What Is Considered a Fast Swing?

[greatgolfahead]

My son and I have been playing golf for several years now.  He played in his middle school team last year and has had coaching before. Overall, he has experience with the game and is improving. Lately though, we've been debating the merits of his "aggressively" fast swing off the tee box. Believe me, any reasonable person that has played golf can see that his swing is faster than most players. To my son, he feels it's "his swing" and his goal is to hit it far of course, but I tell him it's too fast because I've seen how his fast swing causes more bad shots compared to his more graceful swing.  I try to explain that you're tempo should be consistent from club and that distances are determined by club selection, and that he's better off with a more graceful swing.  On approach shots and around the green, he's very smooth and graceful.  With that said, I don't understand why he decides to change his tempo from the tee box.  I've never pressured him into hitting farther from the tee box.  I believe it's because his friends hit farther with their clubs, and so he's trying to work on his distances.  He hasn't hit puberty yet, but once he does, I think he will gain some natural strengths.

How else can I help my son be content with a more graceful swing?

[iacas]

On 10/22/2018 at 11:34 AM, greatgolfahead said:

How else can I help my son be content with a more graceful swing?

Who says that's the best thing?

I'd encourage him to keep swinging fast. He's at the age when players develop their speed the most. Control is easier to develop than speed.

[Patch]

I think it was Harvey Penick who told one of his student to swing as fast as he could. The student said something like if he swung slower, he'd have better control, and balance in his swing. Mr Penick said something like distance first. Balance, and control will come later. 

Distance is every golfer's friend. Well, that and a hot putter. 

[Piz]

Tempo is genetic.  What seems fast, or slow, to one person, may seem fast, or slow, to another.  There is no "correct" tempo.  There is, however, a tempo suited to each golfer.  Nick Price and Ernie Els are both accomplished golfers but neither would benefit from trying to swing a club like the other.

[Lihu]

135 mph would be considered a fast swing!

Funny thing is people who can do it don’t look like they’re swinging all that hard. They make contact and the ball seems to disappear into the sky after 5 or 6 seconds 😁

[Vinsk]

2 hours ago, Lihu said:

135 mph would be considered a fast swing!

Funny thing is people who can do it don’t look like they’re swinging all that hard. They make contact and the ball seems to disappear into the sky after 5 or 6 seconds 😁

I remember Erik posting something about the awe of watching some tour players at the practice area...not that he doesn’t already know... but IIRC he was reiterating how good these guys strike the ball. I made it a point to go watch the practice area at the API (I’ve gone the last 3 years) and man is that ever true. I watched Bubba hit some mid iron shots then either a hybrid or a wood and it was ridiculous. I even watched some who I couldn’t even recognize and it was just awesome. Over and over ...just hearing the sound of the clubs and watching the ball disappear...really a sight to see.

[FrivolouslyWasted]

On 10/26/2018 at 11:32 PM, Vinsk said:

I remember Erik posting something about the awe of watching some tour players at the practice area...not that he doesn’t already know... but IIRC he was reiterating how good these guys strike the ball. I made it a point to go watch the practice area at the API (I’ve gone the last 3 years) and man is that ever true. I watched Bubba hit some mid iron shots then either a hybrid or a wood and it was ridiculous. I even watched some who I couldn’t even recognize and it was just awesome. Over and over ...just hearing the sound of the clubs and watching the ball disappear...really a sight to see.

As a kid I always used to enjoy stopping by the practice range during the Masters and watching those guys crush it. I remember watching a couple of guys drive balls into the net all the way at the end of the range. Not sure the distance, but way farther than I’ll ever be able to hit it. Those guys are good, indeed.