A golfer that wants to increase his or her ball speed should focus on increasing club head speed and improving their smash factor. These two factors will help increase ball speed.
The fastest way to more distance is through increased ball speed in golf. Many golfers are seeking ways to increase their total driver distance because the analytics are clear and point to distance being very important.
Consider this if you are not sold on the importance of distance:
- The further you hit your driver, the shorter distance your approach shot will be.
- The shorter your approach shot, the closer you will hit the ball to the hole on average.
- The shorter the putt, the better chance of making the putt
Over the course of 18 holes or 72 holes for a tournament or even over the course of 30-60 rounds for an entire season, the extra distance will help save you many shots and make more birdies or pars. The goal is to have as many short putts as possible for birdie, which all starts with extra distance off the tee.
So how does this happen?
One of the greatest influences on total driving distance is the ball speed. Ball speed in golf is the velocity that the ball leaves the club face. The longest drivers on tour often hit the ball over 180 miles per hour with some being in the 190s. The tour average is 167 miles per hour according to the trackman data on their website. This is a result of a 113 mile per hour club speed.
Overall factors that influence the total driving distance include:
- Club Head Speed
- Ball Speed
- Smash Factor
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
Resource: Why is spin rate important in golf?
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How to Increase Ball Speed In Golf?
Training Method | Rating 1-5 (5 = Great) |
SuperSpeed Golf | 5 |
Simply swinging driver fast | 5 |
Golf related workouts | 4 |
Taking the winter off | 1 |
Usine Tour Tempo App | 4 |
Update: I have taken my swing speed from 98mph to 108mph. I just got done with my daily training as I write this and I hit a 113 rating my Skytrak with a 117 on my speed radar. At 41 years old, I am still gaining speed and plan on doing so at least over the next decade. Have fun on your journey!
Once the golfer has increased club head speed and smash factor, the golfer can start to analyze the spin rate and launch angle to ensure all of the important categories are covered in total driving distance.
Here are some tips to improve and increase your ball speed.
Tip #1: Increase Club Head Speed
There are several different ways to increase club head speed. The number one training aid that I have found to have the great impact is the SuperSpeed Golf System. This three club weighted system, which has two lighter clubs and one heavier club uses an overspeed training approach to increase swing distance by 5-8%.
This could mean an additional 20-30 yards for most golfers. This increase can be experienced as early as the first training session and then could become more permanent after about a month of continuing the training protocols.
Check the current price of SuperSpeed Golf, here!
The training protocols take about 15 minutes and are utilized every other day of the week. So for 15 minutes, every other day a golfer can gain 20-30 yards! I purchased this over a year ago and experienced an increase of 7-10 miles per hour with the driver and this season I have experienced some of my longest drives yet.
Not only will this training system help with the driver, but every club flies a bit further. Overall, the extra distance has helped and the SuperSpeed System is the real deal! You will find plenty of PGA Tour pros with the SuperSpeed System in their bag. Phil Mickelson, even as he turned 50, hits the ball longer now than ever and has been on a mission to increase club head speed with this training system.
I have found the protocols easy to follow and there the goal is to swing well above your regular swing speed with a lighter club to train or your mind and body to feel safe to swing at a faster rate. Your mind and body have a natural governor that limites some of your speed due to your mind worrying about keeping your body safe. As you swing faster and faster, the body and mind adjust and feel comfortable going at these new speeds.
The results are impressive and the golfer can expect to gain another 1-2 miles per hour every 3-6 months of training after the initial increase. For the money it costs, and the limited time that a golfer has to put in, the results are impressive!
The PGA Tour average club head speed is 113 miles per hour, with the fastest golfers on tour swinging in the mid to upper 120s. Overall, if you can get your swing speed upwards of 105 and close to 110, you will more than likely be the longest golfer in your group!
Resource: Complete SuperSpeed Review
Here are some potential results of training with SuperSpeed:
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 |
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Tip #2: Increase Smash Factor
Smash factor is ball speed divided by club speed. So for the simple math, the average golfer on the PGA Tour swings at 113 miles per hour with a ball speed of 167.
- 167 divided by 113 equal 1.47
Anything in that range is considered a solid smash factor. Many golfers might struggle to keep the smash factor above 1.4.
If your smash factor is somewhere below this number, it means you are more than likely missing the center of the club face with your driver Smash factor is ultimately how square and centered your hit the ball. There is a calculation for each club in the bag with the driver providing the highest smash factor on average.
As a result, if you increase your club head speed by some significant speed, but struggle to find the center of the face, you aren’t going to see the same returns as someone that hits the center of the driver.
The key here is to buy some impact tape and see where the ball is hitting on your clubface. Some golfers might need to swing at 90-95% to ensure a center faced strike with the driver. A centered faced strike at 90-95% will travel further than a shot on the toe or heel even with a faster swing speed.
The best golfers are able to take the two tips above and increase their club head speed and maintain the centered hit for a high smash factor number.
The good thing about the SuperSpeed system is that as your train for speed, studies have been done to show that the training system also helps improve mechanics. The better your mechanics and sequencing the better your chances of hitting the ball on the center of the club face.
Resource: How to generate speed in the golf swing (4 methods)
Next Steps: Use a Launch Monitor
The next steps are to use a launch monitor. Whether you go to your local golf store and get some numbers or purchase your own portable launch monitor, it is important to have a general idea of where you are at for a baseline.
I would highly recommend checking out the SkyTraks or Mevo products as an affordable option that can be used indoors or at the driving range or golf course. Both of these devices can give you your ball speed, spin rate, launch angle, and total distance with some quality accuracy.
Having access to this information is a game changer, not only from a speed perspective, but also from an overall quality of your swing. Having real time data at your fingertips is vital to your overall improvement.
I was able to buy a SkyTrak several seasons ago and set up a golf simulator in my garage. Being able to play 365 days a year has helped improve my scores to near scratch level. The data that I can analyze after every shot on my simulator or at the driving range is helpful. While most of us can’t afford a Trackman, there are some great entry level prices on the portable launch monitors. Check the prices below on our top 3 recommendations:
Resource: 5 Trackman Alternatives
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Final Thoughts: How To Increase Ball Speed in Golf
Whether you are beginner or expert player, a junior or a senior golfer you owe it to your game to train to be better if you want to take your game to the next level. One of the greatest returns on investment both time and money is time spent overspeed training for distance. You can gain speed and improve mechanics at the same time.
Distance is dominating the pro game and it can help amateurs as well. The ability to feel comfortable over a driver off the tee or a 7 iron from the fairway and know that you have quality swing speed frees up the tensions and allows you to swing with confidence.
While there are other important areas lke the short game and being able to scramble for pars, the extra driver distance is clearly one of the fastest routes to lower scores and in the end, more fun while playing the game!
Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Both the SuperSpeed Training System and the Launch Monitors are two great options for the majority of golfers!
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.