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.
Club head speed is one of the biggest determinants of potential performance in golf. There is a certain threshold you need to be at depending on your golf goals. Without it, reaching these goals becomes much harder.
Club head speed hugely impacts ball speed, which is the biggest determinant of distance with all clubs. In practical terms, with all else being equal, a gain of 20 yards with the driver requires about 7 mph of club head speed increase. This is a very reasonable increase for most golfers.
It should be noted, improvements in strike location, launch angle, and spin rate can also be transformative for golfers. Once these have been taken to a high degree of “optimisation”, all you’re left with for more distance is club head speed. It’s the limiting factor.
What does this mean from a score improvement or strokes gained perspective?
A 20 yard improvement is worth approximately 0.13 strokes per shot.
0.13 x 12 drivers per round is 1.56 strokes. (1.82 if you hit 14 drivers)
(If you’re not familiar with Strokes Gained you can check out my podcast with Mark Broadie.
The gains don’t end with driver. If a golfer gains 7 mph of club head speed with driver, they will almost certainly become one club longer through the bag. This means one club less from each approach distance. Not only are you closer to the hole, you get to use a shorter and more lofted club on each approach shot than you would have previously from a given distance.
Imagine a typical par 4 at your home course. 20 yards further off the tee and closer to the green is worth about 1.5 to 2 clubs difference in approach shot club. Add in the fact you are now one club longer from each approach distance, and there is likely a 2.5 to 3.5 club difference on your approach shot.
Factor this into every hole of every round (with some exceptions depending on the course). Greens in Regulation (GIR) and proximity to the hole will improve dramatically. If you want to make significant improvements in your handicap, increasing GIR needs to be a key focus.
This is a completely different golfer, capable of a very different style of golf, and very different scores. Thousands of golfers have made this progress. Club head speed is extremely trainable, and worthy of serious attention if you are a golfer committed to improving your scores.
To learn more about training for club head speed, check out Swing Speed Training – The Fit For Golf Guide.
