The Need for Speed (and Other Things)

[StrawberryBurst]

Hi folks.

I am a very average golfer with a handicap of 11.5.  I've been playing properly since about 2021.  I am in my 30's and pretty out of shape. I'm overweight and fairly high body fat %. I feel as if I lack balance, and stability and also strength/power. 

One thing I have always lacked is distance. On a relatively decent strike, my driver carries 220 at best, my 7 iron 130-140 and so on. My driver CHS as of 2023 was between 95-100mph. Now I'm high 80's to low 90's, so I've lost speed even from then. I'm pretty sure in 2022 I was even averaging 98-105mph at one point. I understand that my numbers are very playable for most golf courses. I understand that a more consistent strike and better mechanics will assist with distance. 

I play at a lot of different courses all at various lengths thought society competitions and mini tours etc. On the longer courses I struggle even on a good ball striking day. I'm having to hit driver then 3 wood/hybrid/long irons on longer holes. Meanwhile my playing partners are anywhere between 30-50 plus yards past me off the tee. On the shorter courses I play well and score better because I can hit driver then 7/8 iron etc. Now there is a bit of ego here as well - don't get me wrong and I accept that but it seems really obvious to me that an easy way to improve my scores is to add some distance to my game. 

So yeah, I want to add distance to my game. The way I understand it (please correct me if I am wrong or missing anything) is that distance comes from the following;

- Good swing mechanics
- Consistently good ball striking
- Flexibility and Mobility
- Strength/ Power
- Overspeed training
 

My plan for this winter is as follows;

- Workouts using Fit for Golf app, also flexibility and mobility work.
- Better diet, eating more healthily and consistently to help with losing body fat and gaining strength
- Overspeed training with The Stack (or another)
- Continue to work on mechanics with coach and practice
- Continue to get out and play golf when weather allows

I do understand that I may also lose any ability to hit a golf ball as well if I properly go for it, but that's where the coach comes in. I don't see any real reason (unless there's an underlying health issue - but I wouldn't have thought that to be the case) that if I am consistent with the plan that come spring I should have added some speed and distance throughout the bag.

 

Anyone have any tips/advice?

 

 

 

 

[ChetlovesMer]

Looks like your plan is a good one. 

Like anything in life and/or golf you'll get out of it what you put into it. 

Personally, I find that chasing speed and chasing mechanics at the same time can be very challenging for me. So, be sure to let your swing coach know that you are trying to increase your swing speed. He/she can help you keep your mechanics under control while you are chasing better swing speed. 

The only thing I can also add is that some folks find that learning to play a draw helps them gain distance. That's not always the case, but it often helps. 

Good luck with the plan. Stick to it and you will see results. 

[p1n9183]

Launch conditions and swing mechanics are king. 
Launch conditions aim for the typical high launch / low spin formula, let say 14° and 2200 rpm. Also with less sidespin as possible.

Once you have that, swings mechanics are the most important thing to improve club / ball speed. 
The concept of snapping a towel or skipping a stone in a lake are key. The golf swing is the same concept but extended to the hole body.  

Speed training is a good way to learn how to swing faster, but take care of your body it can lead to injury. Is vital for this process to get a launch monitor or a speed meter to measure progress.

  

[saevel25]

On 10/13/2024 at 2:45 PM, StrawberryBurst said:

So yeah, I want to add distance to my game. The way I understand it (please correct me if I am wrong or missing anything) is that distance comes from the following;

- Good swing mechanics
- Consistently good ball striking
- Flexibility and Mobility
- Strength/ Power
- Overspeed training

Ball strike is king. You hit with a glancing blow (hook or slice), your smash factor just decreases a ton. Having a face to path angle of like 20 degrees versus something like 3 degrees is huge. 

Yea, getting in shape is a good idea all around. Power is moving something heavy really fast. So, increasing how much you can lift, then improving on how fast you can move it will improve your power. In general, I think the two biggest tests for distance is like a chest press and standing vertical high jump. Some people are gifted with fast hands, but having good lower body can amplify what you have. Using the ground the correct way really ramps up the rotation speed, and then that can get the clubhead moving faster. Still, the hands do get down from the top of the backswing really fast. 

If you start gaining strength and power gains. Knowing how to use the ground properly is important. You can have all the leg strength, but if you are not activating it correctly it is a waste. That is where good mechanics come into play. 

 

[StrawberryBurst]

Well, brief update.

Driver speed up 2mph on average. 7 iron speed up 5mph. Continued with lessons also, including a new grip (3/4 knuckles lead hand) - which has vastly improved my ball striking and dispersion front to back and left to right. Happy so far.