By October 2003, I was ready to hang up my spikes, turn in my towel, and sell my clubs. I'd had enough!

Like most recreational golfers, I've had a love-hate relationship with the game. There were times when I hit the ball so well, I’d fantasize about playing scratch golf. Then, for no apparent reason, I’d spray the ball everywhere - except in the desired direction. Why could I play tee-to-green par golf on one hole, then triple-bogey the next? It made no sense. So before I quit the game for good, I decided to analyze my swing and try to understand the cause of my inconsistency.

I went to the driving range with my video camera. Using my wedge, I started hitting balls. Like most of my practice sessions at the time, I would hit some solid shots, some less-than-solid shots, and then some terrible shots. After about 30 minutes, I sat down and watched the video.

The first thing I noticed was that when I hit the ball well, my swing was very smooth. From take away to finish, the tempo of my swing was even. But when I hit a bad shot, my swing looked rushed. My take away was too quick and my downswing even faster. By the time I got to my finish, I was off balance and unable to hold a pose.

The recognition of my problem hit me like a ton of bricks, “inconsistent swing tempo was the cause of my inconsistent ball striking.” The obvious question was, “how do I fix it?”

Over the course of my professional life, I have used music as a key component in most of the projects I have worked on. From documentary films to multimedia training programs, music has played a fundamental role. So when I began working on fixing my inconsistent golf swing tempo, I knew music would provide the basis for a solution.

I studied the swings of scratch golfers to confirm what I had learned at the driving range: that a well hit golf shot was the result of a smooth, even swing tempo. Obviously, sound swing fundamentals are critical for good ball striking, but consistent tempo appeared to be the common attribute of every good swing. So I started working on a system that would help me develop a consistent swing tempo.

After three years of experimenting and testing a variety of prototypes, I discovered the ideal combination of verbal instructions and musical elements. Like music for a dance, the TempoTuner® is designed to inspire a smooth, even swing tempo so you can consistently hit solid golf shots.

Rob Hopping is a self-proclaimed "golf maniac." As a media producer and product development expert, Rob has created a variety of multimedia-based training programs from foreign language courses to martial arts training systems.