The Day I Stopped Swinging Like a Baseball Player
Settle in. Let’s talk golf.
I thought swinging harder meant swinging better.
For a couple of months, I swung the golf club like I was trying out for the Yankees.
Fast takeaway.
Aggressive transition.
Everything violent.
And honestly?
I hit some bombs.
But I also:
• Yanked balls left
• Blocked them right
• Lost my balance
• Finished with my arms jammed against my chest
It wasn’t pretty.
I wasn’t swinging.
I was attacking.
The Research That Changed Everything
There’s a well-known golf researcher, John Novosel, who studied swing tempo across amateurs and tour players.
What he found was fascinating:
The best players in the world – regardless of how fast they swing – have nearly the same tempo ratio.
3:1
Three parts backswing.
One part downswing.
Not rushed.
Not jerky.
Not “hit at it.”
Just rhythmic.
When I heard that, something clicked.
What I Was Doing Wrong
My swing ratio was more like:
1:1
Or honestly… maybe 1:0.8.
Quick back.
Quick down.
Everything compressed.
And at impact?
My arms would pull inward toward my chest.
I was trying to create speed with tension.
It felt athletic.
But it wasn’t efficient.
What 3:1 Actually Feels Like
Here’s what I started doing:
I counted in my head:
“Slow… Calm…”
“Go.”
That was it.
Slow on the way back.
Calm at the top.
Then commit through.
And something surprising happened.
When I truly slowed the backswing down —
My downswing naturally extended.
Instead of yanking my arms inward, they stayed extended through impact.
Instead of chopping, I was releasing.
Instead of falling off balance, I was finishing tall.
Slower… Went Farther
This part shocked me.
When I stopped trying to swing like a baseball player:
• Contact improved
• Smash factor improved
• Ball started more online
• Distance actually increased
Because now I was sequencing.
Not muscling.
The club was accelerating at the right time – not all at once.
Why Tempo Fixes So Much
When your backswing is rushed:
• You lose structure
• You rush transition
• You compensate with your hands
• You lose balance
When your backswing has rhythm:
• You load properly
• You stay centered
• You extend through the ball
• You finish tall
Tempo controls everything.
Path.
Face.
Strike.
Balance.
It’s foundational.
Try This
At the range:
Hit 10 balls with a deliberate 3-count backswing.
Don’t try to hit it hard.
Just commit to rhythm.
Then look at:
• Strike pattern
• Start direction
• Finish position
You might be surprised.
The Bigger Lesson
I wanted speed.
So I tried to create it with effort.
Turns out…
Speed shows up when effort is applied in the right order.
Golf is rhythm.
Not violence.
The Next Shot
Your next shot doesn’t have to be perfect – just intentional.
Start with rhythm. The rest follows.
Be honest – are you still trying to hit a 95 mph fastball with your driver?
Try slowing it down next range session and tell me what changes.
I’m genuinely curious.
Real Talk. Play Better.
Effort builds results.
