How to Swing a Golf Club Faster
One of the main differences between the average golfer and professional golfers is how far they can hit the golf ball. What many amateur golfers fail to realize, however, is that increasing your power and swinging your hardest isn’t going to result in a higher driving distance from the tee box to the fairway.
That’s because in order to increase your distance and improve your overall golf game, increasing your golf swing speed and having a good follow through are the most important things.
PGA Tour pros and the best golf players don’t swing their golf club as hard as they possibly can on each driver swing; instead, they’re using a quick, controlled clubhead speed that allows for the club face to hit the ball at its sweet spot, sending it down the golf course with great ball speed and with great momentum.
Here are five things you can do to increase average swing speed.
Understanding Gravity
Learn this fact: Gravity is enough to help you develop clubhead speed. Several years ago, Dr. David Williams conducted a research project on Bobby Jones.
He discovered, through a computer analysis of some swing footage that Jones made in the 1930s, that Jones had a swing speed of approximately 113 mph. That's in line with modern pros. Jones accelerated the club during his downswing at just more than 34 feet per second per second, a figure that is slightly faster than gravity alone (32.2 feet per second per second).
Once you realize that you don't need extreme body speed to create club speed, you'll stop working against yourself.
Watch good players swing
Spending time watching good players and imagining how their swings must feel will help you ingrain the rhythm for your own swing. Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are all perfect examples. Ernie Els is another former tour player to watch and learn from, so much so that his nickname is "The Big Easy."
Relax your body
Relax your body, especially your arms. Ease up on the grip pressure. Relaxed muscles move more quickly than tight muscles; this simple fact has been taught in the martial arts for centuries.
When you tense your muscles, you interfere with their natural movements. Relaxed wrists cock and uncock more readily and at the right moment.
Relaxed lower body parts like your legs and upper body parts like the arms don't jerk the club from its natural plane of movement. A relaxed torso will make a fuller turn with less effort. All of these things will quickly contribute to a faster swing speed.
Swing Rhythm
Focus on swing rhythm. Many instructors talk about swings as if they were pendulums. While the motion isn't exactly the same, the image of a long, flowing swing is a good one. Too many players swing the club back too fast, and then jerk the club down from the top.
The downswing is slightly faster than the backswing, but relaxed muscles automatically dictate this rhythm. If you try to swing too fast, you'll have to tighten your forearm muscles a lot at the change of direction. If you try to swing too slowly, your swing will be jerky rather than smooth.
Speed training.
Practice swinging at maximum speed while you stay relaxed and keep your rhythm.
Don't be surprised if this swing feels very much like your practice swing, only faster. You'll find that your swing problems will lessen or disappear because many are the result of trying to "kill the ball."
Two other things you can do to swing your golf club faster are to go to a club fitting and get the club that best suits your body, as well as perform physical fitness workouts that support your core and lower body, which are essential to the golf swing.