Welcome to Golfer-to-Golfer, where we try to learn from all different kinds of avid players out there in hopes that the rest of us can take away something that might improve our own games.
When things go awry on the golf course, one of the first things your playing partners will tell you is to slow your swing down. The advice comes from a well-intentioned place — swinging slower seems like it would help you make better contact — but that suggestion is likely to do more harm than good.
What the armchair swing coaches fail to realize is that swinging slowly causes your swing to get out of sync. When making a golf swing, many components are working together at once. But the thing is, not all of the components are meant to work at the same speed. Some elements, like the hands, will have to move faster than others, like the core, to get everything working in harmony.
“As soon as everything goes at the same speed, they get really out of sync,” says GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood. “It really perpetuates the lack of speed.”
What you want to do in the golf swing is get the clubhead moving around your body as fast as you can. And to do that efficiently, you must get the sequencing of the swing down.
“What you don’t want to do is go so slow it goes together,” Yarwood says. “The club and the arms get going, and then the body carries that. Then the body changes direction and then the body leads the action and all that energy goes into the club and makes you hit it a long way.”
To practice the proper sequencing, turn the club upside down and swing, trying to make a “whoosh” sound with the shaft. You’ll need to generate lag with your hands, while also using your arms and body to get plenty of speed.
When you stand over the ball to hit your shot, think of that “whooshing” sound and try to swing in a way that creates that sound. If you do, you’ll be generating plenty of speed and keeping your swing in sync the entire time.
