Morgan Pressel's Tempo Drill

Most weekend players have a problem avoiding that "jerk from the top," the too-quick change of direction that messes up your swing. Well, Morgan Pressel has a breathing exercise that she uses to smooth out her swing:



It's deceptively simple, this "breathe in during your backswing, breathe out during your downswing" idea. When Morgan says to make sure you breathe out all the way to the finish, that's the key. If you try to change direction too quickly, you won't have a long smooth exhale. Rather, you'll "puff" out your breath too fast and it will slow down your swing.

If you do it right, you'll be able to swing at full speed but you'll get that brief moment to "gather yourself" at the top and make a smooth swing to the finish. Otherwise, your swing won't feel smooth at all.

It's a simple drill that you can use out on the course as well... and quite frankly, proper breathing can help you pick up some club head speed. If you look at the url for the golf.com page I linked to above the video, you see it says it's a tempo trick for longer drives. I can tell you this from experience: Controlling the power of your punches with your breathing is an old martial arts trick. To use the technique to its fullest extent with your golf swing, just exhale more gently at the top as you start down, then "force your breath out" as the club head strikes the ball. You might be surprised how much it helps!