Are you looking to improve your golf game?  Most amateurs, and probably many professionals, would say that they are very interested in shaving a few strokes off their game.  Of course it was Arnold Palmer who said that his tip for taking five strokes off your game was to use an eraser!  But rather than cheating, you may want to consider if your golf swing speed is the best it can be and if it’s helping or hurting your game.

Many professionals counsel their clients on how to improve their golf swing speed and even encourage them to use weight training to build up some strength in their arms.  While you do need some muscle to get behind your ball, it’s really not your biceps or triceps that determine your golf swing speed, and your physical strength is not as important as a good, solid swing.  How can we say this?

For one thing, notice how many golfers there are who aren’t exactly bodybuilders!  Women, children, and even seniors can often show up the most muscular of players.  Your golf swing speed will require some force behind it but if you maintain proper speed and a good swing overall, you’ll get a lot of distance on your ball – whether you hit the gym or not.  Maintaining a good golf swing speed includes much more than just the power behind your swing.

Often amateurs are so concerned with a faster golf swing speed that they sacrifice a quality strike for it.  They are coming down on their swing so fast that they’re not paying attention to maintaining the arc or plane of their golf swing.  If this arc is maintained, this will build up enough potential energy in the club that when the energy is transferred to the ball, it will travel an adequate distance.  This transference of energy, combined with the flex of the club shaft, will cause the ball to travel the way it does.  Your golf swing speed does not need to overpower the ball and will easily cause you to come out of alignment and hit the ball too hard or at an incorrect angle.

The proper golf swing speed is actually a slow, steady movement.  It doesn’t need to be overpowering or even driven by strength.  You should follow the proper plane or arc of your swing in a slow and steady movement, coming into your forward swing with a slight increase in speed and lunge of the hips.  If you notice that your club smacks the ball and you lack distance, your golf swing speed may actually be too fast.  Allow the club’s flex to work the way it should, building up energy which is then transferred to the ball.  If your swing is smooth and you’re still not getting much distance, increase your golf swing speed just a slight bit, but do this in small increments.  You don’t want to increase the speed too much and overcorrect the problem.