Really liked this video. Watched it about a week ago before I started on my own speed journey again. Just some great tips to get some speed unlocked.
Let's talk about swing speed.
Really liked this video. Watched it about a week ago before I started on my own speed journey again. Just some great tips to get some speed unlocked.
- Moderator
- #77
The debate between old school thought in teaching vs new school is always fascinating to me.
I remember when they used to tell golfers that exercise and strength training was bad for their swing lol
I remember when they used to tell golfers that exercise and strength training was bad for their swing lol
Floridatennisplayer
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I think a lot of people In trying to increase swing speed end up just muscling the ball and losing swing speed! I like the MDLT methods of a relaxed grip and arms allowing natural centrifugal force to take over. There is only so much an individual can do without inhibiting his speed.
- Moderator
- #79
I understand where you're coming from, but I believe you've lost sight of what the goal is of the thread creator. He stated in the first post that he is actively working through speed training but recognizes that there are multitudes of body types and fitness levels who have managed to generate excessive speeds naturally.
His goal is to find efficiencies in a swing that generate speed, not a speed hack (which is what I think your comments are alluding to). Maybe you could offer something in that regard?
- Thread starter
- #80
This exactly describes me and exactly what I've been doing and failing at for 2 years. This thread is my epiphany that my old way of thinking about it isn't correct and I'm ready to abandon all of that. The goal I have with this thread is to get feedback from many of the people I know here on THP who have figured this whole speed thing out for themselves and I hope they have some tips that can help me start to understand what I need to work on to solve it for myself.
Floridatennisplayer
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The OP’s very first sentence is “I am completely lost on how to swing fast.” That’s what I am speaking to. I see it in tennis all the time. People want to hit 140 mph serves like the pros vs their 72 mph serve. People have been trying everything under the sun to with lukewarm results. Best advice for them has been to keep their wrist and arm lose to not hinder centrifugal force.
I am unsure if adding 5 or 10 mph to my drives would even change my scores. A lot of effort especially when most strokes saved are all in the short game.
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- Thread starter
- #82
The rest of my first post provides the much-needed context to that statement.
- Moderator
- #83
You're either not interested in what he's saying, or don't consider it worth your time to read what is being said. That's fine, we all play our way.
That said, I think it's crazy to assume that adding 5-10mph to a golf swing wouldn't have a positive impact if done correctly. It's not unimaginable or unobtanium as being suggested by any means, especially when often times swinging more efficiently leads to significant speed gains, not hitting the gym.
Wow I usually try and stay away from YouTube instruction due to information/swing thought overload, but I really liked that video and am going to try that loading/trigger move and the towel drill during my next speed session. Thanks for sharing!
- Staff
- #85
First of all, I don't know the answer to your question @That post . God knows I wish I did lol. I'm in the same boat. Physically, there's no reason I shouldn't be swinging a driver 100mph. Hell, I was swinging the Super Speed sticks at 119 last summer.
Buuuut, I think @Templet0n said something that really resonates. I absolutely, 100% dump my power immediately from the top, AND I do it by a spin/rotation of my shoulders that dumps the club outside. I'm trying very hard to not do that, but will say that it's incredibly difficult to scrub that pattern from my brain. I'm getting better at it, but having to step back (slower) before I step forward.
- Thread starter
- #86
Let’s figure this out together @Hawk your absolutely correct there is zero reason neither of us can get over 100mph with driver. To be honest for me it almost feels embarrassing.
I’m not trying to win a long drive competition or hit it 340+ like Rory. I just want to swing fast enough and comfortably enough to move my average from 230-240 to 280. I really don’t feel like that’s a lot to ask of my body.
We’re gonna get it this season! Let’s go!
- Staff
- #87
Disagree. It doesn't almost feel embarrassing
I'd be happy with getting in the 96-98 range comfortably and then going from there tbh.I've kinda built this plan in my head:
- Commit to ironing out this transition change and new downswing pattern through tons of repetition.
- After that's much more ingrained and comfortable, add in speed training.
The reason I want to go that route is that I feel like I was building speed last year via the wrong methods. I was just adding a ton of extra muscle and power to my already flawed move, which made me steeper and even worse.
i've picked up a fair bit of speed over the last year or two. for me, a huge power suck in my previous swing was very little movement through the wrists. now that i can use them, the club can swing which will always add speed. the more recent contributing factor has been getting stronger in the gym. it's nothing directly focused on speed training, it's just basic stuff but we hit most every major muscle group each week.
my swing instructor is on his own speed journey. he's doing it for fun, and to help his students. when we first started working together 4 years ago he would cruise around 125. he's comfortably in the 130s now, and can push himself into the 140s. he wants to get to 150 this year. in a recent lesson i mentioned that i was thinking about doing some speed training, and he shut it down immediately. he said we had to get my positions in the swing in a better spot before i could think about adding speed. i mention this because to ME speed training on its own without the watchful eye of a good instructor can absolutely wreck an otherwise consistent and efficient swing. will that happen to everyone? of course not. but @That post has built a game that can shoot around level par; i'd hate to see that ability ruined for a chase of some extra distance.
op- if you're hell bent on doing this, i'd look at the stack system. the chasing scratch guys picked up tons of speed doing it. the program does take commitment, but i think it's the best system because it incorporates some of the same ideas that superspeed has but adds fitness and mobility.
my swing instructor is on his own speed journey. he's doing it for fun, and to help his students. when we first started working together 4 years ago he would cruise around 125. he's comfortably in the 130s now, and can push himself into the 140s. he wants to get to 150 this year. in a recent lesson i mentioned that i was thinking about doing some speed training, and he shut it down immediately. he said we had to get my positions in the swing in a better spot before i could think about adding speed. i mention this because to ME speed training on its own without the watchful eye of a good instructor can absolutely wreck an otherwise consistent and efficient swing. will that happen to everyone? of course not. but @That post has built a game that can shoot around level par; i'd hate to see that ability ruined for a chase of some extra distance.
op- if you're hell bent on doing this, i'd look at the stack system. the chasing scratch guys picked up tons of speed doing it. the program does take commitment, but i think it's the best system because it incorporates some of the same ideas that superspeed has but adds fitness and mobility.
- Thread starter
- #90
That's a really good point. I do feel like over the last month and a half of the season I got my swing back to where I was mid-summer (before injury) when I was swinging it my best. But it's a very valid point. Whenever I am on the course and get it in my mind that I need to hit one far my old nasty OTT swing flaw comes out and I lose it off the planet right. It's taken a lot of reps over the past few months but I think I finally started understanding and practicing the art of separation of my hips and shoulders. The problem for me has always been firing both at the same time which causes me to have a massive out to in path.
I'd hate for all that work to be flushed down the toilet for 10mph of swing speed so it's something I'm keeping an eye on. As previously mentioned I am currently doing Superspeed with my own gym and mobility routine. When I'm swinging the speed sticks I'm also trying to keep 'golf swing' form. So I'm still swinging it like I would a golf club just as hard as I can. I think that's the way I need to approach this or the separation I've worked hard on is going to disappear.
Like I said I'm not looking to add a ton of speed. Adding just 5mph puts me over 100 and that should put me close to my desired total distance of 280ish total. If I can get to adding 10mph then that's all bonus.
This swing flaw resonates deeply. I just get so excited to hit the ball!
if 280 is your goal, i think you're going to need to be over 100 to get there unless you have some whacky dynamics like 7 up and 5 from the inside with a face slightly shut to the path without adding extra loft. i know because i have a gc3 and i see what those dynamics can do for my swing. but i also know that those dynamics can become dysfunctional in a hurry if you lose some face control. if you want more functional dynamics like 3 or 4 up and 2 or 3 from the inside, i think you're going to need to be over 105 to get to 280.
- Thread starter
- #93
Yeah it's a tough one to change the mindset on.
- Thread starter
- #94
Total not just carry. I figure 260 carry will get me in that range and for now, that's where I'd like to comfortably be in 2024. Right now I'm around 1 up and 4 in and hover around 95mph on my fastest swings.
I need to do a better job, like you, with movement in the wrists. I don't think I know how to properly release the club and I believe that's dumping a lot of power in addition to leaving the clubface open.
Whenever my drives start getting out of wack, I make sure I start slow with the arms, club starts low and flat, to the top. Then when I feel that coil in my core is maxxed, I start the downswing by first engaging my hips, and everything from there is relaxed. Not trying to steer or muscle with my arms, just letting that centrifugal force do it's work.
I am 53 and swing between 100 and 105, if there are things I could do to get back to 110 -115 I would try them. At 5'10" and 235, trimming off 30 to 40 pounds would probably do this all by itself.
I am 53 and swing between 100 and 105, if there are things I could do to get back to 110 -115 I would try them. At 5'10" and 235, trimming off 30 to 40 pounds would probably do this all by itself.
- Thread starter
- #96
This has been the most difficult concept for me to grasp but I do think I'm starting to get there now. Sometimes I backslide and the old flaw comes back out of firing my hips and shoulders at the same time but for the most part, I think I have it under control.
I still catch myself shifting my hips straight back instead of turning them. It is a more natural body movement for me that i sometime slip into, it is horrible for my swing and ballstriking.
@That post I went from averaging 92 mph on driver when I joined THP to cruising at 105. I can push to 113 and fairway find at 100 when I'm in my own way mentally.
It's very doable and don't want you to get discouraged. It's little by little and being intentional when you are trying to gain speed. Generally I go through a mood once a year for two months or so and push real hard and then coast the remainder of the year. Then push the next year for more gains.
It's very doable and don't want you to get discouraged. It's little by little and being intentional when you are trying to gain speed. Generally I go through a mood once a year for two months or so and push real hard and then coast the remainder of the year. Then push the next year for more gains.
do you have any on-course numbers from something like arccos? those trackman numbers are, interesting...
- Thread starter
- #100
Can you please dive into how you accomplished this?
I really like the highlighted part and it's what I'll be doing. I'm pushing hard from now until mid-march and then hoping to cruise on that new speed for the season. I can't reasonably do speed training, gym, and playing 4x a week, and expect my body to not give up on me like it did last year in July when I got injured. If I can make speed a focus in the offseasons and just have a maintenance routine in season then that would be ideal for me.