What Does Pausing Actually Do in Your Golf Swing?

Josh Koch of Hit Bombs breaks down the technical benefits of adding a pause at the top of the golf swing, citing Hideki Matsuyama as the gold standard. He explains how this technique fixes a steep transition by forcing the lower body to initiate the downswing while keeping the lead arm pinned for dynamic loading.

• The pause provides a recalibration period for the brain to fix improper downswing sequencing.
• Pulling the arms away from the chest too early in transition causes the shaft to stand up (steep) and ruins rotation.
• A pause allows enough time to ensure the lower body starts the downswing movement.
• The lead arm should stay pinned across the chest initially to load dynamically before slinging off like a frisbee.
• Using the pause is often a 'stepping stone' phase rather than a permanent aesthetic choice for every golfer.

Go deeper

• Pause Drill — Every coach who teaches it
• Wild swings — Causes, drills and coaches for this miss
• Transition — The lesson, across every coach
• Hit Bombs — Every video, sorted by what it teaches