I've got rhythm

Well, I have got rhythm sometimes. And I realised the other day just how important it is.

In my previous post about focus, I mentioned rhythm, but it was only recently that I have been able to re-focus on rhythm as a fundamental of my golf swing.

Over the past few years I've tried all sorts of techniques, including whole systems like Stack and Tilt, and seen very little change in my ball striking. One of my experiments has been with pausing at the top of the backswing. This I now realise is a mistake, for me anyway, it is placing the focus of the swing in the wrong place. The top of the backswing is not something to think about.

The golf swing, I now realise, is a gestalt or a whole entity; it's more than the sum of its parts. When learning the basics of the swing, it's probably alright to learn about swing plane, wrist position, elbows, use of the lower body, etc. etc., but this should quickly be replaced with thinking about the whole swing - and in particular RHYTHM.

Every golfer will, of course, have their own rhythm - or tempo, if that's a more obvious concept. But whatever that rhythm or tempo is, it should be the primary focus of the golfer. That is, we should try to develop and then maintain a rhythm that works for us. This is what we should be thinking about when playing - after we ensure we have a decent grip, set up and aim. These preliminaries are important.

I must confess, however, that I do have one other 'fundamental' in my swing, which is probably a hangover from my S&T experiment, and something I think is important. It is to be aware of staying centred over the ball, particularly with all iron and fairway metal shots. This is not so critical for players who have good weight transfer, but it is very important for good ball striking for the average golfer.

So, hit me with your rhythm stick, hit me slow or hit me quick, if you remember the old song. I'm really enjoying the freedom from technical thoughts now that I've got rhythm.