The beat is on: some PGA tour pros believe timing is everything

Golf Digest, Feb, 2003

On the PGA Tour, the difference between a golf swing that produces a nice, high draw and a lousy snap hook can be measured in milliseconds. So it's no surprise that one of the hottest pieces of workout equipment on tour is the Interactive Metro-nome, an audio-based training device that improves an athlete's timing.

You won't break a sweat using this machine--it's little more than a laptop computer, some headphones and a sensor that attaches to your hand--but players like Vijay Singh and Glen Day have made it a part of their workout routine in the tour's HealthSouth sports medicine trailer.

To use the Interactive Metronome, slip on the headphones, listen for a repeating tone, and clap in time with the beat. The computer measures how close your claps come to the tone. The average person claps within 40 to 80 milliseconds before or after the tone, but the average score of 30 PGA Tour members tested was 28.24. Without practice, Day and Singh scored less than 15, which is a strong indicator of how good a golfer's timing has to be, says Scott Riehl, head strength and conditioning specialist for the tour.

The machine originally was intended for rehabilitating stroke victims and patients with other brain dysfunction. But its use in athletics is gaining popularity. In golf, players can mimic parts of the game, like a putting stroke, while using the device. Or they can improve their timing when fatigued, a key to finishing the round strong.