Speed Training For Golf

7 minute read

Speed training for golf

If you’re a golf junkie and you’re looking to improve your game, there’s a high probability that at some point you’ve considered getting yourself a speed training aid.

The magical cure to help you add 20+ yards off the tee which will help you shoot lower scores!

Sound too good to be true? Possibly!

But what do I think about them and do I think the average golfer should be looking to invest?

First off… I like them! A lot!

As a strength and conditioning training tool, they can be extremely effective in helping someone to take a huge leap in the speed that they can swing a club…

However, as with most things when it comes to advice on health, training or golf for that matter… it comes with an asterisk and a big ol’ ‘but’…

… BUT only if utilised correctly.

They are NOT going to deliver the results you crave if you haven’t built up a solid athletic foundation first!

How does it work?

To break down if they are suitable for you, we need to take a step back to understand how an overspeed training protocol/programme actually works...

Now us mere mortals are typically restricted in the speed in which we can move our bodies by our brain.

Admittedly, genetics, the type of activity we did and the environment we did it in whilst we were growing up are going to be a huge reason why we can’t run 100m in sub 10 seconds, but to a point, our brain caps us on how fast we can move.

That’s because the brain is used to telling the body to move at a certain speed.

Think about the last time you stood on the tee on the course telling yourself you are going to hit the ball as hard as you possibly can… it’s an almost guaranteed certainty that you are going to be a fair clip under the speed that you’d achieve in the same conditions, with the same ball, on the driving range where you know there are no repercussions if your ball were to fly off the planet. Your subconscious brain is pumping the breaks for you when you are on the course.

One way to hack this system to get ourselves moving faster is to run through an overspeed training protocol.

Overspeed training

Elite sprinters frequently go through overspeed training via running with a parachute trailing behind them or going through reps of running down a hill.

They are trying to get their brain working on overdrive and for it to send signals to the body convincing it that it can indeed move faster.

Well the same principle applies to speed training aids in golf.

Because of the fact a speed training implement doesn’t have a club head (in which wind resistance comes in to play), there’s no ball in front of us in which our subconscious brain restricts us and the fact we can tweak the club to make it lighter than our driver, you will find you have the ability to swing far faster than if you were to use a standard driver.

Gradually, in time, if done repeatedly, the body becomes accustomed to regularly moving at this higher speed and so you see your top end speeds creep up incrementally.

But the biggest change actually occurs in the brain!

You have now proven to your subconscious mind that you can indeed move at a far faster speed and that the body won’t break when you do so.

That is the simplified reasoning as to why people who undergo a speed training programme add distance to their game.

Is it right for you?

The issue that the large majority of golfers have when undertaking a speed training programme is that this is all they are doing to improve their athleticism.

They haven’t built in the foundations to help develop a robust, mobile and powerful physique that will allow them to harness this increase in speed and really propel their game on to new levels.

So what typically happens is one of two things:

1 - they stick with it, see huge increases in speed, but it leads to the body either breaking down (injury) or they’re forever left trudging through the trees searching for their ball. Or;

2 - they notice that they are blasting the ball off the planet, get scared and the speed training aids very quickly disappear to the dark confines of the cupboard.

Speed training aids should be seen as the cherry on top of the cake when it comes to strength and conditioning for golf.

The “cake” is built from;

• great regular technical work
• periodised strength training (3-4 per week)
• frequent mobility work
• great sleep
• good nutrition
• adequate hydration…

Where to start

To be able to harness and use more speed in your golf swing with the goal of hitting the ball further… you need to develop a strong and robust set of legs and core, you need great mobility in your ankles, hips, thoracic spine and shoulders… and you need to maintain your technical work to ensure you don’t start batting it all over the place.

It’s pointless being the fastest player on the planet who’s forever stuck in the bushes or… can’t get off the the physio’s table!

The analogy that I regularly use with clients is that you wouldn’t stick an F1 engine in a smart car and expect it to be on the front of the grid at Silverstone.

So, when considering speed training aids, you have to question: have you got all of the foundations in place? To help you build the chassis, the brakes, the tyres, the steering… before you go dropping that F1 engine in there?

These questions that I would pose to you…

• Are you aware of your mobility faults? What are you doing to fix these?
• Are you currently doing some form of strength training at least 3 x per week? (My guys are currently doing 4 as it’s the off season)
• Are you sleeping 7+ hours a night?
• Are you drinking 2.5 litres + of water each day?
• Are you consuming adequate amounts of calories, protein, carbs and fat?

If yes to all of these, then you have the foundations in place…

You then have to question…

Are you prepared to work really hard (2+ x per week) and are you accepting of the teething issues that will inevitably come from the pursuit of more speed = being wayward off the tee.

I meet so many players who start speed training, then very quickly stop due to either not being aware of these teething issues or aren’t accepting of it…

Until you develop the technique and control of harnessing this new found speed, you will potentially (if you’re a pro) / most likely (amateurs) be all over the place off the tee… it will come back in time, but you can’t just dip your toe in here! You have to “burn the boats” and go ALL IN.

Speed training aids are potentially a GREAT investment if you are prepared to commit fully to the process… warts and all.

This is why speed training aids are popular with the top pros, because they have all of the foundation work nailed down and they realise the huge benefits to being long off the tee. 

MOST people (amateurs) will benefit more from investing their cash in a good training programme and combining this with technical lessons with a good coach. Once you’ve got that, then consider the speed training aids/protocols.

Something to ponder… 

The good news is you’ve now potentially got up to 6 months until the new season starts… if you need distance off the tee… GET STUCK IN!

You now have enough time to really pursue more speed, then learn how to harness this speed and dial in the accuracy in time for the new season!

I fully understand the reservations… but it has to come back to objectively assessing your game in its current state… where are you losing shots vs the field/your friends?

For a lot of you, just becoming a better athlete and taking better care of your health will see you hit the ball further.

For a lot of tour players, being 20-30 yards further down the fairway on every tee shot is going to see you FLY up leaderboards…

My advice… (for pro’s)

If you know you need distance… Get them!

Commit to 3 speed sessions per week (on top of your strength work + technical practice) - drop down to 2 in season.

Combine this with AT LEAST one session with the driver, where you can keep your timing and grow in to this new speed… it’ll make it so much smoother and easier…

And burn the god damn boats! Go ALL IN! Accept the temporary trade offs for the potential of huge long term gain!

It’s accepted that you are all incredibly talented and technically special!

It’s the final 10-15% which you need to improve on to get to the top:

• Athleticism
• Mindset (speak to a sports psychologist - I work with James Lambdon https://www.jlpsych.co.uk/)

And if you’re a hacker like me who just wants to roast it past his mates every time he steps on a course…

And you’ve got those foundations in place or are actively working hard towards doing so…

Then a speed training aid could be a great purchase.

Just, if you play a lot of winter golf, accept you’re gonna lose a few more balls than usual until you harness that new speed.

*Oh and… get a speed gun/radar…

You need to measure and record every session. If you aren’t measuring… you’re just guessing!

Should you have any questions on the above, then fire me over a message directly or reach out via Instagram @TourStrength.

This article was written by Ben Foulis.

The founder of Tour Strength, a sports science graduate who has accumulated more than 5000 hours of 1-2-1 personal training sessions working with golfers.

He is qualified with both TPI and is an accredited member of the UKSCA.

Should you have any questions on the above, then fire me over a message directly or reach out via Instagram @TourStrength.

This article was written by Ben Foulis.

The founder of Tour Strength, a sports science graduate who has accumulated more than 5000 hours of 1-2-1 personal training sessions working with golfers.

He is qualified with both TPI and is an accredited member of the UKSCA.