I’m one of those golfers that can fully recognize the importance of a straight golf shot. I know the ball needs to go down the middle, but it’s much more fun to hit it far and straight. The best way to hit a golf ball further is to increase clubhead speed.
If you are wondering how you can increase clubhead speed, we have you covered. Not all golfers can increase clubhead speed by simply trying to swing faster, but there are other methods that make it attainable. In this guide we break down exactly how to increase your clubhead speed, with 7 different methods that can be used by beginners and tour pros alike.
How To Increase Clubhead Speed | Tried and True Methods
The key ways to get more clubhead speed in your golf game are to create a more efficient swing and to increase overall strength. Luckily there are a few different ways that you can go about this process. Let’s look at our top 7 ways to increase clubhead speed for any golfer.
Create Width in Your Golf Swing
Width creates distance in your golf swing. This is a simple science equation; the club can generate more speed if you have more width in the swing. However, the way you go about creating this width is something that is quite important.
Many golfers attempt to keep their arms outstretched and away from the body. This is a good way to create extension, but at some point, you have to hinge, or as some instructors call it, “load” the club.
Without this, your swing will actually have less power, and your consistency will go out the window. The width in the golf swing needs to be in place at the top of the swing and for the entire downswing.
One of the best ways to do this is to set the club a little earlier and rotate it toward the top of your swing. My favorite drill to work on this uses just a headcover.
Simply place the headcover under your right arm, higher up near the armpit. On your takeaway, you will want to keep this headcover in place; as you get to the top of your swing, it should drop out. If you are extended at the top of the swing, the headcover falls to the ground.
Width is without a doubt one of the easiest ways to add clubhead speed to your swing.
Improve Your Flexibility
Do you stretch before a round of golf? How about the days that you don’t play golf? Are you doing any stretching? Almost all golfers could do a better job of stretching and creating flexibility in their bodies.
Even the slightest bit of flexibility can add a tremendous amount of distance to your game. Essentially as you are able to turn more, your flexibility will increase, and your clubhead speed will get considerably faster.
Improving flexibility takes practice and dedication. You won’t get results overnight, but practicing several golf stretches has proven to be quite effective. I like to work with bands and medicine balls and develop a routine that I can repeat as often as possible.
As great as it would be to do the routine every day, it’s more realistic for me to get it done three times per week. However, I have noticed a difference in my flexibility on and off the course.
If you doubt your ability to create a flexibility routine in your life, at least commit to stretching before a round. If you stretch before a round of golf, your added flexibility could also help prevent an injury.
Being limbered up before you step foot on the course helps your body perform at its very best.
Work on Timing and Tempo
Golf swing timing and tempo can be complicated at times. One of the first things golfers try to do when they work on timing is slow down their swing. Slowing down your swing does not really help you get more clubhead speed.
The key to the proper timing and tempo is to have your swing sequence down. This moves away from trying to control the swing and more towards trying to line everything up properly.
One of the ways that I have found this to be more attainable is to work on taking a proper turn away from the ball. If you start your golf swing with a great turn, it is much easier to get your timing and tempo right.
The players that struggle the most with tempo and timing are those that incorporate their hands and wrists into the swing more than they should. It becomes too difficult to time the motion of these parts of your body. When you add the core in and try to get the larger and smaller muscles working together, expect more consistent results.
Proper Grip
If you have ever felt less than confident in your grip on the golf club; you likely understand how important the proper grip can be to clubhead speed. When someone gives you a club and says to swing it more than 100mph, you will certainly need to have a good attachment to the club.
The trouble that golfers have is finding that balance between too little and too much grip pressure. If you have too much grip pressure, you will restrict the motion in your swing.
If you have too little grip pressure, you won’t be able to control the club head enough to hit a square golf shot. Proper grip pressure is the perfect mix between light and firm.
One way in which I check my grip pressure is to ensure there is no tension in my forearms. If the grip pressure is too much, the tension in my forearms starts to build, creating issues. However, if I can relax the forearms a bit and reduce overall tension, the clubhead speed greatly increases.
Of course, I still have a firm grip on the club, and it is positioned in such a way that it won’t lose control in my hands, but I’m also not restricting my body.
Strength Training for Clubhead Speed
Golfers dedicated to overall physical fitness can often find that strength training helps increase overall clubhead speed. Strength training includes lifting weights and sometimes even cross training to build up the proper golf muscles.
The key here is to work with a trainer initially, one that understands the game of golf. When working with a trainer, you can get more accurate details about the specifics of your swing, what needs to be fixed, and how you can fix them through strength training.
As any golfer can tell you, there is a fine line between strength training and flexibility training that you will have to carefully manage.
If you are curious as to whether strength training works, take a look at Bryson DeChambeau before Covid and after. He spent a great deal of time working on his body and gaining strength, and he gained a ton of distance.
Of course, we haven’t really seen his scoring record change all that much, but there could be quite a few reasons behind this.
Work with an Instructor
Golf instructors can spot issues in a golf swing rather quickly. Sometimes you may lose clubhead speed because of your weight transfer or lack thereof. Other times there could be a torque issue in your legs and where you are directing forces in the swing.
Some players can’t get the clubhead on the proper plane, and this has an impact on the overall clubhead speed. Essentially there are a number of ways in which you could be losing clubhead speed, and an instructor will find them for you rather quickly.
If you don’t have an instructor in your area that you can trust, there are options for remote instructors that will look at a video of your golf swing and offer suggestions.
When working with a golf instructor, make sure that you tell them your goal is to increase clubhead speed. Many times there are goals and plans the instructor might have in place for you before understanding your goals.
Wanting more clubhead speed is a great reason to take a lesson; don’t be afraid to share that. With that said, proper mechanics taught by an instructor will always help you improve your swing and most likely add some speed to your move.
Use a Speed Training System (Our Recommendation: SuperSpeed Golf)
In the game of golf, if there is a problem, chances are there is a golf training aid that can become the solution. The SuperSpeed Golf speed training system is one of the best options on the market for golfers that are looking for a methodical way to increase clubhead speed.
One of the things I love about the SuperSpeed Golf training system is that PGA Tour professionals use it. Of course, there are always some endorsements involved in things like this, but there are others that have really felt the overall benefit of using the SuperSpeed golf training system.
Essentially you get these different weighted training devices. If you have ever used a donut to warm up for a baseball game, the overall concept is very similar. However, SuperSpeed creates an actual training plan that lets you go from light to heavy and train your muscles.
Instead of just swinging a heavier club, you learn HOW to speed up your swing. Trust me on this one, too much speed applied incorrectly just leads to bad shots.
The gradual increase in overall weight makes it easier for golfers of any strength or ability to gain the extra speed they need. The training program takes about 6 weeks, and you have to be diligent about the practice that you put in. Golfers say they can see a 5% increase in clubhead speed or more after completing the program.
SuperSpeed golf took a really simple concept and made it fun and entertaining for golfers to work on. If you know you can remain consistent with a practice tool or training device, you will end up getting quite a bit more distance in your game by using SuperSpeed.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you should feel like you have some actionable steps to increase clubhead speed.
The process to increase clubhead speed does take a bit of dedication and commitment. However, when you see that drive go ten yards further down the fairway, you will have a hard time complaining about the time you put in.
The thing I love about adding clubhead speed is that it’s something that any golfer can do. Whether you have been playing for twenty years or twenty days, chances are there are things in your swing that can be improved to increase clubhead speed.
Let us know how you make out with our top 7 tips on clubhead speed in the comments below!