Killarney Golf Academy

"Find Your Rhythm"

There is no doubt that it is awesome to watch a Padraig Harrington, Tiger Woods or John Daly send a golf ball 290 yards or more. It is quite another thing for the recreational golfer to attempt to emulate them.

All three of these great players are different ball strikers, but they have a common element in their golf swings—rhythm.

The mistake I often see golfers make, is to perceive that distance is predicated on swing speed. The truth is, solidness of contact is the main determining factor in regards to distance. Club head speed is a distant second. I could place two golfers side by side, one swinging the club in excess of 100 miles per hour, the other say 90. If the player with the greater club head speed strikes the ball all over the club face, they will not be as consistent with length or accuracy than the player with the slower speed who strikes the ball in the center of the face.

So my tip to you is this: Find "your" rhythm that allows you to center the ball consistently. You may notice that it is a slower speed than you are used to, but the results will be positive, straighter and more solidly struck golf shots.

"Key Elements for a Successful Swing"

Rhythm and BalanceTwo of the most basic fundamentals of a great golf swing are rhythm and balance.  In  fact, if these two elements of the swing are implemented correctly, it is still possible to strike the ball successfully even with an unorthodox golf swing.

This very point can be recognized in the swings of LPGA Hall of Fame member Nancy Lopez and PGA Professional Jim Furyk. Both of these players have positions in their golf swings, which for the average player make it very difficult to strike the golf ball with any type of consistency.  However, because of their tremendous rhythm and balance, they are able to return the club to a perfect position at impact and hit precision shots consistently.

Rhythm can be defined as a flow, movement or a procedure. It is the regularity in tempo.  Tempo is the rate of speed at which a person performs their swing.  In other words, a person who possesses good rhythm in their golf swing is one who repeats movements consistently in the same sequences during their swing.

Balance is when there is bodily equilibrium or stability. Balance in a golf swing must start at address.  A golfer is in perfect balance at address when his/her weight is equally distributed between both feet right through the middle of their feet.  If a person finds that they are leaning more toward their toes at address then the tendency is for the downswing to be an outside-to-inside swing usually referred to as "coming over the top."  This causes the ball to start out to the left of the target and for the majority of golfers this is usually accompanied with a slice.

(For more info on balance ,stability and mobility in the Golf Swing visit the TITLEIST PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE www.mytpi.com)

Conversely, if the golfer were out of balance with the weight too much toward their heels, the tendency would be for the swing to come too much from the inside to outside that would create a push.  This causes the ball to start out to the right of the target and for the majority of golfers this is usually accompanied with a hook.

A golfer should remain in balance throughout his/her swing.  The position in the golf swing that is most telling if a player is in balance, is the finish. To be in a good balanced position at the conclusion of the golf swing, the player should be able to hold their position for a count of three or long enough for someone to focus their camera and take a picture of you.  If you can not hold your finished position at the conclusion of each swing consistently, then you most likely will find yourself hitting errant shots throughout your round.

Remember, making a concentrated effort to implement rhythm and balance in the swing will result in  striking the golf ball with consistency.  This will make golf more fun and lower those scores.