Why is my clubhead speed so low?

[shamus]

Good god, I went to store to try out a Titleist 910 driver today just because I was curious since I've hitting the same driver for 6 years. Now, I've always struggled with distance and accuracy, but I've been hitting balls all winter at a golf dome to keep my swing up and I've been hitting well (accurate) all winter.

I've never known my clubhead speed, but always suspected it was low. According to their launch monitor I was between 83-85 mph, ball speed of around 120-125 and ball spin of 4500-5000!? How do I bump this up into at least the 90's and lower ball spin?

[poser]

Post a video of your swing in the myswing thread I'm sure you can get some advice there.  You must have some serous power leaks.  Although the slower the swing speed you want the spin so you can get more carry and more yards. No reason you shouldn't at least get your ballspeed into the 130s with the driver.

[saevel25]

Golf shaft and Lower loft will lower the spin. By trackman you probably want 3200-3600rpm spin.

To increase your clubhead speed. That is determined by flexibility, balance, and how you load the club. There are a few threads on the forum about power accumulators, search for that.

[evan01]

1 quick trick is to look in a mirror and see where your belt buckle is when you stop the shoulder turn an the back swing .  If you are  flexible  getting a good turn sometimes you will  turn the lower body along  with the shoulders and don't get the torque that is needed to get the speed that you want.  Hold the hip tight and not let it turn all the way around. I guarantee you will pick up 5-10 mph immediately and 10-15 yards on the distance end. When you understand how the resistance between the hips and shouldersworks this  is where the power is. Good luck.

[shamus]

thanks for the tips and advice

I've posted my swing over at the appropriate forum, here's the link: http://thesandtrap.com/t/56168/my-swing-shamus#post_686301

[saevel25]

Quote:

If you are  flexible  getting a good turn sometimes you will  turn the lower body along  with the shoulders and don't get the torque that is needed to get the speed that you want.

This is kinda a myth in the golf swing. Because some long hitters on the tour rotate there hips back more than others. What gets them the torque is when they start there downswing with there lower body first, they recreate that difference in shoulder and hip rotation. So its possible to get the same results in two different ways.

[golfballs01]

When you hear the statement that golf is played from the ground up, it is simply the sequence of the down swing. If you lift your foot at the top of the swing, planting it is the first thing to start the down swing, then the front knee kicks forward, the hips pivot forward, the torso, the shoulders, then the arms, hands and ofcourse the club. In addition, the angle established between the forward arm and the club, when at the top of the swing, should be maintained in the down swing until the hands reach the back pocket, then release the club through impact. This is known as lag. People leak power because they cast or throw the club when the club is high in the back swing. Be sure the weight gets forward by connecting the back knee with the front knee at the finish of the swing. Look at you tupe, type in (Tigers Perfect Swing) I hope this helps you out. Remember, keep it simple. Chris

[golfballs01]

In reference to the club head speed, I presume that this was calculated with the driver. One thing to keep in mind is that the club head speed is measured through the impact zone. Even the highest swingers are relatively slow from the top of the swing through the first half of the downswing. That is because the club actually reacts to gravity and drops to initiate the downswing. At the halfway point, the hitter accelerates through the impact zone. This is illustrated very nicely in Tiger Woods' book, (HOW I PLAY GOLOF). People lacking head speed through impact usually fall short in 2 areas. One is LAG, This is where the angle that is established between the forward arm and the club shaft, is either never completely formed, or it is released too early, or "CASTING". The other fault is a proper release. If the lag is performed correctly, the hitter holds the established angle as long as they can. Just prior to the hands reaching the impact area, the club is released and allowed to straighten out. Keep in mind though, if you are aggressive in the swing, the angle will usually release by itself due to centrifugal force. Rotation of the body through the swing is another factor to keep in mind. If the grip is correct, the release should be easily performed. Make sure that you don't choke the club in the grip and then try to make up for it by trying to over work the body. The best thing to do is after address, make a couple waggles to insure that the hands are firmly on the club, but not too tight. Make a wide swing on the way back, and insure a good angle with the cocking of the hands, then simultaneusly rotate the body and drop the club into the slot on the back side, making sure that your weight is shifting in the direction of the shot, and just let it rip. Make sure that that elbows are down and not up. If you get the lag and the release right, you should be in the 105 or so range.