A round of golf is all about hitting the ball farthest off the tee, keeping it in play, and putting the ball in the hole at least possible strokes. To do so, most golfers tend to have a mighty swing at the ball.
Swing speed in golf is one of those concepts you will hear more often if you are passionate about improving your golf skills. But what is the swing speed, how does it impact your play, and what is a good swing speed for you? Unfortunately, you can not improve your golf swing speed overnight.
But there are some basics you need to know before going deep about improving your golf swing speed. This article will share basic information about golf swing speed that would help you understand the topic and ultimately improve your skills. Besides, we have a dedicated article on improving golf swing speed to help you more.
Let’s start with the swing speed impact in golf.
Table of Content
What is Swing Speed and the Impact of Swing Speed in Golf?
Swing speed, also known as clubhead speed, is the speed at which your club moves at the point of impact. Ball speed is directly correlated to swing speed. Therefore, the faster your clubhead speed, the faster your ball speed should be.
You are more likely to hit it longer with a proper golf swing and faster swing speed. But it is not the only prerequisite for getting more distance from your shot. Other factors like weather, wind direction, the ground slope, club and shaft you use, etc., work behind it.
The swing speed is one of the significant determiners of how fast you swing your club and hit the golf balls to get more distance. But having an extreme swing can cause you injuries too.
How do I Determine My Golf Swing Speed?
Professional golfers track the club’s swing speed with accessories like golf swing analyzers or golf launch monitors. However, beginner golfers can calculate their club swing speed based on their golf balls’ distance apart from analyzing devices. The process is complex, but you can try it out if you don’t have access to any swing analyzing devices.
The process would be as follows:
- Drive 10 or more balls
- Mark the spots the ball lands. Do not count the rolling distance. You can take help from your friends to mark the spots.
- Note down the distance you hit and calculate the average of it. We suggest nullifying the first and last shots for better results as these two shots can produce unusual results due to weather concerns.
- Divide the average distance by 2.3 to convert the result into miles per hour metrics.
We recommend you measure your swing speed while you are warmed up. Never attempt and measure your swing speed without a complete warm-up. You might injure yourself while trying to hit maximum at the first swing.
Average Golf Swing Speeds
We collected data on the top PGA tour players regarding their clubs, driving distance, and swing speeds. According to our study on the top 100 PGA Tour players, their average swing speed of them is between 105 mph and 115 mph. On the other side, top LPGA players have a swing speed averaging between 90 to 100 mph.
With the help of TrackMan, the PGA tour report illustrates that the average male amateur driver’s swing speed is 93 mph. The PGA Tour averages 114 mph, and scratch golfers are right around 106 mph.
But swing speed varies from player to player based on their age groups and handicap scores. And non-professional golfers are more likely to have 10-20 mph lesser than professional players.
A study by Par4Success reports that male golfers aged between 17 and 29 have the maximum swing speed, whereas junior golfers have the lowest speed. And female golfers have lower swing speed in every age group than male golfers.
What Swing Speed Should I Have?
As mentioned earlier, professional golfers have a swing speed of over a hundred miles per hour. So if you are aiming to play professional golf, someday you will require to have more than a hundred miles per hour swing speed. Else you can afford to have lesser speed.
Follow the chart mentioned earlier and find out the average swing speed people your age have. Then, you can take it as standard. Don’t worry if you have a slower swing speed because you can quickly improve the numbers with some simple drills and exercise over time.
Common Mistakes For a Bad Swing
To gain higher swing speed golfers tend to occur some common mistakes. Here are the most common ones. Try to avoid these mistakes, it would help you reach your speed goal.
1. Not stretching or warming up properly
Most people rush towards playing golf and having a swing at the ball without prior warm-up. Golf stretching is often ignored by many professional golfers too. But proper stretching can help you have a proper golf swing.
2. Swinging with the wrong clubs
In professional golf, you can carry a maximum of 14 golf clubs in your bag. Obviously, they all provide different performances. You must know which golf clubs to use and when. Choosing the wrong club will always make it difficult for you to generate the proper results.
3. Holding the club too tightly
Holding the golf club properly is another skill that needs your attention for better swing speed. Holding it too tight will result in a slower swing speed and stiff body posture. On the other side, if you hold it too lightly, your club may slip out of your hand. Find the balance of a perfect grip.
4. Lacking on the backswing
The backswing is crucial in getting the most golf swing speed. But many beginners ignore having a proper backswing, rather they try to swing as hard as they can. This is a wrong practice and often causes injuries.
5. Poor alignment and shot timing
A perfect swing consists of footwork, body posture, correct golf club, and timing the shot properly. If you miss out on any of these you will find it difficult to speed up your swing speed. Learn about correct alignment, practice that and you will soon find your perfect swing with maximum speed.
Final Words
Swing speed is crucial, getting more distance covered in a golf course. You can determine your swing speed by following the method described in this article or by taking help from experts or swing analyzing devices. Then improving the speed will take time and practice. Finally, you can follow our guide on increasing golf swing speed.
Share your experience in the comments to help the golf community, and let us know if we missed out on any information to share.
