Should Golfers Take a Practice Swing? What about pace of play?

No golfer enjoys slow play. Practice swings tend to get "the finger pointed at" as a main accomplice. However, practice swings can be taken in a timely manner. 

To overcome many common pace of play concerns:

• Avoid wasting time by making practice swings while someone else is getting ready to hit their shot
• Choose the club you need to use for your next shot while your playing partner is hitting their shot
• Limit practice swings to a total of no more than 3

The second the other player hits their shot, take your first practice swing and be ready to play. You don't need to watch their shot, their reaction, them walking back to the cart or driving off. The club for the shot at hand should already be accomplished by the time your playing partner is hitting their shot.

Another potential problem may be not knowing if a practice swing will be helpful, taking a big (embarrassing) divot, or even just feeling unworthy of making a practice swing.

All in all practice swings are essential for establishing the way the club feels and your tempo.

Don't worry about taking a big divot or no divot. Instead, just make the practice swing to establish your tempo and feel. A simple suggestion would be to just brush the grass with the club head and focus on your tempo as the practice swing is made. 

A simple tempo key is:

           

            Counting in your head – 1, 2, 3, 4. This works best for verbal/auditory learners.

           

            Have the feeling of a slight pause at the top of your back-swing. Typically this sensation works best for golfers that slice the ball or kinesthetic learners.

            Thinking about swinging smoothly. A smooth swing is great for many golfers, however it tends to benefit the golfer the most that hooks the ball.

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