Swing speed radar question

[Deke]

My only experience of testing my swing speed is borrowing a friendly chap's swing speed radar at the driving range.After about 20 shots my average speed was about 105mph.Is this a realistic speed? I have only been playing less than one year,and the reading seems a bit high,are these things reliable?

 

[RGDave]

No reason to distrust it. I know folks that have picked up a club and within a few sessions/games are over 100 mph.
Lucky them...

 

[kid2]

Well Deke im playing less than a year and my swing speed is always around the 105 m.p.h as well .....I feel comfortable at that if i try slow it down i start spraying balls everywhere.
I think if your quite flexible and athletic this is achievable but its keeping it controlled is the problem ...
No good having that much speed if the ball is all over the course..
I dont buy into it much though as i think it really only applies to the Driver 3w or 5w.
When you think about it 1 players 7 iron is another players 6 or 8 iron and so on.
Go with what you feel comfortable with.

 

[JustOne]

After about 20 shots my average speed was about 105mph.Is this a realistic speed?

With a DRIVER? Yes it's realistic and it would probably put you about 10mph above average.

Regards...

 

[John_Findlay]

105mph? Yeah Deke. That's a decent clubhead speed with a driver, too.

The Titleist Tour Van guy who custom fitted me for my driver also explained that the ball speed should be about 50% more than the clubhead speed too. So 100mph clubhead speed should translate to 150mph ball speed. Mine was around 103mph. After that the distance will be defined by launch angle and spin (oh and if you can actually hit the middle of the ball!)

He also mentioned that every extra 1mph in ballspeed usually translated to about 3 yards extra on the course.

 

[Deke]

Thanks for the input guys,appreciate your comments!

 

[viscount17]

J-F, isn't the 1.5 smash factor seen as an optimum? I'd think anything consistently over 1.4 was decent and over 1.45 pretty good.

 

[John_Findlay]

Is it Steve? I just went with what he told me. Makes sense obviously. It certainly is one of the considerations in deciding upon shaft flex. I went back to regular shafts from stiff to get that 1.5x "smash factor" Was happy with a ballspeed of 155mph...until I found out what the big hitters speeds were. I am a big girly wimp.

 

[Region3]

and if you can actually hit the middle of the ball!

That's the easy part... hitting it with the middle of the club is the hard part!!

 

[Adrena1in]

and if you can actually hit the middle of the ball!

That's the easy part... hitting it with the middle of the club is the hard part!!

How true.

First time I went into a swing monitor thing at my local range I straight away swung at 103mph, and my speed remained around there. It's consistency that's always been my problem. About one in twenty balls goes straight, and only maybe one in ten of those are from the centre of the driver-face sweet spot.

 

[TonyN]

When I first took up golf my swing speed was around 105-110 and I couldn't hit a fairway.

Now its roughly 90-95 and a ball speed of roughly 135. Much better now I only swing at about 80%

 

[Region3]

When I first took up golf my swing speed was around 105-110 and I couldn't hit a fairway.

Now its roughly 90-95 and a ball speed of roughly 135. Much better now I only swing at about 80%

But just think how much further it would go if you tried to leather it every time!