Let’s face it, we all want some extra distance!
We all know that the extra distance is clearly a route to lower scores.
The analytics from the professional tours have made this more clear than ever. I believe that all golfers should be training for additional distance in their golf swing and working towards getting a faster, more powerful swing.
The good news is that there are ways to train to get a faster, more powerful swing.
So, where does power come from in the golf swing?
Power is a result of speed. Speed is generated in the hands, arms, core, and legs with each one playing a role in the producing speed that is generated at the right time to produce the highest ball speeds possible.
Below, I will break down each component and provide an instructor that teachers this element of the golf swing really well.
Before we dive into, one must understand that the various teachers out there have various beliefs on where the majority of the speed or power is produced from. An instructor like Mike Bender spends a significant amount of time on the hands and arms, while an instructor like George Gankas believes in the rotational speed from using the legs and core to generate some impressive speeds.
They both have some valid arguments and have coached some impressive professional players. I believe studying the various approaches can help you build a swing based on yoru physical abilities and limitations.
Where Does Power From In The Golf Swing?
- Hands
- Arms
- Core
- Legs
Hands and Arms
The hands without argument play a significant role in the golf swing. They are the only part of the body connected to the golf club. The best way to see what speed the hands generate is to take a swing with a club, but do not use your hands or wrist and totally lock them out. My guess is that you won’t even generate half the speed that you do when you activate the hands and wrists.
Next take and simply lock your arms against your body and see how fast you can get the club to move. Once again you will notice that you cannot generate much speed, just by moving your core and legs.
The main point, the hands and arms play a rather important role.
Mike Bender has some impressive videos on the importance of the hands and arms and why they generate so much speed.
Check it out below:
Core and Legs
While the hands and arms provide a good amount of speed, properly using your core and legs allows your hands and arms to maximize the speed. Recently, there has been a great deal of discussion on using the legs to utilize the ground forces in the golf swing.
The teacher that comes to mind in this area of expertise is George Gankas. If you check out his instagram page, you will see golfer after golfer just stripping the ball long and far. They have some common looking parts including utilizing the ground and their legs. They start and get a complete turn with the shoulders and hips.
They get fully turned and then get into the ground and turn hard as the arms and hands come flying through.
When a golfer can not only utilize their core and hips to activate the legs and tap into the ground reaction forces is when I believe golfers will maximize their potential distance!
Which Swing is Best For You?
I would dive into the teachings of Mike Bender and George Gankas. Check out their videos and see what you can best transfer to your game. THere are plenty of golfers who have played quality golf with both instructors and depending on your current swing, physical abilities and time to implement, you might find some additional speed in one of their approaches.
How To Train for More Power and Speed?
I believe many used to believe, well this is just how fast I can swing.
Recent training tools have started to change many minds. We have seen many of the professional golfers get longer and longer with their tee shots as a result of additional swing speed. You will find many touring pros using the SuperSpeed System, which I highly recommend.
SuperSpeed Golf is one option to increase your swing speed through a science based overspeed training approach. In simple terms, you train by swinging a lighter club (20%) faster than you swing your driver. Over time, by training at a higher speed, your mind and body feel safe to swing that fast with your normal driver, resulting in an increase in driver swing speed.
The SuperSpeed System provides 3 different weighted sticks and takes the golfer through a training protocol every other day for about 15 minutes. The golfer can expect to see a 5-8% increase in swing speed, resulting in 20-30 yards for most golfers. The great news is that the 5-8% can be expected as early as the first training session. The additional speed will become more permanent after about 30-60 days of training.
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 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 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: Measure Your Swing
Every golfer needs a baseline of where their swing is. Over time, work on developing new speed that can help you lower your swings. Also, continue to dive into the teachings or instructors like a George Gankas, Milo Lines, Mike Malaska to see who you best match up with.
Resource: How to measure swing speed in golf (5 options)
Swing Thoughts
I have found that a swing thought of your speed being out front and through the ball is essential to maximize your swing on the golf course. Micheal Romatowski is another amazing instructor who has created speed training. The main thought you will often hear from him in his program is about the speed being out front. You can learn more from Micahel at
When the thought is speed at the ball, oftentimes you maximum speed might be before the ball, resulting in a loss of ball speed since your speech reached its highest level prior to the ball.
Final Thoughts: Do Something This Winter!
Too many golfers put their golf clubs away in the fall and don’t bring them out until the spring. They have lost anywhere between 3-6 months of getting better at golf. I have found the winter a great time to train for speed, work on the swing and improve overall ball striking.
I have been able to do this with my Skytrak Launch Monitor and my golf simulator setup. While you don’t need a complete golf simulator setup, being able to hit golf balls 365 days a year will help you produce great contact that results in better ball speed. If you add some swing speed to the mix, watch out!
I use a Skytrak Launch Monitor and have utilized it over the past 4 years. I have played over 800 rounds in my golf simulator setup and have been able to get really close to a scratch golfer from where I once was around a 6-7 handicap. The ability for instant feedback on the following data has been helpful:
- Ball Speed
- Spin Rate
- Spin Axis
- Launch Angle
- Carry and and Total Distance
While many do not have the money to spend on a Trackman or Flightscope there are some more affordable options for the amateurs that can help you build your feels, play all winter long and have a great device to take with you to the range!
Stay sharp this winter!
Here are the top 3 options to check out:
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.