Swing speed increase

[Backache]

There is no conflict there. Certainly play to avoid penalty shots. But longer is still better. If there isnt a penalty area, then longer wins. And being longer gives more options to avoid penalty risks. He is very clear on it : distance = lower scores above all else. Similar the other analysts; Stagner, Fawcett, Mackenzie. I am surprised people are questioning this actually.

Well there is conflict, he is clear if you are hitting it a long way and losing the ball you should be dropping back.

 

[Backsticks]

Well there is conflict, he is clear if you are hitting it a long way and losing the ball you should be dropping back.

Because you are playing into a penalty shot risk area. Not because of the distance you hit it. Generally, the risk is the same, so hitting it further is better. Sometimes hitting it further gives you the possibility of avoiding risks that the shorter hitter cannot - the reverse is obviously never true. And yes, there are a minority of cases where hitting it shorter improves your score. But taking the whole, longer, wins. You are focusing solely on the minority of cases. They do not determine your score. The whole does.

 

[Fabia999]

OP, OP are you still there

Thought I would follow up on my post, I would suggest trying youtube and searching on speed training and would suggest buying yourself the cheapish blue radar . You dont need to buy expensive speedsticks things

I think this was the series I watched at the time, when I started it, well worth a watch :-

Long Drive Training - Ep. 1 - YouTube
Long Drive Training - Ep. 2 - YouTube
Long Drive Training - Ep. 3 - YouTube
Long Drive Training: Ep. 4 - YouTube
Long Drive Training: Ep. 5 - YouTube
Long Drive Training: Ep. 6 - YouTube
Long Drive Training: Ep. 7 - YouTube
Long Drive Training: Ep. 8 - YouTube
Long Drive Training: Ep. 9 (131 mph!) - YouTube
Long Drive Training: Episode 10 "Speed is Truth" - YouTube

I'm still here. Thanks for the videos I will get through them. It's interesting to see peoples honest opinion on it. They're having a go at each other so I don't mind haha

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Well there is conflict, he is clear if you are hitting it a long way and losing the ball you should be dropping back.

That quote doesn’t say dropping back is better.
The problem with dropping back is that most people aren’t much more accurate with a fairway wood or long iron.
Then you have the problem of having to hit a longer club for your second. And guess what? Most people aren’t great at hitting longer clubs from the fairway or rough, their dispersion is bigger and they are more likely to hit it into trouble.

 

[Slab]

Hi all,

What’s the best way to increase swing speed. I have been looking into a overspeed stick but thought I’d get some opinions first.

I have a slow swing speed, I use a TS1 driver and my average distance since the start of the year is 175 yards.

Thanks!

I'll quote the opening post just for relevance given the tangents

I'm on a bit of an unstructured mission this year to increase swing speed/gain distance but I'm not using any particular method or teachings by any pro etc

I've just been working on general upper body strength & fitness 2-3 hours per week and core rotation exercises, and 2-3 hours of exercise walking/jogging plus fitting about 2 trips a week to the practice range
I know gains isn't gonna happen by just 'swinging faster' but also know that being generally fitter, stronger, more flexible and able to turn more easily, can't possible hurt my speed
I don't measure my speed or other stats and range balls aren't a viable guide, but I do know my good shots (with all clubs) are creeping up in distance all the time and I'm only 2 months into the plan

good luck

 

[Backsticks]

That quote doesn’t say dropping back is better.
The problem with dropping back is that most people aren’t much more accurate with a fairway wood or long iron.
Then you have the problem of having to hit a longer club for your second. And guess what? Most people aren’t great at hitting longer clubs from the fairway or rough, their dispersion is bigger and they are more likely to hit it into trouble.

Two elements are being mixed here maybe.
1) longer is better. This is an absolute, and length is the prime limiting factor on scores.
2) whether it is worth playing deliberately shorter than one longest. It is, occasionally. But only if taking a penalty shot risk or hazard out of the equation. Which can happen but is the exception. It is not worth deliberately playing shorter otherwise. Any dispersion gains are more than lost in the giving up of distance.

Many have quoted the now know to be false, correction to the old line about driving for show, putting for dough. It is now known that you drive for dough, putt for show.

 

[sunshine]

I upped my speed whilst the course was shut during the wet weather. Basically I’ve gained 1 club so my 8 iron does my old 7 iron distance. I did core strengthening, speed work on the range but during speed training I learned to sequence better, that and better ball striking is key. I’m putting in no more effort than before and getting more distance.

Well done, that's good work.

What most people do is buy new clubs, where the 7 iron now has a number 8 on the bottom, in order to gain one club distance. No hard work involved in that.

 

[bobmac]

A fast swing speed not only hits the ball further, with the benefits from simply more yards, but faster swings are also better swings.

Is that because of a better technique?

 

[sunshine]

I'll quote the opening post just for relevance given the tangents

I'm on a bit of an unstructured mission this year to increase swing speed/gain distance but I'm not using any particular method or teachings by any pro etc

I've just been working on general upper body strength & fitness 2-3 hours per week and core rotation exercises, and 2-3 hours of exercise walking/jogging plus fitting about 2 trips a week to the practice range
I know gains isn't gonna happen by just 'swinging faster' but also know that being generally fitter, stronger, more flexible and able to turn more easily, can't possible hurt my speed
I don't measure my speed or other stats and range balls aren't a viable guide, but I do know my good shots (with all clubs) are creeping up in distance all the time and I'm only 2 months into the plan

good luck

Good luck.
Carrying a heavy tour bag for four hours will help too

 

[sunshine]

I think some of the posters on this thread mainly play on short easy courses, where a 200 yard drive is good enough to get you in range of the green. I used to play at a short public course (Haste Hill) and saw players with very limited swings maintain low handicaps because they were straight. These were the people that used to say things like "drive for show, putt for dough", because they never played a course over 6,000 yards let alone 7,000+ tour course set up for the pros.

These players would be in massive trouble on a challenging course that offers a proper test. I played Royal St Georges last week (apologies for name dropping) and you needed 200 yards carry just to reach the fairway, and we were nowhere near the back tees. My short and straight playing partner was hitting his usual consistent drive straight down the middle but finding all sorts of problems.

 

[Slab]

I think some of the posters on this thread mainly play on short easy courses, where a 200 yard drive is good enough to get you in range of the green. I used to play at a short public course (Haste Hill) and saw players with very limited swings maintain low handicaps because they were straight. These were the people that used to say things like "drive for show, putt for dough", because they never played a course over 6,000 yards let alone 7,000+ tour course set up for the pros.

These players would be in massive trouble on a challenging course that offers a proper test. I played Royal St Georges last week (apologies for name dropping) and you needed 200 yards carry just to reach the fairway, and we were nowhere near the back tees. My short and straight playing partner was hitting his usual consistent drive straight down the middle but finding all sorts of problems.

Yeah, if its sub 6000yrds then it kinda negates the need for looking at speed/distance gains because a 200yrd drive might be perfectly adequate to give a realistic chance at GIR

I can't (won't) play off the tips at 7100, its just not the right course for me
I generally play the 6600 tees but still can't do GIR for several greens (hence the drive to find more distance this year) because this is the tees all the comps are played off
Social games on windy days i'll play it at 6200 tees & that compensates somewhat for the wind so it doesn't really increase GIR opportunities
On the rare occasion of social golf with no wind, its sooo much more fun to drop to 6200 (and I generally score well)

I hate pulling a fairway wood/hybrid for 2nd shots (half the par 4's are over 400) and much prefer hitting an iron so bottom line is I need to find more off the tee

 

[Deleted member 31467]

Two elements are being mixed here maybe.
1) longer is better. This is an absolute, and length is the prime limiting factor on scores.
2) whether it is worth playing deliberately shorter than one longest. It is, occasionally. But only if taking a penalty shot risk or hazard out of the equation. Which can happen but is the exception. It is not worth deliberately playing shorter otherwise. Any dispersion gains are more than lost in the giving up of distance.

Many have quoted the now know to be false, correction to the old line about driving for show, putting for dough. It is now known that you drive for dough, putt for show.

Whats your handicap and how far do you hit the ball?

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Worth a watch for anyone interested

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Apropos very little - but just my observation…if I get my ball on or at least fairly close to the green in ‘regulation‘, and I get down in two 50% of the time, and do this 8 rounds out of 20 I’ll be single figures. And as I improve my GIR, my hcap will come down as my Down-in-Two % increases. Obviously a very simplistic thought, but quite simple nonetheless

 

[Deleted member 31467]

No. swing speed/distance itself will categorically reduce your handicap. Longer =wilder from the tee has been well discounted as a mistaken perception.

This is actually really funny

 

[Deleted member 31467]

Worth a watch for anyone interested

It's very interesting. The guy says he dropped 6 shots from his handicap. 3 of them down to driving and the other 3 down to improved short game.

 

[Backsticks]

I think some of the posters on this thread mainly play on short easy courses, where a 200 yard drive is good enough to get you in range of the green. I used to play at a short public course (Haste Hill) and saw players with very limited swings maintain low handicaps because they were straight. These were the people that used to say things like "drive for show, putt for dough", because they never played a course over 6,000 yards let alone 7,000+ tour course set up for the pros.

These players would be in massive trouble on a challenging course that offers a proper test. I played Royal St Georges last week (apologies for name dropping) and you needed 200 yards carry just to reach the fairway, and we were nowhere near the back tees. My short and straight playing partner was hitting his usual consistent drive straight down the middle but finding all sorts of problems.

Possibly, and maybe short courses colour some peoples views of the importance of distance.
But it doesnt affect the fundamental golf standard one will 0lay, or handicap.
A 180yd drive player will still mot get to single figures even on a 5500yd 'short' course. Or it would still take being able to drive the ball 250 to have a chance of playing off scratch. Redardless of the course length itself, handicap or golf level will still correlate to max distance.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Possibly, and maybe short courses colour some peoples views of the importance of distance.
But it doesnt affect the fundamental golf standard one will 0lay, or handicap.
A 180yd drive player will still mot get to single figures even on a 5500yd 'short' course. Or it would still take being able to drive the ball 250 to have a chance of playing of scratch. Redardless of the course length itself, handicap or golf level will still correlate to mas distance.

I disagree. I maintained a low single figure handicap at Wimbledon Common which is both short and tight and so driver wasn't always the necessary or correct play. I was playing the days of wooden clubs as well and so 280 yard drives were an absolute rarity. Even when I played other courses where length was more a factor I had the ability to keep it in play and plot my way round most courses. I don't think with the equipment as it was there was such massive discrepancies in distance. I do however think with the modern drivers there is a massive difference between average driving distances and 250-280 drives but I would argue a handicap golfer with a reasonable short game could plot there way around most courses and still be competitive. Of course there will be instances where this isn't the case and I would still fancy my chances of my current 11.8 mark against a low single figure player around places like Wimbledon Common

 

[Bdill93]

Possibly, and maybe short courses colour some peoples views of the importance of distance.
But it doesnt affect the fundamental golf standard one will 0lay, or handicap.
A 180yd drive player will still mot get to single figures even on a 5500yd 'short' course. Or it would still take being able to drive the ball 250 to have a chance of playing off scratch. Redardless of the course length itself, handicap or golf level will still correlate to max distance.

My course is 5600 yards approx. and we have multiple "short" players on single digits - but you're right, increase their drives to 250 and they'd be far closer to scratch.

 

[Backache]

Hi all,

What’s the best way to increase swing speed. I have been looking into a overspeed stick but thought I’d get some opinions first.

I have a slow swing speed, I use a TS1 driver and my average distance since the start of the year is 175 yards.

Thanks!

There has been a lot of chat on the thread since you posted much of which is rather peripheral to your original question.
I don't think anyone can truly answer your question in a way that is specific to you .

Firstly you don't actually say what your swing speed is you mention your driver distance and although this will relate to swing speed how it relates will depend very much on the efficiency of your strike.

Secondly you mention a muscle condition. There are clearly many types and many will effect certain muscle groups more than others . These may effect firstly howyou can respond to any speed or strengthening programme. They may also be creating areas in your body that are less able to move well due to weaknesses these may have increased imperceptibly and you yourself are not fully aware of them.

Thirdly in the advice people have spoken about both improved technique and strengthening as if they are almost mutually exclusive. They are emphatically not . Most benefit will be gained by doing both rather than trying one in preference to the other.

Personally in your situation I may be inclined to firstly contact a sports physiotherapist who can test your range of motion specific to golf, advise you on how to improve that if necessary with specific excercises, Advise you how you are likely to respond with your muscle condition to a speed training programme and how best you could implement it. And then seek a golf professional and see how he can help your strike taking into account any problems the physio may have identified.

Sorry if this seems a little long-winded but I don't think a simple answer really addresses the issues you have raised.