Immediately save 3 to 7 strokes? Then focus on nothing but your rhythm and tempo!
Written by Prof. Chia Chou and Juergen Jaschke

Want to make dramatic progress in your game quickly or are you going through a bad patch? Then check your rhythm and tempo first and foremost, before you run out of time by practicing and correcting in the wrong places. We'll tell you the best way to do that here.

 

Why check rhythm and tempo first?

 

Surprised? No wonder, because rhythm and tempo training is one of the most overlooked keys to a good golf swing. It's the biggest and fastest lever for longer drives and accurate distance control in the short game. Properly trained, you'll save 3-7 strokes the very next time you're on the course. That's because most swing issues result from tempo that fluctuates and that's a little too fast or too slow in the wrong places. The sequence of your body movements is then "unrhythmic".

 

How you can recognize rhythm and tempo issues

 

During the drive, the backswing or transition looks rushed and hectic. Poor ball contact with less distance and accuracy will follow. Many also slow down again before making contact with the ball, so that they can release significantly less power at the moment of impact.

 

In putting, rhythm and tempo problems are present when the length of the backswing AND the tempo of the follow-through are varied at the same time. The speed of a putt is then difficult to control and unnecessary 3- and 2-putts are the result. The same applies to distance control when chipping and pitching.

 

Training rhythm and tempo "smart instead of hard”

 

Traditionally, a sense of rhythm and tempo is "honed in" through many years of practice with countless repetitions. However, if you train smart, you use this shortcut: just as music controls in real time the rhythm and tempo at which your feet should move when you dance, special sounds can control your rhythm and tempo in golf completely unconsciously and without detailed technical thoughts.

 

You may have heard, for example, to think "Co-ca-Co-la" or "1-2-3-1" during the drive, or to use a metronome during putt practice. While these methods can certainly help improve swing rhythm, they come with two major drawbacks: they don't provide differentiated tempo control and they are inflexible. Different golfers have to adapt to a standard rhythm and still have to control the length of the backswing themselves.

 

The game changer is the Audio Golf method. Different sound patterns cover all swing types from drive to putting and sound patterns are tailored to individual needs. When putting, for example, you use a different sound pattern at 3 meters hole distance than at 4 meters. These guide you unconsciously through the swing and provide backswing lengths and downswing tempos to match the hole distance. Another sound pattern, for example, provides straight and longer drives and can be expanded if desired to further control factors such as stance, weight shift and turn circumference. Best of all, these sound patterns work instantly and without any technical thought.