You want more distance?  Increase clubhead speed.  Period, end of story.  For every 1 mph increase in clubhead speed, you’ll gain approximately 1.5 mph of ball speed.  That equates to about 2 to 3 more yards down the fairway.

There are several ways to accomplish this.  One, you can switch to a lighter club.  Manufacturers of golf equipment continue to tinker with shaft, grip, and clubhead weights in an effort to make the golf club lighter.  The rationale is that a lighter club equates to a faster swing.

Another is to improve your swing mechanics.  Let’s start with the backswing.  To gain more distance, you’ll need to turn your shoulders more than your hips, known in golf as the X-factor.  The larger the X-factor, the more clubhead speed you’ll be able to generate.

Most pros will turn their shoulders in the ballpark of 90 degrees and their hips about 50, resulting in an X-factor of 40 degrees.  Most amateurs, however, will produce a smaller X-factor due to the fact that they often over rotate their hips and/or have a tough time rotating their shoulders.

In the downswing, the un-cocking of the wrists can generate up to an additional 9% increase in clubhead velocity.  It appears the optimal time in the downswing to un-cock the wrists is when the lead arm is 30 degrees below the horizontal.

A good wrist hinge and release can make-up for a limited backswing, a la Alan Doyle, who from his biography learned how to swing a hockey stick in a room with a low ceiling. . . limited backswing, but good wrist action.  Safe to say that many hockey players could be good golfers. 

Combine a good backswing, however, with a timely wrist release and be the envy of your foursome. A third factor, and probably one of the keys to distance, is the development of speed.  After all, it takes about a second or two to swing a golf club.  I’m talking fast-twitch muscle fiber.  The white meat on Thanksgiving Day.  Simply put, in order to develop clubhead speed, your body needs to develop speed.  That comes from recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fibers. 

For golf, the best way to accomplish this is to perform speed/power type exercises.  Short, quick bursts repeated over a set amount of repetitions or time.  In doing so, you enhance the activation of these fast-twitch fibers and the outcome is an increase in clubhead speed. 

One such popular exercise is the side slam or toss. For this exercise you’ll need a partner.  That partner could be a rebounder (as shown in the pictures below), a brick wall, or another person.  Stand with your left side toward the rebounder/wall with your left foot forward and knee slightly bent.  Take a weighted medicine ball in hand, swing it back around to your right as far as comfort permits, and then rotate toward the rebounder/wall, releasing and catching the ball.  Repeat the sequence as recommended, getting controllably faster as you go, and getting more forceful on the slam/toss.  Turn around and repeat with the right foot forward.  This exercise can also be done in a ½ kneel position or while sitting on a stability ball.  Very beneficial when done with another person.   

Another version of this medicine ball slam, which incorporates more the golf sequence, is shown here. More power/speed exercises below.

Be mindful that speed exercises will be more intense and require a fair degree of strength and flexibility.  They’ll also bring with them a cardio component.  Make sure you’re prepared to take on this phase and reap its benefits by having developed, first, an adequate degree of flexibility, range of motion, strength, and balance.

In other words, walk before you run by focusing on your specific musculoskeletal deficiencies, as determined by the physical assessment, and then build-up a strength and balance base.  In doing so, you’ll reduce the potential for injury when the speed phase is incorporated.     

Keep in mind, too, speed exercises should be included for both the upper and lower body and should eventually be an integral part of your exercise program.  Exercises like side bounding and lateral hops and squat jumps on the BOSU are just a few.  They will absolutely make a difference in your ability to get down the fairway further.    

ARTICLE ARCHIVE

The Golf Swing Physiology Series
A FEW CAUSES AND CURES FOR A LIMITED BACKSWING
THE EARLY EXTENSION SWING FAULT
THE REVERSE SPINE SWING FAULT
THE PHYSIOLOGY BEHIND THE SWAY & SLIDE SWING FAULT

WHY LOW BACK DISCOMFORT IS COMMON AMONG GOLFERS
WHY IS FUNCTIONAL TRAINING IMPORTANT FOR MY GOLF GAME
LOW BACK PAIN AND THE QL MUSCLE

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I’m honored to be recognized, once again, by the Golf Fitness Association of America.

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