Increasing clubhead speed

[jcbdb]

Hi

I had my swing speed measured the other day which was a low of 75 and high of 79.

I have just joined a gym to work on my core strength and flexibility which I have let slip over the past few years due to work and family commitments!

Other that working on the core strength and flexibility does anyone have any drills to work on to increase swing speed by fine tuning my swing mechanics.

My ball striking is a reasonably crisp though my swing is still a little longer than I want and I lack distance (5I is 155 yards max, driver 200-220 yards max).

Cheers

JCBDB

[oldwease]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

The most important thing is co-ordination of the swing; the hands arms and body working together. This promotes timing, balance and solid contact, vital ingredients for distance.

When in sync, you should sense a connection between the shoulders and arms, i.e. feel that they are working in harmony. This feeling evaporates pretty quickly in an off-key swing.

Personally, the key for me is to ensure the correct position at the top of the back swing, the essential ingredient being the position of the right arm (for a right handed player). If you assume an athletic throwing position, this is basically the position you should be looking to achieve with the right arm. You then feel well primed for the downswing with the arms naturally keeping the club on plane.

[jcbdb]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

Cheers, great advice and well put.

I have tried hard to work on remaining connected to my torso through the swing to try and shorten my backswing without too much concious effort. Whilst it is no longer an overswing it lacks the compact, crisp feel I had ibefore I developed on o/swing.

Will continue to work on it and hopefully the timing will return and distances will get back up.

I have also been measured for my clubs and it's been suggested I need 2 degree flat through my irons, so at the moment I tend it hit off the heel thus not hitting a smallish sweetspot on the Mizuno MP60s!

I have all winter to get it back on track though.....

[detonum]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

I think that for the average male, most advances in clubhead speed are made by working on the technique of the golf swing. While your flexibility and strength are important (I've started exercising for golf this winter too), a sound swing is what gives you good distance even with little effort. A sound swing has no major power leaks. At that clubhead speed and distance, you propably have some.

Keep working out, because no matter what your swing is like, you're going to hit it longer if you're more flexible and stronger. I suggest you also video your swing and see what you're doing wrong / take lessons from a pro to work on your technique.

[jcbdb]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

Thanks.

I am having lessons with a pro who puts a lot of focus on biomechanics hence the training!

I think the power leak is the decrease in how compact my backswing is and poss a lack of coiling to the right side.

I think I will focus on maintaining a shorter backswing, coiling more onto my right side and increasing core strength and flexibility.

Plus I need to experiment with the 2 degree flat club I have to see how this effects hitting more from the sweetspot.

Cheers

JCBDB

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

HI , I really like this type of thread.

The word SPEED should be banned as a golfing term as this comes naturally with mechanics, there is no doubt that the faster the clubhead moves the further the ball goes but they forgot to add consistancy is more important.

Think about this, I am not the club champion but in the top 5 at my club yet I would suggest 30% of the membership hit further than me...............ANSWER: The difference is the word 'sometimes' they land on the fairway so they can measure that they are further than me.

The distance should come slowly with consistancy.


Don't rush it.....!!!

Ian.

[Started2k3]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

The word SPEED should be banned as a golfing term as this comes naturally with mechanics, there is no doubt that the faster the clubhead moves the further the ball goes but they forgot to add consistancy is more important.

Agreed. I will from now on use VELOCITY.

[BrianW]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

Most long hitters make ball contact at around 80% of their maximum swing speed. This ensures the clubface is accelerating through impact. Ian is absolutely correct when suggesting consistency is very important.

The prime factors for me are good repeatable: swing mechanics, balance, tempo, rhythm and solid contact, plus very good timing during the release so that maximum head speed can be accurately generated by the wrists through impact.

[pnearn]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

Agree with Brian and Ian

When I started playing I would lash at the ball with hands and arms and shoulders and I could get a 7i 150 ish, not always straight. Always wondered though how the bloke in the next bay, who was 2 inches shorter and a stone lighter and seemed to swing the club effortlessly was hitting his 7i 165 yards

When you get the body motions right you will find hitting a golf ball a long way is effortless. It seems stupidly effortless sometimes. Problem is the brain always wants you to go at it with those hands and thats when things break down

2 simple ideas to work on. One a nice slow wide takeaway and two try and fire the right side from the top. Feel like youre going to hit the ball with your right hip so that at impact your right hip and right hand reach impact together. Feel that right hip turning pull those hands, not those hands pulling your hips.

[takinitdeep]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

Speed is increased by completing the backswing, making a sound transition down creating lag, and a good full release at impact.
Find ways you are creating tension in your swing and eliminate them; a relaxed swing allows everything to work together.

[Martin Levac]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

I get the best speed when I focus on making proper contact with the ball.

When I focus on making proper contact, I maintain my head as still as I can through out because I aim with my eyes and my eyes are in my head, I maintain my feet as stable as I can throughout because that's the platform on which I swing, I make as smooth a swing as I can, I swing in as smooth a plane as I can, I align this plane as close to the target line as I can. All these things above eventually result in more speed than otherwise. It also results in the best transfer of momentum from the clubhead to the ball, which is what truly matters to me anyway.

[shootin4par]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

the difference is long hitters use the correct muscles in the golf swing, short hitters dont. The truth is simple and complex at the same time. So with that you have to look deeper. Read hogans book and you notice he shades in the insides of the arms and insides of the legs. how do you engage the correct muscles, well, that is where it starts to get complex. Ben Hogan was arguably the greatest ball striker of all time, but he was also an fitness instructor for the army. Ben Hogan understood Biomechanics of the body, read his section on grip alone and you can see the detail of his knowledge

Hold your elbows out to the side, pointing down the target line and swing, then rotate your arms in and do the same. You will use different muscles, different combinations of muscles, and a different sequence in when and how they fire. Magnify that into the shoulders, and hips, and depending on whether or not you hit the luck lottery will depend on whether or not youe awr up qill position you to fire the correct muscles, I believe that is why some golfers have "it" and never have to practice like chris dimarco, and some dont.

Golf is not about athletic ability, look at micheal Jordan, larguably one of the greatest athletes ever and his is a 3.

Think about it, we are all trying to turn back and raise our arms on plane, start with the lower body first on the downswing, and maintain our lag. Basically we are all using the same swing concepts, but why is it so complicated, why do we have a hard time getting somewhere?
the golf swing is a body motion while holding onto a a club. Not a club motion holding onto a body.

[pnearn]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

I think the main key is tension. If you learn to give up control of the club from your arms, wrists and hands and keep them soft as noodles, the energy your turning body transmits through these soft noodles as you turn increases (leverage)

That, however, is so bloomin hard to do .. even for better players

I got to use one of those swing speed devices earlier this year and when taking what felt like really fast swings with my hands and arms, I had a SS of 80-85mph. When keeping them incredibly soft and turning my torso, and having a swing which 'felt' and seemed to be wayyy slower, the SS was 90-95

[spankit]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

If you drop your right foot back about 3 inches in your stance..in other words close it up a little ..you will increase clubhead speed about 5 to 7 mph.My pro explained to me that this happens because you are "cheating" so to speak with the shoulder turn.It works

[pnearn]

Re: Increasing clubhead speed

If you drop your right foot back about 3 inches in your stance..in other words close it up a little ..you will increase clubhead speed about 5 to 7 mph.My pro explained to me that this happens because you are "cheating" so to speak with the shoulder turn.It works

IMHO this is just mimicing the clearing of the right hip on the downswig