This short article is part of my Swing Speed Training Guide. That article goes into detail about everything you need to know about embarking on a successful speed training journey.
Physical Capabilities
Mobility and physical power are the big players. Physical power or “explosiveness” is a combination of strength and rate of force development, and those are what we train to get more powerful. The greater your physical power levels are, the more potential you have to create speed. We need adequate mobility to go through the range of motion we desire in the swing.
Swing Mechanics
Club head speed is primarily determined by:
a) The length of the handpath in the downswing
x
b) The average force applied along this handpath
Time applied (a) x average force (b) = the amount of impulse applied to the club. The higher the impulse, the greater the change in momentum of the clubhead, which we measure as club head speed at impact.
Consider handpath length as a runway. With a longer runway, we have more time to accelerate. This is why hip, thoracic, and shoulder mobility are important. They provide us with the physical requirements for a longer hand path.
Another analogy we can learn from is wedge play. By changing how far we move our hands in the backswing when chipping or pitching we can drastically alter the club head speed at impact, without trying to apply more force. This is due to having more time to apply force during the downswing. We can use this same concept when trying to increase club head speed in the full swing. Usually get your hands to 10 o’ clock? Get them to 10:30 or 11 o’ clock and your club head speed will likely increase.
The average force applied will be dictated by your kinematic sequencing, the explosive capabilities of your nervous system and muscles, and your level of effort.
The information above is describing linear work in the golf swing. There is also relevance to how much angular work is done. This refers to how far the shaft has rotated “around the clock”.
Here is a passage from Sasho Mackenzie’s paper “How Amateur Golfers Apply Energy to the club” that sums up these concepts…
It was determined that linear work predicted 90% of the variability in clubhead speed, while angular work only predicted an additional 9%, and gravity had no predictive ability.
The average force applied in the direction of travel of the hand path was by far the biggest discriminator in separating individuals with different levels of clubhead speed, as it predicted 92% of the variability. From a practical standpoint, knowing that a higher level of average force most likely explains differences in clubhead speed does not suggest a clear path for an instructor, or golfer, trying to increase clubhead speed. The reason is that a higher average force could be the result of several diverse factors such as swing coordination, level of exertion, and the force generating capabilities of the primary muscles involved.
Psychology
Commitment to swinging fast or “letting it go” is crucial. Many golfers leave a lot of speed untapped because they fear losing control. Speed training helps you get comfortable moving the club fast. Counterintuitively, accuracy often improves. This barrier often needs to be broken down both off and on the course. As environment and consequence change, so do comfort levels and commitment.
To learn more about training for club head speed, check out Swing Speed Training – The Fit For Golf Guide.
