I’ve been on a mission this winter. The purpose? Gain as much club speed as possible.
The approach has been multifaceted. It was a strategy to go to the gym morewhich has been great not only for my swing speed but for my golf game in general. Another is to refine my technique to become as efficient as possible. Finally, I’ve been working on some good old-fashioned speed training.
Speed ​​training is great because it helps you overcome the mental barriers that slow you down. Plus, when you cry for the ball no matter where it ends up, you learn little tricks that help add speed along the way.
One of the best tricks I’ve learned in this endeavor came during my speed boot camp GOLF Top 100 Teachers Bernie Najar. During our session, he used an analogy that stuck with me. And if you apply it to your swing, you’ll be able to add some swing speed as well.
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The best speed tip
The real key to swinging with maximum efficiency is nailing your sequence (the order in which different body parts move during the swing). To get the most out of your swing, you need to turn on your lower body first, then your chest, then your arms, and finally your club. If you can do this in the right order, you will send all the energy to the clubhead at impact, which will maximize your speed.
When learning this during our speed training session, Bernie used an analogy that made the concept click like never before.
“You have to know where to crack the whip,” he said.
When using a whip, you stop the handle quickly when you want it to “crack”. This deceleration sends all the energy from the handle to the bottom of the whip, culminating in a satisfying “pop”.
The same principle applies when moving the driver quickly. If you watch elite golfers swing the club, you’ll notice that the grip actually slows down near impact. By doing so, they send all the energy to the driver of the club, which helps to maximize its speed.
“A lot of people just go off on a speed session,” Bernie said. “We’re trying to improve energy transfer.”
If you can learn how to break the whip efficiently, you can generate a lot of speed without looking like you’re trying.
Bernie Najar is a Top 100 GOLF Teacher and Director of Instruction at Caves Valley GC in Owings Mills, Md. If you want to learn more about his teaching philosophies, check out his book Speed/Power/Finesse: How to Play the Three Games of Golf.
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