Two important elements were identified in a recent study conducted at Tōyō University, Japan, which compared those playing in the 70s with those playing in the 90s. For one thing, the 70 players all had a club face slightly more perpendicular to the target at the moment of impact. For the other – and it’s the largest differentiating factor – the better group had a higher club head speed. In other words, the speed of the club at impact equals 1.5 fewer strokes for every additional 2.2 miles an hour of head speed.

During a good swing, the face of the club must envelop the ball, meaning that it moves from an open to a closed position. We say, “perpendicular to the path travelled”. The face-to-path value has a direct influence on the curvature of a golf shot. As for the body, arms to wrists, they are responsible for this opening and closing action. During the swing, this opening and closing movement is called “setting and releasing”. You set the body, arms, wrists and the clubhead during the backswing and you release them during the rest of the swing.

To improve the club speed, take a hard swing, without a ball, ten times as a right-hander, then another ten times as a left-hander. Take a 30-second rest between each series and repeat the exercise for a total of three series every two days.

For control of the club face, use a tee attached to your glove to observe the orientation of your left wrist, which must be flexed during the closing movement.

With these two tips, most players can improve the club head speed by 12 to 16 miles per hour in only one month…which represents eight to 11 fewer strokes in a round.

Happy golfing!

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