My new swing speed after a year of working out...

[Laz]

I am 31 now and I started hitting the gym in January 2007 for the first time in my life.

according to my plan I worked out 96 times during those 15 months up until now.

Did weights and lot of stretching and even yoga.

Lost aprrox 20 pound fat and gained 10 pounds of muscle

 

Now the winter break is over, i had a few sessions with my pro and my swing is good.

I feel stronger than ever with more control an balance thoughout the swing. I feel my muscles supporting my swing, a feeling that is new to me.

 

Now it was time to take a look the launch monitor.

 

Old average swingspeed before working out: 104 mph

New average swingspeed: 107 mph

 

What?? Thats all?? a grand total of three mph more? Great!

The launch monitor isn't lying. My distances are virtually the same as they ever have been.

 

did i do something wrong or is that all i can expect after a year?

[Logie]

I'd give it a few months and you will most likely start to see a much better improvement. I lost a bit of weight, took 2 months and i was up from 85mph to 95 with my irons although i throttled back for my game swing to keep control

[Shaitan]

3 consistent miles is ok - as u warm into the season i bet it'll probably improve a few more miles too. BTW, wat monitor were u using??

[Laz]

3 consistent miles is ok - as u warm into the season i bet it'll probably improve a few more miles too. BTW, wat monitor were u using??

 

It'd be nice to consistently break the 110 mph barrier.... :good:

maybe another year... :D i never would have thought it goes so slowly; i really busted my butt for 15 months...

 

I went to a clubfitting studio. They have a vector.

[Shaitan]

ok well that might explain it a bit - the Vector machine only considers ball speed and uses a consistent smash factor (BS/1.5). Considering how well you strike the ball and the fact that your smash factor will rarely, if ever, be 1.5, i'd say your swing speed would be pretty close to 110mph. The ball speed will be fine (hence why it's accurate) but the ss won't be accurate. See if you can try another lm and see wat different results you get.

 

Cheers,

Brodie

 

PS - would u say you were striking it better or worse then what you did when you got your results last time?

[Texsport]

I bet a good swing instructor can add more mph than that!

 

Texsport

[mitchleary]

You have better health and endurance. Maybe more muscle is slowing you down, being bulky and that.

 

Did the excises you did focus on strengthening your swing? Was it functional or just lifting weights and doing cardio?

[Matt10]

Get the swingspeed (google it)!

[PurePursuit]

You busted your hump and are in much better shape, you should be very proud of yourself!

[The Ultimate Spin]

i hope you don't take your swing speed results as an excuse not to work out anymore. seriously, i bet you feel like a different person now that you are working out and lord knows about 2/3's of all Americans could do the same thing. it's a good thing regardless of it's benefits on the course.

 

that said, it's the type of workout that you do that will help your swing. if you are just working your arms and chest it won't help your swing much. to get a faster swing speed you need to work your 'core.' which includes your stomach, lats, and back. many people ignore these key muscle groups when working out. utilizing workouts that test these muscles are your best chance at improving your rotation and swing speed.

 

regards,

[Honcho72]

You will no doubt see the fruits of the work. It could be on the last couple of holes you have a bit more in the tank. As for your SS, I woul guess that as the season comes around so does your SS. Working out is never a bad idea for golf or life.

[MGWP]

It is not just the swing speed..the muscles are presumably better toned, as such able to keep the club on line better.

Any swing changes you make you fell be bale to "feel" better and because the musckles are better toned should be easier to carry out.

Menatally you should feel better...but you could always try to get a real evaluation from the TPI guys to figure out any flexililty or stabilility issues that may be restircting you from your optimum potential.

 

As an exercise physiologist, I can tell you weight training alone is minimal if the stabililty and flexiblilty of the core are somewhat compromised.

The best"group" at thsi tiem out there for a good evalation is the TPI organisation...no affiliation from me..just my expert opinion.

[Titleist1455]

swingspeed has much more to do about your swing than it does with your body.

 

if all it took was a good body to be able to swing the club extremely fast, then all golfers would be a bunch of male models. and that certainly is not the case.

 

to really increase your ss, work on your swing AND your body.

 

i can increase my swing speed by 3-5 mph just by not "swaying" and instead, clearing my hips and turning through the ball better.

[24/7GOLF]

I don't know what type of weight lifting you did but congrats on getting into shape. Just plain old poower lifting doesn't really improve what need's to be improved, fast twitch muscles. Building muscle & strength is great for creating a solid well balanced platform but won't help you get super fast.

You should spend the next year on a golf specific workout or a LD specific workout to make your fast twitch muscles stronger & quicker. One great excercise is to get a medicine ball hold it in both hands out in front of you & throw it against a wall turning with your body using your core muscles & catch it, do it as hard & fast as you can.

Another one is to hit balls ona range with a weighted club, hit it as hard as you can without loosing your balance & controll.

 

Good luck!

[Drexel64]

3mph is a pretty good improvement and I would expect it to jump a couple more as you get into the season. 5 MPH can add 10-15 yards with the right shaft/head combo! Well worth a year in the gym!

John

[beachgrovejunior]

work on the swing, thats where you will get the biggest boosts in speed,

[logan91201]

First of all congrats that you lost twenty pounds of fat and gained 10 in muscle. No accomplishment with your own body is too small, and that surely is a good one. Although swing mechanics are far more important than muscle strength in the swing, working out properly can make a major difference, way more than 3mph if done properly. By my understanding you went to the gym 96 times in 15 months. That is considerably less than 2 times a week on average. I understand and can appreciate that this was your first time working out and 2 times was enough to make some improvements, but if you want to turn your body into a swing speed machine, it is time to step it up. I suggest hooking up with a trainer, explaining your goals, and hitting the gym 4-6 times a week for the next year. I guarantee this post in 09 will be of a much different tune! Not to mention you will look amazing! Always a bonus! Good luck and good work so far!

[Drexel64]

I do agree swing mechs are iportant for speed but strenght can only help.

I have seen a gain of 3-4 mph in the last 3 months by going to the gym. I set up a trainer and went on avg 4 times a week.

Keep at it and the gains will keep coming.

John

[scotchblade]

Keep at it and the gains will keep coming.

Assuming you continue with this positive lifestyle change, the greatest gains will go far beyond added swing speed.

 

Eating well and getting plenty of vigorous exercise will keep you strong, healthy and less prone to injury (oh, my back) later in life. Congratulations! You have just improved your odds of playing golf (without a cart) when you are 75.

 

At 31, you may not yet fully appreciate this. Just trust me.

[italian71]

Not knowing exactly what you were doing in the gym, and basing this soley on your comments, I would guess that by the time you reach 18 tee, your SS will still be 107, rather than the "old" you which would have been swinging slower and slower due to fatigue etc.. The better shape you are in, the longer you can practice with out getting tired, and the better golfer you will become.

[crew_138]

Not knowing exactly what you were doing in the gym, and basing this soley on your comments, I would guess that by the time you reach 18 tee, your SS will still be 107, rather than the "old" you which would have been swinging slower and slower due to fatigue etc.. The better shape you are in, the longer you can practice with out getting tired, and the better golfer you will become.

 

 

What he said!

 

Only a few MPH but you may have dropped a few strokes in those long drawn out rounds or tourneys.

[Cbey77]

I agree with the post on here. I've spent more than half my life in the gym and on the track. I try to get people to workout and take care of themselves. You getting those pounds off and working hard will pay off. Also, just keep up what you are doing and add a few golf movements in there. Do not jus tdo a whole workout of golf specific movements. If you look at golfers that really workout hard; Camilo, Tiger, Vijay, Wier (yeah he does), they do golf stuff, but it is mixed in with just plain hard fitness training that includes running, plyometrics, hard lifting, and a solid core workout. Sounds like you're getting there, don't give up.

[fats]

Yes, great stuff indeed...Keep'r going>

 

"Waiter, another large order of fries please." LOL

[taylormadefan]

It's 2.8 yards per mph of swing. So at a gain of 3 mph you're 8.4 yards further with the driver. I think you underestimate how much of a gain 3 mph is. It may not sound like much, but ask any baseball player the difference between hitting an 89 mph fastball vs. one at 92. :good:

 

You've made some big changes you should be very proud of especially considering the time span IMHO. Eitehr way, as others have mentioned, put golf aside and think about the positive changes you've made for your life.

[Laz]

i hope you don't take your swing speed results as an excuse not to work out anymore.

 

regards,

Not a chance!!! ;) i like my new body but the work isn't done yet.

 

 

Just plain old poower lifting doesn't really improve what need's to be improved, fast twitch muscles.

One great excercise is to get a medicine ball hold it in both hands out in front of you & throw it against a wall turning with your body using your core muscles & catch it, do it as hard & fast as you can.

Another one is to hit balls ona range with a weighted club, hit it as hard as you can without loosing your balance & controll.

 

Good luck!

 

I will definitley try that out with the medicine ball!.

 

 

First of all congrats that you lost twenty pounds of fat and gained 10 in muscle. No accomplishment with your own body is too small, and that surely is a good one. Although swing mechanics are far more important than muscle strength in the swing, working out properly can make a major difference, way more than 3mph if done properly. By my understanding you went to the gym 96 times in 15 months. That is considerably less than 2 times a week on average. I understand and can appreciate that this was your first time working out and 2 times was enough to make some improvements, but if you want to turn your body into a swing speed machine, it is time to step it up. I suggest hooking up with a trainer, explaining your goals, and hitting the gym 4-6 times a week for the next year. I guarantee this post in 09 will be of a much different tune! Not to mention you will look amazing! Always a bonus! Good luck and good work so far!

 

Thanks for your honest opinion. It would be nice to become a swingspeed machine :D but i did not start working out to drive the ball farther... i see it as a side effect.

Your suggestion to step up my regimen to twice as much is as tough on me as it is true... Yes, i too have the feeling that twice a week won't get me any further (not only golfwise). I really have to figure out a way to find the time to do that. not to mention the money for a personal trainer... :clapping:

 

 

Congratulations! You have just improved your odds of playing golf (without a cart) when you are 75.

At 31, you may not yet fully appreciate this. Just trust me.

 

i'll think about you when i shoot my age walking the course when i'm 75 :clapping: cheers!

 

It's 2.8 yards per mph of swing. So at a gain of 3 mph you're 8.4 yards further with the driver. I think you underestimate how much of a gain 3 mph is.

You've made some big changes you should be very proud of especially considering the time span IMHO. Eitehr way, as others have mentioned, put golf aside and think about the positive changes you've made for your life.

 

8.4 yards is almost a full club less into the greens.... true! :D

 

Thanks for all the answers!!

Laz

[bunka]

Congrats on the new bod :D keep up the good work.

 

its all in the core. Core muscles are key.

 

I do a few minutes of plank excercises (normal plank, side plank and plank push ups) most nights. I also try add in 3 sets of 30 pushups.

 

I havent been on a launch monitor but i can certainly feel a lot more stability and strength/speed in my golf swing.

 

Working dam hard on my swing has helped immensely as well, and its sounds like your motivated to acheive positive results with your game.

[TEConnor]

Congrats Laz.

 

I've been a gym rat for 20+ years. My advice is to step up, but do it wisely. There are two types of folks who work out at gyms: those that do it too much and those that do not do it enough. You rarely see people that have the right balance (that's why it's called conditioning). So, make the priority number one to treat yourself well. If you work out a muscle group hard, rest it hard. Do not work it out again until it has had sufficient rest. There are exceptions for certain types of training, but those should be supervised, and we all get a little carried away looking for those quick gains. Most professional trainers will tell you to never work the same muscle groups two days in a row (even abs), which I think is a great rule of thumb. So if you go to the gym more days a week, alternate your workouts between upper and lower body or something similar.

 

Cheers,

Tim

[logan91201]

i hope you don't take your swing speed results as an excuse not to work out anymore.

 

regards,

Not a chance!!! ;) i like my new body but the work isn't done yet.

 

 

Just plain old poower lifting doesn't really improve what need's to be improved, fast twitch muscles.

One great excercise is to get a medicine ball hold it in both hands out in front of you & throw it against a wall turning with your body using your core muscles & catch it, do it as hard & fast as you can.

Another one is to hit balls ona range with a weighted club, hit it as hard as you can without loosing your balance & controll.

 

Good luck!

 

I will definitley try that out with the medicine ball!.

 

 

First of all congrats that you lost twenty pounds of fat and gained 10 in muscle. No accomplishment with your own body is too small, and that surely is a good one. Although swing mechanics are far more important than muscle strength in the swing, working out properly can make a major difference, way more than 3mph if done properly. By my understanding you went to the gym 96 times in 15 months. That is considerably less than 2 times a week on average. I understand and can appreciate that this was your first time working out and 2 times was enough to make some improvements, but if you want to turn your body into a swing speed machine, it is time to step it up. I suggest hooking up with a trainer, explaining your goals, and hitting the gym 4-6 times a week for the next year. I guarantee this post in 09 will be of a much different tune! Not to mention you will look amazing! Always a bonus! Good luck and good work so far!

 

Thanks for your honest opinion. It would be nice to become a swingspeed machine :D but i did not start working out to drive the ball farther... i see it as a side effect.

Your suggestion to step up my regimen to twice as much is as tough on me as it is true... Yes, i too have the feeling that twice a week won't get me any further (not only golfwise). I really have to figure out a way to find the time to do that. not to mention the money for a personal trainer... :clapping:

 

 

Congratulations! You have just improved your odds of playing golf (without a cart) when you are 75.

At 31, you may not yet fully appreciate this. Just trust me.

 

i'll think about you when i shoot my age walking the course when i'm 75 :clapping: cheers!

 

It's 2.8 yards per mph of swing. So at a gain of 3 mph you're 8.4 yards further with the driver. I think you underestimate how much of a gain 3 mph is.

You've made some big changes you should be very proud of especially considering the time span IMHO. Eitehr way, as others have mentioned, put golf aside and think about the positive changes you've made for your life.

 

8.4 yards is almost a full club less into the greens.... true! :D

 

Thanks for all the answers!!

Laz

 

I understand what you are saying. And like I said you are doing great so far. If money for a trainer is a concern I highly suggest buying and living by a book called "body for life" by bill phillips. It not only intensively covers a highly efficient time manageable work out that is constantly changing with your body, but covers diet and lifestyle aspects as well (like how to find time to go to the gym) You only spend 4 hours total in the gym each week, but it is an intense four hours and you feel and look great. I'm 6'2 190 with 5% body fat, and I owe it all to the trainings in that book. Good luck!

[wardogatc]

Sounds like you have a great start there. As others have mentioned, now you have to transfer that new found muscle health into the golf swing. Get together with a golf fitness professional (I also recommend Titleist Performance Institute - TPI - Certified) who can evaluate your physical components in relationship to the golf swing. You may have a number of things working well, and may need to shift your focus to some defficient areas (hip stability, spinal stability, rotational power, segment acceleration - hip, shoulder, arms). With some focus on the areas that are not working efficiently, you will likely see an added increase in the swing speed you desire!

 

Good Luck!

[Mercedes]

If you really wanna add more 'umph' to your swing (and if that was one of your primary reasons for hitting up the gym), then I highly suggest incorporating some plyometric training into your program if you haven't already. It's a form of training that is designed to help you produce fast, explosive, powerful movements. Most athletes use this type of training to help improve their performance in a specific sport.

 

Take a look at this for more info:

http://www.athleticquickness.com/page.asp?page_id=53