Training and Club Head Speed

[catsa3]

I have currently been weight training in a program specifically designed for golfers for the past 5 weeks. Light weights, lot of reps, stretching, and cardio. I have already seen better flexibility in my shoulders and back. I wont be able to play golf on a course for about another month.
My question is: Has any one else worked out lately and seen an increase in club head speed? How much CHS did you gain? My CHS before working out was 106-111 with driver. I'm going to wait another month before I check it and see if training has made an increase. Cat

[LowPost42]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Well, the first thing I did for myself to increase CHS was to get a proper set of lessons, hence getting a proper swing.

That said, there's no point in combining your flexibility and strength training. Go to the gym and lift heavy for strength, then go to yoga for flexibility.

I would have to say that more flexibility would probably garner me another 5-10mph.

[braveheart]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Low Post has it right. Strength gained from weights is best with heavy weight/ low reps and yoga is the way to go for flexibility. It is also best to use compound exercises that use a lot of muscles together and less isolation unless you have specific weaknesses. Speed and Strength=Power. Do not train like a bodybuilder.

[TeachingPro]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Unfortunately clubhead speed has very little to do with strength and club head speed has a minimal effect on distance.

Look at Charles Howel III - he is a great example. He is not particularly strong nor is he particularly large. He's around 6ft and 155lbs... What about Hank Kuehne, he's 6ft2" and weighs 205lbs - not big and nor his he anywhere near as strong physically as Vijay, Tiger, Phil or Ernie ... How many times have you seen HUGE guys tee off and hardly make the 250yd mark?

Let's do the relationship between swingspeed and distance first, that's the easiest part. For every 1mph in added swing speed, expect no more than 2 yards in distance. That's a scientific fact ... proven time and time again and it's the ratio they use at Callaway, Titleist, etc. It is also near impossible for a good player to increase their clubhead speed by more than 10%-15% without specialist coaching and physical development - that's a fact. So, you'll never go from a short hitter to a long one or from an average hitter to a bomber!

You're gonna say "but .... but ..." I know. Jason Zuback etc. gained huge distances by being strong and swinging fast. The truth is they swing at around 180mph - that alone is 360yards! Hello ...

Distance comes from a combination of: ballistic launch, spin rate and speed. To max your distance, you need to find your optimum of each component and then build a club that gives you the result.

My advice ... don't do weights and fitness expecting large changes in distance becuase it isn't going to happen. Where you will find a difference is being able to swing more consistantly, you'll have increased aerobic fitness and your muscles will be able to absorb and retain more oxygen which will increase performance and stamina. Sure, there will an increased strength factor but that's not where power comes from ...

Power comes from the core - the core being your hips, stomach muscles and added flexibility to increae the 'X' factor of your swing. Now the 'X' factor is the difference in angle between you hip turn and shoulder turn. The larger that angle is, the more able you are to generate swing power. Look at Jason Zuback as an example, Big JD is another but one of the best examples you'll see is Hank Keuhne, his distance comes from power and not strength. John Dayly comes from that 360* swing and pure clubhead speed and not strength either.

Distance is technique ...

[LowPost42]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Distance is technique ...

I wholeheartedly agree. Nothing like a golf swing to get decent distance. (As opposed to a baseball swing).

[Mizunoman]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

You cant become too strong without major weight work, so dont worry about getting too buff. Train with some of those big rubber bands, they increase strength and flexibilty quite nicely and are simple to use.

I train in Karate and I have found that it helped my golf a good bit. You might want to try something like that as an alternative.

D.

[TeachingPro]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Mizunoman, Karate or other martial arts are great for golf. I recommend that sort of thing to anybody who is that way inclined. Martial arts teach you great balance, quick muscle movement, hand/eye co-ordination, great aerobic fitness as well as flexibility ...

That's just the physical side. We haven't mentioned the mental focus training from martial arts.

You know when Phil really become a WORLD-CLASS contender? Soon after he started doing martial arts training with his fitness coach. Co-incidence, I think not...

Great post Mizunoman!

[braveheart]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

I agree too. Getting the mechanics of a good swing is the primary way of hitting a golf ball further. I am a martial artist and much of the same principles of it transfer to golf well. I was an avid weight trainer over the years and realize that strength without technique and speed will not reap optimal results. Golf being my new sport, has made me understand the value of technique and flexibility more than before. I am now currently stretching more and working on technique with good results. Ball is going further with increased swing/ball speed.

[TeachingPro]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

To put the distance 'thing' to bed, it the day of Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and even later in Nick Faldo and Curtis Strange's day ... the average driving distance was around 260/270 yards and they scored great.

Distance is not a requirement, provided you can get out at 230/240 ayrds you CAN break par. I did it when I was 15 years old with less distance.

[catsa3]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Thanks for all the great replies guys, great site!!

[Mr_Change]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

I know with myself, I have increased from hitting my driver 160 yards to 260 yards, just by having better timing in my swing. If you were to messure my swing speeds I don't think I swing it any faster, but my acceration is now through the impact area instead of to the impact area.

[gord962]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Low Post has it right. Strength gained from weights is best with heavy weight/ low reps and yoga is the way to go for flexibility. It is also best to use compound exercises that use a lot of muscles together and less isolation unless you have specific weaknesses. Speed and Strength=Power. Do not train like a bodybuilder.

Training with large weight and lower reps is meant to gain bulk. Low weight and many reps is to gain strength and maintain flexability.

[LowPost42]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

Muscles can do one of three things: get bigger, get smaller,or stay the same.

Muscle only gets bigger (stronger) when the demand placed on them is greater than their current capability. This is what stimulates new muscle growth.

Flexibility training with weight is dangerous: You're asking your muscles to work at (potentially) their upper limits, in your weakest range of motion.

This concept of low weight, high reps for strength and high weight low reps for size is bunk.

You'll end up the same size using either method, but with heavier weight (and appropriate rest) you'll get stronger, faster.

[gord962]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

I completely disagree. I have worked with weights for the past 14 years. The more you strain your muscles (heavier weight) the more they will grow. The reason for this is because the muscles are being worked beyond their capacity and will grow larger to prepare for the next time they are worked that extremely again. If you work them with light weights more frequently (higher reps), they will not be simulated as much, therefor you will gain more definition, less size. This training is more for endurance, not brute strength. For example - if you bench press 120lbs 10 times for 5 sets, you will gain WAY more size and strength than bench pressing 50lbs 15 times for 8 sets. There is no doubt they will get bigger with light weights, but very minimal, especially compared to lifting heavy weights.

[LowPost42]

Re: Training and Club Head Speed

It's a popular misconception that you train heavy for strength and light to get cut.

The thing is, if you really wanted to get cut, you'd go strictly aerobic - and burn the fat that's covering your muscles. This is what creates definition, or that 'ripped' look.

Now, that said, I pose the following question:

Which burns more calories: Running a mile, jogging a mile, or walking a mile?

The answer is: none. They all burn the same amount of calories. The caveat is that the person who ran the mile will continue to burn calories at a faster rate due to their increased metabolism.

The same holds true for doing high reps with low weight. Yes, some resistance training is better than none. The trick (whether doing high weight/low rep or vice versa) is to work the muscle to exhaustion. That is what triggers new muscle growth.

I will admit that it certainly seems to me that low weight high rep does seem to build 'endurance', while high weight low rep builds 'power' or 'explosiveness'.

Where I'm coming from is the point of view that I'd rather be golfing (or doing golf things) than working out, so I look for maximum results in a minimum time - hence I work with insane weights and have a very short (but intense) workout.

I'm sure there's merit to low weight high rep training, but time saving sure ain't one of them!