What Is Speed Training in Golf? A Deep Dive into Power, Stability, and Performance

Golf isn’t just about finesse—it’s about speed, sequencing, and power. One of the most common goals among amateur and professional golfers alike is to increase clubhead speed to gain more distance off the tee. But what is speed training in golf, and how do you train for it safely and effectively?

Let’s break it down from a biomechanics and performance training perspective, so you understand how to apply these principles to your own golf fitness program.

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What Is Speed Training in Golf?

Speed training in golf is the process of improving your body’s ability to produce force quickly and efficiently through the golf swing. It’s not just swinging harder—it’s about improving the sequence of movement, neuromuscular efficiency, and the body’s capacity to accelerate and decelerate.

When done correctly, speed training leads to:

• Higher clubhead speed
• Greater ball speed
• Increased driving distance
• Better rotational efficiency
• More consistent and powerful swings

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Speed Comes from the Body, Not Just the Club

Before focusing on overspeed training tools or fancy gadgets, you must first understand the source of speed: your body. A fast, powerful swing is the result of stable segments working with mobile ones in perfect sequence. This is often referred to as the Joint-by-Joint Approach:

Body Region	Function
Feet	Stable
Ankles	Mobile
Knees	Stable
Hips	Mobile
Low Back/Core	Stable
Thoracic Spine	Mobile
Scapulae (Shoulder Blades)	Stable
Shoulder (GH Joint)	Mobile
Elbows	Stable
Wrists	Mobile
Hands/Fingers	Stable

If you skip over foundational stability and rush into aggressive swinging drills, you’re likely to build dysfunction instead of speed.

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Principles of Speed Training for Golf

Here are four key pillars we use when programming speed development into our online golf performance programs:

1. Build Stability First (Core & Glutes)

You can’t generate power from a shaky base. Start by building core strength and glute strength to provide your upper body with a strong platform to push and rotate from. Think of these areas as your engine block—they must hold strong under pressure.

2. Train the Brakes (Deceleration Muscles)

“The body will only move as fast as it knows it can slow down.”
Training muscles like the hamstrings, lats, and obliques to decelerate rotational or jumping movements gives the brain permission to move faster. This is how you unlock new speed ceilings.

Drills like:

• Lateral bounds with controlled landings
• Med ball slams with forced eccentric stops
• Rotational landmine pulls with deceleration holds

…all develop this essential control.

3. Move Fast Under Load

Don’t fall into the trap of only lifting heavy and slow. While strength is essential, speed is velocity-specific—meaning you have to train it directly. Whether it’s trap bar jumps, sled sprints, or med ball throws, we use ballistic training principles to move explosively under controlled resistance.

This builds what we call your ballistic threshold—your body’s ability to produce force quickly while maintaining coordination.

4. Contrast Training Is Key

Contrast training pairs strength movements with speed-based drills. For example:

• Heavy trap bar deadlift → Vertical jump
• Half-kneeling cable press → Rotational med ball throw
• Goblet squat → Band-assisted squat jumps

This combination teaches the nervous system to fire faster and apply max force in sport-specific contexts.

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Speed Training for Golfers of All Ages

Whether you’re a competitive golfer looking to break 80 or a senior golfer trying to maintain distance, speed training is scalable.

• Younger golfers: Can handle higher loads and ballistic movements
• Senior golfers: Focus more on deceleration control, stability, and light-speed drills

No matter your age, the concept is the same—train mobility where needed, build stability in key regions, and develop speed safely through consistent, progressive programming.

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Speed Is a Skill—Train It Like One

Speed training isn’t about maxing out one drill or chasing launch monitor metrics. It’s about improving the way your body moves—from the ground up—so it can deliver effortless power through the golf swing.

At Kinetix Golf Performance, our speed training systems are built on these foundations. If you’re ready to gain distance, swing faster, and feel more powerful, it starts with moving better.