The answer: Do not try to copy the visible speed of another golfer's swing. Use a mid-iron, make continuous back-and-forth rehearsals without a sudden burst, then hit three balls at each of three perceived speeds. Score contact, balance and start line. The speed producing the best repeatable score—not the longest single shot—is your starting tempo.
Tempo is personal; the transition still has to connect
Jones's central point is that successful swings can look very different. A fast-looking player and a smooth-looking player can both produce reliable contact because each motion has a coherent pulse. The mistake is treating tempo as a cosmetic style and trying to imitate someone else's pace without knowing whether it fits your own sequence.
The video uses a simple continuous motion. Jones lets the club move back and through without deliberately slamming on the accelerator or applying the brakes. That motion reveals a natural cadence because there is no static starting point from which to snatch the club away. The club, arms and body have to organize themselves into one repeating movement.
First, find the motion without judging the ball
Choose a 7- or 8-iron and tee the ball very low. Before hitting, make three continuous rehearsals: swing back, through and back again while keeping the effort comfortable. Do not stop at address between motions. Your goal is to notice where direction changes feel orderly and where tension creates a jerk.
Then step into the ball and reproduce that cadence once. The first shot is only a reference; do not change your swing because of its direction. Repeat the sequence twice more. If you cannot finish in balance, reduce the effort before changing mechanics. This article's scoring test begins only after three rehearsal-and-shot cycles feel physically manageable.
Run the nine-ball, three-speed test
Place nine balls in three groups. Label the groups with perceived effort—not measured clubhead speed:
- Easy: about 60% effort, with enough motion to finish fully.
- Stock: about 75% effort, similar to the swing you would choose for a normal fairway shot.
- Firm: about 90% effort, aggressive but never an all-out hit.
Make the continuous rehearsal before every shot. Hit all three easy balls, then three stock balls, then three firm balls. Use the same club, target and tee height. Changing variables would make the comparison less useful.
Score what creates playable golf
Give every shot up to five points: two for centered contact, two for a balanced finish and one for starting inside a reasonable target window. A perfectly struck ball that sends you stumbling earns only three. A shorter shot with centered contact, full balance and the correct start line earns five.
Total each three-ball group out of 15. Your highest score identifies the tempo worth testing again. If two speeds tie, choose the lower effort for the next session; it offers the same result with less physical demand. Record the three totals and the dominant miss rather than relying on memory.
Do not turn “smooth” into “slow”
A common failure is making the backswing artificially slow, then rushing from the top because the swing has lost continuity. Another is confusing reduced effort with an unfinished turn. The easy group still needs a complete motion and balanced finish. It is a lower-output swing, not a halfhearted one.
The firm group has the opposite trap. Extra effort often appears as tighter hands, a faster takeaway or a violent transition. If the score falls because contact and balance disappear, the test has done its job. It has shown that the additional speed is not presently usable on the course.
Retest before taking the result to the course
One nine-ball set is a snapshot. Repeat it on three different practice days before declaring a winner. Your preferred pace may change as you warm up, become tired or move from a mat to grass. A dependable tempo should remain competitive across those conditions.
On the course, keep only one cue: the feel of the continuous rehearsal. Do not carry the scoring system into every shot. Use one rehearsal beside the ball, step in and play. If tension rises, return to the lower-effort pace that still produced full points in practice.
What this drill can—and cannot—fix
The drill can expose rushed transitions, poor balance and an effort level that your current motion cannot support. It can help you choose a pace that produces more playable shots. It cannot diagnose every face, path or low-point problem. Repeated severe contact or direction errors deserve individual help from a qualified coach.
Jones's lesson is useful because it starts before technical diagnosis: find a motion that flows rather than one assembled from stops and bursts. The nine-ball test adds a decision rule. Your tempo is not the swing that looks smoothest on video or produces one heroic strike. It is the pace that repeatedly earns points for contact, balance and start line.