A consistent golf swing often feels simpler than it is, and the secret to that simplicity might just live in the idea of the "pendulum swing." This guide will break down exactly what that means, show you how to perfect a true pendulum motion in your putting and chipping, and explain how its core ideas can bring more consistency to your full swing too.
Imagine a classic grandfather clock. At the top, there is a fixed point, and below it, a weighted arm swings back and forth in a perfect, repeatable arc. The tempo is steady, the path is identical every single time, and the entire motion is effortless.
That is the essence of the pendulum swing in golf. It’s a swing model where your arms, hands, and the club swing together as a single, connected unit. The "fixed point" of the pendulum is your upper sternum or the base of your neck. The "weighted arm" is the triangle formed by your shoulders, arms, and hands.
The goal is to eliminate any independent, unnecessary movement, especially from the hands and wrists. Instead of consciously trying to hit the ball with your hands, you power the motion with the gentle rocking of your bigger, more reliable muscles - your shoulders and upper torso. This creates a swing that is naturally smooth, easy to time, and incredibly repeatable, especially under pressure.
While the pendulum concept has applications everywhere, it is most literally and most importantly applied to the short game. Putting and chipping are all about precision and distance control. The biggest enemies of precision are the small, twitchy muscles in your hands and wrists. When they get too active, it's easy to push putts, pull chips, and completely mishit shots for no apparent reason.
This is where the pendulum saves the day. By using your shoulders to rock the club, you effectively "deactivate" your hands. This results in:
Making a great putting stroke is your first step to creating this feel. It's the purest form of the pendulum motion. Here’s a step-by-step guide to building one from the ground up.
A solid setup creates the stability needed for the pendulum to swing freely.
This is where most golfers get it wrong. They try to move the putter with their hands. To make a true pendulum stroke, the engine must be your shoulders.
Think of it as simply rocking your shoulders back and forth. The left shoulder rocks down on the backswing, and the right shoulder rocks down on the follow-through (for a right-handed golfer). The hands, arms, and putter are just “passengers” going along for the ride. There should be absolutely no conscious breaking or hinging of the wrists.
A great pendulum always has a steady, predictable tempo. It’s never quick and jerky. Many of the best putters use a 1-2 or “tick-tock” rhythm. The backswing takes the same amount of time as the follow-through. Say "tick" as you go back and "tock" as you swing through. This mental cue prevents deceleration, a common putting fault that ruins distance control.
Here’s a fantastic drill to force the proper motion:
You’ll immediately find that the only way to swing the putter without the grip popping out from your armpit is to rock your shoulders. It physically prevents you from using your hands and wrists and forces your upper body and arms to work as one connected unit. Hit a few putts like this to get the sensation, then take the putter out and try to replicate that same exact feeling.
The good news is that if you can master the putting pendulum, you’re 90% of the way to being a great chipper. A basic chip shot is essentially just a longer putting stroke with a more lofted club.
The setup is slightly different to ensure crisp contact.
These adjustments encourage you to strike down on the ball, hitting the ball first and then the turf - the recipe for a perfect chip.
From here, the motion is identical to your putting stroke. You are simply rocking that same arm-and-shoulder triangle back and forth. Do not break your wrists. Let the loft of the club do the work of getting the ball in the air. The length of your backswing will determine how far the ball goes. A short rock is for a short chip, a longer rock is for a longer chip. It's that simple.
To ensure your arms stay connected to your body, tuck a small towel or a headcover in each armpit. As you make your chipping motion, the goal is to make a stroke without letting either towel drop. This helps you use your torso turn to power the motion, completely eliminating any tendency for the arms to swing independently and get flippy.
So, is the full swing also a pendulum? Not literally. A full swing is a complex, rotational action that requires a wrist hinge to generate power and speed. If you tried to keep your arms perfectly straight and your wrists locked like in a putting stroke, you'd hit the ball nowhere.
However, the feel of the pendulum is an incredibly useful concept for simplifying the full swing.
Where it applies is in the very first part of the swing: the takeaway. One of the most common faults among amateur golfers is starting the swing by snatching the club away with just their hands. This gets the club out of position immediately and forces you to make a dozen compensations just to get back to the ball.
Instead, think of the first two feet of your backswing as a "one-piece takeaway." The idea is for your hands, arms, shoulders, and chest to all start moving back together, as a single unit - just like your pendulum motion. This keeps the club on the right path and in front of your body, synchronizing your arms with your body turn from the very start.
After this initial takeaway, your wrists will naturally start to hinge as your body continues to rotate to the top. But by starting with a pendulum-like feel, you place the emphasis where it belongs: on using your body as the engine, not just your arms.
At its core, the pendulum swing is about simplification. For putting and chipping, it’s a literal technique that removes erratic hand action and uses the reliable rocking of your shoulders to create a repeatable stroke. For the full swing, it’s a powerful feeling that promotes a connected takeaway, setting you up for a more consistent motion powered by core rotation.
Applying concepts like the pendulum swing on the practice green is one thing, but trusting them on the course is a whole other challenge. When uncertainty about club choice or shot type creeps in, it's easy to forget your fundamentals. It’s for those moments that we developed Caddie AI. We can help you analyze a weird lie around the green, give you the confidence to commit to the right shot, or suggest specific drills to reinforce that pendulum feel you’ve been working on, making practice more effective. It's like having an expert coach in your pocket to provide clarity just when you need it most.
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