My Swing Speed Journey

[Springveldt]

Went to the range earlier, end of the session I was hitting driver and got some good readings, the last two I used premium balls and the jump in carry was very encouraging and alarming that the range balls are that different!

Are they flight limited balls? A lot of ranges have them since they don’t have the space for normal balls to be hit.

That’s why the expensive launch monitors have the normalise function to convert the range ball to premium ball numbers.

 

[DeanoMK]

Are they flight limited balls? A lot of ranges have them since they don’t have the space for normal balls to be hit.

That’s why the expensive launch monitors have the normalise function to convert the range ball to premium ball numbers.

Yes, the range balls are limited.

 

[Backsticks]

Went to the range earlier, end of the session I was hitting driver and got some good readings, the last two I used premium balls and the jump in carry was very encouraging and alarming that the range balls are that different!

Thats very good. What were equivalent number before you started the campaign ?

 

[Orikoru]

Went to the range earlier, end of the session I was hitting driver and got some good readings, the last two I used premium balls and the jump in carry was very encouraging and alarming that the range balls are that different!

Right, I'm not playing with you again.

 

[pokerjoke]

Going on the above.
Swing speed is the same,smash factor is different.
So surely based on this just hitting it better is 20 yards further.

 

[pokerjoke]

Going on the above.
Swing speed is the same,smash factor is different.
So surely based on this just hitting it better is 20 yards further.

Probably the range balls that make that difference.

 

[DanFST]

Came across this, which does seem in line with my experience of 90mph to 100mph.
View attachment 52009

I would say with updates in monitors and spin numbers, this is on the lower side. I'm quite a bit longer than my suggested swing speed on this graph.

 

[DeanoMK]

Thats very good. What were equivalent number before you started the campaign ?

Annoyingly I didn't get a baseline number before I started the training, I was too excited to start but I know from a couple of times I've hit on Sims and stuff that I was around 95-98.

Going on the above.
Swing speed is the same,smash factor is different.
So surely based on this just hitting it better is 20 yards further.

Definitely the smash factor has an effect too, was a combination of the two.

 

[Springveldt]

Probably the range balls that make that difference.

Definitely the difference between the range balls and a premium ball.

 

[Springveldt]

Just did another session at lunchtime as it wasn't raining for once this week and the green stick didn't really move (first set 120, final set 128) but the blue and red improved (120 and 117). Still got a little to go to catch up to where I was at the end of last season.

I'm going to try and get the stretching routine in twice a day now and I might start back with the resistance band training. I'll need to give the club a phone tomorrow to book a session on the Trackman to see where I stand, I could set my net up and use my Rapsodo but if I'm being honest the net is a few years old now and I'm worried a driver might go through it.

 

[Backache]

Annoyingly I didn't get a baseline number before I started the training, I was too excited to start but I know from a couple of times I've hit on Sims and stuff that I was around 95-98.

Definitely the smash factor has an effect too, was a combination of the two.

Won't the ball affect the smash factor?
Isn't the smash factor a measurement derived from clubhead speed and ball speed. If the ball is slowed up this will surely show as a lower smash factor?

 

[DeanoMK]

Won't the ball affect the smash factor?
Isn't the smash factor a measurement derived from clubhead speed and ball speed. If the ball is slowed up this will surely show as a lower smash factor?

I think strike location/quality of strike comes into it as well, or am I wrong?

 

[Backache]

I think strike location/quality of strike comes into it as well, or am I wrong?

I am not sure which was why I was asking, but I thought the smash factory was calculated by dividing the ball speed by the clubhead speed.
The location and quality of strike affect the ball speed which is why the smash factory is decreased in poor strikes. As I say I may be wrong but that was my understanding.

 

[DeanoMK]

I am not sure which was why I was asking, but I thought the smash factory was calculated by dividing the ball speed by the clubhead speed.
The location and quality of strike affect the ball speed which is why the smash factory is decreased in poor strikes. As I say I may be wrong but that was my understanding.

Yes, you are right, I just looked it up as I wasn't sure myself.

 

[Backsticks]

Strike location matters for sure. But also the ball. Shorter range balls will have a lower smash factor - thats why they dont go as far. Balls at my range (a Srixon 'Range' ball with two stripes on it) go the same as proper ball that you sometimes get in the basket as far as I can tell. I am normally in the range 1.43-1.47. Bad hits from the edge will see 1.37/1.40.
Consistent 1.38 and so are certainly the range balls, and you will get more from proper balls.

 

[pokerjoke]

Question

If someone has a ball speed of 120
a SF of high 140s he should be a 300 yard driver of the ball.
Summer conditions let’s say 25 degrees and no wind.

How far would this player hit a wedge.

The guys who are trying to increase their speed on here how far do you hit your wedge,not now but maybe last summer.

Last Summer my full wedge was 142
My driver was 265 carry.
I’ve never officially measured my swing speed because genuinely I don’t care at all,I’m only interested in results.
However I do believe I could probably get a little more out of my driver.

 

[Backsticks]

Question

If someone has a ball speed of 120
a SF of high 140s he should be a 300 yard driver of the ball.
Summer conditions let’s say 25 degrees and no wind.

How far would this player hit a wedge.

The guys who are trying to increase their speed on here how far do you hit your wedge,not now but maybe last summer.

Last Summer my full wedge was 142
My driver was 265 carry.
I’ve never officially measured my swing speed because genuinely I don’t care at all,I’m only interested in results.
However I do believe I could probably get a little more out of my driver.

Not sure about wedge, but the factor that seems a useful benchmark for irons v driver, is 7 iron (presumably standard length and 34 loft - not a fake 7i) to driver chs ratio of 1:1.2 or very slightly higher for elite player who can push the driver and still get a good strike. It works out for me. Am 86mph with 7i. I hit a lot if practice balls with the 7i, so data quite solid. Used to be 78-79. So not the 10mph I have gained with driver, but still significant. Effectively, one club. It gives me a 155ish carry in real balls, real course.
Wedge I dont have as much data, but think I carry about 115. Used to be more like 100.

 

[Springveldt]

Question

If someone has a ball speed of 120
a SF of high 140s he should be a 300 yard driver of the ball.
Summer conditions let’s say 25 degrees and no wind.

How far would this player hit a wedge.

The guys who are trying to increase their speed on here how far do you hit your wedge,not now but maybe last summer.

Last Summer my full wedge was 142
My driver was 265 carry.
I’ve never officially measured my swing speed because genuinely I don’t care at all,I’m only interested in results.
However I do believe I could probably get a little more out of my driver.

Depends on the loft of the wedge and also your delivery. I’ve always been a bit flippy with my irons, I can hit my wedge on Trackman (45 degrees) and my mate can hit his 52 wedge yet his dynamic loft is the same as mine at impact.

265 carry with driver, you should be around 108-110mph swing speed I’d guess.

 

[pokerjoke]

Depends on the loft of the wedge and also your delivery. I’ve always been a bit flippy with my irons, I can hit my wedge on Trackman (45 degrees) and my mate can hit his 52 wedge yet his dynamic loft is the same as mine at impact.

265 carry with driver, you should be around 108-110mph swing speed I’d guess.

Based on your reply regarding delivery.
It’s all obviously subjective to condition,delivery and strike.
If I hit a driver in summer with no wind ,a strike out of the screws and hitting,let’s say 5 degrees up and the driver set at 12 degrees,why couldn’t I get 265 with a swing speed of 100mph.

After all with all clubs it’s about strike?

 

[Springveldt]

Based on your reply regarding delivery.
It’s all obviously subjective to condition,delivery and strike.
If I hit a driver in summer with no wind ,a strike out of the screws and hitting,let’s say 5 degrees up and the driver set at 12 degrees,why couldn’t I get 265 with a swing speed of 100mph.

After all with all clubs it’s about strike?

Carry? No. Total with run, most definitely.

Why can’t you get 265 carry with 100mph swing speed? Physics and the current restriction on COR that is set by the R&A and the PGA. I think the highest ball speed with a conforming driver you can get from 100mph swing would be around 150mph and that isn’t enough speed to carry 265 yards under any launch conditions (at sea level anyway) that a golf club will give you.

I just had a play around with the Flightscope Optimizer and if you could somehow get a ball to launch at 21 degrees with 1300 back spin, zero side spin and at 77F air temp it would give you a 265 carry at 150mph ball speed.