ball well, it’s so much easier to stay in your routine. It’s when you’re struggling that you get out of sequence with your routine and then you start swinging it badly.”
Developing your routine is easier than you’d think. As GOLF Teacher to Watch Dr. Alison Curdt told GOLF’s Jessica Marksbury, a solid routine can be as simple as three easy steps: rehearsing your swing, picking your target and preparing your mind.
The mental habits that win major championships
From there, consistency should be your main focus. Keep the order and cadence of your routine the same every time. As you rely on your routine, you’ll start to notice how powerful of a tool it can be. Not only will it keep you grounded when facing a stressful shot, but a good pre-shot routine can also prevent a small mistake from spiraling into a blow-up hole.
Oosthuizen also says that club selection also plays a major role in maintaining a smooth tempo — especially for amateurs.
When amateurs find themselves at an awkward distance or in between clubs, they will opt for a club that they have to strike perfectly, or even muscle, to hit it the right distance. This only puts more pressure on the player as these “muscled” swings are typically rushed and lack the control of a “normal” swing.
Instead, Oosthuizen says to try clubbing up and making a standard swing.
“Take more club and don’t try hitting the skull out of the golf ball,” Oosthuizen says. “Swing it a little smoother and you’ll actually find that you’re gonna get a much better strike on it.”
This small adjustment, Oosthuizen says, might even help you hit more greens.
“So many times you see amateurs always come up short; you never really see someone going past the pin,” Oosthuizen says. “That’s because they always think they hit it further than they do.”
So, if nerves are killing your tempo, just remember to stick to your routine and club up for a smooth swing and solid strike every time.
