How to Stop Getting Quick in a Golf Swing

That familiar feeling you get when your swing feels rushed, frantic, and more like a nervous flinch than a powerful golf swing? That's what we call getting quick, and it is one of the most common thieves of power and consistency in golf. The bad news is that it creeps into every part of your game, from the tee box to your chips around the green. The good news is that it's entirely fixable. This article will break down exactly why you get quick and give you a simple, step-by-step plan a better tempo and a smoother, more powerful golf swing.

What "Getting Quick" Actually Means

First, let’s clear up a common misunderstanding. "Getting quick" doesn't mean having a fast overall swing speed. Many of the longest hitters on the planet have very fast swing speeds. The problem isn’t the speed itself, it's the tempo and sequence of how that speed is generated.

Getting quick happens in one specific moment: the transition. It’s the rushed, uncontrolled move from the top of your backswing into the downswing. Instead of a smooth, sequential uncoiling of the body, it becomes a sudden snatch or lurch at the ball, usually led by the hands and arms.

Think about throwing a baseball. You wouldn't just stand flat-footed and snap your arm forward as hard as you could. You’d wind up, shift your weight, rotate your core, and let your arm come through last as the final link in the chain. Your golf swing is the same. Getting quick is an attempt to skip the wind-up and go straight to the release. The predictable results are:

• Poor Sequencing: Your arms and shoulders start the downswing, throwing the club "over the top" of the proper swing plane. This leads to a steep attack on the ball, weak slices, or sharp pull-hooks.
• Loss of Power: True power is built up and stored during the backswing and released through proper sequencing. Rushing the transition destroys this stored energy before it can ever reach the ball.
• Inconsistent Contact: A quick swing completely throws off the low point of your arc, leading to a frustrating mix of thin and fat shots. One swing you scrape the top of the ball, the next you dig a trench a foot behind it.

The Root Cause: Why Do We Get Quick?

Understanding why this damaging move happens is the first step toward fixing it. It’s almost never just a physical issue, it’s rooted in a few common intentions and physical habits.

1. The "Hit" Instinct

The single biggest reason golfers get quick is a mental one. You’re standing over the ball with one overpowering thought: hit it hard. This "hit" impulse makes you want to apply force with the parts of your body that feel most active - your hands and arms. From the top of the swing, you fire them aggressively at the ball, completely short-circuiting the powerful chain reaction of the lower body turn.

2. An Incomplete Backswing

Very often, you're not getting quick from the top, you're getting quick because you never truly got to the top. If your backswing is short, hurried, and lacks a full shoulder turn, your brain senses it has no time to generate power. In a panic, it fires the arms early in a desperate attempt to create some speed, resulting in that snappy, out-of-control transition.

3. Tension, The Tempo Killer

Take a moment and think about how you hold the club. Is it a death grip? Is there tension running up your forearms, into your shoulders, and through your neck? Tension is the mortal enemy of a smooth golf swing. A tense body cannot rotate freely. It restricts your turn and promotes a jerky, muscle-bound movement instead of a free-flowing swing. When your muscles are tight, they want to fire quickly and abruptly - the perfect recipe for getting quick.

The Fix: Rebuilding Your Tempo from the Ground Up

The solution isn’t to just think "swing slower." That’s too vague. You need to retrain your body with specific feels and drills that build a proper sequence. Here's a three-step process to do just that.

Step 1: Own the Top of Your Backswing

You have to earn the right to start your downswing. This means completing your turn fully and gracefully. The goal here is to feel what it’s like for your lower body to initiate the downswing while your upper body and club are settled at the top. It's a feeling of "patience at the top."

The Drill: The Pause at the Top

1. Grab a mid-iron, like a 7 or 8-iron. Take your normal setup.
2. Make a full backswing, focusing on a deep shoulder turn until your back is facing the target.
3. When you reach the top, consciously pause for a full second. Say "one-thousand-one" in your head. Feel the club get "set" up there.
4. After the pause, start your downswing by feeling your left hip (for a righty) shift and begin to clear. Let the arms just fall into place.
5. Start with half swings at 50% speed. Your only goal is to feel the peaceful separation between the end of the backswing and the start of the downswing. Hitting a great shot is just a bonus.

This drill will feel difficult at first because your instinct is to rush. Stick with it. It's the most effective way to break the habit of snatching the club from the top.

Step 2: Start the Downswing from the Ground

Good tempo is driven by a good sequence. In a proper golf swing, the downswing begins with the lower body transferring pressure to the lead foot. This creates space and allows the hips to unwind, pulling the torso, then the arms, and finally the club through the impact zone.

The Drill: The Step Drill

1. Take your normal stance with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then, bring your feet together so they are touching.
2. Begin your backswing as you normally would.
3. As the club is reaching the top of your backswing, take a small, deliberate step forward with your lead foot (your left foot for a right-handed golfer). Plant it back in its normal address position.
4. As you plant that foot, begin to unwind and swing through to a full finish.

This drill makes it physically impossible to get quick with your arms. To take the step, you must initiate the move with your lower body, which forces the correct sequence. It links the feeling of shifting your weight with the start of the downswing.

Step 3: Internalize Your Rhythm with Tempo Drills

Tempo isn't just about being slow or fast, it's about the ratio between your backswing and downswing. Most professional golfers maintain a tempo close to a 3:1 ratio - meaning their backswing is about three times longer than their downswing. Golfers who get quick are often closer to 1:1 or 2:1. The goal is to feel this smoother ratio.

Verbal Cues: Head coaches for Tour pros recommend this simple trick. As you swing, say a phrase out loud that matches the rhythm you want. For example:

• On the backswing, say (to yourself or softly): "Laaaow and Sloooow"
• On the downswing, say: "Swooosh"

Finding a rhythmic phrase that works for you can instantly install a better tempo into your motion. Golf legend Ernie Els famously thinks of "one... two..." on his backswing and "...three" on his downswing.

The Weighted Club Swing: Swing a training aid like The Orange Whip or simply hold two irons together. The added weight will naturally quiet your overactive hands and force you to use the large muscles of your body - your core and legs - to power the swing. You simply can't "snatch" a heavily weighted object, you are forced to swing it smoothly.

Bringing a Smooth Tempo to the Course

Drills on the range are one thing, but how do you keep your cool when standing over a real shot with water staring you in the face? It comes down to trusting your new feel and having a simple pre-shot routine.

1. Grip Pressure Check: Before every single swing, check your grip. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is barely holding on and 10 is a death grip, you want to be at a 3 or 4. Light grip pressure is the start of a relaxed, fluid swing.

2. Replicate Your Feel: Make a practice swing with 100% of your focus on tempo. Feel the "pause at the top" or your verbal cue. The goal of this practice swing isn't location, it's the sensation. Then, step up to the ball and simply try to recreate that same sensation. Forget the ball and trust the feeling.

3. Swing for Balance, Not for Speed: Make it your mission on the course to hold your finish in perfect balance until the ball lands. If you can do this, it is almost impossible for you to have had a quick, out-of-control swing. A balanced finish is the sign of a swing that was properly sequenced and in control.

Final Thoughts

Getting rid of a "quick" swing boils down to two things: re-wiring your understanding that true power comes from sequence, not brute force, and committing to drills that engrain proper tempo. By feeling the completion of your backswing and calmly starting the downswing with your lower body, you can transform that rushed snatch into a smooth, powerful motion that produces a much better swing.

While drills re-wire your physical mechanics, having a clear mind solidifies your mental game before each shot. When doubt creeps in on the course–"Am I set up right for this bunker shot?" or "What's the smart club choice with the trouble on the left?"–it often leads to tension and that old, rushed swing. Instead of guessing, we made it possible for you to get instant on course caddie so you can play smarter and with much more confidence. Just show Caddie your ball lie and ask Caddie AI for an in depth plan so you have absolute trust in your choice. Getting a simple, confident plan allows you to stop worrying and focus on making that smooth, balanced swing you’ve been practicing.