What is Timing in the Golf Swing?
If you listen to experienced golfers, or golf teachers, talk about their swings, you are likely to hear the word ‘timing’ come up frequently. Good timing makes it possible to hit quality shots hole after hole, while bad timing makes it difficult to even come up with one good shot. But what is timing exactly? It can be a little hard to define what timing means in the golf swing when you are a new golfer, but as you gain experience you will start to grasp just how important it is.
The following points should help you to better understand what timing is, and why it should be a top priority for your practice sessions.
- Club should match your body. The most important part of good timing in the golf swing is having your body rotation match the movement of the club. If your body turns faster than your club back toward the ball, for example, it will be very difficult to get the club face square and hit a good shot. When your timing is off, you will probably notice that your shots aren’t starting on line – so even if they fly straight, they don’t head toward the target.
- Timing the release. You also need to have good timing on the release of the club through the ball. As the club comes down toward the ball, your hands and forearms should start to release the club to maximize power and get the club face squared up perfectly at impact. Because this part of the golf swing happens so fast, it isn’t really something that you can do consciously – it has to just occur naturally as a function of the rest of your swing and the motion of your body.
- Tempo leads to timing. In order to be able to consistently time your swing properly, you will want to focus on making sure you have excellent tempo from the start of your swing on through to the finish. Not only will good tempo make it easier to time your swing right, but it will also make it easier to keep your timing solid throughout the round. Good tempo can be fast or slow – it depends on your natural tendencies and what is most comfortable for you. Regardless of what kind of tempo you use, make sure it stays constant throughout your swing if you want to improve your timing.