Clubhead Speed Says 75% Of Golfers Should Drive 280 Meters
Is clubhead speed the key to driving distance? It's a combination of a few factors, and applying science to your swing, every golfer can improve on those.
Did you manage to get back on the course over the weekend?
Lock down’s over, the golf courses are open, and a lot of us haven’t played golf in some time.
So, on the 19th hole, the number 108 came up a couple of times.
I didn’t shoot 108.
PHEW!
Neither did any of my flight mates :)
(Had to say that in case they come looking for me after reading this…)
So what’s 108?
First hole, 2 of my flight mates rip 280 meter drives.
Talk about smashing drives!
From my years of fitting, I know their clubhead speed at impact must be at least 108 mph.
So I joked that it was going to be a 108 day.
But it’s not just about clubhead speed.
In a survey of 95 golfers aged 30-50 years old, the fastest 24 golfers had a clubhead speed of 108 mph or higher.
That’s a quarter of golfers in that age range who should be able to drive 280 meters.
Statistically, at least 1 of every foursome!
When you look at golfers 17-29 years old, over 75% of those golfers had clubhead speeds of over 108 mph!
That’s 3 in every foursome where only 1 guy can’t hit a 280 meter drive!
So why don’t we see that many golfers driving 280 meters?
Because it’s not only about clubhead speed.
Your swing speed energy needs to transfer well into ball flight energy and then into the right type of energy.
First, transferring energy well means good impact. With a modern clubhead, 110 mph clubhead speed, if you make good impact, should launch your ball at around 160 mph.
Good impact is a combination of your swing mechanics, and getting a good consistent shaft. There’s no point in swinging perfectly if your shaft is flexing in different directions every time.
Then you need to transfer the energy correctly.
Your angle of attack should launch the ball between 10-14 degrees, and you should generate a spin rate of 1900-2900 RPM. Finally the spin should only be on the horizontal axis so your ball goes straight!
And that is a function of your natural swing, and how your shaft flexes. The latter is a function of head weight, shaft length, if the shaft is cut from the tip or the heel, etc.
I always believe that club fitting is the process of giving the golfer back what is owed to them.
Even if your clubhead speed is high, you'll lose distance and direction because your shaft isn't made for you.
So, unless your clubs are made for you, there is a good chance that you can get more out of your swing.
Our driving range bays are all fully open despite social distancing, since our bays are far apart enough to comply fully with social distancing requirements.
We’ve also fully fitted to be able to tell you exactly what your clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, etc are.
So, if you think you’re not getting the distance you deserve, come down for a consult and let us help with you smashing drives!