If you want to perfectly hit the golf ball farther, you need to make it leave the clubface very faster. This is called ball speed. It is the most important thing for distance. This does not mean you should just swing your arms as hard as you can. That often makes things worse.
The real way to increase golf ball speed is to work on three main areas:
- Your Body: You need a strong and flexible body to create speed.
- Your Swing: You need a smooth & powerful swing that uses your whole body correctly.
- Your Equipment: You need a good quality golf club that is the right fit for you to get the most out of your swing.
This guide will walk you through each of these areas step by step. We will use simple science and proven methods to help you understand exactly what to do.
How to Increase Ball Speed Golf Through a Simple Plan
So, how do you actually make the ball go faster? The answer is not one magic trick. It is a plan that combines a some key things. Think of it as a recipe where all the ingredients are very neceessary.
Here is the simple easy plan to start increasing your golf ball speed today:
- First, Hit the Sweet Spot. The most immediate way to get more ball speed is to hit the ball in the center of the clubface. A perfect strike can add 10-20 yards to your drive instantly, even if your swing speed does not change.
- Second, Train for Speed. Your nervous system needs to learn to move fast. This is called “overspeed training.” Using a lightweight club or a special training system can teach your muscles to fire faster.
- Third, Get Stronger and More Mobile. You need a body that can turn quickly and with force. This means working on your rotation and your core strength.
- Fourth, Check Your Gear. A driver that is the actual right length, loft, and shaft flex for you will help you hit the sweet spot more often & transfer more energy to the targeted ball.
The rest of this article will explain each part of this plan in great detail.
Why Ball Speed is King
Before we talk about how to get more speed, it’s very necessary to understand why it matters so much. Knowing the “why” now will help you make better changes to your targeted game.
The Link Between Ball Speed and Distance
Imagine throwing a baseball. The harder you throw it, the farther it will go. It is the same with your golf. The faster the ball comes off your club, the farther it will fly. While the ball’s spin & the angle it takes off at (launch angle) are also important, golf ball speed is the biggest factor in distance.
For every 1.5 miles per hour (mph) you add to your ball speed, you can expect to gain about 3 yards of carry distance with your driver. So, if you can increase your golf ball speed by 10 mph, that could mean an extra 20 yards off the tee. That is a huge difference!
What is Smash Factor?
Smash factor is a simple number that tells you how efficient your swing is. It is calculated by dividing the ball speed by the clubhead speed.
- Smash Factor = Ball Speed ÷ Clubhead Speed
A high smash factor means you are transferring a lot of the energy from your clubhead into the ball. This happens when you hit the ball properly in the center of the face.
- With a driver, the perfect smash factor is about 1.50. This means if your clubhead speed is 100 mph, your ball speed should be around 150 mph.
- If you hit the ball on the toe or the heel of the club, the smash factor will be lower, say 1.42 or 1.38. This means you are wasting clubhead speed. The same 100 mph swing might only produce a 142 mph ball speed, costing you many yards.
So, the goal is twofold: increase your clubhead speed AND maximize your smash factor by hitting the center of the face.
The Kinetic Chain: Your Body’s Whip
A good golf swing is not just arms. It is a chain reaction that starts from the ground up. This is called the “kinetic chain.” Power is created in this order:
- Your feet push into the ground.
- Your legs and hips start to turn.
- Your core and torso follow.
- Your shoulders and arms then whip through.
- Finally, the clubhead releases, transferring all that energy into the ball.
If one link in this chain is weak or breaks down, you lose power. For example, if you start downswing with your arms instead of your hips, you break the chain. You will not create much speed, and you will likely miss the sweet spot.
Pillar 1: Building an Athletic and Powerful Body
Your body is the engine of the golf swing. If the engine is small or not tuned well, the car cannot go fast. You do not need to be a professional athlete, but you do need a body that can move well.
Why Mobility is More Important Than Pure Strength
Being able to move your joints freely is the first step to speed. The two most important areas for mobility in the golf swing are your hips and your upper back (thoracic spine).
- Mobile Hips: Allow you to create a stable base and rotate your lower body effectively.
- A Mobile Upper Back: Allows your shoulders to turn fully during your backswing and follow-through. If your upper back is stiff, you will not be able to make a full turn, and you will lose power.
Simple Mobility Drills You Can Do at Home
1. Cross-Legged Rotations (for your upper back):
- Sit on the floor and cross your legs.
- Place one hand on your opposite knee.
- Use your arm to gently pull your knee as you twist your upper body to look behind you.
- Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides. Do this 3 times on each side.
2. The World’s Greatest Stretch (for hips, hamstrings, and upper back):
- Step forward into a lunge position with your right foot.
- Place your left hand on the ground inside your right foot.
- Then, place your right elbow inside your right foot and hold for a moment.
- Next, straighten your right arm and twist your upper body to open up your chest to the right side.
- Do this 5 times on each side.
Building Rotational Strength and Power
Once you can move well, you need strength to create force. The key is “rotational” strength—the ability to powerfully twist your core.
Effective Exercises for Golf Power
1. Medicine Ball Throws:
- Stand sideways next to a wall (use a sturdy one!).
- Hold a medicine ball with both hands.
- Rotate your body away from the wall, then powerfully throw the ball into the wall by twisting your core back towards it. This mimics the golf swing motion.
- Do 2 sets of 8-10 throws on each side.
2. Cable Wood Chops:
- Using a cable machine at a gym, set the pulley high.
- Grab the handle with both hands and pull it down and across your body in a chopping motion, rotating your hips and core.
- This builds the exact muscles used in the downswing.
- Do 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions on each side.
Pillar 2: Mastering Efficient Swing Mechanics
A strong body is useless without a good swing technique. Good technique is what channels your body’s power into the clubhead and then into the ball.
The Kinematic Sequence: The Right Order for Power
This is a fancy term for the order in which your body parts move during the downswing. The correct order is the secret to a powerful and consistent swing.
The downswing should start in this order:
- Hips: They begin to rotate toward the target.
- Torso/Core: Your chest and stomach follow the hips.
- Arms: Your arms then drop down and swing through.
- Club: The club is the last thing to release.
Most amateur golfers get this wrong. They start the downswing with their arms or their shoulders. This “breaks the chain” and leads to a weak, slice shot.
Drill: The Step Drill to Feel the Proper Sequence
This drill helps you feel how your lower body should lead the swing.
- Take your normal address position.
- As you start your downswing, take a small step toward the target with your front foot.
- This forces your weight to shift and your hips to open up first.
- Practice this without a ball at first, then try it with slow, half-swings.
Using the Ground for Maximum Force
Power in sports comes from the ground. Think of a baseball pitcher pushing off the rubber, or a basketball player jumping for a dunk. In golf, you push against the ground to create force that travels up through your body.
How to Use Ground Force
- During your backswing, feel pressure build on the inside of your back foot.
- As you start your downswing, push hard off the inside of your back foot. This pushes your weight forward onto your front foot.
- This pushing action is what starts your hip rotation and creates a powerful “ground-up” swing.
The Impact Position: Where Speed Becomes Distance
The moment the club hits the ball is the most important moment in golf. A powerful impact position has a few key features:
- Your weight is on your front foot. At least 80-90% of your weight should be on your lead leg at impact.
- Your hips are open. They should be facing mostly toward the target, while your shoulders are still slightly closed.
- Your hands are ahead of the ball. This creates a “leaning” shaft, which helps compress the ball and reduce spin.
Drill: Impact Bag Training
An impact bag is a heavy bag you can hit with a club. It teaches you what a solid impact feels like without worrying about the ball.
- Set up the bag where a golf ball would be.
- Take a slow-motion swing and “thump” the bag at the bottom of your swing arc.
- Focus on having your hands ahead of the clubhead and your weight forward when you hit the bag. You should feel a solid, powerful thud.
Pillar 3: Optimizing Your Golf Equipment
The best swing in the world can be held back by the wrong equipment. Your driver is the most important club for ball speed.
The Critical Importance of a Professional Driver Fitting
Getting fit for a driver is not just for pros. It is the fastest way to make sure your equipment is helping you, not hurting you. A fitting expert will adjust three main things:
- Loft: The angle of the clubface. Too little loft can cause low, spinning shots. Too much loft can cause the ball to balloon up without going far.
- Shaft Flex: How much the shaft bends. If the shaft is too stiff, you won’t be able to load it properly. If it’s too weak, it will feel whippy and unpredictable.
- Shaft Weight: A heavier shaft can help with control, while a lighter shaft can help with speed.
The right combination will help you hit the ball higher, with less spin, and on the sweet spot more often.
| If Your Ball Does This: | The Problem Might Be: | A Potential Fix Is: |
| Goes too low and dives | Not enough loft; too much spin | Try a driver with more loft |
| Goes too high and short | Too much loft; “ballooning” | Try a driver with less loft |
| Curves too much (slice/hook) | Wrong shaft flex; incorrect weight | A stiffer or heavier shaft for more control |
| Feels hard to swing fast | Shaft is too heavy | A lighter shaft for more speed |
Strike Location: The Sweet Spot is Real
Modern drivers have a “face” that is designed to be springy. This is called the Coefficient of Restitution (COR). However, this spring-like effect is strongest in the center of the face.
Hitting the ball just a half-inch away from the center can cost you 10-15 mph in ball speed. That is a loss of 20-30 yards!
How to Find Your Strike Pattern
- Use Foot Spray: Spray a little foot powder spray on your clubface. Hit a few drives. The ball will wipe away the powder where it made contact. You will see exactly where you are hitting the ball.
- Look for Marks: After you hit a ball, check the clubface for a smudge. Is it in the center, or toward the toe or heel?
The goal is to make your pattern of strikes as small and as centered as possible.
Common Mistakes When Trying to Increase Speed
Many golfers try to get more speed but end up doing the wrong things. This hurts their game and can even lead to injury.
Mistake 1: Swinging Harder with Your Arms
This is the most common error. When you try to swing hard with your arms, you tense up. Your body stops turning, and you break the kinetic chain. The result is a slower, less efficient swing that almost always misses the sweet spot.
The Fix: Focus on making a smooth, full turn with your body. Let your arms feel loose and relaxed. The speed will come from your big muscles, not your small arm muscles.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Where You Hit the Ball on the Face
As we learned, smash factor is critical. A player with a 105 mph clubhead speed who hits the heel will have a lower ball speed than a player with a 100 mph speed who hits the center.
The Fix: Spend more practice time on strike quality. Use foot spray and focus on hitting the center of the face, even if you have to swing at 50% speed. Center contact is the goal.
Mistake 3: Over-Swinging and Losing Balance
A longer backswing does not always mean more power. If your backswing gets so long that you lose your balance or your spine angle changes, you will have to make compensations on the way down. This kills power.
The Fix: Make a backswing that is long enough to create a full coil but short enough that you can control it and stay balanced. A controlled, balanced swing is a fast swing.
Your 4-Week Practice Plan to Increase Ball Speed
Now, let’s put it all together. Here is a simple plan you can follow for the next month. Try to do this 3 times a week.
Each Session (Total Time: 45-60 minutes):
Part 1: Warm-up and Mobility (10 minutes)
- Do your mobility drills, like the Cross-Legged Rotations and the World’s Greatest Stretch.
- Make some slow, easy practice swings to warm up your muscles.
Part 2: Speed Training (10 minutes)
- Use an overspeed training system (like SuperSpeed) or simply take three clubs: your driver, a 3-wood, and a 5-iron.
- Swing each club as fast as you can, focusing on good form. Don’t worry about hitting a ball. Just swing fast. Do 5 swings with each club, rest, and repeat 3 times.
Part 3: Strike Quality Practice (20 minutes)
- Now, go to the driving range.
- Put foot spray on your driver.
- Hit 20 balls, but your only goal is to make the ball mark in the center of the face. Don’t worry about where the ball goes. Swing at 80% of your max speed to focus on control.
Part 4: Strength Training (2 times per week, after your session or on off-days)
- Do your medicine ball throws or cable wood chops.
- Add in some basic exercises like planks and squats to build overall strength.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clubhead speed equal ball speed?
No. Ball speed is what matters for distance. Clubhead speed is only part of the equation. You need a high smash factor (good contact) to turn clubhead speed into ball speed.
What is the fastest way to increase ball speed?
For most players, the fastest improvement comes from combining two things: 1) Overspeed training to increase clubhead speed, and 2) Strike quality practice to improve smash factor.
How much distance will 5 mph of ball speed add?
You can expect to gain about 10 yards of carry distance with your driver for every 5 mph of ball speed you add.
Is overspeed training safe?
Yes, if you do it correctly. Always do a full warm-up first. Start with slow, controlled motions before trying to swing at your max speed. Listen to your body and stop if you feel any pain.
Should I focus on ball speed or accuracy?
You can focus on both. A more efficient, powerful swing is often a more repeatable and accurate swing. By improving your technique for speed, you will likely improve your consistency as well.