How I Gained 15 MPH Clubhead Speed

Just six months ago, I was swinging my driver at around 93 mph. Now I’m around 108, sometimes 110. 

What did I do to make such a big jump? What made the biggest difference? 

(Spoiler: The answer isn’t speed training.)

Really. I did absolutely no speed training. No special speed sticks, no special training aids. Here’s how I gained 15 mph clubhead speed in a matter of months. 

My Speed Journey

Let’s start with this. I’m 6’2” and have a pretty large frame. I’ve always been pretty strong. While I’m still fairly new to golf, it’s easy to take one look at me and ask, “Why does that guy swing so slowly?”

Up until a few months ago, you would have been right in asking that question. 

That, above all, is ultimately why I decided to put more effort into rapidly gaining speed. 

Some might call it bullying, but a few snide remarks from fellow MGS employees had me hell-bent on getting faster. If I could offer one piece of advice, it’s that motivation makes all of the difference. 

Anyway … You’re not here to read about motivation. You’re here to figure out my secret. Well, it’s not much of a secret. It’s actually very logical and fairly sensible. 

Tip #1: Get Stronger

The first thing I did to gain 15 mph clubhead speed was get in the gym and get stronger. Call me Bryson DeChambeau, but there’s no real replacement for muscling the golf club. 

Over the last few months, I’ve been extremely consistent. At least five days in the gym per week, sometimes six. Each day, I target a different muscle group. Triceps, chest and shoulders one day. Biceps and back the next. Follow that with a few leg and total body workouts and you’ve got a recipe for speed gains. 

The key for me was finding a workout plan that kept me motivated. I’ve recently started wearing Whoop, which features pre-programmed workout routines. After a few weeks of completing each routine (the four I mentioned above), I up the weight a bit and just keep grinding. 

I didn’t do any fancy golf-specific workouts. Not to say these things aren’t helpful. There sure are a lot of resources out there for this kind of exercise. That said, I focused primarily on pushing and pulling exercises, and this worked for me. 

Getting stronger absolutely made me faster. 

Tip #2: Hit More Balls

Another no-brainer. Seriously, if you want to gain speed, just hit more golf balls. I promise you won’t lose speed by hitting 20-plus balls every day with your driver. 

It makes sense, doesn’t it? Just as a marathon runner seeks to increase their time by practicing or a basketball player seeks to increase their vertical by jumping, hitting more golf balls is naturally going to help you gain speed. 

This one can be a tough ask for some. Not everyone has the luxury of a full golf simulator in their place of work. But finding extra time to hit a few balls will go a long way to increasing your clubhead speed. 

An extra day at the range per week or hitting a few drivers into your backyard net each day will help more than you know. Even when you don’t feel like hitting balls, go hit some.

Don’t just hit, though. Swing fast. Hit hard. The more your body is used to swinging as fast as you can, the more quickly that speed will become your “norm.” 

Tip #3: Work on Technique

No surprise here. Getting better at swinging the golf club also helped me increase speed. Simply put, there are technical ways to increase your speed. 

For me, learning how to properly rotate and rely on the bigger muscles to create power and speed were key. In addition to learning to rotate, I also lengthened my backswing a little bit. 

By learning to properly rotate and not just “swing my arms”, I was able to pick up some extra speed that my body already had the capability to produce. This is something best worked on with a coach or someone who knows what they’re doing. But it can be a fairly simple way to unlock the most out of your swing. 

All There is To It

Wasn’t that easy? That’s a little facetious on my part. It sounds easy on paper, sure. But doing it is another thing altogether. Above all, the thing that really matters is consistency. I don’t care how much weight you’re lifting or if you’re only hitting 10 balls each day. If you do these things consistently over a prolonged period of time, you’re going to gain speed. 

Questions? Concerns? Leave a comment down below. I’m happy to share my exact workout plan, if that interests you. 

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