Find your personal tempo to improve your putting

• By Bernard Sheridan, SwingFix instructor
• May 1, 2013 10:00 AM ET

Tempo is something that is built into us as human beings.
When we walk our arms go back and forth at the same pace. This is because we live on a gravity driven planet.
We need to use this natural tempo that evolution has built into us to control our distance on both long and short putts.
Let’s do a little test so you can check your personal tempo.
Let your arms hang by your side and throw away your arm like you were throwing a ball to someone next to you. Then just let your arm fall back. Don’t hold it back or force it back. Just let it fall.
Now, do the same with a putter in your hands.
Just throw the putter back and let it fall. Let it hit the ball as it falls and check the distance the ball travels. Now throw it back the same distance again with another ball and let it fall and hit the ball.
Did that ball travel the same distance as the first one?
It did if you threw back the putter the same distance on the backstroke, and now you are finding your own tempo to control distance.
The longer your backstroke the longer the putt will roll. The putter’s tempo as it falls will always be the same. The force of impact will change only with the length of your backstroke.
Give this a try on the putting green and see how much better your own tempo will help you control distance on the greens.
Take an online lesson with Bernard Sheridan.

• Tags: SwingFix, Putting, practice, tempo

C.J. Bell Wins match at Philly Pub Links Team Match Play at Jeffersonville

By Bernard Sheridan

Par Breakers Golf Academy student C.J. Bell ( Photo left ) competed in The Philly Pub Links match play Championship at Jeffersonvile Golf Course a Donald Ross layout this past weekend 04/28/13. C.J. has been a student since the Fall of 2012. he has taken six one hour lessons and his game is progressing nicely. Here is a look at a few word CJ wrote me in an an email 04/29/2013.

 Hi Bernie,

Just wanted to let you know our club at Cobbs Creek won the Philly Publinks Match Play Championship this weekend against other local clubs:

http://www.phillypublinks.com/teamchampscoresheet13

I swept my matches (we play 3 6-hole matches for a pt each, then another pt for the full 18 hole match) with my low score of the season at Jeffersonville. Shot 76, have never shot lower than 85 at that course from the back tees. Finished it off in style with a 280 yard drive down the middle and wedge to 6 feet for birdie on my last hole.

Thanks again for the help with the swing, cya on Thursday.

Congratulations C.J. on your win and here's to many more to come for you and all of the students who compete in events around the Philly section.