x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
How to add 15 mph of clubhead speed in just 30 days, according to a speed-training guru
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
      • Emergency 9
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • Emergency 9
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

Great for yourself...or your Dad

InsideGOLF
Instruction

How to add 15 mph of clubhead speed in just 30 days, according to a speed-training guru

By: Zephyr Melton
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Follow on Instagram
December 22, 2021
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
jaacob bowden trains

Jaacob Bowden, a World Long Drive competitor and speed-training guru, says that his program can add insane swing speed in just one month.

YouTube

No matter what your distance is off the tee, every golfer wishes they could hit the ball just a little bit farther. Power is king in the current era of golf and added distance correlates to lower scores.

Data and analytics experts have quantified the advantages of power in recent years, and Bryson DeChambeau has made his affinity for bombs mainstream. He used the 2020 pandemic-induced hiatus to dedicate himself — and his body — to increasing his speed, and the efforts paid off with a win at the 2020 U.S. Open.

But while DeChambeau’s tactics were undoubtedly effective, they were also a bit extreme. Videos of his speed-training and weight-lifting routines surface regularly, and the intensity is more akin to a powerlifter than that of a golfer. And that’s not to mention the physical transformation he pulled off; DeChambeau has added around 40 pounds of muscle since his college days as he’s become one of the bulkiest players in pro golf.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondechambeau)

However, adding speed to your swing doesn’t have to come at the cost of your physique. DeChambeau’s method was unquestionably effective, but it’s not the only way to get longer off the tee. In fact, according to one speed-training expert, you can add distance to your game without getting bigger at all.

“You don’t necessarily have to get big muscles or grow in size,” says Jaacob Bowden, a Class A PGA Professional. “It’s more about strengthening and speeding up the muscles that you use from the top of the backswing down to impact, in the specific way that you’re using them in the golf swing.”

Bowden, a World Long Drive record holder and speed-training guru, invented his own speed training program that he says can add 12-16 mph of clubhead speed within the first 30 days. His philosophy is simple and focuses on two main components: train your body what it feels like to swing fast through repeated reps, and workout the specific muscles used from the top of your swing down to impact.

“I don’t think that the golf industry understands yet that [speed training] needs to be really specific to how you’re swinging,” Bowden says. “Rather than doing a bench press or that kind of thing, it would be better to get a cable machine.”

You can see an example of one of his training sessions below.

Bowden’s philosophy on speed training is based on isometrics, which are exercises in which “muscles are caused to act against each other or against a fixed object.” He applies isometrics to golf by using resistance bands and mimicking the golf swing from the top of the backswing down to impact. By gradually upping the resistance each week and repeating the training, he teaches his muscles to swing faster from the top down to impact.

“The most important muscles to strengthen are those you use from the top of the swing down to impact,” he says. “Everyone at the top of the backswing is starting at zero, whether you’re a long-drive champion or a club amateur.”

This form of training does not alter your swing at all, and instead strengthens the muscles you actually use during the swing. The only thing that changes is how hard you can swing when you go back out to the course.

“I want to take the swing you have and train that technique to raise your max swing speed over the course of training,” Bowden says. “That way when you back off to your play speed it’s faster. Much faster.”

Latest In Instruction

24 hours ago

3 smart ways to improve your golf swing with an alignment stick

2 days ago

2025 U.S. Open: Collin Morikawa's unusual range drill, explained

2 days ago

Making this critical ball-striking error will kill your iron play

2 days ago

How a golfer added 10 yards to his drives in just 2 minutes

Zephyr Melton

Golf.com Editor

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.

  • Author Twitter Account
  • Author Instagram Account

Related Articles

Instruction
james hong demonstrates three different ways to use alignment sticks when practicing

3 smart ways to improve your golf swing with an alignment stick

By: Zephyr Melton
Instruction
Louis Oosthuizen's keys for maintaining tempo under pressure

Maintain your tempo under pressure with this major winner's clever advice

By: Maddi MacClurg
Driving
golfer swings on golf course with mountains in background

3 huge swing mistakes costing you power off the tee, according to data

By: Zephyr Melton
Instruction
seve ballesteros swings golf club

These are the 6 keys to Seve Ballesteros' iconic swing

By: Brady Riggs, Top 100 Teacher
Short Game
danny willet hits chip shot during the 2025 canadian open

What's the best club to use for short chips around the greens?

By: Parker McLachlin, GOLF Teacher to Watch
Instruction
tony ruggiero demonstrates how to grip golf club

How hard should you grip the golf club? Top teacher explains

By: Zephyr Melton
Instruction
maja stark works on the range ahead of the u.s. women's open

Improve your aim (& swing) with a simple practice tweak from the U.S. Women's Open

By: Zephyr Melton
Instruction
angel yin hits shots on driving range at erin hills

This training aid spotted at Erin Hills can fix your weight transfer

By: Zephyr Melton
Instruction
Michelle Wie West swings during 2024 u.s. women's open

3 ball-striking drills every golfer needs to do after a long break

By: Zephyr Melton
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version