How to Prevent Swinging Too Hard in Golf

If you happen to’re like loads of golfers, you’ve in all probability requested your self questions like…  “Why do I swing so arduous in golf?” Or, “How do I make my golf swing smoother?”

They’re good questions as a result of in case your golf swing is just too quick, quite a bit can go fallacious. However so many beginner golfers don’t perceive the distinction between a tough swing, unhealthy timing, correct tempo, and different elements.

Swinging arduous is 100% arbitrary as each golfer is totally different. What’s essential is that you just perceive the correct tempo and timing throughout all components of your swing.

For instance, some folks may really feel like they’re swinging too shortly when in actuality, their backswing is just too gradual, which ends up in a rushed transition. Whereas others may use method an excessive amount of higher physique on the downswing and really feel fast as nicely.

The secret is to know how energy is created in your swing and maintain a detailed eye on it over time. Preserve studying to be taught extra nice drills, apps, swing ideas, and different tips for a more practical golf swing.

Forestall Over Swinging The Golf Membership

The golf swing is so sophisticated as a result of there are such a lot of transferring components. Each performs a job in serving to you create easy energy. And sadly, there are loads of methods the swing can go fallacious.

Let’s break down the swing into three components; backswing, transition, and downswing. After they all work collectively, your ball placing might be 10X higher. After they aren’t synced up correctly, all types of misses happen.

Listed here are the very best ideas that will help you hit every membership so far as doable with out feeling such as you’re attempting to kill it.

Speed up On the Proper Time 

Let’s face it, everybody desires further distance.

Because of Bryson’s unimaginable transformation in 2020, the golf world is all about energy and distance. Which is smart as a result of hitting it longer off the tee means shorter strategy photographs and extra birdie makes an attempt.

Swinging more durable isn’t all the time the answer to added distance although. Sure, pace does create distance. However it’s good to ensure you have optimum pace on the proper time.

As Tiger Woods mentioned in his guide, How I Play Golf, 

“An issue virtually each golfer encounters is speeding the downswing — letting free with every little thing you have got the second the backswing is full. If you do this , nonetheless, nothing works in correct sequence.

The shoulders outrace the arms, the arms outrace the fingers, and the fingers outrace the membership. All that pace is expended too quickly and the clubhead is definitely dropping pace because it strikes the ball when it needs to be accelerating.”

That is absolute knowledge from the GOAT. The primary transfer down is vital to hit the golf ball with most drive and a pure strike.

He elaborated saying, “I like to begin the downswing by shifting my weight simply again to my left aspect after which letting my arms fall downward in entrance of my chest.”

This may provide help to speed up on the golf ball correctly and really enhance pace with out swinging sooner.

Observe Half Swings on the Vary 

One other strategy to gradual issues down is to go to the vary and concentrate on hitting every ball with a relaxed, high quality shot mentality. Don’t take into consideration distance or shot form. This may provide help to decelerate your takeaway and really feel the distinction.

Give attention to deliberately slowing down and seeing how the ball reacts.

Put all of the gear and devices away, merely swing at 50%. Then, work your strategy to as much as 70% pace. Discover the way it feels on the prime of your swing, transition, and at affect.

You’ll doubtless hit extra straight photographs too.

Take Sufficient Membership 

One other large purpose that golfers lose stability and management is from not taking sufficient membership.

If you happen to don’t suppose the membership you selected will get there, you’ll in all probability attempt to swing out of your footwear. This results in unhealthy timing which may throw off the whole swing.

As a substitute, don’t drive something by attempting to hit a membership further arduous. You’d be a lot better off in the event you took extra membership and swung at 80 or 90% pace. 

To ensure you take sufficient membership, it’s good to know your distances for each membership within the bag. With out realizing these numbers, it’s very straightforward to swing too arduous and hit some unhealthy photographs.

For this reason it’s good to observe and monitor your carry distances.

The simplest method to do that is with a conveyable launch monitor. Fortunately, they’re cheaper than ever, can slot in your pocket, and let you know extra about your swing than you ever thought doable. With a launch monitor, you can also make every session on the vary 10X more practical. 

For instance, in the event you begin a golf exercise program or begin pace coaching, a launch monitor will provide help to monitor your progress. Simply be sure to log your carry distances often so while you’re on the golf course, you all the time know what membership to tug. 

Click on right here to be taught extra about launch screens.

Measure Your Swing

Talking of launch screens, earlier than assuming you’re swinging too arduous, measure your membership head pace too. With a launch monitor, you may get a baseline on your swing and evaluate it over time.

Then, take some movies so you may look again on them as nicely. Whilst you don’t have to add them to YouTube or something, having them saved in your telephone is an effective way to watch your progress over time.

Having clear swing numbers and different knowledge will make it simpler to judge and analyze your swing.

Preserve Correct Stability 

One frequent situation that results in over swinging is an absence of stability. If you happen to transfer round an excessive amount of through the swing, it’s straightforward to over swing and lose management utterly. 

For instance, loads of golfers sway to a degree that it impacts the whole transfer ahead towards the ball. If you happen to transfer laterally on the way in which again, it’s practically not possible to get your weight again to your lead foot.

Ideally, you wish to keep constant stability all through your swing. That begins from deal with place, is maintained all through the swing, and the way you observe via. 

Use Your Decrease Physique To Generate Energy

Energy comes from the bottom up.

However in the event you watch loads of amateurs on the driving vary, you’ll see they attempt to hit it arduous with loads of higher physique motion. The secret is to make use of your legs to push off the bottom (often known as floor drive) to create easy energy.

Top-of-the-line examples of this transfer is Rory McIlroy.

He’s not at all the largest participant on the PGA Tour however constantly one of many longest and straightest drivers. Pound for pound, he’s one of many longest gamers in skilled golf (Justin Thomas is correct up there too).

His energy doesn’t come from his higher physique however as an alternative, how he makes use of all 155 kilos in his swing. Watch this gradual movement video to see how Rory pushes off the turf to create unimaginable distance off the tee.

If you happen to’re swinging too arduous, document a video of your self and see if it’s from extra higher physique motion. Whether it is, then work on getting your legs extra lively within the golf swing. 

Don’t neglect, your decrease physique ought to begin the downswing. Then, the fingers, arms, and membership observe behind. 

Perceive Tempo 

If you happen to’re like most avid golfers, while you consider good tempo you in all probability consider Fred {Couples}. The man has such a pure swing it’s genuinely arduous to imagine how straightforward he makes golf look. Once I consider having a great tempo, I all the time consider Freddy.

Tempo is the important thing to having a managed, highly effective swing. However good tempo doesn’t imply it’s a must to swing a sure pace in your downswing or backswing. 

As a substitute, it’s good to have the best tempo – a 3:1 tempo. This is among the few metrics that just about all elite gamers share.

A 3:1 tempo implies that your backswing is 3X as lengthy (when it comes to seconds) as your downswing. This ensures that you just speed up on the affect zone and get probably the most out of each swing. To be taught much more about tempo, learn our full information right here. 

One nice strategy to examine your tempo is with the deWiz golf watch. This unimaginable coaching assist makes it straightforward to see in the event you rush your backswing, transition, or downswing.

Click on right here to be taught extra in regards to the deWiz golf watch now. 

Velocity Up Your Backswing 

Generally you truly have to swing more durable.

You may be pondering, “How will dashing up my backswing forestall me from swinging too arduous?” 

I assumed the identical factor myself till a lesson with a PGA Tour coach modified my perspective. I used to be all the time taught “Low and gradual” on the way in which again.

However typically I might really feel like I might “get fast” on my downswing. Then, I might gradual my backswing much more in hopes of getting a extra fluid golf swing.

In actuality, swinging slower was truly making issues worse.

As Boyd Summerhays instructed me, “If you happen to’re feeling fast throughout transition, pace up your backswing.” Which if you consider it, truly makes a ton of sense.

If you’re gradual, gradual, gradual on the way in which again, ultimately you’ll have to hurry as much as hit the ball. However this makes it straightforward to result in a rushed transition and downswing. 

Conversely, in the event you’re extra fluid and sooner on the way in which again, it’s simpler to not rush the transition. It’s simpler to set the membership on the prime after which make a stable downswing that begins with the legs.

The outcomes have been virtually instant and my timing by no means felt higher. To not point out, it virtually immediately added distance as nicely. 

If you happen to need assistance feeling a sooner backswing, obtain the Tour Tempo app in your telephone.

This can be a useful gizmo that will help you synchronize your backswing to downswing. It has auditory cues that will help you really feel a sooner swing which in flip, will truly yield a smoother swing.

Watch Your Grip Strain 

If you happen to’re dropping management and swinging more durable than you need, one other a part of the swing to examine is your grip stress.  Lots of people suppose to hit the ball arduous, they want a agency grip on the membership. However in actuality, an excessive amount of grip stress can truly result in huge misses and a lack of distance.

This occurs as a result of an excessive amount of grip stress results in rigidity in your forearms. Which might translate to the remainder of your muscular tissues being too tight and never working appropriately (this additionally occurs with placing).

To create a robust swing and enhance membership head pace, loosen up your grip stress – particularly with the motive force.

This may let you begin hitting bombs and hopefully, every miss a bit higher.

All the time Pause at The High of Your Golf Swing

If you’re scuffling with tempo/timing, examine your transition. Particularly, be sure there’s a slight pause to separate your backswing out of your downswing.

The golf membership needs to be set earlier than your ahead swing.

Even when it’s for a break up second, there must be a pause for optimum ball placing. This pause permits your weight to shift to your left foot, permits for the membership to re-route (or shallow), and retains your decrease physique synced along with your higher physique.

With no pause, it’s practically not possible to hit the golf ball cleanly. 

If there’s one participant to duplicate right here, it’s Hideki Matysuama. He has probably the most deliberate pause of all time. 

Whilst you don’t have to “wait” on the prime like him, this could provide help to see what a deliberate pause seems like. On the vary, observe attending to the highest and counting one earlier than beginning your backswing to decelerate. 

Hit Knockdown Pictures on the Driving Vary

For extra consistency, skip a tough swing and head to the vary for some knockdown photographs.

Because you don’t have a full swing with a knockdown, it’s a great way for golfers to really feel the membership head extra and get your timing proper. With every ball, make it your intention to not swing arduous and as an alternative, concentrate on contact above all else.

Begin with brief to center irons, then fairway woods, then driver. It ought to translate to a smoother rhythm on the course and works nice on your pre-round heat up.

Preserve Your Backswing Parallel 

As talked about within the earlier part, you may solely speed up at one level within the golf swing.

A great way to ensure you cease swinging so arduous is to shorten your backswing. Whereas a brilliant lengthy backswing may work for a golfer like John Daly, it’s undoubtedly not for everybody.

The common golfer ought to attempt for a parallel or barely lower than parallel swing. So many gamers suppose longer is healthier but it surely’s not essentially the case. When you have got an extended backswing, it may well throw off the sequence of your ahead swing.

The secret is to ensure you keep a agency maintain on the membership along with your left hand (in the event you’re a proper handed golfer).

Improve Flexibility So You Can Swing Tougher

Another excuse that your timing and tempo may be off is that your physique doesn’t enable it.

As I discussed, loads of gamers use the higher physique as an alternative of the decrease physique to try to generate energy. That usually comes from the decrease again and legs being too tight and never versatile sufficient to show correctly.

Make stretching and suppleness a precedence so you may generate most energy with out swinging out of your footwear. Whereas it’s not probably the most enjoyable factor to do, it may well have a large affect in your golf swing.

See if an area therapeutic massage place has companies for golfers particularly or be sure to foam roll and stretch at residence.

Need extra details about bettering flexibility?

Click on right here to be taught extra about golf stretching.

Assume Clean on the First Gap

There’s one shot that everybody desires to hit completely – the primary tee shot. Of all of the tee photographs, so many golfers get further nervous, tense, and swing sooner than regular on the primary gap.

When in actuality, the primary golf shot is rather like every other golf shot you’ll hit that day. It’s only one shot and swinging arduous for max membership head pace isn’t the reply.

As a substitute, you wish to have one golf swing thought – easy. Not swing arduous, rip it 300+ yards, and even worse “Don’t prime it.”

Click on right here to be taught extra about first tee jitters.

Use SuperSpeed Sticks At The Proper Time 

Velocity coaching is all of the discuss nowadays.

Why?

As a result of it really works extraordinarily nicely that will help you add extra distance. SuperSpeed sticks can assist you begin swinging sooner however nonetheless keep correct tempo to hit the ball additional than ever.

I really like SuperSpeed sticks and we’ve written extensively about them on the Left Tough (learn our superspeed assessment right here) as a result of they’re so efficient. Whereas they’re not an in a single day repair to extra distance, they’re a terrific software that will help you enhance swing pace over time. 

However I’ve discovered that in the event you use them proper earlier than a spherical, they could unintentionally result in swinging too arduous. Particularly if you’re swinging Bryson arduous with the blue or crimson sticks (the crimson is the heaviest). Whereas a number of heat up swings with the inexperienced one will provide help to loosen up, keep away from the others earlier than a spherical of golf.

As a substitute, use them in your off days or after a spherical or observe session. This manner you received’t unintentionally throw off your tempo and timing through the spherical. 

Ultimate Ideas on Swinging Exhausting and Swing Velocity

Swinging too arduous can occur to all of us every now and then. 

However for many amateurs, it’s about understanding the place pace is generated from. Then, ensuring it’s right in all three components of the swing so that you’re a extra constant ball striker.

Preserve working, monitoring your progress, and keep in mind, high quality contact is healthier than swinging out of your footwear.