I am ready for my journey to get to 120 miles per hour this offseason!
Speed and distance matter in golf.
Without elite distance, it is hard to play elite golf.
Without above average distance, it is hard to play scratch golf.
What are your goals?
I know that my goals are to become better than a scratch player. Now that I have reached the scratch level, the next step on the journey is to get several shots better than scratch.
What is it going to take?
While I plan on playing golf as often as possible during the season, living in the midwest part of the United States, the weather is a barrier in the winter. Around five years ago, I invested in a golf simulator setup and the return on investment has been great. I have now played over 1000 rounds on my golf simulator.
I lowered my average scores from the 75-79 range to the 68-74 range. While I have scores that are outliers, 95% of my rounds are in this range.
However, I think my biggest gains can come from an increase distance with the driver.
Current Driver Swing Stats:
- I average around 270 yards off the tee. (includes roll)
- My current swing speed is between 105-110 miles per hour.
- I used two different driver swings: my typical swing and a “bunt” swing.
Other Important Information:
- My strength of my game is from 100 yards and in
- Increased my birdies per round to 4 in July and August due to an improved wedge game.
- My hope is to maintain the wedge game and increase my number of wedges by increasing my driver distance.
- The average swing speed with the driver on the PGA Tour is 113mph.
How To Get To 120 MPH Swing Speed: My Plan
- Overspeed Training
- Physical Fitness
- Increase backswing movement
- Monitor my progress through a speed radar
- Ensure I maintain my “bunt” driver swing
#1: OverSpeed Training
You may have heard of overspeed training. The most popular product on the market is SuperSpeed Golf. I invested in this system several seasons ago and have increased my driver swing speed from 98 miles per hour to close to 108-110 miles per hour on my good days. This is a 10 miles per hour increase. Can I get another 10 miles per hour?
Training for speed is a great idea and one worth exploring!
If you are going to train for speed, I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Training System.
Gone are the days of simply being content with the distance you currently hit your golf ball. Many older golfers have proven over the past several years that an increase in swing speed is possible.
So this off season I will commit to following the protocols as laid out by SuperSpeed Golf and trying to reach the 120 mile per hour barrier.
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months and then eventually get to 120 miles per hour. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
#2: Physical Fitness
There are several different options a golfer can pursue:
- Yoga (Range of Motion)
- Core Training (Need a solid core to swing fast)
- Traditional Lifting (Can be more injury prone with these types of lifts)
- Kettlebell Workouts
- Cardo
For my overall physical fitness levels I will continue to do cardio at least 3 times per week. I also plan on continuing with pull ups and pushups 3 times per week.
The addition I am making this offseason is adding a kettlebell workout to my routine to increase my core strength and the strength in my legs.
This will consist of main kettlebell swings and various squats.
I want to by fit for life and ready for the golf course without getting carried away.
#3: Increase backswing movement
There is quite a bit of evidence out there that in order to swing faster, we must increase the rate of our backswing. Tour Tempo has proven to us that most amateurs would benefit from an increased backswing rate.
My goal will be to work with the Tour Tempo app and continue to try to reach the 21:7 or 18:6 ratio with my driver swing.
I want a throwing-like feel in my backswing without my golf swing getting too long on the backswing. I will use Tour Tempo and my smart phone to monitor the tempo of my swing and the length of my swing.
Complete review of TourTempo can be found here!
#4: Monitor my progress through a speed radar
The great thing about playing simulator golf in the offseason is that I get a swing speed and ball speed with every shot. I will also use my speed radar during my SuperSpeed Training and when trying to hit my max in my swing speed.
It is important to track your progress with the right tools and to also record your progress somewhere.
Latest Training Session: Max Speed Driver Swings
| Swing # | Speed in MPH |
| 1 | 114 |
| 2 | 112 |
| 3 | 111 |
| 4 | 117 |
| 5 | 116 |
| 6 | 114 |
| 7 | 113 |
| 8 | 112 |
| 9 | 116 |
| 10 | 115 |
My goal is to reach a new level with every training session. 117mph is my new high during a training session with the driver. Can I keep pushing the limits?
Latest Training Session: Green Stick Speed Recording
| Swing # | Swing in MPH |
| 1 | 122 |
| 2 | 127 |
| 3 | 129 |
| 4 | 131 |
| 5 | 126 |
| 6 | 127 |
| 7 | 129 |
| 8 | 124 |
| 9 | 130 |
| 10 | 127 |
My goal here is also to reach a new high every time. Keep in mind that the green club in the SuperSpeed system is 20% less than the typical driver in weight. 131 is a new level. I will continue to monitor and take notes on the two different training sessions that I am currently using. Max speeds with my driver hitting an actual golf ball and the SuperSpeed Training protocols.
Are you ready to reach new levels?
Latest Recording of “Game” Swings Playing Simulator Golf
| Hole | Distance | Ball Speed | Spin Rate |
| 10 | 277 | 153 | 3267 |
| 11 | 261 | 153 | 2500 |
| 13 | 287 | 157 | 2738 |
| 14 | 291 | 161 | 2365 |
| 15 | 288 | 156 | 2203 |
| 16 | 290 | 154 | 2264 |
| 18 | 260 | 157 | 1864 |
| Totals | 1954 | 1091 | 17201 |
| Averages | 279 | 156 | 2457 |
During my last round of golf, I took note of my distance, ball speed and spin rate with each driver that I hit. I am excited to see my average driver is pushing 279 with a max driver of 291.
Note: I recently tested out the Prov1 vs Prov1x and you might be interested in the results. Check out this post to get a detailed look at the comparison and testing that I conducted.
#5: Ensure I maintain my “bunt” driver swing
We all want to play quality golf whenever we play. I will continue to work on my “bunt” driver to ensure that even when I am training, if I get an opportunity to play that I can still keep the ball on the course.
Obviously, speed training doesn’t have to result in a loss of accuracy, but having a go to driver is important to me and my overall progress.
The good news is that the “bunt” total distance should increase as I increase my overall swing speed. Right now my “bunt” swing will travel 240-250 yards.
My ultimate goal is to reach 300 yards plus with a bunt swing in the 270-280 range! I think it is possible with the right training, specifically the SuperSpeed Training protocols mentioned above!
Related Posts: Average Driving Distance by Age and Handicap
Final Thoughts: Is it possible?
The average swing speed on the PGA Tour is currently at 113 miles per hour with a ball speed of 167. Is 120 miles per hour for an amateur golfer possible? I am not sure, but even if I get to 115 miles per hour plus I would be thrilled.
Last year, during my off season training, my max speed was 117 on several different swings. If I can continue to push and push, I believe that 120 is within range!
Let’s get to work this offseason and reap the benefits in the near future!
Enjoy the journey!
Another great option to increase swing speed is through SwingMan Golf – Check them out here!
Related Posts
- Why is my swing speed so slow?
- How to increase swing speed for seniors?
- Average swing speed for golf?
- Golf swing speed trainers: Best systems and products
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About give years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
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Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing: