As golfers, we’re never happy with what we have especially when it comes to distance.
And thanks to Bryson DeChambeau, distance, and how to get more of it, is at the top of all our minds after watching how he’s dominated in the Tour’s restart.
One thing we can take from Bryson’s quest for more distance, however, is that clubhead speed plays a huge role. And although Bryson has a golf lab in his living room, it’s not as difficult to increase your clubbed speed as you think.
Kevin Duffy, a fitness coach to elite players including Tommy Fleetwood and Graeme McDowell, has said as much in a recent Instagram post.
His three tips for gaining clubhead speed are: swing lighter clubs, throw medicine balls, and work on your vertical jump.
Duffy even breaks down each suggestion for you, explaining how it relates to the golf swing.
Swinging light clubs, also known as overspeed training, can help you improve clubbed speed. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as plenty of golfers, including those on our own staff have seen success with speed training aids like SuperSpeed Sticks.
Throwing medicine balls might sound strange, but it can actually improve your ability to apply force quickly to a an object, like a golf club which then transfers that force into a golf ball. Medicine ball throws are also great for building rotational strength, which translates well to the rotational nature of the golf swing.
Duffy’s third tip, improving your vertical jump, probably sounds like something more suited for a basketball player than a golfer. However, a vertical jump is the result of you pushing into the ground and the ground pushing back against you with an opposite and equal amount of force that it lifts you off the ground. In golf, the vertical ground reaction forces applied as you come through your downswing works in a similar way.
Of course, doing any of these requires a commitment to a consistent training regimen if you want to see results, which is where working with a performance coach or trainer to improve your game can come in handy.