Find your rhythm
1Rhythm and weight shift
For me, rhythm and weight transfer are closely linked. A good tempo allows you to make an athletic, technically sound transfer of weight, and if you can time it correctly, you’ll improve both your power and accuracy.
Take your normal posture and then, without a club, swing your arms back and through, mimicking a half- to three-quarter-length swing. By taking the club and ball away, you are making a more instinctive sporting motion. Your weight will naturally move with your arms in the backswing and through swing.
2 Takeaway tips
A smooth start to the swing will create a chain reaction that will have a positive overall effect. Importantly, the golf swing begins from the left shoulder, working in one line with the clubhead. As you start to move, the hips begin to turn a moment later 4
The most important element to get right for good rhythm is the start of the downswing. I describe this as a relay race – the hips and legs start by settling back to their original set-up position, without a big lateral weight shift. Then the torso begins to
Relay racing
and the left knee moves inwards to facilitate that hip turn. You can practise this by placing a second ball behind your clubhead at address. Simply try to push that second ball away from the target as smoothly as you can – this facilitates a desirable takeaway and a fluid rhythm. turn back, which brings the arms down to a point where the left arm is roughly parallel with the ground but the wrists are fully hinged. The torso goes quiet and the release phase begins with the wrists uncocking, propelling the clubhead into the ball.
At impact, the arms are now running the final leg; the club hits the 3
Having worked on the takeaway, it is now worth checking if the club has been set off on the correct path. The most common mistake is to snatch the club away on the inside – you can check this by taking it back to the halfway point. In this position, the club should be parallel to your target line and you should be able to see two knuckles on your left hand. This is an ideal halfway-back position and it’s well worth checking you’re on the right path every time you practise.
Checkpoints
ball and the release is completed when both wrists and arms are fully extended. This is the correct sequence from the top. You can practise it by swinging slowly, concentrating on the different phases and gradually adding speed. Devote some time to this and you will hit longer, straighter shots.