Path+Pressure+Power= Velocity

There are always certain things that I think of that have helped me gain club head speed in my golf swing, and when I break it down to its simplest form, these three words always come to mind.

1. Path - we want the club to travel through space as fast and as long as possible when it comes to attaining the highest speed possible. The easiest way to describe this is by allowing the club more time to create speed. This could come from a longer backswing, a wider arc in the swing, or more rotation in the shoulders. Whichever method works best for your specific mechanics essentially gives more time for the club to produce speed. We don't always have the ability to create more time right away. There are certain aspects of the body and how it moves that either allow or don't allow this to happen. So whenever I hear that mobility isn't that important to create speed in the swing, I always start to break it down. Sure, mobility itself doesn't produce speed, but mobility allows us to get into better positions that can then create more speed. Once broken down even further, having essential elements of mobility can really ramp up the speed once the swing is in its best positions. It can be very difficult for some to get a longer swing without breaking down certain areas in the backswing due to mobility and end range of motion issues. Yes, there is potential for injury in this case as well. So, mobility can really be a solid source of speed, allowing the swing to get into its best positions mechanically to produce speed.

2. Pressure - how we use pressure in the swing starts in our feet or on the ground, as simply described. But how do we use it and how do we maximize it at the right time and right moments? For the average golfer, I break this down in a simple way: stay in your box, don't allow the pressure to move to the outside of the foot. The goal is to push that pressure back up into the strongest muscles and use them accordingly. If we can push the pressure back into the body, it then allows us to transfer it up the chain and eventually out to the club. Where the pressure is matters. Now, we obviously can get to the extreme here as well, wanting to hammer that pressure and put on the brakes as hard as possible with as little power leakage to the outside of the foot as we can manage. Not only does this take practice, but it also takes strength, good footwear, and understanding and awareness of the pressure map. Some of the best information I have ever received has been from force plate data, which then allowed me to make changes and improvements not only in my swing but also in my training and practice that allowed for all this to happen.

   
   

3. Power - The ability to move/overcome resistance in the shortest period of time through space, to create more power. We can always look at the technical aspects of the swing, being in the right positions to then move that object (clubhead) through space in the shortest time possible. This can also be trained in the gym or at home through various methods. Now the ability to create more power can be trained in various ways depending on what type of training background you have or if you don't have any at all. In the Longdrive Pyramid, I explain training age and how that can affect the type of work you do in the gym or at home on speed development. A lot of the stuff I have seen or have been seeing online is far beyond what a person without gym experience would be able to take on. There needs, in my mind at least, a base of power already in place for most of these routines and exercises, one to reap the benefits of these movements to their fullest and two to avoid injury without anything truly gained. Now, if you are well-versed in the gym and have been training for some time, then absolutely take advantage of these types of power workouts. If you have never been to the gym or haven't worked out in some time, you will likely be in the best and safest space by starting out with basic movements and slowly progressing as you gain strength into a more developed and specific plan. Can you still increase club head speed without being overly power-specific? Yes, of course, any training is better than no training, but having a professional assessment to show you where to begin will be in your best interest short-term and long-term as well.

   
   

I have written this with my personal experience that I have gained through 15 years of Longdrive competition but also as a personal trainer, a competitive powerlifter, and someone who has been in the gym for over 20 years. I had become obsessed with speed in the golf swing as I re-entered the sport in 2019. Speed is king in Longdrive, and I have managed to become more competitive as I have gotten older, pushing past the 40-year-old mark this year and reaching a short lived world ball speed record of 236.6mph and a max of 237.1mph at this point I am the only 40yr old to have ever hit a ball over 230mph . I won the Canadian National Championship for the 2nd time and have been ranked 10th on the World Longdrive tour to close out the 2023 season now ranked 16th in the world while coaching the current 10th in the world trying to help him into the Top 5 by the end of the 2025 season.

If you would like to work with me to build your club head speed and hit the ball longer and straighter lets have a conversation send an email anytime to RyanGregnolgolf@gmail.com