7 minute read
We all would quite like a little more power in our golf swing right? Of course we would, even the top pro’s would like a little more.
Well there are two key movements that impact the speed that we can swing a golf club purely from a biomechanical perspective and I’ll dig a little deeper in to what these are in this article.
If you can start focusing on these, mostly on the driving range, but a little in the gym as well, then you should start seeing a little more “pop in the bat”.
X factor and X factor stretch
What is ‘X factor’ when it relates to the golf swing?
The X-Factor describes the relationship between the angle of rotation of the torso relative to the pelvis at the top of the backswing…
Why does this matter?
The greater you can turn, the greater the ability to get the club back further… meaning that the club head has greater distance to travel… if everything is firing correctly and in the correct sequence, the more space the club head has to develop speed.
This is why you’ll see the pro long drive guys and girls wrap the club all the way around their shoulders in what would be considered a huge over-swing. Not advisable for keeping the ball in play, but it helps generate incredible amounts of speed.
Some benchmark degree of rotation numbers which could be considered “pretty good” when sat at the top of the back swing.
45º of hip turn
90º or more of thoracic/shoulder turn.
That gives us an X factor of 45º.
Now you’ve created a great platform to produce a powerful golf swing. You’ve got a pretty good turn and got good separation between the pelvis and your thoracic.
But that’s all going to be worthless if looking to produce more power, if you don’t sequence the downswing correctly.
X factor stretch
This is where the X factor stretch becomes key.
“The X-Factor stretch has been used to describe the additional rotation that occurs at the start of the downswing.” Read, Lloyd 2014
Using our benchmark numbers of 45° and 90° again…
I get to the top of my backswing loaded and ready to go. To create a powerful move from here, I then start the downswing with my hips (like all big hitters do) - so that initial 45º closes down to 40º before my torso/thoracic has even started turning…
That closing of the hips has increased my X factor to 50º (as my thoracic/shoulders are still at 90º) meaning I have created an X factor stretch of 5º… which, is the Tour average for the top pro’s.
(TPI)
Your hips are going to continue closing through in to impact and beyond. At some point, your thoracic, and therefore the club, are going to have to catch up. If you can work on your mobility to allow you to achieve these positions at the top. If you can train efficiently so that your body can withstand this new movement and if you can drill in that feeling in your golf swing on the range, you are going to see club head speed numbers jump significantly.
(Side note, btw, if you’re looking for elite numbers of thoracic/shoulder turn, some tour players have been tested to achieve up to 118º at the top- TPI)
Why does all of this even matter?
Torque! The X factor Stretch is creating tension. It’s storing elastic energy within the body for which it needs to unload at some point - the higher degree of that stretch, the greater the elastic energy.
Success leaves clues and we all know that this is a game of creating a feel which becomes real.
Who better to explain this X factor stretch from a feel perspective than two of the best drivers of a golf ball on the planet…
Bryson suggests that he likes to feel like he stops at the top of the back swing and holds his arms there for as long as possible, starting the down swing with the hips.
Rory states he likes to feel like he stops at the top and fires his right hip towards the ball to start the downswing.
Both statements indirectly suggesting that the X Factor Stretch is playing a key role when they have driver in their hand.
So… research and data point to it, two of the best players in the world suggest the impact of it in what they feel, increasing your X factor stretch is likely a huge needle mover for you in increasing your power!
Ground reaction forces (GRF)
Multiple different studies (all listed below) highlight that there is a direct correlation between peak vertical force/jump height and driving distance.
“Lower extremity work is a strong predictor of club head velocity, contributing to greater driving distance and overall golf performance.” McNally Et al. 2014
Why?
First off, stronger legs lead to greater stability which give you a good platform to produce power from.
Second, when talking about force production, we need to take a trip back in time and reference one of the greatest scientists/mathematicians of all time - Isaac Newton.
Newton’s third law suggests that…
“Every action has an equal and opposite reaction”
So as I push in to something, I’m going to receive more energy coming back.
Watch Rory’s swing, arguably the most efficient powerful golf swing on the planet.
In transition he performs a mini squat to apply force in to the floor, which in time will help him drive far harder off of it.
As he nears the ball, he rapidly extends his knees and it helps to clear his left hip out of the way faster.
Allowing his right hip to turn towards the ball at a faster rate than the average.
This mini squat and rapid extension of the knees and hips, combined with the x factor stretch allows for a slingshot like effect as he nears impact.
As you can see, these two (X factor Stretch and Ground Reaction Forces) go hand in hand with each other for helping golfers to produce more power.
So if you’d like more distance across every club in the bag, then they are the two big points of emphasis to focus on.
How to improve both
X factor and X factor Stretch
First off, I’d recommend filming yourself at the range from both the front on and down the line angles to get a good snap shot of how you compare.
You aren’t going to achieve a good turn - 45º and 90º unless you have adequate mobility to do so.
The major joints/areas of the body that you need to work on to achieve these positions:
Ankle dorsi flexion, internal and external hip rotation, thoracic rotation, internal and external shoulder rotation.
You improve on these and it should see you at least achieve these bench mark positions for the X factor.
Then, in the gym you’ll need to focus on core stability and robustness. Back injuries account for the most frequent injuries suffered by golfers. Often occurring in the process of making a swing change or trying to get just a little more power in the swing.
Due to you adding more rotation through your spine, you NEED to train your core so that it can withstand this additional torque you are creating.
So when training the core, work it through the different planes of spinal motion that occur in the golf swing: Flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation.
A good circuit that will help all four of these could be:
Hanging knee tucks (flexion)
Back extensions (extension)
Pallof press (Anti lateral flexion and anti rotation)
Wood chop ball slam (rotation and good for working on sequencing)
GRF
In it’s simplest definition, power is the combination of speed and power. So if you want to produce more power through the floor, we need to work on both of these.
Speed - vertical jumps, drop jumps, single leg jumps, rotational jumps, horizontal jumps, moving weight of up to 80% of 1 Rep Max (1RM) at max velocity.
Strength - loaded squats, deadlifts, lunges, hip thrusts with weight up to 110% of 1RM.
Then you’ve got to harness this new found power and put in the work on the range to get your sequencing and timing right to achieve that Rory like mini squat in to the floor to generate that energy, then rapid extension of the knees and hips in to impact.
Both X factor Stretch and GRF’s require a lot of technical practice. But it’s worth the investment in time!
Conclusion
In recent years, because us golfers love new shiny stuff, clever marketing experts have enticed us in to buying speed training aids. Sure, they do have their place, but only if we have the fundamental movement patterns in place.
If you can get in the gym and then get down the driving range to practice the technical aspects to the X factor Stretch and Ground Reaction Forces, you’re going to give yourself a huge launching platform to allow you to add incredible amounts of speed to your game.
And remember, distance gained doesn’t just mean off the tee! More speed carries throughout every club in your bag… meaning that you could be taking 9 iron in to a green in which previously you would have taken a 6. Which should lead to shaving multiple shots off of your score.
So if you’re looking to hit the ball further, try these first, then add in the speed training aids!
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.
References/Articles worth reading
Mcnally, M., Yontz, N., & Chaudhari, A. (2014). Lower Extremity Work Is Associated with Club Head Velocity during the Golf Swing in Experienced Golfers. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 35, 785 - 788. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0034-1367010.
TPI - X-Factor Essentials: What it is and How to Train it https://www.mytpi.com/articles/fitness/x-factor-essentials-what-it-is-and-how-to-train-it
TPI - The Difference between X-Factor and X-Factor Stretch https://www.mytpi.com/articles/biomechanics/the-difference-between-x-factor-and-x-factor-stretch
Read Lloyd, 2014. Strength and Conditioning Considerations for Golf. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2014/10000/strength_and_conditioning_considerations_for_golf.3.aspx
Sorbie et al., 2018. Analysis of the X-Factor and X-Factor stretch during the completion of a golf practice session in low-handicap golfers https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326627050_Analysis_of_the_X-Factor_and_X-Factor_stretch_during_the_completion_of_a_golf_practice_session_in_low-handicap_golfers
An et al.,2013. Increased Carry Distance and X-Factor Stretch in Golf Through an External Focus of Attention https://gwulf.faculty.unlv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/An-Wulf-Kim-2013.pdf
Bliss, 2022. Strength and Conditioning for golf. https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8Tx_EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT17&dq=theory+behind+overspeed+training+in+practice+for+golf&ots=ZVTsbv0ZHU&sig=v_NWokGJLWsyVKtPKtFPr61Htlo#v=onepage&q=theory%20behind%20overspeed%20training%20in%20practice%20for%20golf&f=false
Schiffer, 2011. Training to Overcome the Speed Plateau. https://centrostudilombardia.com/wp-content/uploads/IAAF-Corsa-Velocita/2011-Training-to-overcome-the-overspeed-plateau.pdf
Read, P., Lloyd, R., Croix, M., & Oliver, J. (2013). Relationships Between Field-Based Measures of Strength and Power and Golf Club Head Speed. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27, 2708–2713. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e318280ca00.
Wells, J., Mitchell, A., Charalambous, L., & Fletcher, I. (2018). Relationships between highly skilled golfers’ clubhead velocity and force producing capabilities during vertical jumps and an isometric mid-thigh pull. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36, 1847 - 1851. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1423611.
Oranchuk, D., Mannerberg, J., Robinson, T., & Nelson, M. (2018). Eight Weeks of Strength and Power Training Improves Club Head Speed in Collegiate Golfers.. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002505.
Driggers, A., & Sato, K. (2018). The effects of vertically oriented resistance training on golf drive performance in collegiate golfers. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 13, 598 - 606. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954117743374.
Wells, J., Mitchell, A., Charalambous, L., & Fletcher, I. (2022). Relationships between highly skilled golfers' clubhead velocity and kinetic variables during a countermovement jump.. Sports biomechanics, 1-13 . https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2022.2041709.
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