Want More Distance? Start with Ball Speed
Understanding Ball Speed
Every golfer wants to hit the ball farther. And they should, it’s one of the fastest ways to lower your scores!
Optimizing distance involves combining three factors: spin rate, launch angle, and ball speed. But the one that moves the needle the most is ball speed.
The basic definition of golf ball speed is how fast the ball moves after impact. Every launch monitor the Indoor Golf Shop sells will track this metric, and you should have a laser focus on it. Here’s why…
Ball speed is a measure of efficiency. It tracks how well your swing speed is transferring to the golf ball.
For example, a golfer who swings their driver 100 mph can generate a maximum ball speed of 150 mph. This would indicate a perfect strike on the center of gravity (sweet spot).
However, many players will only generate a ball speed of 135 or 140 mph at that swing speed. Why? Because they have difficulty striking the center of the clubface.
Modern golf clubs have a lot of forgiveness built into them, but missing the center still can cost you anywhere between 20-40 yards of distance.
That means longer clubs into greens, and yes, higher scores.
Golfers can get confused about which launch monitor metrics to pay attention to as they progress through their golf bag.
For example, paying close attention to your ball speed with wedges and irons is not helpful. These are clubs where you are more concerned with distance control. Therefore, paying more attention to carry distance and some other metrics is more helpful.
Conversely, with your driver, you want to maximize distance. So ball speed (along with swing speed) is a metric you should pay more attention to.
As mentioned, the strike location will influence ball speed the most. So you need to train for it.
Some launch monitors, like a Foresight GCQuad can track impact location. But most golfers will have to do it the old-fashioned way. Get yourself a can of Dr. Scholl’s Odor-X, and start spraying your driver face.
You’ll get a very clear picture of where you made an impact on the face.
Your mission is simple. Start to keep track of your tendencies. Are you a heel striker? Toe striker? High on the face, or low?
More importantly, start to see how your different impact locations affect your ball speed.
As always, reach out to our staff if you have any questions on which models will offer the most accurate measurements.
Author: Jon Sherman
Jon Sherman is the author of the international best-selling Foundations of Golf series. He also is the co-host of the Sweet Spot podcast, a PGA Tour coach, and the owner of Practical Golf.
