Swinging fast vs. Swinging hard

[EHSGolf1]

Is there anyway to swing fast instead of swinging hard? This is kind of a hard question to answer or even ask. Are there drills to help smooth out the tempo and swing faster instead of trying to swing harder. I have heard that quieting the lower body and synching up the body can help with this but I don't know if this is legitament or not.

[senorchipotle]

it's actually a combination of both. you want to come down hard on the downswing, but you want your hands to move quickly through the impact zone. basically, you want to start slow and hard and come through fast with your hands and swing through the ball.

[leezer99]

1) First, improve swing mechanics.

2) Train the body core in particular for strength and power.

3) Properly increase flexibility. Generally speaking, the further a joint can move through its range of motion, the less injury prone it will be. Increasing one's ROM is a good thing.

4) Begin a Specific Resistance Training Program.

5) Perform a properly designed, periodized strength and conditioning program specific for golf. Such a generalized program should include weight lifting, plyometrics, flexibility, and energy system conditioning.

[Jcp907]

Is there anyway to swing fast instead of swinging hard? This is kind of a hard question to answer or even ask. Are there drills to help smooth out the tempo and swing faster instead of trying to swing harder. I have heard that quieting the lower body and synching up the body can help with this but I don't know if this is legitament or not.

Not to hijack, but if what I am thinking is correct, perhaps this path of discussion will help you. For those that know, is the OP describing the difference between swinging and hitting in The Golf Machine terms?

[Woodtek]

If this post is about is about fireing from top hard then I know exactly what he means. I have an "explosive", for lack of a better term, move from the top. Probably becuase I have fairly quick hands and playing ball for many years in my youth when I used to wait on pitches to see what they were doing before swinging the bat and then fireing. More than once I've been told to slow my swing down but when I try it ends up feeling like a push-pull swing if that makes any sense. It's like I have to purposely hold my body back which for for me is not a natural feeling.

[Zeph]

Not to hijack, but if what I am thinking is correct, perhaps this path of discussion will help you. For those that know, is the OP describing the difference between swinging and hitting in The Golf Machine terms?

I was thinking about the TGM definition too.

Source: TGM Physics of Hitting is Muscular Thrust, and of Swinging , Centrifugal Force. Herein, "Motion" is Geometry — "Action" is Physics. Hitting and swinging seems equally efficient. The difference is in the players. If strong — Hit — If quick — Swing. If both — do either. Or both

[EHSGolf1]

I have always been told that it looks like I am swinging as hard as I can. When in reality I'm not swinging as hard as I can. I don't know if this comes from playing baseball since I could walk or what. I don't lack flexibility or strength either as I work out 6 days a week. I believe I could have a more efficient swing if I could learn to swing fast instead of hard or swing the club instead of hitting ball.

[thrasher]

Don't think about pulling the club with your arms to generate power on the downswing. Think about letting your arms drop into the slot, then rotate your whole body on the downswing while retaining you lag, and then concentrate on accelerating the hands/wrists through the hitting zone. You'll be surprised how much further you hit it that way while feeling like you're swinging easier

[WUTiger]

Is there anyway to swing fast instead of swinging hard? This is kind of a hard question to answer or even ask. Are there drills to help smooth out the tempo and swing faster instead of trying to swing harder.

Check out the

Increase Swing Speed thread from a couple of days ago: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...se-Swing-Speed

[senorchipotle]

I have always been told that it looks like I am swinging as hard as I can. When in reality I'm not swinging as hard as I can. I don't know if this comes from playing baseball since I could walk or what. I don't lack flexibility or strength either as I work out 6 days a week. I believe I could have a more efficient swing if I could learn to swing fast instead of hard or swing the club instead of hitting ball.

hitting a drive is pretty much as close as you can get to hitting a baseball. in fact, it feels exactly the same as hitting a low pitch down the middle and trying to hit a low line drive straight back at the pitcher. same upper body positions, the only difference is your lower body isn't as active.

[jamo]

I think of swinging fast as swinging efficiently, utilizing lag and hip/shoulder rotation to create "effortless" power, while swinging hard is what Camilo Villegas does. They did a slow-motion swing sequence of him yesterday. He hardly rotates his hips back at all, but he creates a lot of power from a large shoulder turn, plus he swings very very hard. For evidence of that, just look how he whips the club back after his follow-through, plus the fact that his back foot tends to slip.

[EHSGolf1]

I think of swinging fast as swinging efficiently, utilizing lag and hip/shoulder rotation to create "effortless" power, while swinging hard is what Camilo Villegas does. They did a slow-motion swing sequence of him yesterday. He hardly rotates his hips back at all, but he creates a lot of power from a large shoulder turn, plus he swings very very hard. For evidence of that, just look how he whips the club back after his follow-through, plus the fact that his back foot tends to slip.

That is what I am trying to achieve but I don't exactly know how to create "effortless" power. Like I said earlier, people say it looks like I'm swinging balls to the wall but I'm not. Does it matter if it looks like I'm swinging that hard when I'm not or should I try and get my swing to look more effortless. One drill I read about that I thought might help with this was Zach Johnson saying to take full swings with a driver but only hit the ball 200 yds total. He said that the only difference between that and when he is playing is that he just speeds up his swing on the downswing. Would that possible help?

[jamo]

That is what I am trying to achieve but I don't exactly know how to create "effortless" power. Like I said earlier, people say it looks like I'm swinging balls to the wall but I'm not. Does it matter if it looks like I'm swinging that hard when I'm not or should I try and get my swing to look more effortless. One drill I read about that I thought might help with this was Zach Johnson saying to take full swings with a driver but only hit the ball 200 yds total. He said that the only difference between that and when he is playing is that he just speeds up his swing on the downswing. Would that possible help?

To be honest, I have a similar problem. I hit it shorter than a lot of people i am stronger than. I know one problem wit my swing is that my left arm tends to be bent at impact, which takes away any lag I have. Also I tend to not hold my lag very long in the downswing. Those are two parts of my swing that are leaking power, maybe yo have similar problems? It would be hard to tell you definitively without video.

As for the Zach Johnson drill, he is just teaching himself to accelerate on the downswing. A lot of people have a problem where they accelerate very quickly at the beginning of the downswing, but they their swing speed sort of tops out before they hit the ball. You want your swing speed to be increasing even at impact. It could also be teaching him how to accumulate lag in the downswing. You might as well try it, it can't hurt.

[EHSGolf1]

To be honest, I have a similar problem. I hit it shorter than a lot of people i am stronger than. I know one problem wit my swing is that my left arm tends to be bent at impact, which takes away any lag I have. Also I tend to not hold my lag very long in the downswing. Those are two parts of my swing that are leaking power, maybe yo have similar problems? It would be hard to tell you definitively without video.

I guess I do kind of have the same problem. I know I tend to release the lag early. I think you have seen my swing before...it was titled My swing... i have fixed one part that was messed up when I took that video.

[jamo]

I guess I do kind of have the same problem. I know I tend to release the lag early. I think you have seen my swing before...it was titled My swing... i have fixed one part that was messed up when I took that video.

I just checked out your swing, and (besides the weird elbow thing during the takeaway) it looks really good. I would agree, though, that you don't keep lag very long, but it looks very powerful, good hip and shoulder turn, and your left arm is straight at impact, but I can't see where your wrists are at impact. That could be a potential problem, I just can't tell because the camera didn't pick it up.

[EHSGolf1]

I just checked out your swing, and (besides the weird elbow thing during the takeaway) it looks really good. I would agree, though, that you don't keep lag very long, but it looks very powerful, good hip and shoulder turn, and your left arm is straight at impact, but I can't see where your wrists are at impact. That could be a potential problem, I just can't tell because the camera didn't pick it up.

I fixed the weird elbow thing and thank you for the swing compliments. I have struggled with keeping my lag since breaking my wrist.

[jamo]

I have struggled with keeping my lag since breaking my wrist.

Well, that would make sense.

[Cussin hacker]

Sounds like the OP is explaining a fast/hard transition at the top of his swing down. I have that problem myself. I'm working on a slite pause at the top then slowly increasing power and speed. A fast/ hard transition does make someone look as if they are trying to kill the ball.