Thread: Increasing Swing Speed

As we all know, average swing speeds are getting faster, and golfers are hitting it longer than ever before. Here are a few videos that help to increase swing speed, as well as some that help neurologically train your body to incorporate it into your swing.

Increase swing speed at the gym
George "The Animal" Slupski,2010 RE/MAX World Long Drive Champion training with Jeffrey Fronk - YouTube

George "The Animal" Slupski, 2010 RE/MAX World Long Drive Champion trains with Jeffrey Fronk - YouTube

George "The Animal" Slupski, 2010 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championat trains with Jeffrey Fronk - YouTube

Stretching and swinging with a shaft
#107 - Tips from Long Drive Champ Mike Dobbyn - YouTube

How To Increase Golf Swing Speed - Hip Rotation Stretch Tip - YouTube


Neurological training
Coach Joey D - Lower Body & Rotational Activation & Strengthening Exercise - YouTube

There are a ton of them, but that is all I have for now.

I think if any Golfjin members tried to emulate "The Animals" training regime they'd do themselves a mischief long before they made it to the course.

Seriously though, I think the vast majority of amateur golfers would be a lot better off working on their balance and rythm/tempo (ie try and copy Luke Donald's swing) rather than going for sheer power which is hard to control - When it goes pear-shaped, it goes very pear-shaped

Love the video of Big Mike Dobbyn. He is actually a friend of mine and heck of a nice guy. We met at a professional bowling tournament a few years ago, actually. Not only can he drive a golf ball 551 yards, but he can throw a 16 pound bowling ball over 25 miles per hour. For reference, the average professional bowler throws it about 15 miles per hour. And he does so without even trying hardly.
Really like his advice on strength and speed training. Equally important if you are trying to increase club head speed. Very important to work on these while doing PLENTY of stretching.

Originally Posted by Granto

I think if any Golfjin members tried to emulate "The Animals" training regime they'd do themselves a mischief long before they made it to the course.

Seriously though, I think the vast majority of amateur golfers would be a lot better off working on their balance and rythm/tempo (ie try and copy Luke Donald's swing) rather than going for sheer power which is hard to control - When it goes pear-shaped, it goes very pear-shaped

I agree. That is why I tried to stay away from the golf swing as much as possible ;) I am sure that there are some training techniques that will help incorporate more SS into the golf swing without upsetting the game too much, but that is not my area at all.

PWeb, I agree about the stretching, and I like Mike Dobbyn's stretch routine. Initially, I was going to link exercise videos, because they were so difficult for me to find when I was trying to max out my SS. However, as any golfer knows, stretching is vital not only for warming up, but for increasing SS.

The "Neurological Training" section was a pretty poor attempt at trying to make that extra SS usable.

Overall, this thread could help many golfers a ton if organized well, but it was late, and I got caught up watching long drive videos and clicked "Submit reply" without really finishing my post.
So this thread needs a bunch of work to be beneficial. If I could just work on it without needing the midnight oil, then it may happen

Look, it is past midnight already, Sheesh

No midnight oil to burn here

Some simple tips from The Swing master

I wouldn't change a thing if I had that swing. I think I wore out the replay button

All I need to improve my swing is a 9deg R11 @ 90kJPY

Originally Posted by ChrisJP

All I need to improve my swing is a 9deg R11 @ 90kJPY

90k? I hope that you are joking.
I know where you can get a driver (not adjustable) that has a very nice pedigree, but is over 50% cheaper.
Adjustable is nice though.

If you're not getting one tailored exactly to your swing/game, you'd be mad to pay 90k off the rack.

【楽天市�*�】テーラーメイド Ｒ１１ ドライバー カーボンシャフト インポートモデル：ＦＩＲＳＴＳＴ� �ＧＥ

Just a wee bit cheaper on Rakuten.....

Originally Posted by Granto

If you're not getting one tailored exactly to your swing/game...

Ok,Ok, I have to admit: R11 is way out of my HC, even at Rakuten price
While looking at it yesterday (@ Victoria Golf), I however wonder how much of an improvement technology can bring into the game.

And yes, there was a 85+kJPY price tag on it, but I didn't look close at the spec, so can say if it's the same as the Rakuten link.

The Vic Golf one might have had a more expensive shaft but maybe not.

Originally Posted by ChrisJP

Ok,Ok, I have to admit: R11 is way out of my HC, even at Rakuten price
While looking at it yesterday (@ Victoria Golf), I however wonder how much of an improvement technology can bring into the game.

And yes, there was a 85+kJPY price tag on it, but I didn't look close at the spec, so can say if it's the same as the Rakuten link.

I would wait until the R11s hits the market. Supposed to be a little lower spin than the R11. We may have it in a few weeks.

Besides buying a newer club!!!!

My coach drums into me every week...

the lighter your grip is the better for club speed...and stop trying to muscle it... Letting that grip/shaft/head/club pivot in your grip (top of back swing and release on follow through... rather than making your fingers a part of the shaft (stiff)...

He then demonstrates by holding the club between his thumb and index finger how gravity can make it fall faster than you can try and push it down using your hands and arms...

His latest mantra is telling me how stiff I am... so stretching and being flexible helps as well.

Still waiting for my new driver!!!

Good point about the grip Makken. I think that many are guilty of choking the club in an attempt to gain SS, particularly us high handicappers

Originally Posted by alongdriver

Good point about the grip Makken.

Now I'm confused
I always thought that my slice were coming from the head rotating at impact because my grip was not firm enough

I don't think the ball contacts the club face long enough for rotation after impact to be much of a factor. That is, unless your grip is so loose that the club nearly flies out of your hand!

If that were the case you would have virtually no power as well.

I am most definitely guilty of gripping too tightly. If I grip lighter, swing smoother, I make better impact. Rarely take that thought to the course, though!

Originally Posted by ChrisJP

Now I'm confused
I always thought that my slice were coming from the head rotating at impact because my grip was not firm enough

Nah, slices occur when your club head travels from out side the target line to the inside of the target line. It is difficult for me to explain, but I posted a thread "ball flight laws" in which a professional explains it much more simply than I ever could, and even has demonstrations.

As far as how long the ball is in contact with the face on drivers, don't quote me, but I think it is in the 100ths of a second (for example 6/100ths of a second), not really long enough to do much other than to provide acceleration and direction. The L/R or R/L angle that the head comes across the ball is going to impart a greater or lesser side spin on it.

Now, someone with a lot more knowledge about golf swings may have some input on whether a light or strong grip is directly or indirectly responsible for either slicing or starting the ball out in the right direction.

Here are some more videos:

1st some stretching...

LPGA Golfer Nannette Hill Hip Stretches - YouTube

LPGA Golfer Nannette Hill Hip Stretch with the TRX - YouTube

Then some medicine ball exercises...

LPGA Golfer Nannette Hill- Medicine Ball Throws for Power - YouTube

LPGA Golfer Nannette Hill, Medicine Ball Throws for Power in the Golf Swing - YouTube

Thanks for posting these

Shame they couldn't get Natalie Gulbis to do these vids...

Originally Posted by Granto

Thanks for posting these

Shame they couldn't get Natalie Gulbis to do these vids...

YW. That would be nice to have Natalie, or even Michelle Wei drum up some tips. Not that I'd learn anything because I'd be too busy ing

Grip pressure is not directly related to a slice or hook.
These swing flaws are, as mentioned by alongdriver, a result of a swing plane that is either too outside/in (slice) or too inside/out (hook). These flawed swing planes can result from a grip that is too weak or strong, but that is not about pressure, but rather positioning of the hands, especially the hand closest to your body. The more knuckles you can see on your left hand (if you hit right-handed) the stronger your grip is said to be. If you think of the back of your left hand as parallel to the clubface, then a strong grip will often result in a closed or shut face at impact giving a hook. So, if you slice, (the most common problem for amateur golfers) then strengthening the grip is the first thing you can try to eliminate the problem.
Other things you can do...

• Close your stance (move your right foot back a half step)
• Keep the clubface pointing at the target as you take the club away.

Don't do all of these things simultaneously! You will pull-hook every shot!
Try one at a time and see the results.

Good luck!

Great advice Bilinguru. I am not sure about others, but I have a strong suspicion that my grip while holding the driver is screwed, and has been slowly getting worse trying to compensate for the slices. I have been pretty happy lately with how my swing has been going/improving with everything except the driver. I recorded my driver swing a while back, and I can see where the slice is coming from. Every so often my driver comes around, but my confidence in my driver isn't near what it was, or should be. So I am going to have to take a look at my grip the next time I get to the range.
Thanks for the advice

Sometimes a quick set up will also help with a faster fluid swing!

My coach this morning still baffled why my driver skills are sh!tely...took out the video and took plenty of iron and driver shots...

My irons are as good as I'm probably going to get. Smooth and straightish.

The driver will have an array of shots... slice, hook, pull, good shot, top, under, the works....

Verdict:
My set up time for an iron shot is only about 4 seconds before I swing.

With the driver I was taking as long as 10 to 12 seconds..getting all tense and worked up, over-thinking it all...

After we realized this... I walked away from every driver shot...walked back behind the ball as if I was playing a game... did my little warm up swings while lining up my target... then just marched up to the ball and within 2 seconds of a quick setup I'd take a swing.... the difference was amazing.
Much more accurate and more distance as well... With a slower more relaxed back swing.

He's booked me in for a game and lesson at Kawama CC in May and said the pressure will be on to perform well on this course. He said it may have the nicest greens in the country as well.

Also had a 3 man pressure putting competition at 15 yards!! Hole in one for me!!!

Makken, glad to see that you seem to have found out what was giving you trouble with the driver. As you know, routines are good for consistency so hopefully you can do it bag-wide. How much extra distance were you getting?

I thought my grip might have been slowly getting stronger without noticing it, so I checked my grip, and that wasn't my problem this time. I flattened out my swing plane and my ball flight changed from mostly slices/fades to fades/straight which I can live with.

I flattened my swing plane a lot as well over the last 3 months.
This morning there was an instant gain of 20 to 40 yards with the over thinking, foot shuffling taken out of the address.

Then another drill we did after that was to throw balls 30 yards until we could throw them that far effortlessly without trying to baseball pitch it.

Then he asked me to take that relaxed feeling of throwing the ball into my driver swing. That improved my direction control as well.

Enjoying the lessons!