Beware: Swing Weights Slow You Down

[DJYoshi]

I was watching this great show the other day on the discovery channel. It's sport science. This show explains a lot, the odds of plays happening, why the balls travel the way they do..etc. etc. Definitely check it out.

There was a segment on swing weights during your practice stroke produce the opposite effect. While we think they're helping to increase our swing speed, it's actually doing the opposite and slowing you down. ii'm trying to find a clip online right now, but I haven't been able to all morning.

[titaniummd]

I saw that too. It slowed the reaction time of batters.

Even though the golfer perceived a faster swing speed, his contact was less effective.

I tried the Power Sleeve that was 14oz but it was too heavy for me. I am sticking with my Medicus iron for stretching only - not to increase swing speed.

[TheThein11]

wow that is really interesting I will be looking to tivo that show and thanks for he heads up.

[Surefire]

Very interesting.
I've not seen the show, but just thinking about what you said, it makes sense.
To move the heavier club at the same speed as the normal club, you'd have to exert more force, so in theory switchin back to a lighter club should be faster. If the human body were a simple machine this would work.
As most people swing the lighter club at full speed already, they can't swing the heavier club at the same speed so they either swing it slower, or faster because of momentum and have messed up timing. When they switch back, all they have done is put the slow swing into muscle memory, and\or possibly messed up timing.

However as mentioned before I think weighted clubs arre good for strecthing. I also think they are good for practicing static positions, because the heavier clubs provide more feedback to the mucles, which helps store more information about the precise positions of all the muscles in the brain.

[iacas]

However as mentioned before I think weighted clubs arre good for strecthing. I also think they are good for practicing static positions, because the heavier clubs provide more feedback to the mucles, which helps store more information about the precise positions of all the muscles in the brain.

I too will often grab two or three irons and swing them to help loosen up. I don't swing weighted things to try to swing faster. No doubt you would somehow compensate, and compensations aren't good.

[allin]

I believe that the real issue is training your body or possibly muscle responses and balance. When you swing a lighter club you are training your body to swing quickly and practicing the balance that goes with it. This is the theory behind much training in sports. Distance training in the winter followed by speed training in the spring for middle distance runners for example. Weight lifting cycles with low weights high reps for a time alternated with workouts with high weights and lower reps. As with almost everything there is no magic bullet. The goal is to devlop a mix of strength, endurance, balance, flexibility eye hand coordination. Each person must allot time to the areas based on their own needs.

[titaniummd]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct;=re...1_qCtlP8_mjxEQ

I hope this helps.

[iacas]