So, I wanted to share a little about my journey watching and sort of, well, trying to learn a tiny bit from Aaron Rai, the golfer. It wasn’t like I set out to become a pro or anything, just something I got into during my own practice time.
It started pretty randomly. I was channel surfing, watching some golf tournament, I don’t even remember which one exactly. And this guy pops up, Aaron Rai. What caught my eye first? Honestly, it was the iron covers. Yeah, I know, kinda silly. You just don’t see that much on tour. And then I noticed he wore two gloves. Quirky stuff like that makes me pay attention.
So, I started watching him more deliberately whenever he was playing. Found myself looking for his name on the leaderboard. It wasn’t just the covers and gloves after a while. I noticed his swing. It looked so… smooth. Effortless, almost. Very rhythmic. Compared to some guys who look like they’re trying to smash the ball, Rai had this really controlled tempo.
Trying it Out at the Range
This got me thinking about my own game. My swing? Let’s just say ‘smooth’ isn’t the first word that comes to mind. More like ‘hopefully hit the ball’. So, I got this idea: why not try to focus on tempo, like Rai? Seemed like a good plan.
Next time I went to the driving range, that was my whole mission. Forget distance, forget accuracy for a bit. Just focus on rhythm. I literally tried to slow everything down. My backswing, the transition, the follow-through. I kept thinking about that smooth motion I saw Rai make.
It was way harder than it looked. My first few shots were awful. Topped balls, shanks… you name it. Slowing down felt unnatural, like my body wanted to rush everything. It took a lot of concentration just to keep the tempo somewhat even. I spent a whole bucket of balls just on this one feeling.
- Focus on a slower backswing.
- Pause, or feel a pause, at the top (even though he doesn’t really pause, it felt like I needed to).
- Try to swing through smoothly, not forcefully.
Did I suddenly develop Aaron Rai’s swing? Of course not. That’s crazy talk. But focusing purely on tempo for a session or two actually did something interesting. It made me more aware of my own movements. When I stopped trying so hard to force the tempo and just focused on a smooth rhythm, a few shots actually felt pretty good. Less effort, but cleaner contact. It was a small thing, but noticeable to me.
What I Took Away
So, my little Aaron Rai experiment wasn’t about perfectly copying him. It was more about using his style as an inspiration to work on a specific part of my own game. It reminded me that power isn’t everything, and sometimes, smoothness and rhythm can lead to better results, or at least, a better feeling contact.
I still watch Rai play, and I still notice the iron covers and the smooth swing. It’s just kind of cool to see someone doing things slightly differently on tour. And it was a fun little project for my own practice sessions, even if I’m still miles away from anything resembling his consistency. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for just how controlled and refined those pro swings really are.
