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Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you play smarter and better golf.
Padraig Harrington has been a huge success no matter which professional tour he’s played. His career includes three major championships during his time on the PGA Tour, and one major major, the premiere US Open of 2022.
Sure, Harrington can point to a number of different factors that led to his accomplishments, but one of his biggest strengths has always been his ability to drive a golf ball with precision and an enormous length off the tee.
One statistic I found really interesting that sheds light on this? How about the fact that he drives the ball about 15 yards further from the tee today at 51 than he did 10 years ago (303 yards compared to 288).
This kind of power doesn’t just happen with good luck or great genes. It’s something Harrington works hard at – and at Play Smart today, he offers his tips for increasing club speed, and helping amateurs see longer shots with the driver.
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Harrington attributes much of his success from the tee to Super Speed Golf The training regimen, which he says gives “instant feedback,” which he believes is important for every hobbyist.
“You have to have a goal, a purpose, and some feedback,” says Harrington. “So the SuperSpeed sticks deliver it very well. You swing. You have aim. You have a PRGR screen.”
Although the training regime provides beneficial speed programs, given his age, Harrington says he doesn’t stick to a specific routine every day. Instead, he says it’s important to listen to his body and determine what works best for the day.
“As I get older, I work out how I feel,” he says. “So I don’t do a training program. I do a training program for what I feel like. If I feel good, I do it.
“So I’ve changed. I think I’ve done speed training all my life, and I know for the last 20 years, I’ve always been working on it. And I can always get really good, high speeds over the years.”
“It’s not easy to just say, ‘I’m going to train every three days for speed,’ it just doesn’t work that way as you get older.”
Other Harrington tips for increasing clubhead speed
When I asked Harrington what was the most important factor for increasing clubhead speed, without hesitation, he said “variance”.
So what does that mean for the average golfer? In Harrington’s opinion, it is about overcoming the mental hurdle of swinging the club harder.
“It’s amazing how many golfers want to increase their speed by going to the gym and doing speed drills,” he says. “But when they go back to playing golf and swing, they think it’s just going to happen on the golf course without swinging harder. So the first thing they have to do is mentally learn how to swing harder on the golf ball.”
This is where Harrington says to help Super Speed Golf A training regimen can be a huge benefit.
“That’s what speed is all about. There’s no mind when there’s no contact with the ball there. So you’re going to learn how to swing really hard that way.”
Another tip Harrington says works effectively for him is to swing harder during practice sessions.
“When I go to the range and practice, I can get ball speeds in the 190s. But when I go to play, I’ll be about 174 ball speeds or something,” he says. “So I keep doing my quickie. I still work out in the gym. But I actually hit the golf ball harder in practice. That’s really what I do when I go.”
“On a cold day, on a warm day, I try to put just as much effort into my swing; it helps me mentally transfer that clubhead speed to the golf course.”
So, is there a certain percentage of practice an amateur should focus on in speed training? Surprisingly, Harrington says it should only take about 15 percent of your time at range — or 20 balls per 150 shots.
“I recommend that you do 20 balls at the end of your session, quite simply,” suggests Harrington. “Take those 20 balls and try to lose any inhibitions about the results of your shot. You’re not trying to do anything but swing as hard as you can. Do that once or twice a week.”
As for those players who don’t have enough free time to head out to the driving range a lot? And that’s where SuperSpeed comes in again, as you can train from almost anywhere.
“If you say you don’t have time, you can do the speed stuff at home. That’s easy, and it’s outstanding fruit. You just need a pace monitor to gauge your results, and then try to carry that speed over to the next time you’re in range.”
“Remember, you’re not trying to get anything further, you’re trying to get the same distance that you can easily get now,” he adds. “If you’re at that number—whatever your average ball speed is—you don’t need more ball speed on the golf course. You just want to be at that number with less effort.”
While there are many misconceptions about different ways to increase clubhead speed, Harrington says it’s important for recreational players to keep an open mind and continue to evolve.
“You just have to keep a whole list of things you work with and try,” he says. “And you’d go, You know what? Slow backtracking works for me today. Or maybe it works more legs, maybe it works more arms, maybe it works more hands. Maybe it just beats the hell out of it. Maybe moving your feet works.”
“Just when you think you’ve found your holy grail, you’ve settled down after two weeks, and you need something else to stimulate your central nervous system.”
Finally, Harrington says some of the basic rules for amateurs should be to use their feet and avoid stillness before swinging a club, as well as working for a shorter, faster swing.
“If you’re standing waiting for a tennis ball, it’s going to bounce up and down on your toes to get ready. So I definitely think the idea of pulling, twisting and stilling isn’t the way to go. Use some movement.”
“Then, focus on swinging your hands and arms and making them move quickly. Your body and hips will follow.” “So everyone should try to get a shorter swing. Shorter and harder is generally better than long. Since most people are not flexible enough to buy, they try to change it up, and then they lose their flexibility in the swing.”