How To Increase Club Head Speed – 10 Effective Practices

Club head speed is essential in golf. Perfecting this speed is necessary if you need it to hit longer drives and shorter approach shots. This article explains how to increase club head speed.

Many golfers at all skill levels seek to increase their clubhead speed to improve their golf game. Luckily, modern analytics has made it easy to measure and understand the benefits of club head speed. 

Various approaches and methods are popular for increasing club head speed, and opinions on the most effective way vary.

How to increase club head speed?

In general, if the clubhead moves fast at the time of impact, the ball speed increases and travels farther. This happens because the energy transferred from the clubhead to the golf ball makes it move in the forward direction.

Therefore, the club head speed is an important factor that needs to be considered to generate maximum ball speed. The average club head speed of most professional golfers is 114.81 mph, as per PGA tour stats.

Below are some ways to help you increase club head speed and get more distance potential over the golf course.

1. Improve your physical fitness

The first and foremost way to generate clubhead speed is by working on strength training.

The main aim of strength training is to focus on the correct muscle groups, such as your core, legs, chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps.

You can try resistance band exercises, close grip bench presses, incline bench presses, kettlebell exercises, single-arm triceps extensions, dumbbell rows, and much more. These exercises help in increasing golf swing speed and generate more power while hitting the shots.

Note: If your key muscle groups lack sufficient strength, the club will control your downswing rather than you controlling the club. This means that you won’t be able to effectively utilize ground reaction forces to transfer power up the chain.

2. Improve flexibility

Apart from strength training, you need to improve your flexibility as it allows you to create a longer and broader backswing, which helps you generate speed.

However, finding a balance between flexibility and muscle mass is essential, as excessive muscle mass can reduce flexibility.

Focus on improving your hip mobility to increase club head speed. This allows you to turn more easily in the backswing and downswing, which in turn, can help you generate more power.

Squats and lunges are exercises that can help you improve hip mobility.

3. Shaft weight

Shaft weight is one of the factors that can make a lot of difference in your gameplay. For amateur golfers, using a lighter club is easier to swing faster, so it is recommended to try using a club with a more lightweight shaft or grip.

Note: If the club is too light, it can even decrease the club head speed, one of the standard errors found by club fitters.

4. Use a lower lofted club

A lower lofted club is an excellent way to improve your distance off the tee. Low-lofted drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids help produce a lower trajectory for your golf ball than higher-lofted irons and wedges.

This means that good players can hit the ball on a more shallow angle, increasing their shots’ overall carry and distance. Moreover, clubs with lower lofts will produce less backspin and, therefore, will have a higher ball speed.

Having the correct launch angle will also lead to more consistent ball flight and control of direction. Furthermore, using a lower lofted club allows you to increase clubhead speed by giving you less time in the air before the ball hits the ground allowing it more time on the ground while it rolls away from you.

5. Use a grip that promotes a fuller wrist cock

The best way to get hold of your club head speeds is to have a proper grip. Gripping a golf club depends on two factors: Grip pressure and grip strength.

To increase the speed, it’s important to have a grip that is neither too tight nor too loose.

To know how to hold a golf club correctly, you must consider strengthening your grip by rotating your hands to the right (for a right-handed golfer and vice-versa for left-handed golfers). This can help you control the club better at high swing speeds and promote a draw shot shape, which can go farther than a fade.

Moreover, a fuller wrist cock allows you to release the club head more efficiently, which can increase club head speed. For these reasons, many of the world’s longest drivers of the golf ball use a strong grip.

Note: A grip that is too tight can cause tension in the upper body and reduce muscle efficiency, while a grip that is too loose can lead to a loss of control during the swing.

6. Widen your stance

A wide stance can help you increase swing speed in different ways. Maintaining stability and achieving a wider arc in the swing can help you generate more torque and increase your angular velocity, leading to a more powerful swing.

Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart to get a good stance. Then, adjust the width of your stance by slowly moving your feet outwards until you feel balanced and stable. Remember that the width of your stance may vary depending on the shot or club you are using.

7. Transfer the weight onto the lead foot

When it comes to getting a powerful golf swing, one of the most important things is to be mindful of your weight distribution. Start with your feet equally weighted at the address, then shift the weight to the back foot as you begin your backswing. During the downswing, move that weight forward onto the lead foot.

Doing this will help create more power, but remember to ensure your lead knee does not come over your toes to avoid any potential injury. Take a few practice swings practicing this technique, then step up to the ball and hit your shot.

8. Swing speed training

A more efficient swing will allow you to transfer more energy into the ball, resulting in more club head speed. Focus on keeping a smooth, balanced swing and using your body to generate power.

Swing speed training effectively increases the club head speed and overall distance off the tee. Golfers can improve their swing speed while maintaining technique through a proper warmup, stretching, and exercises designed to increase torque and power.

Additionally, golfers should use drills that improve shoulder turn and hip rotation to create more power in their swings.

Furthermore, utilizing weighted clubs and hitting off-target mats or nets can help teach the body how to generate more clubhead speed with proper form. With regular practice and diligence toward improving your swing speed, you can see dramatic increases in ball flight and distance.

9. Play with a consistent swing tempo

Being consistent in the swing tempo can help you generate more clubhead speed by allowing you to maintain a powerful swing. This means the time to complete the backswing and downswing is the same.

In terms of the golf swing, a good tip is to ensure your backswing lasts three times as long as your downswing. So if you take 1 second on your backswing, aim for 0.33 seconds on your downswing.

10. Take golf lessons

A qualified golf instructor can teach you how to use your body to create momentum efficiently during the swing. By focusing on good technique and getting feedback from experienced golfers, you will be able to develop increased muscle memory, which leads to faster swings.

On top of that, taking lessons allows for practice with an expert who can provide helpful tips and advice, which will better equip you with knowledge on how to improve your technique over time. At last, taking golf lessons is one of the best ways to achieve greater clubhead speed and eventual success on the course!

Conclusion

If you want to increase your clubhead speed and get better at golf, it is important to focus on improving your technique through strength and conditioning exercises, drills, and weighted club practice. 

Additionally, analyzing your performance with video analysis can provide valuable insights about how to optimize your swing with golf clubs for maximum speed.

Lastly, proper warmup stretching before each round and focusing on the fundamentals of form can help you maintain consistency and develop long-term success in the game. With these tips in mind, you will be well on increasing your clubhead speed and getting better at golf!

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