Tempo tracking tool

Products
#1

I was re-reading Jon’s article on tempo - https://practical-golf.com/swing-tempo/ - and decided it’s time for me to get on this and start tracking. Unfortunately, here in Canada, Zepp, SwingByte and SkyPro are all sold out. The one tool that is still available is by Blast Motion - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00UNFHKUK/

Does anyone have familiarity with Blast? Is it an effective tempo analyzer? Does it do a good job of creating swing videos by syncing with your phone?

One conflicting thing is that in their video, they say the optimal ratio is 2:1, and show a tempo range by handicap, with + golfers being 1.8:1 - 2.2:1. Is Blast calculating tempo differently? I thought it was meant to be 3:1?

I’d love to get something that made it dead easy to create swing videos as well as help me get to the magical 3:1.

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#2

I’ve done a bit of tempo work with a metronome but not normally something I think much about. I am currently shopping for a swing speed radar to work with my Superspeed sticks, and noticed that this one on Amazon has a tempo timer as well https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Sensors-Swing-Speed-Radar/dp/B0013L68A6/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=sports+sensor&qid=1606932567&sr=8-4

#3

That Swing Speed timer just measure the overall time of your swing - nothing to do with tempo.

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#4

I believe Blast is the only company left in operation that can measure tempo (other than the Garmin S60 or S62 watch). It will measure your full swing tempo, but it is mostly intended as a putting aid.

Here was my review on it from a few years ago

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#5

I have a Blast Motion sensor and … so far … have only used it for putting practice (tempo and also stats like face rotation, backstroke length, impact speed, etc.).

It is supposed to have full swing capabilities but I’ve not explored them so cannot comment on that aspect…

#6

That’s gotta be for putting (and not full swing).

Fyi Tour Tempo also suggests 2:1 for putting and chipping, vs 3:1 for full swing.

#7

That’s the strange part, they are saying 1.8-2.2 for full swing. Check out the 4:55 mark of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUI3hzbyuDQ

It shows Blast’s historical tempo ranges by handicap. Perhaps they just measure differently, and when using their tool, one should try to target their numbers?

Unless he’s looking at a chart for optimal putting numbers, and trying to force his full swing into it??

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#8

2:1 is for short game, definitely not full swing. Almost every pro golfer is close (but not exactly) around a 3:1 ration

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#9

I agree. Then … what’s your take on that image from Blast at the 4:55 mark of that video? Different timing method? Something gone horribly wrong? Unusable product for the full swing.?

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#10

It looks like it’s some random review by a user. It could just be his golf swing. I don’t necessarily think it’s an error by the device - the timing method is always the same, it’s just a ratio of the elapsed timing of your backswing versus your downswing.

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#11

OK … confirmed inside the Blast app that their metrics are…

Putting = 2:1
Full Swing = 3:1

It’s explained inside these “Training Center” vid clips.

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#12

I have a Blast sensor and I currently use it for Tempo training. The sensor will measure your backswing time and downswing time and calculate a tempo (backswing/downswing), as well as total swing time.

I believe the recommended tempo is 3.0 for the full swing plus or minus some margin, but it doesn’t matter what they recommend; you can edit the goal to whatever you like. Or ignore the goal and just use the data.

I use the Tour Tempo app to set a target tempo and the Blast sensor to evaluate how well I am executing that tempo. Seems to work pretty well.

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#13

Thanks. I will order one now. I just wanted to make sure that their data matched up , so if I work towards 3:1 based on their numbers, that it is the exact same 3:1 Tour Tempo is talking about. It was odd to find multiple videos with people in the 2.2:1 - 2.5:1 range with Blast.

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