We’re willing to bet that you know by now that swinging wildly when you tee up to try and convince the ball to go further won’t do your back any favors. Think about it, what good does it do you if you connect solidly with the ball by swinging as hard as you can and drive it right around 300 yards, but it develops a 75-degree slice?
To get a good understanding of swing speed, consider professionals. Professional golfers will tell you that there is a huge difference between swinging fast and swinging hard because they know that swinging fast is all about managing to generate club speed that is well-timed, controlled, and very effective.
This reason is exactly why many professional golfers look like they’re taking slow swings, but their speed is actually 10 to 20 miles-per-hour faster than most amateur golfers. So, if you’re looking to increase your swing speed, the following tips can start you on the right track.
Understanding the Average Golf Swing Speeds
The best golfers on the professional tour circuit all have swing speeds that fall between 100 and 115 miles per hour. Also, some of the best long drive players have clubhead speeds that go over 140 miles per hour, and some of the best LPGA players fall between 90 and 100 miles per hour. For the amateur golfer, this falls to between 80 and 90 miles per hour. So, being able to increase your swing speed by 5 or 10 miles per hour can be a huge advantage. But, how do you accomplish it?
Four Tips to Help Improve Your Golf Swing Speed
1. Correct Your Grip
Although trying to correct your grip is never an easy thing to do, it’s essential. Your grip can help dictate your impact, club speed, hooks, and slices when you make contact with the ball. So, having an incorrect grip is one way of getting a slower swing speed with those wicked hooks or slices. A proper grip will help you release the club through the impact. In turn, this frees up your golf club to get to the maximum speed at the perfect time to slam the golf ball further than ever before.
2. Learn to Hinge Your Wrists
Imagine that your wrists are levers when you start swinging your golf club. You want to make your wrists hinge on the way back as the club travels through to finish the swing. For the best golf swing and increased speed, the trick is to keep your wrists hinged before your club hits the ball. By focusing on keeping your wrists hinged in this manner and not releasing this angle, you’re not going to waste a lot of energy by casting the club. So, all of your energy will go into increasing your speed. Your wrists should also act as levers to give you last-minute energy through the impact with the ball.
3. Fit Your Clubs
As you well know by now, you need professionally fit clubs to play to the best of your abilities. There are dozens of drivers available for you, and you want to get the perfect club for you. If you pick the wrong club, you could potentially struggle for years and not achieve the speed you want. A club that works for you can be good for distance and speed, but it’s also essential for accuracy. It’s not uncommon for professional golfers to swap out their drivers’ shafts until they’re comfortable, so you shouldn’t be afraid to do the same thing. Another thing to keep in mind is which golf balls are best. See this guide on what the best golf balls for beginners are.
4. Focus on Your Physical Fitness
Your overall range of motion and strength will directly impact if and when you reach your goal swing speed in a huge way. It’s difficult to narrow down the exact effect, but it’s not hard to see that the speed and distance of the drives increase as golfers get more physically fit. You can find a workout routine that works for your age, timeline, and commitment levels to help you get in shape. Ideally, you’ll focus on workout routines that have a focus on strengthening your core.
5. Working with Others
You could immerse yourself with like-minded people, brush up on the basics, and dive deep into your own game analysis to help you increase your swing speeds today. You may even start to see noticeable improvement relatively quickly.
