I’ve got a busy schedule with the PGA show at the end of the month and the West Michigan Golf Show in Feb. Here are some tips I wrote for the Michigan Golf show:
http://www.worldgolf.com/newswire/browse/70024-Golf-Show-Headliner-Offers-Tempo-Tips-2012
I was interviewed today by Golfwrx.com about the brand new laser that Bushnell will introduce to the PGA tour this year.
Read the article for more info:
http://www.golfwrx.com/2012/01/05/new-bushnell-rangefinder-sighted/
Got some great stuff for you to start the new year:
REMAX World Long Drive: The Long drivers swing FAST and I don’t just mean clubhead speed. The last 3 World champions are all faster than 21/7.
2011 Champion Carl Wolter – 20/7 (hit it over 450 to win)
2010 Champ Joe ‘the total package’ Miller – 18/6 (massive CHS over 150 and ball speeds over 220)
2008/09 Champ Jamie Sadlowski – 19/6 (pound for pound the longest hitter ever)
What makes these tempo’s even faster is that these guys are going way past parallel. do the math, that’s more distance in less time: super quick.
Sometimes faster tempo’s create faster clubhead speeds. the ‘take home’ here is that if you’re swinging 30/10 or even 27/9 and you can get down to 24/8 or 21/7, you WILL increase your CHS!
Blast from the past:
I was watching some Golf Channel highlights and saw Tiger Woods from the 2000 British Open and 2008 U.S. Open.
In the 3rd round, on a par 5 at St. Andrews, TW hit a ‘perfect’ (his words)…his tempo: 24/8. Every swing I timed during the show was 24/8. It was so interesting to see him with a smooth transition and no head movement.
Fast fwd to 2008 at Torrey Pines, again smooth transition at the top and no head movement….his tempo: 21/7. I caught a stretch where Johnny MIller said he hit 5 perfect shots in a row. They were all 21/7. I was especially impressed with a long iron he hit on a par 3 and a driver into the wind that he hit dead straight.
The story of 2012 will be: Can Tiger recapture his tempo (3:1 and very CONSISTENT) ? also, can he recapture that smoother transition (less head bobbing)? TW can win with any swing, but if he can get his old tempo and transition back, he can truly get back to his dominating ways. If not, if he inconsistent with a quick transition, it will be difficult for him to win and esp. difficult to win majors.
As 2011 draws to an end, I’ve seen a trend among the top players in what gets them in trouble. What do Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods all have in common? When they get too slow on the backswing (24 or more frames) and too fast on the downswing (6 frames), bad things happen. When they get closer to Tour Tempo, 3:1, more in the 22-24 frame backswing and 7-8 downswing, good things happen….as in Lee Westwood shooting 60…as in TW finally winning (although Tempo is not perfect yet)….as in Luke Donald is the #1 player in the world.
Ironically, most amateurs suffer this same Tempo fault. They’re swinging ‘low and slow’ and then by the time they get to the top, they think ‘uh oh, I need some power’, so they totally go after it and there is a disconnect in their back/downswings.
Moral of the story: slow then fast is not Tour Tempo. Use the tones, so you’re on Tempo for 2012!
My Rx for your winter workout program is coming soon!
One of the best swings (and tempos) that I’ve seen in awhile is Jason Kokrak. He’ll be in the PGA tour next year via his 4th place showing on the Nationwide Money list in 2011. His tempo is quick and his drives are long. Look out for this kid. He’ll be in the top 5 in driving D and a real threat. For you hard core TTers, his tempo is around 18-19/7-6…Lightning fast tempo and fast clubhead speed!
He’s won the 55+ category, the 50+ category, can he win against the ‘young’ guys in the 45+ SENIOR Div???
tune in and find out:
http://www.longdrivers.com/2011WLDCResults/2011SeniorG4R1-4.html
What makes this so meaningful for Pat is that he took down his longtime good friend and rival, Bobby Wilson!
http://www.longdrivers.com/2011WLDCResults/2011GrandChampionsFinals.html
Follow Pat this week as he tries to make history and win 4 titles this week!!
http://www.longdrivers.com/2011WLDCResults/2011SuperSeniorsG2R1-4.html
John Novosel Jr. and John Garrity will be on the Golf Channel this week!
I just returned from the Champions Tour Event in Texas where we filmed a segment with the Golf Channel. It will air this week during the Champions Tour Learning Center.
Monday
10/17/2011
11:30 – 12:00 PM Champions Tour Learning Center
Tuesday
10/18/2011
02:30 – 03:00 AM Champions Tour Learning Center
Wednesday
10/19/2011
01:30 – 02:00 PM Champions Tour Learning Center
Wednesday
10/19/2011
07:00 – 07:30 PM Champions Tour Learning Center
This past weekend might of marked a huge turning point in professional golf. Jamie Sadlowski, the 2 time World Long Drive Champion made the cut in a Nationwide Tour Event. (He led the field in driving distance) If he can continue to improve and make more cuts and then make his way to the PGA tour, it would be a new dawn in the game of power.
On the LPGA, Lexi Thompson became the youngest winner ever on the PGA tour. She could mark the new dawn in lady’s golf as she is big and powerful and could usher in a generation of great athletes on the LPGA.
For more on both of these golfers, make sure to check out Tour Tempo 2, our ebook which will be available later this month.
The weeks keep flying by……Tempo update from the Barclays.
Dustin Johnson’s tempo was 23/8 on the driver and 25/9 on the irons. So, he would fit right in @ 24/8 with great tempo. He was very consistent in his tempo and this (along with his athleticism) was the key to long and straight shots.
What was cool about that last group was that you couldn’t get a more different swing (compared to DJ) than Matt Kuchar. His arms are lower than his head at the top, while DJ’s left arm looks like it’s close to the rim (basketball). What do they have in common? Tempo! Kuch’s tempo was….drum roll….the same as DJ’s – 24/8. His irons were a frame or so faster, but still fall into 24/8.
So, the moral of the story, you can swing the flattest one plane swing (Kuch) or the most upright 2 plane swing (DJ)…I don’t care. BUT you have to have Tour Tempo as part of the equation.
3 components of TT:
a. 3:1 ratio of backswing to downswing on full shots
b. Elapsed time from takeaway to impact is fast (most tour pro’s get to impact in about 1 second) DJ and Kuch get to impact in 1.06 sec
c. Consistent in your tempos (this is where Tiger Woods is lightyears away from where he used to be)
