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The Sweet Spot

By: Jeffrey Palmer
Palmer Golf Institute at Lora Bay
www.palmergolf.ca

It has been said that you can't rush a good thing, and this holds true for the back swing. A slow smooth take away sets the tone for the swing and establishes tempo which is key to good ball striking.

In his prime, Jack Nicklaus used to imagine that the beginning of his back swing was a snail, travelling at a very slow pace. He would be deliberately slow to the top of his swing building up momentum that could be released into the ball. Jack was one of the biggest hitters of his time and he credited his slow backswing and even tempo as being one of the key factors of his length.

The reason a slow, smooth tempo can promote an increase in a golfer's distance is because good tempo promotes balance in the golf swing. Former PGA Tour player Calvin Peete said that the three most important things in a golf swing are "balance, balance and balance." Calvin also led the statistical category of most accurate driver of the ball ten times in his career. Great ball strikers are always in balance during the swing and especially at impact where the club head is travelling the fastest. Tempo timing may be quicker in nature like Nick price or slower ion nature like Ernie Els but both have smooth swings that are in absolute balance. If you rush your swing you lose your balance and the end result will be inconsistent contact and poor ball flight.

Another thing that can influence tempo is grip pressure. The tighter a golfer's grip pressure is the more tense the hands, arms and, inevitably, body will be. Tension leads to speed in that a golfer will tend to jerk the club away from the ball leading to a tempo that is uneven creating poor balance. If we could measure grip pressure on a scale of one to ten, a golfer's grip pressure should weigh in at a three or four. This will go a long way to contributing to a smooth, slow swing tempo.

If you are looking to strike the ball more solidly try focusing on your tempo. A light grip pressure and a smooth take away will help you keep in balance and produce momentum in the swing that is sure lower your scores. For a one on one assessment of your tempo please call me at the Palmer Golf Institute at Lora Bay.

08/09

Jeff Palmer CPGA, AAB

Jeff Palmer, Director of Golf at the Raven at Lora Bay, is an 18 year veteran in the golf industry and has learned from the games finest instructor's.

Jeff graduated from the San Diego Golf Academy in 1991 and turned professional the same year. He attended the PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit in 1992 and 1994 where he learned from such world renowned instructors as Jim Maclean, Butch Harmon, Jim Flick and Bob Toski.

Mr. Palmer has served as the Director of Golf and then the General Manager at the Shanghai Links Golf and Country Club from 1998-2003 and also as the Director of Golf at the Big Island Country Club in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii from 2003-2006.
Palmer's teaching philosophy hinges on the development of sound fundamentals as well as empirical, statistical data capture to identify opportunities for improvement.

In 2008 Jeff formed the Palmer Golf Institute at Lora Bay to help his clients achieve their goals through higher learning and success planning. The PGI offers second to none one on one and group coaching for novice, intermediate and advanced players. The PGI also places a strong emphasis on junior golf offering weekly classes and summer learning camps for young developing golfers.

Jeff Palmer was voted the Instructor of the Year in 2002 by the Shanghai Area Golf Course Operators Group in the People's Republic of China.