Do Golf Speed Sticks Work?

Quick Answer - Yes

The game of golf is shifting each year and the longest hitters on tour are finding themselves further up the money list season by season. This transition has seen a ‘longer is better’ approach applied across the professional game and this is now drip feeding down into the amateur game. You only need to look at any advert for a new driver to see that distance is high on the priority list for amateurs. 

Although some players are looking at physical training as a method to improve their game, others are turning to products like speed sticks to help them squeeze out those extra yards. 

The question is, do these products actually work? Do they allow you to hit the ball further? Or are they just another golfing gimmick, tricking those looking for a quick fix?

What do they claim to do?

SuperSpeed Golf, one of the most well known designers of speed sticks, make the following claim for their product:

‘’The Men’s SuperSpeed Golf Training System is the perfect way to add up to 30 more yards to your drive! Increase the speed and power of your golf swing by 5% to 8% in as little as 4-6 weeks of regular practice’’

Is this possible?

It’s certainly possible to increase your swing speed by 5-8% in 4-6 weeks of regular practice, and probably even more over a longer period. However, in my experience, this will rarely equate to 30 yards of extra distance. 

Firstly, increasing your swing speed with the sticks by 5-8% will not necessarily mean a significant increase in your playing speed. Swinging with a stick has no consequence, you don't need to aim, or even make contact with anything. It's a completely free swing. This is not the case when you’re standing over a ball with out of bounds down the right hand side. 

There should however be some carry over to your game, and this is how it can work.

Typically on the golf course we will swing at around 90% of our absolute maximum. As an example, a player who has an average driver swing speed of 90mph on the course could probably swing at 100mph if there was no ball, or consequences, like with a speed stick. 

At this 90% we feel in control, we don't fall over, we don't miss the ball (hopefully) and we feel like it's an appropriate speed for hitting the shot we want to hit. 

The idea behind adding swing speed is not necessarily to swing harder on the course.

Imagine if the player in the example above was able to add 10mph to their maximum swing speed without a ball, using speed sticks. This would mean they can still swing on the course at their controlled speed of 90%. The difference is, this speed is now 99mph.

They have now added 9mph on course swing speed, which ‘could’ equate to an extra 14mph ball speed and around 30 yards carry.  Now here is why I believe the 30 yards carry is unlikely to happen, especially for amateurs. 

The distance you hit the ball is based on multiple factors but simply, ball speed and spin rate are the main metrics. These are mostly influenced by quality of strike and position / path / speed of the club head. You will notice that club head speed is a small element of that end result. 

If swinging the club faster produces a less efficient strike, alters spin rates or changes club path/position - more speed might not mean more distance, or even less. That’s right, it’s possible to swing faster, and not hit the ball as far. Ultimately, quality of strike can not be made up for by simply swinging it faster. 

So who might benefit?

If you regularly hit the middle of the club face and have high levels of control at your current speed, then adding swing speed could be a great option for you. If you are inconsistent off the tee, often hit out of the toe, heel or high/low off the face, then improving your strike should be your first action before adding more speed.

Putting it all together

In summary, speed sticks, if used correctly, will allow you to swing a golf club faster. This extra speed will allow you to express more speed on the course, giving an opportunity for more distance through your bag. 

If you are looking to add more speed to your game, you can now access our speed training plan at Macrogolfonline.co.uk/app