Fitness
Want more swing speed? These 4 simple moves will help train your fast-twitch muscles
A few years back, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher Steve Buzza (above) authored a terrific article on techniques that boost swing speed. His message is to give it all you got when you swing the driver. But what if you can give it even more than "all you got"? You can, says Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer Dan Swinscoe, if you put more focus on training fast-twitch muscle fiber.
Sadly, the amount of that fiber in the human body decreases with age and much more rapidly when it's not used or trained. And when it's gone, it's gone. Your body won't produce more. The good news is that aging golfers can still tap into whatever they have left and even enhance it.
"As we age, our physical capacities will decline without training," says Swinscoe, who works with players in the Scottsdale area at his Train2Win gym. "The quality that declines the fastest is power. Power training or fast-twitch training is unique in that speed counts. It's all about taking the strength that you have and using it quickly."
The best part of this training is that you don't have to run wind sprints or pedal a stationary bike all-out to pick up swing speed on the course, he says. If you feel out of shape or haven't worked on speed training in a long time, he has four simple and approachable exercises to help you out.
You can watch him demonstrate them in the video below, but here is why he chose each:
1. Stomps and stands (3-8 reps, 2-3 sets): The feet have so many sensory nerves that stomping first before springing up provides a greater amount of muscle contraction up through the body. It's not unlike the action needed for power in the downswing.
2. Rotational jumps (4 jumps, each direction, 2-3 sets): Start with 90-degree roations while in the air and land soft. Putting energy into the ground in this manner helps reinforce the downward propolsion needed for a clubhead speed boost. You can make bigger and faster rotations after these soft, 90-degree turns become easy.
3. Half-kneeling stands (3-8 reps per leg, 2-3 sets): If you already do some high-intensity cardio, standing from a half-kneeling position will feel more challenging than the stomps and stands. You also can stomp to start each rep. Only go as fast as you can while staying in balance. This is great for the hip and hamstring aspects of a powerful swing.
4. Seal jacks (10-15 seconds, 2-3 sets): These are meant to be done at high speeds, but initially go slower if necessary to match your fitness level. The key is to stop short of your hands touching, which trains decelaration in the through-swing. The thought behind these is that to swing faster, you have to have a braking mechanism that can handle your newfound speed—or you risk injuries.
Click here for more information on Golf Digest's Fitness Trainer Certification.