Pause at the top

[SiberianDVM]

How many of us have or try to have a little pause at the top of your swing?

I don't see a lot of the younger pros with a pause. Certainly among the older ones, Kenny Perry and Jay Haas come to mind.

When I use a pause at the top as a swing thought, I seem to have a better ball striking day: the ball seems to go a lot higher and straighter.

Can anyone explain exactly what a pause at the top does to the golf swing and why it's not emphasized more by teachers?

 

[wirehair]

It seems that a pause gets my "golferman" balls to shrink, fit in my pants and to settle and strike through the ball rather than make me try to kill it.

Tempo...tempo...tempo!

 

[mddubya]

It seems that a pause gets my "golferman" balls to shrink, fit in my pants and to settle and strike through the ball rather than make me try to kill it.

Tempo...tempo...tempo!

:laugh:, golden wirehair, purely golden!

 

[MGP]

It seems that a pause gets my "golferman" balls to shrink, fit in my pants and to settle and strike through the ball rather than make me try to kill it.

Tempo...tempo...tempo!

When I was in high school and near scratch, the one thing that could unhinge my game was getting a bit quick. I had 5000 tees imprinted with "MGP - Think Tempo". It was a great reminder every time I went to the tee box to slow down and pause at the top.

Hmmm... that is still a nemesis of my game. I still have some of those tees, I should start carrying them again.

 

[Burg]

How many of us have or try to have a little pause at the top of your swing?

I don't see a lot of the younger pros with a pause. Certainly among the older ones, Kenny Perry and Jay Haas come to mind.

When I use a pause at the top as a swing thought, I seem to have a better ball striking day: the ball seems to go a lot higher and straighter.

Can anyone explain exactly what a pause at the top does to the golf swing and why it's not emphasized more by teachers?

I can't speak for everyone but a "pause at the top" thought keeps my tempo where it needs to be.

My tendency is to over-rotate and come over the top because I get quick with my upper body and let my arms drive my downswing. By "pausing at the top" mentally, my downswing is started by my lower body and everything is in synch.

I don't truly "pause at the top" but by thinking about it I slow my tempo down. I've tried to actually stop at the top and I was just awful.

 

[slickpitt]

I've been trying to work on a slight pause at the top. For me it helps me to bring the club back down to impact on plane. If I get quick at the top I'm always... ALWAYS off plane either over the top or scoop it inside too much.

 

[amcquay]

I had my first lesson yesterday and this is one thing the teacher drove into the ground, and it helped me immensely. I was a decent ball striker before the lesson, but very streaky due to an armsy swing that was extremely dependent on timing. He showed me how to load properly and use the "pause at the top" thought to signal my body when it was time to fire the hips to start the down swing. What a difference an hour makes.

 

[warbirdlover]

I'm just the opposite. If I pause I lose my tempo. But I try not to get too quick with it either. Oh, and I also lose distance if I pause.

 

[indacup]

A pause at the top does a few things for me...knowing that I will be pausing, my back swing is smoother...and my swing is better and impact crisper and overall much better results.

Interesting thing is even though I know I am pauseing, when I look at videos of my swing it is almost undetectable...I guess it FEELS a lot longer than it really is.

 

[wirehair]

"Pause at the top" was my swing thought today - I shot 99, and it was a poor 99.....maybe that's not "the secret".

 

[SilverUberXeno]

I think it really encourages a smoother backswing, since the speed with which you go to the top can't POSSIBLY effect how far you're hitting the ball if you're stopping (not that it does anyway, but you can only tell people something so many times...)

I believe it also gives your body a moment to collect itself, and helps you sequence all of your energy through the ball and toward the target. I think the tendancy for people who get too quick is to spin out a bit from the recoil of their too-fast backswing with their too-faster downswing.

I remember just taking swings starting at the top one day. No backswing really, I'd get to the top, sit there for 2-3 seconds, then swing down and through. I roped 9 irons that day like it was nobody's business.

Just make sure you're not holding on too tight when you come down!

 

[FATC1TY]

It's all tempo... It helps me to just think to slow down sometimes, keeps me more in plane, which leads to better shots.. Or hooks... Never a slice when I keep in tempo.

I don't have a pause, but it looks like it hangs there just slightly, only because I hinge at the top and hold while I'm slinging through the kill zone.

 

[295yards]

How many of us have or try to have a little pause at the top of your swing?

I don't see a lot of the younger pros with a pause. Certainly among the older ones, Kenny Perry and Jay Haas come to mind.

When I use a pause at the top as a swing thought, I seem to have a better ball striking day: the ball seems to go a lot higher and straighter.

Can anyone explain exactly what a pause at the top does to the golf swing and why it's not emphasized more by teachers?

Most good ballstrikers have a total tempo time of less than 1sec. while swinging in excess of 110mph. The pause is pretty much not a pause as it is measured in milliseconds. I think it is more like a shift in sequencing.
I think everyones instinct is to kill the ball. The swingthought and feeling of pausing at the top coupled with the desire to still kill the ball helps rotate the hips first very slightly allowing the club to drop inside.
I think something like that makes sense?

 

[zaphod]

A mini pause at the top allows me to make sure my arms, torso, hips, and legs remain "connected" for the most important part of the swing. If you aint connected it is impossible to "crack the whip".

 

[indacup]

A mini pause at the top allows me to make sure my arms, torso, hips, and legs remain "connected" for the most important part of the swing. If you aint connected it is impossible to "crack the whip".

Very well said!