Swinging hard is better than swinging slow

[jjinsa]

I have had many lessons, worked hard on my swing over time, but something I keep coming back to is this:

 

if I swing hard, and I don’t mean going 110%, I just mean a 100% swing with effort, as opposed to an easy swing at say 80-90%, so often is the answer for me when I’m having a bad round.  I always seem to strike it better and hit straighter.  Less mishits 

 

I have seen Bryson reference this before as well when someone he was “coaching” to hit far noted how straight they were hitting. 
 

my “very amateur” opinion, is it must have something to do with better swing sequence and using all the right parts in order to get the 100% speed, that helps square it up too. 
 

any other thoughts/experience on this? 

[phizzy30]

I'm the same way.  My 80% swing leads to the ball going left with a chance of hitting it slightly fat, so I swing 90% most of the time with the exception of par 5's where I'll take a lash at it off the tee.  I do have a 6th gear which I never bring out on the course because there's no need, but mess around with on the range because of how inconsistent it is.  With wedges, I will either choke down or vary my back swing length to match the distance.   

[jjinsa]

41 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

I'm the same way.  My 80% swing leads to the ball going left with a chance of hitting it slightly fat, so I swing 90% most of the time with the exception of par 5's where I'll take a lash at it off the tee.  I do have a 6th gear which I never bring out on the course because there's no need, but mess around with on the range because of how inconsistent it is.  With wedges, I will either choke down or vary my back swing length to match the distance.   

I feel that when I swing what I am calling 100% (110% is what you would call 6th gear), in order to swing at the 100% speed, my hips have to clear left, i have to shift my weight etc, everything happens.  When I go 80-90%, I can forego some of these things, or one of them (albeit subconsciously), and I feel like that puts the whole swing out. 

[SNIPERBBB]

Swinging slow gives you more time to do odd manipulations in the swing that aren't good. Your swing is more automatic when you swing fast.

Edited August 14, 2023 by SNIPERBBB

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Paging Monte. Also I agree, save the lower percent swings for spin and trajectory control with the wedges and short irons. 

[naval2006]

I believe there's a different formula for each player.  It works for some, it doesn't for others.  There's always the "too fast" element when swinging hard if you're not sharp and well trained.  

 

In my case I feel the swing like in slo mo the days I play well.  I know the clubhead swings through fast because the margin of error is low on those days, but the feeling of the sequence, especially my body (I'm not that young any more) setting the pace, is a signal of a good ballstriking day.  I learned to play when golf was about swinging, not hitting, so that must have stuck until now.  

[Jajo]

The only time I don’t swing 100% is when I’m less than 100 yards out 

[RoyalTroon]

Hitting it solid doesn't feel fast while going the distance it needs to, it feels slower and more powerful.  

[nitram]

The faster I swing the straighter it goes.

[ShortGolfer]

Doesn't work for me.  It may be that my neurology is just too screwed up from having a stroke.

The only times I've hit it 20 yards past the green is when I'm hitting a slow smooth stroke. 

Never has a hard swing helped with distance.  

 

Instead, I'm now working on consistent ball first contact with my irons.

As well as being able to mix it up with my wedges depending on the lie I have to work with.

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by ShortGolfer

[BombinJim]

Agreed. 100% swing unless I’m hitting a wedge or playing a knockdown in the wind.

[Zitlow]

The key is to stay in balance. Everyone has their own perfect speed that their joints can move in sequence. If they try to move too fast they lose their balance. 

[alittleoverpar]

5 minutes ago, Zitlow said:

The key is to stay in balance. Everyone has their own perfect speed that their joints can move in sequence. If they try to move too fast they lose their balance. 

Agree with this.  Swing as hard as you can while staying in balance.  This should be considered your 100%.

[jjinsa]

1 hour ago, ShortGolfer said:

Doesn't work for me.  It may be that my neurology is just too screwed up from having a stroke.

The only times I've hit it 20 yards past the green is when I'm hitting a slow smooth stroke. 

Never has a hard swing helped with distance.  

 

Instead, I'm now working on consistent ball first contact with my irons.

As well as being able to mix it up with my wedges depending on the lie I have to work with.

 

I didn’t mean swinging hard makes it go further, that was precisely not my point.  I mean I hit it better, meaning less fat shots, less thin shots. Just better striking, and less left and right misses. 

[jjinsa]

1 hour ago, Zitlow said:

The key is to stay in balance. Everyone has their own perfect speed that their joints can move in sequence. If they try to move too fast they lose their balance. 

And if they try to move too slow? I’m saying 100% swing is better for me than a slower swing.  Not so much trying to speak to the benefit of too fast. 

[jjinsa]

1 hour ago, cammyfan99 said:

When I swing slow, pause at that stop, and accelerate through the shot on the range I literally never miss a shot.  When I take it to the course it's horrible and I revert back to my normal tempo.

 

My off-season goal is to work on the slower tempo because on the range I actually hit the ball quite a bit longer with the slower tempo.

Ya tempo and “effort” as I mean in my original post, I’m not meaning the same.  I’m talking exclusive of tempo here.  I just mean a shot with effort to swing full vs a shot that is “low” on effort, trying to control

it.  I actually control it better when I swing full. 

[Nard_S]

I find I can swing at any effort as long as I'm proactive about transitioning to down swing early enough. I can hit a subtle pitch pure or hit a high mile drive at 110% if that is done. Sloppy transition or one just too late at any speed is a big killer and for me swinging at 80 or 90 percent is about matching my weakest point which is timing of transition moves.

[jjinsa]

30 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

I find I can swing at any effort as long as I'm proactive about transitioning to down swing early enough. I can hit a subtle pitch pure or hit a high mile drive at 110% if that is done. Sloppy transition or one just too late at any speed is a big killer and for me swinging at 80 or 90 percent is about matching my weakest point which is timing of transition moves.

Agreed. But I suppose what I am saying is then my timing is better when I hit normal full shots as opposed to trying to hit a partial shot.  I find it easier when it isn’t a slow swing. 

[vandyfan]

I have found that swinging 100% is ideal for driver and hybrids for me as I am trying to hit them as far as possible, rather than a specific "window" or distance. But, for me, I have improved my scoring as of late by hitting more iron and wedge approaches at 75% (what *feels* like 75%). So for example if I have a flat, no wind 150 yd shot that used to always just be an 8 iron. No question. Now, especially if the pin is middle or back, I am hitting a soft 7 iron there. It feels like it goes straighter and I hit the dead center of the face more often. Full disclosure, there is the odd time where I "flush" the 7 and hit it over. But it was more common, previously, that when hitting a 100% 8, I didn't catch all of it and came up short. 

 

I have wondered if I took one extra club on every approach shot for an entire round, I feel like I might play better. A big caveat is that I practice A LOT with 75-80% shots. It helps me work on my sequencing, saves my body and overall just helps me hit some really smooth, beautiful shots (not bragging, I am just an average player) for my skill level. 

[Nard_S]

Just now, jjinsa said:

Agreed. But I suppose what I am saying is then my timing is better when I hit normal full shots as opposed to trying to hit a partial shot.  I find it easier when it isn’t a slow swing. 

Agree with you, partial shots are harder and I reached conclusion that my grand fault on them is miss timing the transition. Had a touchy pitch yesterday, one that's easy to flub, I thought "just start back sooner" , went 40 yards, bounced & rolled to 2 feet. I then go to next tee box , par 5, "just start back sooner", ba-boom down the middle, which was not happening on front nine at all, lol. 

[jjinsa]

3 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

Agree with you, partial shots are harder and I reached conclusion that my grand fault on them is miss timing the transition. Had a touchy pitch yesterday, one that's easy to flub, I thought "just start back sooner" , went 40 yards, bounced & rolled to 2 feet. I then go to next tee box , par 5, "just start back sooner", ba-boom down the middle, which was not happening on front nine at all, lol. 

What does start back sooner mean? 

[Nard_S]

2 minutes ago, jjinsa said:

What does start back sooner mean? 

You initiate the lateral shift and the flex of body earlier (the pivot) than one thinks, even while the hands are still moving back.I tend to be, "okay hands at top, pivot->fire",  that's wrong. I do this on the course a lot!. In practice not near as much. While hands are approaching peak body should  already be a half step ahead on pivot and moving back prepping for the "fire" move coming. Much more natural to do this at 100% swing. Much less at slower pacing because body is over doing slower pace & smooth with "do too little & too late".

 

 

[596]

You can hit a shot 100% without a full backswing.  What is 100%?  A full turn and full backswing, full speed?  Or is it full speed but a shortened turn and shortened backswing?    

 

I feel as though I hit a 100% shot with a 1/2 turn, half backswing.  It's still a full effort but not as long.  Making this a 100% effort , but shorter, prevents deceleration on 1/2 shots.

 

I haven't hit a full swing 100% shot in months.   But I do hit 1/2 swings at 100% effort all the time.

[Pepperturbo]

8 hours ago, jjinsa said:

I have had many lessons, worked hard on my swing over time, but something I keep coming back to is this:

 

if I swing hard, and I don’t mean going 110%, I just mean a 100% swing with effort, as opposed to an easy swing at say 80-90%, so often is the answer for me when I’m having a bad round.  I always seem to strike it better and hit straighter.  Less mishits 

 

I have seen Bryson reference this before as well when someone he was “coaching” to hit far noted how straight they were hitting. 
 

my “very amateur” opinion, is it must have something to do with better swing sequence and using all the right parts in order to get the 100% speed, that helps square it up too. 
 

any other thoughts/experience on this? 

IME HARD is better because the stiffer the shaft, the more we need to swing hard for best results.  Plus degree of swing is relative to spin.

Edited August 14, 2023 by Pepperturbo

[jjinsa]

On 8/14/2023 at 7:33 PM, Nard_S said:

You initiate the lateral shift and the flex of body earlier (the pivot) than one thinks, even while the hands are still moving back.I tend to be, "okay hands at top, pivot->fire",  that's wrong. I do this on the course a lot!. In practice not near as much. While hands are approaching peak body should  already be a half step ahead on pivot and moving back prepping for the "fire" move coming. Much more natural to do this at 100% swing. Much less at slower pacing because body is over doing slower pace & smooth with "do too little & too late".

 

 

Okay got ya, I agree completely and I think this is what my OP boils down to.  All the good things and timings that are part of a good swing, happen naturally when you are not trying to take any speed off.   At least that is how it feels to me. 

[jjinsa]

On 8/14/2023 at 8:03 PM, 596 said:

You can hit a shot 100% without a full backswing.  What is 100%?  A full turn and full backswing, full speed?  Or is it full speed but a shortened turn and shortened backswing?    

 

I feel as though I hit a 100% shot with a 1/2 turn, half backswing.  It's still a full effort but not as long.  Making this a 100% effort , but shorter, prevents deceleration on 1/2 shots.

 

I haven't hit a full swing 100% shot in months.   But I do hit 1/2 swings at 100% effort all the time.

Agree with this too, I think you nailed what I meant by 100% - I was meaning as you describe, it is 100% effort, not 100% length of swing. 

[Ri_Redneck]

Where I see most people screw up a softer shot is by trying to still make a full backswing and then swing slower. IMHO, you should only bring the club back fully when hitting full shots. Anything less should be an abbreviated backswing. I still feel like I am accelerating at the same pace and my tempo doesn't get off.

 

For instance, say I have a 140 yd punch under limbs and I have to use a 4i. Since I use the clock method for all partial shots, I have a shorter backswing for that shot and swing through the ball like I always do. My tempo feels fine even though I am going much slower than full speed.

 

Also, I like to think of a full out swing as swinging FAST, not swinging HARD. I focus on tempo and timing to get maximum speed possible.

 

BT