Columnist Peter Benton: Tempo is the key to a more consistent swing

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005 | 9:36 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Watching Phil Mickelson win the PGA tour's FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sunday brought home to me just how important the swing tempo should be. Call it what you want -- tempo, timing or rhythm -- it is a huge component of this game.

I have two golfing buddies, John and Andrew, who unfortunately are the complete opposite of Mickelson. For their edification, the following should help not only them but others with a similar problem.

When you watch professionals, it is impossible not to notice the ease with which they swing the club. Not one of them ever seems to exert any great effort and yet the ball leaves the clubface like a rocket.

It goes without saying that they all have honed golf swings, but they also possess a fluid, unwavering rhythm that allows them to hit the ball consistently every time. This is called tempo, and it is a key characteristic of every good golf swing.

Good tempo invariably means swinging within yourself, as this will (or should) allow you to hit the ball on the sweet spot of your club every time. Our first and foremost thought when swinging a club should be "make it smooth." When one tries to "murder" the ball, you lose all the basic elements that make up an effective golf swing.

You should also feel that you swing your wedge with the very same tempo as you do your driver. The only reason the ball goes further when you hit the driver is because the club is longer, has less loft and your swing is also longer. The secret is to feel as though you have one swing -- not 13 different swings for 13 different clubs. The only conscious difference between hitting a wedge and a driver should be where you position the ball in your stance and how far away you stand from it.

Here's a terrific test to determine just how good your tempo is: Tee up six balls in a row, about 10-12 inches apart. Address the first ball and make your swing, and then without stopping, swing the club back to the top as you step toward the second ball. Swing through and hit the ball then step to the third as you swing the club back, and continue down the line. Believe me, it is more difficult than it sounds and only a smooth swinger will hit every ball straight.

Remember, it is not brute force that propels the ball, it is tempo.

ARNONE'S ACE: Congratulations to Peggy Arnone, who recorded her maiden hole in one last week at the Las Vegas Country Club. Peg's ace came on the 135-yard, water-guarded, par-3, third hole via a perfectly struck 7-wood.