Are you worried about the speed with which you are hitting the golf ball? I caution any golfer who believes speed is an important factor in deciding your skill level!
To be honest, clubhead speed matters.
However, just because you cannot hit the ball with the same speed as a professional player, this doesn’t mean you cannot play a decent game.
Most golfers barring a few pros, can only reach an average clubhead speed of 110 MPH while playing, and that’s complete fine.
Another common misconception that amateur golfers have is that hitting the ball very hard can make it travel faster and longer. This brute force method may not always work as accuracy tends to decrease in such instances.
Clubhead speed is an important parameter which determines how much you will earn while on tours. It is not the only factor, but it sure is one of the determining factors. Hence it is essential to know how to improve the sing speed without spoiling the precision.
I will help you understand more about the clubhead speed and how it impacts your game.
What is the Average Club Head Speed
The average club head speed of a golfer is 110 mph.
Based on data collected globally, male golfers have an average speed 15% faster than women within the same category. The golfers in the age group of 17- 50 years have a speed of 126 mph as their 99th percentile.
Golfers in the age group of 10-16 years old have the highest speed of 110 mph and an average speed of 95 mph to mark their 50th percentile. Senior citizens have a slightly lower average value of about 90 mph.
These values are based on some data points collected in some regions and may not be exactly indicative of the payers in your particular region.
Now that you know club speed is essential, how do you rank yourself based on your own MPH? It is not possible to globally collect the list of people playing golf and rank them based on their playing speed.
The easiest way to assess your skill level is by comparing the percentiles. So how does this percentile ranking work? The person who is known to have the highest speed will be in the highest percentile, i.e., the 100th percentile. The next 25 percent of the golfers will be placed in the 75th percentile and so on.
Average club head speed by age
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 144 mph | 98 mph |
| 17-29 | 126 mph | 100 mph |
| 30-50 | 125 mph | 99 mph |
| 50-60 | 110 mph | 86 mph |
| 60+ | 104 mph | 79 mph |
How to Increase your Club Head Speed
One of the common misconceptions amongst many golfers is that hitting the ball fast can increase the clubhead speed. While technically this might be true, it is also true that the control you exert over the ball will be significantly less as opposed to perfectly timed swings.
The best way to to increase your club head speed is to increase the club speed at the time of impact.
- Increase the club head speed is by creating a lag before hitting the ball. This momentary lull can help increase the speed to its full potential.
- The grip is essential in golf. If you practice poor gripping techniques, it can severely impact your game. You should focus on your slicing, hooking techniques to see the difference in the speed.
- Increasing your muscle strength is another method of beating your current swing speed. If your fundamental strength is low, then no matter how hard you try, you may not be able to muster up a lot of speed. Core strengthening exercises and strength training routines could be incorporated to build up more muscle power.
How to Measure Club Head Speed
To measure your club head speed you need to hit 15-20 golf balls with your club and consider only those shots which are not a mishit. You need to then calculate the average distance hit, Add the drive totals and divide this number by the average distance.
Now that you know the importance of clubhead speed, you may want to measure it and find out where you stand. Some golf clubs have sensors to help you with these measurements.
If you’re not lucky to have the latest measurement devices to measure your speed, instead you can use this simple method to manually calculate your values.
You then need to subtract a factor of 5% for a roll factor. Dividing this value by a factor of 1.5 or 1.75 can give you a reasonably accurate speed at impact. Of course, using sensors is more effective and precise, but this method can help you crudely asses your position.
How to Increase Golf Swing Speed
To increase your golf swing speed, you need to increase the force of your swing at the time of impact.
I found this method quite difficult at first, and will most likely require daily practice for a few weeks.
Amateur golfers generally get confused between swinging hard and swinging fast. Though it may sound the same to untrained ear, there is a significant difference between both.
Swinging hard is using up all your raw strength to hit the ball as hard as you can. There is a high chance that the ball might go off course.
Swinging fast is a controlled motion which aims to ensure that the ball follows a particular trajectory and lands at the required place. So how exactly can you improve your swing speed?
Swing speeds are not something that can be improved overnight. You cannot learn a few tricks and suddenly start increasing your speed by 10mph.
Improving your overall fitness levels can help in increasing the kinetic energy during the swing. Work on your core muscles. Try to bring in optimum control of your swing.
3 Exercises/Drills to Increase Club Head Speed
So what are the steps that you can follow to improve your clubhead speed? Let me help you with pointers which can help you significantly increase your swing speed.
1. Ball throw practice
- This drill involves throwing a ball at a target. The ball should be thrown with a motion which emulates a golfing stance. Try to control the speed and path of the ball.
- Once you are comfortable with this part, you can move on to trying the same using a club. Try to simulate a ball throwing motion with a club.
2. Towel drill
- For this exercise, you will need to use a towel. Knot one end of the towel and swing it up and down until the knot hits your shoulder.
- Try to feel the lag generated by the knotted end. This will be similar to the lag of the club.
- You will need to try and hold the towel for a bit before letting it hit the shoulder. This concept of later release will help you obtain the maximum power necessary for achieving maximum speed.
3. Understanding your Swing Speed
- Hold the club horizontally and try to move it. Try to identify your comfortable speed limit. Note how the club cuts the air and the sound that it makes.
- Apply this same technique by holding the club in the right position. Try to simulate a sound similar to the previous exercise.
Best Way to Increase Club Head Speed
Are you looking to improving your swing speed without making too many changes? You can quickly increase your distance by a few yards by enhancing some of your techniques.
An essential thing to remember is that by maintaining a perfect posture, you can improve your speed. Try checking if your shoulders are squared and hips are turned at the right angle. Another thing you can do is play from the ground up. The swing generated while playing from the ground up can increase the speed on impact.
Most amateur players make the mistake of confusing brute force for speed. The professional players hit the ball in a very smooth motion. This is the secret to getting more speed. The controlled smooth motion will ensure maximum speed on impact.
Try practice hitting the center of the club using smooth and relaxed movements. You will be able to notice that your balls travel longer distances than before.
Conclusion
Your club head speed is an essential factor which determines the standing of a player. The more the speed is, the more distance the ball will travel. Improving your speed by a few miles per hour can significantly improve the range by a few yards.
Professional players have speeds of about 120 mph. Though amateurs cannot hope to emulate or achieve such speeds, around 110 mph or 105 mph of speed is attainable.
Golfers who can shoot longer distances and with greater speed are often the highest paid. This becomes an essential factor while on tours.
Making minor changes to the posture or the way of handling a club can make a massive difference for many beginners.
Working out the core muscles and building strength are some ways to improve your totals in the long run. Use sensors to measure your average rate and know your standing. I recommend that you wrote up a quick course of action to improve on your maximum club speed.