How to Get More Speed in the Golf Swing?

There is nothing more desirable than being a long hitter. Amateurs and pros revere length above all else.There are none more satisfying words than hearing our playing partners whisper. “he’s long.”

The rise to prominence and popularity of Bryson DeChambeau bears this out. Bryson has gripped the imagination of the golfing world by bombing the ball miles. Gasps of amazement echo around the tee as he smashes a drive over 350 yards.

We want to know how far he is hitting it and how long he can become. Not long ago, DeChambeau was an average hitter. He then implemented a rigorous training regime that transformed his body. He put on 50 pounds of muscle, enabling him to generate incredible swing speeds.

It’s not practical for the average golfer to commit to training like DeChambeau. However, we can implement some basic exercises and improve our swing technique and fitness, which will give us more distance.

Who doesn’t want to get a few more yards? Who wouldn’t like to be the longest in their fourball? This article discusses what causes swing speed and simple techniques to increase it.

Swing Speed Chart  Age-Wise 

Swing speeds vary according to our ability. There is no point in being unrealistic about how fast we should swing the club – this leads to frustration and disappointment.

Modern technology, specifically launch monitors, gives us swing speed and distance data access. Is our swing speed good for our age? Are we below average in terms of speed? Knowing the average swing speeds age-wise is the first step to gaining more speed. 

There’s a big difference between the clubhead speeds on the PGA tour and amateur golfers. Swing speeds between a high handicapper and a low handicapper vary dramatically too. We have chosen the average swing speed of a fifteen handicapper as it’s a practical measure to compare with our swing speed.

Let’s look at the statistics:-

These statistics allow us to judge if we are underperforming or not. It is a mistake to compare ourselves to overall average swing speeds as they are not achievable for most club golfers.

Going for out-of-reach speeds makes us force our swing, leading to inconsistency and lessening distance.

Factors Involved to Get More Speed in Golf Swing

How do we hit the ball far? How do we get long irons to fly high and land softly? How do we get our wedges to land on the green and spin back?

The answer to these questions is the same – with good swing speed. 

The clubhead is the only thing that strikes the ball. We don’t hit the ball with our bodies, legs, or hands. Moving these body parts faster doesn’t  make the club travel faster. 

Increasing the speed of the clubhead is the only way to get longer.

How do we increase our swing speed? Swing speed results from good swing mechanics, physical fitness, and the correct equipment. 

We should focus on improving these three areas to increase our swing speed.

Proper Equipment

Golfers often blame their clubs for their mistakes. It is an excuse in most cases, but sometimes we don’t have clubs that suit us.

The only way to find out if we are using the right equipment is to get an assessment from a professional. 

Getting the proper equipment is the start to getting more swing speed. Knowing we have the right clubs means we can confidently work on the other factors that increase swing speed; swing mechanics, and fitness.

Club Fitting

A launch monitor is essential when getting a club fitting. A professional uses the monitor to check our swing speed, impact position, and launch angle. 

This data tells us if we need a more flexible shaft because our swing speed is low. If we struggle to get the ball in the air with the driver, we need more loft. Maybe we slice a lot, so a more closed club head could be the answer. We will only find out by having a club fitting with a pro.

The right clubs increase our ability to swing correctly, resulting in more solid impact, and therefore, more length.

Once we have the correct club set up, we can improve our swing mechanics and fitness with confidence that the clubs are not the problem.

Swing Mechanics

The golf swing operates like a finely tuned machine whose working parts are in sync. Good swing mechanics mean all the moving parts of our body work together to create speed.

Clubhead speed is produced by torque. Imagine the body as a screw that winds up from the bottom (the feet) upwards ( the shoulders ). When we turn fully, we feel a tautness between the shoulders and hips which naturally wants to uncoil. We start the downswing by transferring the out weight to the left, moving our body and club in the proper order –  hips, shoulders, hands, and clubhead. Unwinding correctly builds momentum ending with tremendous speed in the clubhead.

The goal is to use our bodies in a way that maximizes swing speed rather than inhibits it.

These are the common faults that creep into the swing, slowing clubhead speed:-

1. Not transferring our weight to the right side on the backswing and not moving to the left on the downswing.
2. Taking the club back with the hands and not turning the shoulders.
3. Releasing the club with the hands at the start of the downswing.

Here are the fundamentals we concentrate on to optimize clubhead speed with every swing.

Complete the Backswing

Jack Nicklas said his one thought when preparing to hit a shot is to complete the backswing,

We love this tip too. Completing the backswing makes sure we have transferred your weight to your right leg and guarantees we have made a complete shoulder turn.

We are coiled and ready like a baseball pitcher on the mound. Golf is an athletic game, and speed comes from putting our bodies in a position to gather power and then release it.

We transfer the weight to the left from a full backswing position, letting the body uncoil and hands go.

Release the Club Fully

Completing the backswing puts us in an active ready position. All we need to do to get maximum speed is release the club fully at impact.

Tension in the hands and forearms is the leading killer of a proper release. 

Golf is a relaxed game, or at least it should be; speed comes from the free release of our wrists at impact. If our hands and forearms are stiff, we hold on to the club, preventing its release.

Our wrists act like hinges when we strike the ball. Imagine hammering a nail into a block of wood. The force to knock the hammer comes from hinging our wrist and then releasing it to strike the nail. The golf swing works in the same way. We hinge our wrists at the top of the backswing and release them entirely at the ball.

To get a full release, we should be relaxed at address. Grip the club lightly and concentrate on keeping tightness out of our hands, arms, and body throughout the swing.

Speed Training

Speed training uses speed equipment or two golf clubs to help our bodies swing with resistance. Then when we swing without the resistance, we immediately swing faster.

Watching baseball batters warming up outside the dugout by swinging with two bats or a weighted bat. The reason they do this is simple – resistance. When they step to the plate with the bat they are playing with, the resistance is gone, and they swing fast at the ball.

We often see the same warm-up technique at the range on the PGA Tour. The pros warm up by swinging two clubs together or using custom-made speed training aids.

The principle is the same. Take practice swings with extra weight to feel resistance. If using a training aid, swing the lighter pole straight after the heavy one to hear the swish. Or swing with two clubs, and then only one, straight afterward.

Physical Fitness

Getting fitter and healthier can only benefit our golf game. There are many excellent golf exercise programs on the market today.

These programs usually focus on strength and flexibility. Improving these two areas will help us get faster swing speed.

Strength Training

We like the simple medicine ball for strength training because we can simulate the golf swing when using it.

We take an athletic stance similar to our golf address position – legs apart, knees flexed. The ball is held in front of our body with both hands on either side of the ball. 

Take the ball back in preparation to throw it at a target directly in front of our body. The target is imaginary as we will not release the ball. The coiled throwing position is similar to our golf backswing; the arms and hands are almost in the same places at the top of the backswing.

Now using an underhand action, we throw the ball towards the target. This movement uses the same big muscle groups in our golf swing. The ball’s weight forces us to use our hips to generate speed, which we want to do in our golf swings.

We can also use the medicine ball for squats, shoulder lifts, and stomach exercises. There are complete medicine ball exercise posters available on Amazon.

Flexibility

Flexibility is even more critical than strength to improve swing speed. 

Professional golfers have daily movement and flexibility routines to keep their bodies agile and flexible. They know that turning the shoulders 90 degrees is vital for swing speed.

Golf is a game of effortless power. It is amazing how slow and easy a pros swing looks, yet they hit the ball miles. The reason is simple – flexibility. They don’t have to force their bodies to turn fully; they do it efficiently as they have put in the stretching work beforehand.

We like two simple exercises using a golf club to stretch before a round.

The first flexibility movement uses the same muscles we need for the backswing.

Take a stance similar to our golf set-up, legs shoulder-width apart and knees flexed. Place a golf club across the shoulders and hold the club at either end.

Now we turn to the right, straightening our left leg and twisting our body. Repeat the same movement to the left. Both our hips and backs get a good stretch. Five to ten repetitions on each way will loosen up the big muscles we need to complete our backswing.

For our second stretch, we stand up straight with our legs together. Then we plant the golf club into the turf with our left hand and reach up over our heads with our right arm stretching the ribcage and shoulder. Again, we repeat on the other side. 

These two exercises stretch the parts of our body that produce swing speed, our hips, and our back.

Mindset

To play good golf, we need a calm and relaxed attitude. 

Being relaxed is a mindset. Relaxation can be actively worked on, like swing mechanics or fitness.

We like to get into the right mindset before getting to the course. Drive calmly, don’t rush. On arrival at the course, walk slowly, look around and enjoy the scenery.  

Warm-up by doing a few stretches concentrating on loosening up the body and releasing tension. Hit a few balls with easy swings, slowly increasing swing speed without forcing.

On the tee, maintain the feeling of relaxed focus. Take a slow, easy backswing and release the clubhead fully through the ball. Doing this will deliver more swing speed than we imagined we had.

Conclusion

Can we get more swing speed? Yes, improving swing speed is possible by understanding the average swing speed for our age then working on our swing mechanics and fitness.

If we try to smash the ball as hard as we can, we not only destroy accuracy but lessen our clubhead speed.

Following a simple strengthening and flexibility program, improving swing mechanics and relaxing will improve swing speed and add distance.