Short-game tempo: chips, pitches and the rhythm between
Short-game disasters are rarely mechanical — they are tempo failures: decelerating into the ball, or snatching the club back. Short game mode trains the one thing that prevents both: committing to a complete, unhurried motion.
Short game is its own timing
Full-swing ratios do not transfer directly. Chip and pitch swings are shorter, so the whole cycle is quicker and the backswing-to-downswing split is closer to 2-to-1. Copying your driver tempo onto a 20-yard chip produces exactly the stabby motion you are trying to remove.
Think “unhurried small swing” rather than “slow swing”: the club still accelerates through the ball, but nothing rushes at the start.
Using Short game mode
Short game presets are shorter frame counts than full swing — 16 / 8 is the middle ground (about 533 ms back, 267 ms through). START begins the takeaway, TOP marks the brief transition, and the final cue carries you through the ball, not at it.
Resist the urge to peek at the result one beat early. Finish every rep to the cue, hold the finish, then look.
A short practice sequence
Fifteen balls, one target, Short game mode at 16 / 8:
- Balls 1–5: no target scoring. Swing to the cues and land every ball on the same spot — distance control comes from swing length, not from pushing.
- Balls 6–10: one club more than needed, swung easier. Easier swings expose deceleration instantly.
- Balls 11–15: alternate a chip-length and a pitch-length swing every two balls without changing the preset. Same rhythm, different sizes.
Limits and context
Tempo practice assumes a usable setup and a sensible shot choice — no metronome fixes a buried lie or a downhill chip to a tight pin. Practice on grass or mats with real balls whenever possible; carpet reps build timing but not contact feedback.
If wrist or back pain appears, stop. Timing drills should feel easier than normal practice, not harder.