Golf Drills: Try This Tempo Tip From the Leader at Honda LPGA Thailand

There's quite a race to the finish shaping up on the LPGA Tour this weekend at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Entering the final round, nine players are within five shots of Thai native Patty Tavatanakit's lead, including KPMG Women's PGA Champions Brooke Henderson and Sei Young Kim. It should be a thrilling finish that'll happen Saturday evening in the United States.

One of the most impressive parts so far of Tavatanakit's rise to first place has been her ballstriking. The 2021 ANA Inspiration winner has been known for her long drives (she currently ranks 7th on the LPGA in distance) but its her iron shots that've really catapulted her this week . . . and there's something you can learn from it.

Take a look at Tavatanakit's swing here, from the middle of the fairway:

You'll notice she's not in a rush to get to the ball. Everything is in control, and it leads to a great birdie opportunity, which she sinks. Tavatanakit isn't even using a full swing, another sign she's focusing on tempo and rhythm versus hitting it as hard as possible — the latter is what a lot of golfers end up doing.

Try this: After watching Patty's swing a few times, take a wedge and flip the club around, so you're holding it near the clubhead. Get in a stance, take your grip and try making swings. It's hard to rush, isn't it? Take five to 10 swings and get a feel for a slow, controlled swing. Too fast, and you'll be out of control. It's a great drill to help get your tempo down.

While you're at it PGA Coach Gavin Parker has another drill you can try with an alignment sync to really get everything in sync with your newfound tempo: