Swing Speed - Holy Cow!

[timgolfy]

Just received my Swing Speed Radar and Tempo Timer. Straight into the back garden for some practice swings.

Although new to golf I do have a decent drive, measuring on Google Earth about 230-270 depending on wind (so, say, 250 average). So I was expecting about a 110+ swing speed.

First swing 91.
2nd swing 94.
3rd swing 92.

Holy cow. After a few minutes of swingingly wildly it went to 99 - this was using all of my effort (6ft 2in and long arms). Had a rest and a think about it and reckoned that the wrists must be preventing a full release. Back into the garden and got to 109 using a wild uncontrollable swings.

How TF do pros get 120 average? I feel like a right wimp.

 

[USER1999]

Mid 90s is a pretty good swing speed.

Tour pro's have better swings than us, engaging more of the big muscles, using more core strength, better weight transfer, more lag, etc.

These sorts of data are always depressing. Buying a gps is the usual one though.

 

[Alex1975]

What are you using to mesure with?

 

[brendy]

My average was coming out just a shade under 100, I managed a 110 but was never going to be reliable, that was a couple of years ago though and have been working on getting the wrists a bit stronger with a gyro ball thing. (OI! minds out of the sewers!)

 

[timgolfy]

What are you using to mesure with?

http://www.swingspeedradar.com/ssrwithtempotimer.html
(from 118Golf)

 

[timgolfy]

Tour pro's have better swings than us, engaging more of the big muscles, using more core strength, better weight transfer, more lag, etc.

To be honest, I feel like I'm using everything just to get to 100. My tempo is good (around 1sec-1.1sec) and I normally get full extension on the swing. I feel like my arms are flying like propellers. That's why I though it must be more to do with the release of the head (perhaps releasing too early)?

 

[PaulE]

What are you using to mesure with?

http://www.swingspeedradar.com/ssrwithtempotimer.html
(from 118Golf)

The photoshopping on that ad is superb.

 

[HRC99]

What are you using to mesure with?

http://www.swingspeedradar.com/ssrwithtempotimer.html
(from 118Golf)

What on earth possessed you to buy something like that?


I can't see that it tells you anything particularly useful in trying to improve your golf.

 

[Doh]

Trying to hit hard can have a detrimental effect on distance. You will get more distance hitting it Better.
Also trying to swing FAST creates tension which is a killer of distance.

 

[timgolfy]

What on earth possessed you to buy something like that?


I can't see that it tells you anything particularly useful in trying to improve your golf.

Why not buy it? Let's face facts - if you want to be a scratch/sub scratch player you need to hit the ball far. To hit the ball far you need a fast swing speed. This tells me how fast I'm swinging, without the need to be on the range.

My philosophy to golf is: learn how to hit it long, then reign it back to hit it accurately.

 

[Alex1975]

What on earth possessed you to buy something like that?


I can't see that it tells you anything particularly useful in trying to improve your golf.

Why not buy it? Let's face facts - if you want to be a scratch/sub scratch player you need to hit the ball far. To hit the ball far you need a fast swing speed. This tells me how fast I'm swinging, without the need to be on the range.

My philosophy to golf is: learn how to hit it long, then reign it back to hit it accurately.

I was thinking just the other day the direct opposite "hmm golf is all about accuracy Al". I dont think I have ever tried to make my swing faster but it has got faster over time.

If that thing told me ball speed too I may be more interested... infact I would just like a Trackman!

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

Why not buy it? Let's face facts - if you want to be a scratch/sub scratch player you need to hit the ball far. To hit the ball far you need a fast swing speed. This tells me how fast I'm swinging, without the need to be on the range.

My philosophy to golf is: learn how to hit it long, then reign it back to hit it accurately.

Not technically true. I play with a guy that plays off scratch and im easily 50 yards past him with the driver and yet he can easily beat me .

 

[Aztecs27]

If that thing told me ball speed too I may be more interested... infact I would just like a Trackman!

Yours for a bargain £35k if I recall correctly! (for the all singing all dancing model)

I might buy two!

 

[Alex1975]

If that thing told me ball speed too I may be more interested... infact I would just like a Trackman!

Yours for a bargain £35k if I recall correctly! (for the all singing all dancing model)

I might buy two!

You would be a mug not to have a backup!

 

[HRC99]

What on earth possessed you to buy something like that?


I can't see that it tells you anything particularly useful in trying to improve your golf.

Why not buy it? Let's face facts - if you want to be a scratch/sub scratch player you need to hit the ball far. To hit the ball far you need a fast swing speed. This tells me how fast I'm swinging, without the need to be on the range.

My philosophy to golf is: learn how to hit it long, then reign it back to hit it accurately.

I disagree entirely.

I hit the ball further than my regular playing partners and yet all of them are much closer to scratch than I am (or ever likely to get). Their irons, wedges and short game are all far superior to mine which is why they are better players than I.

I really think that knowing your swing speed is a real red herring.

How well you hit it is far more important than how hard you hit it.

 

[timgolfy]

I hit the ball further than my regular playing partners and yet all of them are much closer to scratch than I am (or ever likely to get). Their irons, wedges and short game are all far superior to mine which is why they are better players than I.

I don't want to cause problems (I'm only new here ), but I wonder how accurate they would be if they had to hit the ball further? Playing to scratch on short courses may be fine for the small hitters - doing it on longer courses would impossible.

 

[G1BB0]

if I swing fast I duff it, if I swing slower and smoother I pure it 9/10 times

yes I may not get max distance... yet, what I do get is a level of consitency that I can then work on over time to achieve some extra distance.

Isn't swing speed used to depict what type shaft is required?

 

[Yerman]

Its limited how fast you can swing, Pros are born not made. If you biopsied their muscles you'd find higher level of fast-twitch and very fast-twitch fibres. Technique can only help so much. If you watch Ricky Fowler he swings faster than most people blink.

 

[timgolfy]

Pros are born not made.

Sorry - but I don't believe that. Just look at the various shapes and sizes of most pro golfers and you'll see that they have zero in common with each other. Take the two longest hitters - Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes. One is 6ft 3 weighing 13stone, the other 5ft 11 and 14 st.

 

[HRC99]

I hit the ball further than my regular playing partners and yet all of them are much closer to scratch than I am (or ever likely to get). Their irons, wedges and short game are all far superior to mine which is why they are better players than I.

I don't want to cause problems (I'm only new here )

Don't worry, we're all up for a friendly debate on here.

but I wonder how accurate they would be if they had to hit the ball further? Playing to scratch on short courses may be fine for the small hitters - doing it on longer courses would impossible.

In theory, the SSS on a "short" course should make it equally difficult to become a scratch golfer as on a "long" course.

Don't get me wrong, length (off the tee, before people start sniggering) is important if you want to be a good golfer. But, having your swing speed as any kind of measurement of quality/effectiveness could be, to my mind, very counter-productive.