A fast or hard golf swing is not required to drive the ball far. It is not the golf swing speed, but the acceleration of the club head that makes the golf ball travel far.
What is needed to achieve the optimum acceleration is not a fast swing, but controlled swing tempo which increases at the correct moment. The golf swing tempo should allow the club head to return to the correct path during the downswing and re-align itself squarely with the ball.
Swing Tempo & Driving a Car
Think of a golf swing like driving a car in a straight line. If the accelerator is pushed smoothly to the floor, the car accelerates smoothly, then the passing gear kicks in and forces the passengers back in the seat. If the accelerator is stomped down, the car may be difficult to control. Interestingly, the car may be traveling fast and a passenger will not be forced back in the seat if the car is not accelerating.
Swing Tempo - the Physics of Acceleration
In physics terms, that process is Force = Mass x Acceleration.
Now, instead of the car, think of the head of the golf club as the mass and the force is applied to the golf ball instead of the passenger. The mass of the club head does not change during the golf swing, so the acceleration must be greater in order to increase the force that the club head will apply to the golf ball.
So, it is not how fast the club is swung, but how much the club head is accelerated that counts!
Upon impact the force is transferred from the club head to the ball. In physics terms, that is Acceleration = Force / Mass. Notice that these are the same physics terms used in the car illustration, although they are re-arranged algebraically and focused on the mass and acceleration of the golf ball.
The ball is now the mass and the desire is to accelerate the golf ball as much as possible. The force generated by the club head is now applied to the ball which results in the ball accelerating for some distance.
Greater club head acceleration means greater force is applied to the ball. Greater force applied to the ball means greater acceleration of the ball following impact, and the greater the distance the ball travels. A club head, that is controlled on a path aimed at the target, with a squared face at impact, will drive the ball long and straight.
The speed of the swing was not a topic in the physics discussion. The discussion focused on the acceleration of the club head. Acceleration is a function of the change in speed, over time. For purposes of the golf swing, think of tempo as the change in speed over time.
Golf Swing Tempo
The pre-swing fundamentals of grip, alignment and address must be executed appropriately before any swing can have an opportunity to drive the ball long and straight. Now it is time for the correlation of swing tempo to several points in the swing.
The takeaway, the turn and the backswing are to be performed at a relatively slow pace. This tempo is to be continued through the top of the backswing and the initial start of the turn of the downswing. Once the downswing is started, and the path of the club head is established on target, the tempo should be increased smoothly. The hands and wrists should be held in the hinged, or cocked position, until the club has returned to near parallel with the ground.
With the club returned to near parallel with the ground, the right leg and foot (right hander) should be driving forward. The hips and shoulders should be accelerating the turn. With the eyes on the ball, the wrists and hands should be unhinged!
When all of these motions are synchronized, this is the passing gear. Drive through the ball and let the momentum take the arms over the left shoulder (right hander), facing the target for a big follow through.
Swing Tempo and the Caveman
In addressing the golf ball, take particular notice that the ball is not rattling and is not coiled to strike with venomous fangs. The ball does not need killing. Relax.
Create a smooth tempo through the backswing. Increase the smooth tempo into the downswing until the club is waist high and parallel to the ground. Keep the eyes on the ball and the club head squared and on path. Now release the wrists and hands, turn hard and kick it into passing gear. “Ball go far!”
If the physics of golf swing tempo are interesting, a Swing Speed Chart may also be of interest.
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