The golf swing needs to be rhythmic and efficient.  Most golfers want to hit the ball hard which results in a violent motion.  Also, in the attempt to hit the ball hard, there is no rhythm to the swing.

One only needs to look at the LPGA golfers to see rhythmic golf swings.  Their rhythmic swings result in drives of 250 yards or longer.  There are no violent swings on the LPGA.  Their power comes from rhythm and efficient power.  It is amazing to see women who are a little over five feet tall hit those long drives.  The key to hitting the ball farther is to have great rhythm.

It is a myth that one should learn to try to hit as far as you can first and then learn to hit it straight later.  One should learn to develop a rhythmic swing first.  Rhythm is the most important part of the golf swing, yet it is seldom taught.  A rhythmic swing provides the best chance to make solid contact with the golf ball.  When a golfer tries to hit the ball as far as possible, the natural tendency is to only use the arms to swing the club.  Using only the arms is the most inefficient way to swing the club.  This also results in a violent and jerky action instead of a rhythmic and explosive swing.

Attitude

A proper attitude is crucial to making a rhythmic, non-violent swing.  This is where a consistent pre-shot routine is required.  Instead adopting an attitude of “I am going to address the ball and hit it hard,” The pre-shot routine is a reminder to focus on executing a rhythmic swing.  The swing thought is the final part of the pre-shot routine.  So finding and using an effective swing thought that results in a rhythmic swing should be a priority.

Focus on the Change of Direction

When the focus is on trying to hit the ball hard instead of making a rhythmic swing, the transition time from back swing to down swing is extremely fast.  Focus on making the transition time much longer than you feel is necessary.  The transition time feels like a pause during the swing.  This pause should feel like almost one second.  When the pause feels like almost one second, the actual transition time is only two-tenths of a second.  The brain slows down time because of the “oddball effect.”  When the brain experiences something unusual, it focuses harder on this “odd” detail.  The sharper focus seems to take longer than it really does.  The pause is the “oddball” of the golf swing.  This is the most difficult part for most golfers to grasp.  What feels like a long time is actually a very short time.

Swing at 70% of Maximum Effort

Trying to swing using maximum effort always results in a violent action.  The focus should be on using only 70% of maximum effort.  Professional golfers, who have swing speeds over one hundred miles an hour, only swing at 80% of maximum effort.  If the focus is on using less effort, the result will be much better.  This concept is also difficult to grasp by most golfers.  It is natural to believe that trying harder will produce better results.  We have been told this all of our lives, but in golf trying harder never works.

Golf is a long journey.  Eliminating violence in the golf swing will make the journey more enjoyable.