How to build a powerful golf swing

Every single golfer on the planet wants to increase their swing speed and hit longer tee shots.

Some will make needed swing changes to uncork greater club head speed.

Others will turn to fitness training to improve their ability to generate more swing speed.

And still others will engage in swing speed training to increase their golf swing speed.

The reality is that there is a process every golfer should follow to maximize their golf swing potential.

In this article, I lay out that process.

Step #1 – Improve the footwork in your golf swing

The golf swing starts from the ground up.

You can have a great set up, grip, and pretty looking positions at different points of the swing.

All that is moot if you don’t have good footwork.

And yes, as crazy as it looks Scottie Scheffler has good footwork that allows him to have a pretty fast driver swing speed that averages over 121 mph.

Years ago I put together a video demonstrating the basic footwork of the golf swing.  Because you can practice this at home, there is really no excuse for getting it wrong.

Step #2 – Learn the kinematic sequence of the golf swing

The proper footwork gets you started with having the proper kinematic sequence for your golf swing.

In fact, if your footwork is good, you will be 80% of the way toward developing good sequencing.

I put together another video that gives you an understanding of how to improve your sequencing.

Again, since you can work on this at home, there is no excuse for getting it wrong.

Step #3 – Develop consistent contact

Once you have good footwork and sequencing, you have a better opportunity to make better contact with your clubs.

However, there is also a process you should go through in building a solid, repeatable swing, and it starts with learning the 9-to-3 golf swing.

Many golfers head to the range, pull out the driver and just start beating balls with no plan for building their swing.

In my own case, for the first practice session at the start of the season, I show up to the driving range with one club in my hand… a sand wedge.

I then hit an entire bucket while only hitting half wedge shots, just to focus on making good contact and achieving good clubface control.

I describe the process of building a good golf swing at the Start Here page, so be sure to check it out.

Step #4 – How to build a powerful golf swing in the gym

Golf fitness has become its own industry within the golf world as tour pros have started training more like other athletes.

However, most of the golf fitness world focuses its initial attention on improving mobility, when the initial priority should be strength training.

Similar to most of the general population, most golfers are not very strong.

Yet, just by getting their strength levels up into the average range among people who go to a gym, golfers will improve their potential to improve their golf swing power substantially.

With this in mind, most golfers will benefit significantly by engaging in a legitimate strength training program such as my Pure Strength program.

Step #5 – Power Training

Power training involves learning how to produce force quickly.

Over time, we lose power more quickly than strength, which is why strength is more of a priority.

When we are younger, it is easier to move our bodies faster.  Over time, wear and tear catches up to us along with the aging process, and we simply can’t move as fast.

That is why strength training is the number one fitness priority, followed by power training.

We need strength as we age to have the ability to develop power, because we need to offset our declining ability to generate velocity.

With that said, once we get stronger, our bodies are better prepared to work on power training.

Power training involves exercises such as plyometrics, sprinting, and medicine ball throws.

Once you’ve gone through a good strength training program and built your strength foundation, you can incorporate these exercises in your training once or twice per week to develop more power in your golf swing.

Step #6 – Mobility Training

NOW it’s time to get to work on improving your mobility and flexibility.

Indeed, improving your range of motion will improve your potential for increasing your swing speed.

However, without the previous steps discussed above, increased flexibility won’t do much for you.  That is why it is further down the priority list when it comes to golf fitness.

Also, it is more difficult to significantly improve your mobility, particularly compared to improving your strength.

As such, it is a lower priority.

Final thoughts – how to build a powerful golf swing

You now have a better idea of the process involved in building a better, more powerful golf swing.

As you may suspect, this will require some effort.

Most golfers don’t have what it takes in that regard, which is why most golfers never break 90.

The good news is that there are really no secrets.

If you want to rise above the crowd, and have the ability to show off at those business outings and beat your friends, you need to put in the work.

Now get to it!

Author: Scott