Geoff,

Great site, I've been reading your recommended books. Currently I am reading Lights out Putting by Sones -- great book.

In his book and on your site in your "Tempo" article you mention using a metronome. I want to purchase one but I don't know precisely how I should set it. Do you have any recommendations on how to set the tempo?

Also is this tempo or beat that is set in the putting metronome settings the same for the full swing or would you need to set that differently? How would you set that versus the metronome setting for putting?

Thanks,

Garry Leaf

Dear Garry,

Thanks for the compliment.

Dave Pelz sells a Seiko metronome for $50, but you can get one a lot cheaper than that. Check these pages:

Discount metronomes: http://www.metronomes.net/metronomes/

Music Basics Metronomes: http://www.musicbasics.com/metronomes.html

Interactive metronome program: http://www.interactivemetronome.com/home/index.asp

There is a free computer Metronome that works on your computer here: http://smurman.best.vwh.net/Metronome/

I also have a Java metronome posted on my Science page under Tempo, http://puttingzone.com/science.html, and sources for metronomes on my Putting Aids page under Tempo, http://puttingzone.com/aids.html.

In my article on Tempo, posted on my tips page, http://puttingzone.com/tips.html, you'll see that I recommend trying to stay around the same tempo that gravity naturally gives a stroke from just letting the putter go from the top of a backstroke. This is usually about one second from op of backstroke to top of follow-thru. That would be a setting of 60 beats per minute, from TicK to Tock every one second. (Tick, release putter from top of backstroke; Tock, putterhead arrives at top of follow-thru). You will probably want to work around 70 bpm or so until you get used to this. But I definitely would not recommend a tempo set much higher than 70 bpm, as Dave Pelz does. That's a "hit" stroke.

For the full swing, I'm no expert, but I've been told by full-swing instructors that my "one potato, two" putting tempo does wonders for golfers with their irons. I'm not surprised, really, since to me one key to a great swing is relaxation and fluidity. So a nice even and slowish tempo of backstroke= "one potato" and downstroke= a nice sweet "two" stroking thru impact seems helpful.

Have fun, and let me know what you discover.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
The PuttingZone.com
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