Tips for Women Looking to Gain Swing Speed
Extra swing speed leads to more distance and, theoretically, better scores. The No. 1 complaint women golfers have is lack of distance. Here are eight tips for women to gain swing speed. Work your way through this list and see if you can add a few yards to your drive.
Speed Training
Even golfers with the fastest swing speeds continue to work on speed training. One of the best known swing trainers in the game, Rypstick, comes in a model specifically for women golfers. With Rypstick, you’ll improve your swing through overspeed and under speed training.
Overspeed training involves swinging a lighter club faster than your usual speed. It helps condition your muscles to move faster. Rypstick also uses underspeed training, in which you swing a heavier Rypstick to build strength and improve control. The most important part of speed training is following and sticking to a program.
I’ve had some golfers ask if it’s good enough to swing a heavier club a few times a week. It’s not the best idea as you can risk injury if you don’t know what you’re doing. In addition, you may not see significant changes without a speed development program like the one Rypstick created.
Utilize the Ground to Gain Speed
The ground is your friend. Start paying attention to what your feet are doing in your golf swing and how you can push off the ground with your legs during your downswing.
Look at a slow-motion video of Bryson Dechambeau, Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler and watch how they use the ground to push off through impact. You’ll want a good pair of golf shoes, a stable base of support and some strength in your core to truly benefit from ground forces.
Here is one of my favorite drills to practice:
Get a Club Fitting
Playing with the right equipment will help you maximize your swing speed.
When you go for a fitting make sure to test a few different clubheads, don’t discount the look and feel of the clubs. When you like the look and the feel it can bring you more confidence in your swing which will maximize club speed.
In addition, make sure the club’s length, weight, shaft flex and grip size are tailored to your game.
Complete a Full Shoulder Turn
A full shoulder turn in your backswing helps create a wide arc. With a wider arc, it’s easier to gain more energy which can turn into great speed and distance.
Take some videos of your golf swing from a face-on angle. Take a look at the lead shoulder. Is it making a complete turn?
You’ll feel the shoulder rotate under your chin.
Square the Clubface
One of the reasons amateur golfers slow their swing through impact is a clubface that is not square.
If your clubface is square at impact, you’ll be able to transfer maximum energy to the ball and benefit from it. Watching the professionals swing, you’ll notice how they fearlessly rotate their bodies through impact.
Why can they do this? The clubface is square.
Check the top of your swing and see if your clubface is square. If it is not, work on wrist angles, your takeaway and your rotation until that position is square. Once it’s square, you have a green light to swing through the ball at full speed.
I struggled with a slightly closed clubface at the top of my backswing for quite some time. I worked to get it square and it instantly helped me gain three to five mph through impact. Once the clubface was square, I did not fear going after the ball.
Engage in Golf-Specific Workouts
In addition to speed training, a solid golf-specific workout can always help you increase speed. Fitness routines improve your strength, flexibility and athleticism.
The best exercises for increasing speed include targeting your core, legs and upper body.
Flexibility exercises can help with range of motion and agility.
Focus on Tempo and Rhythm
Maintaining a consistent tempo and rhythm in your swing can help you generate more speed.
Practice swinging with a smooth, rhythmic motion. I’ve used the Lag Shot Lady to work on this.
After a training session with the Lag Shot, I often feel more coordinated and as if I’m the one in control of the golf club (not the other way around!).
A balanced and controlled swing allows for better acceleration and increased speed.
Improve Your Grip Pressure
Gripping the club to death can restrict your swing speed. Focus on maintaining a relaxed grip pressure throughout the golf swing. The goal is often described as holding a baby bird tight enough that you won’t hurt it but also won’t let it fly away.
With too much grip pressure, you add tension to your hands and forearms. You often end up feeling like you are hitting at the ball instead of swinging through it.
Final Thoughts
Most women golfers are not maximizing their clubhead speed. There are opportunities for you to easily gain 10 to 15 yards by just making some small tweaks and investing a little time.
Mike
2 years ago
All good points, although suggesting to “square the club face” is a hell of a lot simpler in words than actual practice. Proof that lessons should be the obvious first step with any new golfer.
One thing I would also add in (& it goes in conjunction with making a fuller shoulder turn) is “go after the ball”. My young teenage daughter recently started playing. We’ve seen that when she makes a full turn & powerful swing vs a lazy turn & weak swing, her drives go 40 yd farther. Not swinging swing out of your shoes, but make a swing with authority.