Poll: How hard do you swing?

[Midpack]

Just coming back to golf after a 15+ year layoff - and I'm still way too wild. So far I hit right, left and center especially with longer clubs (straight, pull, push, fade, hook). And when I look at the face of my driver on the driving range, I'm hitting all over the face, mostly center and toe all up and down the face (mostly thin when off, vs fat). I haven't skied the ball even once yet. And I'm finishing my swing off balance sometimes, usually falling forward toward where the ball was at address.

It's finally dawned on me my inconsistency may be coming from inadvertendly swinging too hard, at least in part. So I'm going to dial it back for a while and see how it goes.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Midpack

[DaveP043]

My image is that of swinging around 85%.  I know at times I try to give it a little extra, and it rarely works out well.  85% is a pretty full backswing, and an aggressive forward swing.

[Ernest Jones]

Hard as I can. 

 

[mcanadiens]

It usually depends on whether I managed to hit the ball on my previous shot. Until the breaking point, I'll probably slow it down if I'm not making contact. After the breaking point, its swing for the fences.

[Groucho Valentine]

I feel like i always full swing 100%. IMO, 100% is whatever the speed is that allows me to remain balanced throughout the swing. Anything more than that is where inaccuracy comes. I always swing through the ball with the same speed, whether is a pitch shot or full swing. Just the length of the swing differs. 

[Kalnoky]

I feel like the longer clubs require a bigger backswing and depending on how stiff my back is I have to swing faster to make a full backswing. Not sure if that makes any sense. I don't have this problem with wedges or short irons. 

 

[jkelley9]

Less than 70%.

I don't even take a full back swing. Might be the leading cause of some of my issues, though. But right now I hit a 7i 145 yards carry and I'm okay with that. Driver 230-240 carry probably (usually about 240-250 average with roll out). I play with guys 30 years older than me that will take a 9i to the tee box and I'll be carrying a 6i or 5i. Kinda sucks... but it's just how I play. I look at it as I'm saving my back - but that may be an erroneous assumption.

[saevel25]

I'm going to say 80-90%. Probably closer to 90%. 

[David in FL]

85% ish...?

[JonMA1]

Probably around 80%. I'm trying very hard to ingrain some mechanics at this point and swinging too hard seems to be the easiest way to mess them up.

Even at 80%, I think my club head speed is as fast as it's ever been.

[onthehunt526]

I usually swing in the 70 to 79% effort category. Most people I play with believe I can swing a little harder than I do. However, I'm comfortable with it. If I did swing a little harder, it would probably only be around 77-82%... And I average about 250 off the tee. Could perhaps gain about 10 yards if I did. But I just don't like to, trying to keep my balance.

[Piz]

I answered 100%...but I do not equate a full swing with the word "hard".  For me, a full swing is a complete swing, not a pass that requires extra effort.  If anything...a complete swing requires an absence of "extra" effort.  That's just me and I understand that everyone does not share the same nomenclature.  I'm as guilty as any of having an occasional lash at the ball; but it is never the plan going in.

[onthehunt526]

1 hour ago, Piz said:

I answered 100%...but I do not equate a full swing with the word "hard".  For me, a full swing is a complete swing, not a pass that requires extra effort.  If anything...a complete swing requires an absence of "extra" effort.  That's just me and I understand that everyone does not share the same nomenclature.  I'm as guilty as any of having an occasional lash at the ball; but it is never the plan going in.

I get your logic. However, I think @Midpack was asking about the amount of effort/force you put into your swing. More or less whether you feel you have "more in the tank".

Your logic is valid, however. I believe you feel as your 100% effort swing doesn't have too much effort in it. Which is a valid theory. 

Some would equate 100% with swinging as hard as you can. Which is what I believe the question is asking. The increments are a little vague, no one has a "swing effort meter" equipped to their launch monitors. 

It's a feel question, and a good one at that.

[Midpack]

32 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

Some would equate 100% with swinging as hard as you can. Which is what I believe the question is asking. The increments are a little vague, no one has a "swing effort meter" equipped to their launch monitors. 

All true, I did assume 100% was as "hard as you can," and assuming it's hard if not impossible to be consistent swinging as hard as you can. Knowing none of us has a swing effort meter, I just tried to offer some increments that might elicit responses.

Edited July 8, 2017 by Midpack

[Ernest Jones]

16 hours ago, jkelley9 said:

Less than 70%.

I don't even take a full back swing. Might be the leading cause of some of my issues, though. But right now I hit a 7i 145 yards carry and I'm okay with that. Driver 230-240 carry probably (usually about 240-250 average with roll out). I play with guys 30 years older than me that will take a 9i to the tee box and I'll be carrying a 6i or 5i. Kinda sucks... but it's just how I play. I look at it as I'm saving my back - but that may be an erroneous assumption.

FWIW, I make plenty of partial backswings and still swing as hard as I can. Backswing speed and downswing speed aren't necessarily the same. Heck, I can make a backswing at quarter speed and still make a downswing as fast* as I can. 

*I prefer to think fast rather than hard. The clubhead is hard, the ball is hard, I just need to be fast and the rest will take care of itself. 

[billchao]

Feels like 100%. Maybe I have an extra gear, I don't know. I dial it back when I need to hit flighted shots or to control distance.

Honestly this has always been one of those things I never really understood about the swing. I just swing.

[jsgolfer]

I'm going to say 80-90 but closer to 90.  In a scramble, I. Might swing as hard as I can, but when playing for score I try and swing at the speed that keeps me with a balanced swing, when I swing too hard, I can get all out of sorts and hit the ball all over the place.

[Midpack]

43 minutes ago, jsgolfer said:

I'm going to say 80-90 but closer to 90.  In a scramble, I. Might swing as hard as I can, but when playing for score I try and swing at the speed that keeps me with a balanced swing, when I swing too hard, I can get all out of sorts and hit the ball all over the place.

Exactly where I think I've been at for the past several weeks. Going to the driving range today to slow it down, and play accordingly next week.