Speed training has helped golfers or all skill levels gain distance and lower scores
The Stack System
Depending on where you live, your golf season is either slowing down or gearing up, but no matter what time of the year it is the one thing you can’t let slow down is your clubhead speed.
Pardon the pun, but speed training and the programs available to help golfers achieve their distance goals have been picking up steam in recent years, and it really hit the mainstream when Matt Fitzpatrick won this year’s U.S. Open at the Country Club.
Over the last two years Matt has transformed his driving game by adding an average of 6 mph, which took him from 112th on the PGA Tour in 2019 to 42nd in 2022.
Now 6 mph might not sound like a huge amount, but when extrapolated through his entire game that’s 2-3 clubs less into greens, and more speed to get it out of the rough. Using the same time frame from 2019 to 2022, Matt went from 59th in Strokes Gained driving to 10th.
Although there are lots of training devices to help with speed including SuperSpeed, Golf Sling Shot, and Matt’s choice The Stack system — one tool everyone is using is the PRGR launch monitor.
The PRGR Portable Launch Monitor uses a precise radar system to track clubhead speed, but can also track ball speed and approximate distance when hitting shots. The best part of the PRGR PLM is that, compared to other units that track clubhead and ball speed, at only $229 it’s one of the best values on the market – and how can you put a price on lower scores?
Ryan Barath is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s senior editor for equipment. He has an extensive club-fitting and -building background with more than 20 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. Before joining the staff, he was the lead content strategist for Tour Experience Golf, in Toronto, Canada.