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Having a pause at the top of the golf swing can help many people improve their timing which in turn will increase the consistency of their ball striking.

Most golfers will actually pause at the top of the swing although this is almost indistinguishable to the naked eye. This fraction of a second allows the back swing to finish before the through swing begins. There are a few players who actively stop at the top of the swing but for most golfers this feels too strange. However, practicing with a pause at the top of the swing can help golfers get a better understanding of their body positions and allow them to initiate the down swing more easily.

Use this pause drill when practicing to improve timing.

• Taking a neutral grip and solid posture, begin to swing the club away long and wide
• As the club shaft reaches parallel with the ground, the left arm and shaft should form a straight line extending away from the target
• From this point in the back swing, the shoulders continue to rotate and wrists begin to hinge upward
• At the top of the back swing the left arm should point straight towards the sky and the club towards the target
• The shoulders should have turned fully and have rotated 90 degrees in relation to the target
• At this point, pause and hold the position for three seconds before turning the hips and delivering into impact
• With the next shot, repeat the same back swing and pause for two seconds, the next ball one second and the final ball just a fraction
• Going through this sequence should help a golfer appreciate and control the timing of their golf swing

Adding a pause into the top of the swing will enable a player to better appreciate timing.

When a deliberate pause is placed at the top of the back swing many golfers struggle with the feeling of initiating the down swing. Because of this the drill is not ideal for increasing club head speed.

This is not quite true as many people will struggle with the rhythm of their swing after a long and extended pause.

When players reach the top of their swing and pause, their timing should be improved. However, actively thinking about multiple positions when paused could cause too many technical thoughts to enter a players mind. Think about the pause more than the positions.