Tempo Myth

There is no one perfect tempo. Every player in the world, from the Tour player to the high handicapper, has a different tempo.

Tempo is the most individual aspect of the swing, and should never be altered. It is the glue that holds all the pieces of your swing together. If you start applying super glue to where you originally had generic school glue, your swing will be thrown out of sync. This will definitely affect your mechanics, and poor shots will result. The key, in terms of tempo, is keeping it natural, and keeping it consistent.

Most people feel that a slow tempo is best. How many times have you seen a player hit a bad shot and someone say, "Slow it down!" They are not only referring to that player’s swing speed, but also to their tempo. This can be harmful advice. Now, granted, it certainly depends on what is being referred to. If someone is told to slow down the spin out of their hips from the top of the swing, then that might be okay. Being too quick with the hips can lead to an over-the-top move and a poor shot. However, if someone is told to slow down the overall tempo and speed of their swing just because they hit a bad shot, then that could be an issue.
 
This focus on a slow tempo has adversely affected the average player. Their determination to achieve this slow, beautiful, rhythmical move has made many of them swing too slow. The swing speed of the average player is about 15-mph slower than that of a Tour pro. So, if anything, swing harder, quicker, and faster than ever.