Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with trying to up my ball speed lately, just like the pros. It’s a real pain in the butt, let me tell you. I mean, these PGA guys are hitting like 171 mph on average. Seriously, how do they even do that?
I started by watching a ton of videos online, trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I mean, I’m an okay golfer, but my average is way lower, like in the 130 mph range. It’s embarrassing. I found out that a huge part of it comes from your legs. Who knew? Apparently, the faster you move, the faster the ball goes. Makes sense, I guess.
So, I started trying to move faster. I tried moving further back on my approach, taking these huge steps to reach the line. It felt weird, and I definitely wasn’t hitting the ball straight, but I did notice a little bump in speed. Baby steps, right?
- Then I read somewhere to move the ball forward in my stance.
- And to stay behind the ball when I swing.
- Release the club, whatever that means.
I tried all that, and it felt even weirder. But, I kept at it.
Then there’s this whole thing about grip strength. They say if 1 is barely holding on, and 10 is death grip, you should be around a 4 or 5 from the fairway. I’ve always gripped the club like my life depended on it, so backing off was tough. I felt like I was going to lose the club mid-swing!
I also heard from someone that hitting the ball in the sweet spot of the club is the real key to getting that perfect 1.48 smash factor. Sounds important. They also said to focus on speeding up your backswing and this “whip effect” thing. And a step drill to get your lower body involved. Way too much to remember. I spent a few days on the range just trying to hit the damn ball in the sweet spot. It’s harder than it sounds!
Changing My Equipment
Someone mentioned that using a firmer golf ball could help. I was using some random balls I found in my bag, so I figured, why not? I went and bought a box of Bridgestone Tour BX, since I saw somewhere that they’re pretty firm. After a week or two, I tried to do a few test swings. I think it helped a bit with distance and height, but honestly, it could just be in my head.
After a few weeks of this, I did see some improvement. Not a ton, but it was there. I’m still nowhere near those pro speeds, but I’m not as embarrassed by my 130 mph anymore. I think I am up to like 135 mph now! It’s a slow process, but I’m not giving up. I’ll keep messing around with my stance, my grip, and whatever else I can find online. Maybe one day I’ll crack 140 mph. That’s the dream, anyway.
I even started looking at those Trackman stats for the pros. You know, club speed, ball speed, spin rate, all that stuff. It’s pretty cool to see the numbers, but it’s also a little discouraging. Those guys are on a whole other level.
Anyway, that’s my story so far. It’s been a lot of trial and error, a lot of frustration, but also a little bit of progress. If anyone else is trying to boost their ball speed, let me know. Maybe we can suffer together.
