- Utilize a restriction free golf swing
- Increase flexibility
- Let your arms go
- Increase the speed of your backswing
- Train for speed
Golf is currently a game built on distance.
Distance is built on the combination from the speed of your swing and the quality of contact with the clubface.
High Swing Speed + Quality Contact = Maximum Distance
There are other factors like spin rate and launch angle which impact distance, but for today we want to focus on swing speed and quality of contact.
Naturally, the longer your swing, the chances of a faster swing. However, the longer the swing, the chances of poor ball striking.
Every golfer must find the right balance between length of swing for speed and the length of swing for quality contact.
Most golfers have seen their swing on video. If you haven’t, the next time you are out, take a video from the side view to assess the length of your swing.
Many golf instructors promote a golf swing that is right around parallel at the top of the backswing. Of course there are exceptions to every rule.
- Jon Rahm – Extremely short backswing
- John Daily – Extremely long backswing
Short swing vs long swing in golf: which is better?
Both are great golfers that have won major championships and are in the top 5% of the longest hitters during their era.
So maybe you have decided your golf swing needs to be longer. We are here to help!
How To Lengthen Backswing in Golf (5 Keys)
My Experience: It is interesting to watch. One thing I have noticed is people with short backswings that want longer backswings often fail to have an unrestricted move backwards with the hips. They turn their shoulders, but the hips stay pretty square. This restricts the overall turn and the length of the backswing. Get everything going back together and feel a longer backswing.
For many years, golfers were taught to have a connected swing where the golfer hits every perfect position during the backswing and downswing. If we really want a longer swing for more distance, some of the teachings of the 1990s and early 2000s can be throw out the window.
Have you ever checked out some of the ugliest swings that have had a ton of success on professional tours. If not, check out this post: Weirdest Golf Swings
Stop trying to chase positions and instead let it go and see what results you can get!
Key #1: Utilize a restriction free golf swing
For years the major golf publications and the instructors on television would often tell golfers to do some of the following:
- Maintain the flex in your right knee
- Restrict the movement of your hips
- Keep your feet stable on the ground
- Keep your front foot on the ground
These are all tip that would decrease the length of your golf swing and lead to a slower, more controlled swing. The game at the time was built on precision and accuracy. Where in today’s game with today’s golf ball and equipment the professionals are swinging fast at the ball. They aren’t holding much back.
Instead of the tips above, I would recommend the following for a longer backswing:
- Let the right leg straighten on the backswing
- Let the hips move and turn back and through
- Let your feet move around and bet athletic
- If you can’t make a full enough turn, let the left heel come off the ground on the backswing
I would certainly start with the first two bullet points above and see where your swing takes you.
Record another golf swing from the side view and compare your previously recorded golf swing. Is the swing any longer?
How to shorten backswing in golf?
Key #2: Increase flexibility
While you do not need fantastic flexibility to make a complete turn and full backswing, it doesn’t hurt to increase your flexibility which will help keep you safe and might benefit your golf game. There are many different stretching routines out there and even some golf specific routines. Find a program and commit to it. Your future self will thank you.
With any program it will take time to see the results, but you could feel better as early as the first routine.
Key #3: Let your arms go
The advice to keep your arms completely connected to your body is one that always drove me crazy. Have you ever tried the towel under your arms drill? I always struggled with it, but it was a drill that was promoted so often.
I would say the drill can actually do more harm to the golf swing than good, especially for a golfer that lacks swing speed or flexibility.
Could you imagine a baseball player swinging a baseball bat with his arms connected to his body? Where the heck is the speed going to come from?
Here are several golfers to check out and see where their right elbow is at the top of the backswing:
- Jack Nicklaus
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Matt Wolfe
- John Daly
- Bubba Watson
- Phil Mickelson
The bottom line, you don’t need to keep your arms connected to have a great golf swing. In fact, you might be better off disconnecting to increase your speed and the athletic motion you are making in the golf swing.
Key #4: Increase the speed of your backswing
For many years, you might have heard, “low and slow takeaway.” This type of advice is frustrating as many golfers followed it for many years. Here is a little secret, many of the best golfers on the professional tours swing fast on their backswing.
They get the club moving back and through at a rate that is very fast. John Novosel Jr. has committed a great deal of his life to the tempo in a golf swing. Check our review and how this approach can help your swing, here.
A quick summary is that the best golf swings have a 3:1 ratio, backswing to downswing. Using frames on a video, the best golf swings usually are 24:8, 21:7 and even 18:6 at times. Go ahead and download the tour tempo frame counter app and measure your swing. You might be surprised how slow your backswing is.
Did you know you can lengthen your backswing and your overall distance by swinging back faster? Give it a show, record your score, assess your tempo and you just might be surprised by an extra 10-15 yards in your driver distance.
Key #5: Train for speed
One way to lengthen your backswing is by training for speed. When a golfer is training for speed, they will often stretch out the length of the their swing from specific speed training where you are trying to swing really fast.
My number one recommendation is to check out SuperSpeed Golf and their protocols to help you find a safe way to increase your swing speed.
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 own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. 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 |
Next Steps: Assess Your Game
Do you need more distance? Do you think you lack a long enough backswing? Do you think you could speed up your backswing? Do you need to become more flexible?
Assess your game and figure out what you need. It might be something as simple as straightening your right leg in the backswing or not trying to restrict your hips.
Golf is a game built on speed and distance. Golfers should consider adding an over speed training protocol to their regular routine at a minimum during the winter months. Find a way to get better in the offseason and reap the rewards during the golf season.
Golf is a lot more fun when you are hitting the ball further and shooting lower scores!
Keep in mind this quote by Arnold Palmer during your golf journey!
“Swing your swing. Not some idea of a swing. Not a swing you saw on TV. Not that swing you wish you had. No, swing your swing. Capable of greatness. Prized only by you. Perfect in its imperfection. Swing your swing. I know, I did.”
Arnold Palmer
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three 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.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
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.