Drive 400 Distance Program .... my review

[itsame]

 

16 hours ago, Harob11 said:

Anyone have any questions regarding the program?

 

Maybe I'm just lacking imagination, but any idea how to protect a wall from med ball throws? The alternative during winter would be to shovel snow in the yard and do it outside but that would suck, it gets really cold up here in Canada.

[Kjboisen]

Nevermind, I answered my own question through the powers of READING INSTRUCTIONS

Edited October 15, 2020 by Kjboisen

[itsame]

9 hours ago, Harob11 said:

I hear ya. I'm from Canada originally so I hear you loud and clear. Any chance you have a workout partner? I know it's Covid season but that would be your best bet. Indoor house walls are definitely risky. You could pile some pillows together in front of the wall, but that's still a risk. If all else fails and you don't have a partner or a gym and it's too cold outside, I recommend doing the lateral "throws" without a release. Go through the motion without releasing the ball. Ease into it because it will feel a little odd but there is still some training benefit to it. As you progress, you can try some recoil movements while holding onto the ball. Rotate one direction then immediately rotate the other direction. You'll feel a great stretch. Just make sure to ease into it. 

 

Hope this helps.  

 

I think I'll just suck it up and go outside to throw the ball against a brick wall of the house. 

I don't think my girlfriend can catch a 6lbs ball if I actually throw it at her at full speed.

With a little luck it might take another 2 months before there's too much snow anyway.

 

I started the program yesterday. I find the thread lacking in actual numbers so I'll be bumping it once every 4 weeks with results. 

Instead of swing speed however, I'll be using actual yardage. My reasoning is that I really want this speed gain to translate to the course; I don't see the point of swinging the club head at 140mph if I can't even touch the ball with it.

 

I will be doing the SMR and mobility exercises 5-6 times a week, and speed and strength training 3 times a week.

I am coming back from a lower back injury that required physiotherapy. I used to lift weight but had to stop in February. My physiotherapist said I should be ok to start lifting again, but advised to start light.

So instead of 5x5, I'll be doing 3x5 and start with the bar, adding weight every session and work my way to 5x5. Hopefully I will have gained my strength back by the end of the 3 months.

 

According to my GPS watch, my average drive for the last 40 games played was 245 yards total. Weirdly enough, I don't feel like I lost distance due to injury (except for wedges which I pointed out in another thread).

I will be using a Skytrack launch monitor in my golf simulator for the winter. My average drive on the simulator is pretty much the same, about 230 carry and 245 total.

 

I'm not a long hitter by any means so there's probably a lot of room for improvement.

[SirFuego]

On 10/13/2020 at 3:28 PM, itsame said:

 

 

Maybe I'm just lacking imagination, but any idea how to protect a wall from med ball throws? The alternative during winter would be to shovel snow in the yard and do it outside but that would suck, it gets really cold up here in Canada.

Do you have a usable. unfinished basement?  I have a poured concrete foundation in my basement, which is fine for slamming medicine balls against.

 

You could also use a "medicine ball rebounder", which is basically a mini trampoline at an angle.  They are expensive for what they are, though.  If you are somewhat handy, you could probably just buy a cheap mini trampoline and rig up an angled platform for it or sleeve the back legs with tubing to raise it up to whatever angle you need.

Edited October 19, 2020 by SirFuego

[itsame]

11 hours ago, SirFuego said:

Do you have a usable. unfinished basement?  I have a poured concrete foundation in my basement, which is fine for slamming medicine balls against.

 

You could also use a "medicine ball rebounder", which is basically a mini trampoline at an angle.  They are expensive for what they are, though.  If you are somewhat handy, you could probably just buy a cheap mini trampoline and rig up an angled platform for it or sleeve the back legs with tubing to raise it up to whatever angle you need.

 

Both the basement and the garage have dry walls unfortunately. 

It seems those ball rebounders would bounce way too much. I'm looking for the opposite, i.e. something that would absorb the shock.

[chipa]

7 minutes ago, itsame said:

 

Both the basement and the garage have dry walls unfortunately. 

It seems those ball rebounders would bounce way too much. I'm looking for the opposite, i.e. something that would absorb the shock.

 

You should be able to build a base of 2 x 4's attached to the wall joists that are probably 2' on center of less. Then you could put like 2 ea. 3/4 plywood on top of that so the force of the ball is resisted by the structural elements and not the sheetrock.

 

Also, imo opinion just throwing an old tire has pretty much the same effect and could be done in the basement or anywhere you have enough room.

Edited October 19, 2020 by chipa

[naval2006]

Hi Rob,

 

I have the PDF download with the Vimeo links. It’s no longer working. Am I right?

[itsame]

It's been 4 weeks since I started the program so I'm giving an update like I said I would.

 

Like I mentioned before, I started with an average drive of 245 yards on both the Skytrak and in real life.

 

See attachments for results. Spoiler: I now average 265, an increase of 20 yards in only a month (!)

I intended to drive 10 balls and keep the best 7 to account for mishits, but ended up hitting 7 good drives in a row so I called it a day.

 

Real golf season is over so I've been playing simulator rounds instead, and I hit a few 275 yards drives every round, which is pretty awesome.

 

A few remarks about the program:

 

-If you don't already lift weights or aren't otherwise very active physically, I would advise not going all-out on the speed exercices for the first week.

I had just finished physiotherapy for a lower back injury, so I had not been doing much for the past 6 months, and my knees, lower back and left shoulder were in pain after the first week.

I had to give up weight lifting for the 2nd week (even though I was lifting *really* light).

 

-It can be pretty difficult to actually play golf while doing this. You're either sore from the last session, or you want to keep your body fresh for the next. 

My body is getting used to it, but for the first 2 weeks I only played 1 round per week.

 

-If space is an issue, slam balls are better than medicine balls. They're basically the same thing, except they don't bounce at all so you're not scared of breaking furniture or having a ball bounce back in your face.

 

 

Overall I'm really impressed with the results. I had never even hit a 275 yards drive without strong wind or going downhill before.

If I can squeeze another 10-15 yards out of this I'll be amazed. Getting to an average of 280 yards or more is my goal, as this will allow me to play from the back tees on just about every local course. 

 

(Note: clubhead speed is estimated by Skytrak, only ball speed is actually measured.)

Edited November 11, 2020 by itsame

[itsame]

On 11/9/2020 at 11:51 AM, naval2006 said:

Hi Rob,

 

I have the PDF download with the Vimeo links. It’s no longer working. Am I right?

 

They're working fine for me.

[itsame]

Bumping with results after 2 months on this program. To recap, my driving average went 245 -> 265 -> 273!

 

Looks like I'm done with the 'newbie gains' and gaining distance will require a lot more work from now on.

 

Showing off the best drive out of ten.  I understand that roll is estimated and I would probably never get 29 yards of roll on the local courses.

Still, my best ball speed went from 146 to 151, so clearly I'm swinging faster.

 

One thing I'm noticing is that I have a lot more balance than before, leading to more controlled shots. I am spraying it much less off the tee, despite driving it further.

I also gained a bit of distance on irons. The only downside is that for some reason I can't control my 8 iron anymore; not sure why this club stands out. It will carry anywhere between 135 and 160 (??)

 

I'm pretty amazed with the program frankly. I am 5' 5 and 122lbs. I didn't think I had it in me, at least not in such a short amount of time.

 

[Myherobobhope]

19 hours ago, itsame said:

Bumping with results after 2 months on this program. To recap, my driving average went 245 -> 265 -> 273!

 

Looks like I'm done with the 'newbie gains' and gaining distance will require a lot more work from now on.

 

Showing off the best drive out of ten.  I understand that roll is estimated and I would probably never get 29 yards of roll on the local courses.

Still, my best ball speed went from 146 to 151, so clearly I'm swinging faster.

 

One thing I'm noticing is that I have a lot more balance than before, leading to more controlled shots. I am spraying it much less off the tee, despite driving it further.

I also gained a bit of distance on irons. The only downside is that for some reason I can't control my 8 iron anymore; not sure why this club stands out. It will carry anywhere between 135 and 160 (??)

 

I'm pretty amazed with the program frankly. I am 5' 5 and 122lbs. I didn't think I had it in me, at least not in such a short amount of time.

 

This is awesome that you’ve seen improvements and keep updating us! Really appreciate the feedback and hope to hear from you in January!

[russc1597187869]

Included below is my mini rebounder setup against a patio stone wall for use with pylometric  medicine ball throws. The yellow impact bag in front of the mini rebounder helps to stabilize the mini rebounder. I do 6 sets  at different angles with the 6 lb medicine ball and 4 sets with the 2 lb ball.

Obviously dry wall is not strong enough to sustain the force from medicine balls done at explosive speeds.

 

 

[bilbry57]

I got the program way back when but never had time to do the whole thing because of work.  The soft tissue & mobility part is very helpful and I have done a lot of these for a while.  Decided to try the whole program since I work  from home now and began today with the Strength part. I am keeping a journal and will post my progress.

 

I am 63 not flexible golfer so I plan on doing 

the soft tissue and mobility twice a day.

Edited December 23, 2020 by bilbry57

[bilbry57]

Rob,

 

I have a swing speed radar  it’s 25 degrees 

out so no place to hit balls should I just measure air swing to get baseline?

 

[bilbry57]

18 hours ago, Harob11 said:

Yep. That's totally fine. Keep in mind highest swing-speed readings will almost always occur without a ball, just simply because your mind/body is not going to have any (subconscious) concern about "control" of the ball, and slow down. So just don't compare max swing-speed without a ball to max swing-speed with a ball. Keep it apples to apples.

 

In most cases, you'll also notice your swing will be slightly different without a ball. It's amazing the little adjustments our computers (mind/body) make when swinging with a ball and without. I'm going to start putting out Youtube videos in 2021 touching on a lot of the points mentioned in this thread over the last three years, so I can explain in more detail.

 

Anyway... yes that's a perfectly fine and a more consistent way to measure maximum swing-speed.

 

 

Best,

 

Rob. 

Having a YouTube channel will help for sure and thank you again for the quick responses

[bilbry57]

39 minutes ago, Harob11 said:

My pleasure.

The swing program is tough I struggled to finish probably need 2-3 minutes rest between the sets instead of 1 minute.  4sets of 5 reps both ways with 8 different swing exercises is a workout.  I found some nerf golf balls my baseline CH speed is 95 MPH when I hit those balls. 10 years ago it was 105 I will be 64 in June would like to get above 100 again.

 

 

 

[MrHateCoffee]

@Harob11  I see the program is $50 now.  What's changed from when it was in the $20-$25 range years ago?

[bilbry57]

3 hours ago, Harob11 said:

That's ok. Everyone is different. Just pace yourself. It'll probably take you a few sessions before you feel in the groove. You shouldn't have any problem getting over 100mph. I'd test your swing-speed without hitting balls btw. It's a better indicator of your true max swing-speed. Good luck with everything! 

Will do I wasn’t sure about ball or  no ball

I find the soft tissue and mobility work is very helpful and Will be a huge part of this program.

[bilbry57]

I have decided to use this program combined  with an App called Carbon Diet by Layne Norton to get in top shape.  My Son lost 90 lbs the last 9 months by changing his diet to the Macros suggested by this app.  I was up to 200 lbs so I started the app 2 weeks ago and have lost 5lbs. I am combining this with Rob’s weight program and my goal is to Lose 18lbs by end of February.  I am also doing the swing 

stuff and my goal is to get to 105MPH by end of February.

 

i have tried a couple online training programs for golf that were good but they were more expensive.  IMO Rob’s program 

Is the equal to these programs but way less expensive.  Besides Rob like Monte is a great guy and he really cares about people improving which is obvious by how he responds in this thread.   I will try to post my progress a couple times a week.

 

BB

 

 

 

[bilbry57]

Thanks for the encouragement 182lbs is my target weight and the goal is to lower body fat.  Daily macros for protein and carbs are the same right now at some point as metabolism speeds up the protein lowers and carbs goes up Layne calls it reverse diet.  My Son Mark has lowered his % body fat by 10% while increasing his dairy calories.  

 

[SweGolfer]

Have read almost all posts and really think the discussion is rewarding. Decided that im gonna give the program a chance after training regular strength training for over 10 years. I have a swing speed of just under 100 mph and has the ambition to increase it to 105, but would like it to increase to 110. Wish me luck!

Edited December 27, 2020 by SweGolfer

[bilbry57]

1 week in already seeing benefits in strength.  I haven’t lifted heavy in a long time but I benched 185 for 5 reps and 4 sets easily.  I feel confident I will be doing 225 for reps again by February.  Swing speed was 2MPH faster during my 3rd session.  Soft tissue /mobility stuff is so beneficial doing that 2 times a day really helping with recovery.

 

One important point Rob makes is the importance of posterior muscles.  Back 20 to 30 years ago we trained mostly anterior muscles Chest, Quads, front delts and biceps. A couple PT evaluations commented how weak my posterior muscles are compared to anterior.  Rob addresses this in the program I did bench today followed by Pendlay rows works both areas.

I am super excited by progress I feel the strength coming back to my body at 63 years old.

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by bilbry57

[bilbry57]

1 hour ago, Harob11 said:

185 for 5 x 4 at 65 is impressive. Glad you're already seeing benefits. Like I said before, I'm very confident you'll be able to get from 100-110mph. 

Keep up the good work.

 

 

Rob. 

Actually will be 64 in June but definitely feeling stronger recovery has been helped immensely by the soft tissue mobility work it’s vital IMO 

[bilbry57]

My progress continues to improve yesterday I averaged 99 mph SS reaching a high of 102mph.  In addition, all of my lifts continue to improve nearly every workout and other than normal post WO soreness no injuries.  Also Not to beat a dead horse but the soft tissue/ mobility work is so important especially for someone over 60.

One other thing I met with Monte when he was doing a clinic in Seattle 2 years ago. After watching a couple of swings he identified that I was actually flexing my knee more on the backswing  which was really restricting the load into my right side.  Back working  on a couple of suggestions he made  which gives more room for my arms in transition.

 

The combination of the 400 distance program  and better backswing has been a real Eye opener.

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by bilbry57

[bilbry57]

23 minutes ago, Harob11 said:

Fantastic! Love to hear it. Agree with @MonteScheinblum. I've never met him but I know he's very well respected on here and thinks outside the box, which I love hearing. 

 

Glad all of this is working for you.

 

Don't overlook your training environment either BTW. Obviously always get clearance from your doctor prior, but a natural pre-workout drink or coffee, creatine and music will all help with power output. Point being, when testing for absolute max swing-speed, it's not just about the training leading up to testing, it's about the current environment, energy levels and adrenaline. These things alone can add significant MPH of swing-speed.

 

Happy New Year and keep up the good work!

 

 

Rob. 

 
Thanks for feedback Rob I started Creatine last week and I always caffeinate in the morning 👍.  Music is part of my work out but I think the speed will improve even move because I have been doing speed work in early AM and it’s 25 to 30 degrees outside.  I am going to try doing in the afternoon to see if it’s better in a little warmer temperature 

 

[LeftDaddy]

Picked the program back up this week. I let it go last year because of my surgery. Decided I wanted to hit high, straight nasty bombs again this year. Rob’s stuff, combined with the George Gankas speed gains I’ve seen, should be really nice. 
 

I will admit that with my now fused spine, the overspeed swing training portion of this program has given me more soreness than I’d like. I’m going to have to keep an eye on that. But I hope I can stick with it again like I did in 2019!

[bilbry57]

On week 3 my strength continues to improve benched 205 for 4 reps ( I think I could have done 5 with spotter) and 4 sets.  The grip exercise is also getting stronger especially  with left hand. Swing speed is up 5MPH and most importantly no pain or injuries.  Hopefully I will get to play next weekend if there is one rain and see if the increased spreed transfers to the course.  Staying strong and mobile when get in your 60’s and beyond has so many benefits in golf and life.

Edited January 10, 2021 by bilbry57

[SirFuego]

On 12/21/2020 at 6:39 PM, russc1597187869 said:

Included below is my mini rebounder setup against a patio stone wall for use with pylometric  medicine ball throws. The yellow impact bag in front of the mini rebounder helps to stabilize the mini rebounder. I do 6 sets  at different angles with the 6 lb medicine ball and 4 sets with the 2 lb ball.

Obviously dry wall is not strong enough to sustain the force from medicine balls done at explosive speeds.

 

 

How has this setup been working?  I'm finding that I need to workout in the evenings after the kids do down and I can't be throwing a ball at the concrete foundation in my basement with the kids sleeping :-).  I'm just curious if it has held up and if any of the legs are starting to show signs of bending?  I just purchased a mini-trampoline to use in my garage and have some schedule 40 PVC I can sleeve the back legs with and prop up against the concrete "lip" at the bottom of the walls in my garage, but wasn't sure if I'd need to do anything to else to strengthen the legs.

Edited January 14, 2021 by SirFuego

[bilbry57]

On 1/13/2021 at 11:51 AM, Harob11 said:

Well I think you're almost benching more than me now haha. Bench is my weakness.

 

Definitely don't overlook grip strength, not just for distance but for prevention of injury to the wrist and of course, golfer's elbow. Some added muscle development can save a golfer from wrist and elbow injuries with one unlucky shot out of thick rough. 

 

Anyway, keep it going man and keep us posted. 

 

Well done.

 

Rob.

I spent way to much time benching/ posterior exercises in my younger days it’s probably why I have so many flexibility mobility issues today 🤣.  I am playing tomorrow should get some  feedback on where I am regarding distance of tee.  I also scheduled driver fitting on 1/25 it’s club champions golf.  
 

For those starting or considering this program make sure you try to perform soft tissue/ mobility daily.  It really helps before lifting band swinging and also with the little aches and pains especially for seniors 

[itsame]

Well it's been 3 months now, so here are my final results.

 

I changed my launch monitor from a Skytrak to a GC2, so no pretty driving range screenshot this time, only a table from the club fitting feature.

Given that launch monitors all kind of disagree on carry and total distance, those numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

One thing they both do very accurately however, is measure ball speed.

 

Summary of my progress:

Before: Ball speed 138mph, 245 total distance.  Best ball speed and longest drive unknown.

1st month: Ball speed 144mph, best ball speed 146, longest 276 yards.

2nd month: Ball speed 148mph, best ball speed 151, longest 285 yards.

3rd month: Ball speed 153, best ball speed 155, longest 299 yards!!

 

In short, I started the program with an average ball speed of 138 and after 3 months I now average 153. 

If the carry and total numbers are to be believed, I went from 223 carry and 245 total, to 255 carry and 278 total.

 

I have about 3 more months of indoor play before real golf season starts.

My goal is now to reach 160mph ball speed before then, and 167 before the end of the year.

Why 167? Well according to Trackman this is the average ball speed on the PGA Tour. Totally an ego thing to be able to say that I drive just as far as a pro.

 

I think it's safe to say this has been a resounding success. Cheers to all and thanks to @Harob11 !