Morris on swing speed
How to increase swing speed: contact first, then a plan
Speed is the easy thing to want and the hard thing to add. Here is where you stand against measured averages, what to fix before you swing harder, and four weeks of work that does not promise a number it cannot keep.
What about your real yardages, club by club?
Ask MorrisBy Morris, by Badgie Golf · Updated
Where your driver speed stands (TrackMan averages)
| Player | Club speed | Ball speed | Ball ÷ club speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGA Tour | 115 mph | 171 mph | 1.49 |
| LPGA Tour | 96 mph | 143 mph | 1.49 |
| Male amateur, scratch or better | 110 mph | 161 mph | 1.46 |
| Male amateur, 5 handicap | 101 mph | 147 mph | 1.46 |
| Male amateur, 10 handicap | 95 mph | 138 mph | 1.45 |
| Male amateur, average golfer (14.5) | 94 mph | 133 mph | 1.41 |
| Male amateur, bogey golfer | 92 mph | 131 mph | 1.42 |
| Female amateur, scratch or better | 90 mph | 131 mph | 1.46 |
| Female amateur, 5 handicap | 87 mph | 125 mph | 1.44 |
| Female amateur, 10 handicap | 83 mph | 119 mph | 1.43 |
| Female amateur, 15 handicap | 79 mph | 111 mph | 1.41 |
The last column is ball speed divided by club speed, calculated from the two averages: the idea behind smash factor. Look at the average male golfer, 94 mph. At the Tour’s 1.49 the same swing would make about 140 mph of ball speed instead of 133. That is 7 mph of ball speed for free, from where the ball meets the face. To see what your own speed buys in yards, the club distance chart starts from your driver speed.
Four things, in order
- 1
Contact
Find where the ball meets the face. Impact tape or face spray on the range, ten balls, tells you in minutes. If the strikes live on the toe or the heel, speed will not help until they move to the middle.
- 2
Sequence
Speed leaks when the shoulders start the downswing and the club is thrown out early. The move that stores speed is the other way round: pressure into the lead foot, the arms fall, then the turn. It is the same feel as in the slice fix.
- 3
Overspeed
Short sets of swings as fast as you can control, with a normal club and, if you like, a lighter one. A set is three swings, then a minute of rest; a session is three to five sets. The aim is to teach the body a faster move, not to tire it.
- 4
Body
Rotation in the hips and upper back, one-leg balance and the strength to push into the ground. Rotational medicine-ball throws, split squats and a few minutes of hip and thoracic mobility before every session are the usual building blocks.
Four weeks, three short sessions a week
| Week | Focus | Session (about 20 minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contact and warm-up | 5 minutes of mobility, 10 balls with impact tape or spray on the face, 10 balls at 80% aiming for the middle of the face, slow finish held for two seconds. |
| 2 | Sequence | Pump drill from the slice page: 10 repetitions without a ball, then 8 balls half speed, 8 a bit faster. Finish with 5 balls at 80%. |
| 3 | Overspeed, easy | 2 sets of 3 maximum-control swings, rest a minute between, then 10 balls. Add the mobility work. |
| 4 | Overspeed, full | 3 to 5 sets of 3 swings as fast as you can control, then 10 balls. Record the average of 5 swings on the same device as in week 1. |
The numbers are a starting point, not a prescription: halve them if anything hurts, and do not add sets until the swings still look the same at full speed. For the drills with repetitions, the drills page has the pump drill; for the cause of a ball that goes right, the slice guide.
Equipment, last and only if it fits
A shaft that is too soft or too stiff costs consistency before it costs speed, and a driver is not a magic wand. Check the shaft flex guide for the flex that matches the speed you actually swing, and treat a lighter driver as an experiment you measure, not a purchase you believe in.
Where Morris fits
A phone video is not a radar, so Morris does not give you a speed number from it. What the analyzer does is read one swing, measure your body on each frame and name the one thing in the sequence that leaks the most, with a feel and a drill with repetitions. On WhatsApp he can then keep the plan with you, session by session. You need a radar or a launch monitor for the speed itself; the free analyzer below is for the cause.
Sources
- Trackman — What is Club Speed? — Tour averages (PGA Tour driver 115 mph, LPGA 96 mph), Combine averages by handicap for men and women, and the rule of up to 3 yards per mph of club speed. Read 17 October 2026.
- Trackman — What is Ball Speed? — Tour ball speeds (PGA Tour driver 171 mph, LPGA 143 mph) and Combine averages by handicap. The ball-to-club-speed ratios in the table are our own division of these figures. Read 17 October 2026.
- Trackman — What is Smash Factor? — Smash factor as ball speed divided by club speed, a measure of how well club speed was converted. Read 17 October 2026.
Find the cause that leaks your speed
Drop a video of one swing here
One swing, face-on or down the line, your whole body in the frame. Up to 20 seconds.
Your video is used only for this analysis and is deleted after 30 days. No name, no email, no account.
Swing speed questions
What is a good swing speed for an average golfer?
TrackMan's Combine averages put the average male golfer (handicap 14.5) at 94 mph of driver club speed and a bogey golfer at 92 mph. For women, a 15 handicap averages 79 mph and a scratch player 90 mph. PGA Tour players average 115 mph and LPGA Tour players 96 mph. Those are averages: a golfer well under them is not doing anything wrong.
How many mph can I add, and how fast?
Nobody can honestly promise a number, because it depends on your starting point, your body and how often you train. What you can do is measure it: the same radar or launch monitor, the average of your last five swings, once a week. TrackMan's rule of thumb is that one mph of club speed is worth up to 3 yards of driver distance, so even a small, real gain shows up on the course.
Does more swing speed always mean more distance?
Only if you still hit the middle of the face. TrackMan's averages show it: an average male golfer swings 94 mph and makes 133 mph of ball speed, about 1.41 times the club speed, while PGA Tour players make about 1.49 times. At 1.49 the same 94 mph swing would give about 140 mph of ball speed, 7 mph more, with no extra effort. Contact first, speed second.
What is the fastest way to swing faster?
In order: fix what leaks speed (a swing that starts with the shoulders and throws the club away early), train overspeed with short sets of maximum-effort swings, and build the rotation and leg strength to support it. Buying a lighter driver or a different shaft can help too, but only after the three before. There is no single trick.
Can I hurt myself trying to swing faster?
Yes, mostly your lower back, elbows and wrists, if you add speed too quickly or skip the warm-up. Build up over weeks, start every session with mobility and light swings, and stop on pain. If you have a history of back or joint problems, talk to a physiotherapist or a qualified fitness coach before you start overspeed work.
Should I fix my slice before I chase speed?
Usually yes. A slice wastes speed twice: the club moves across the ball and the face is open, so energy goes into spin instead of ball speed. Fix the cause first, then add speed to a swing that already delivers it. Morris has a page on the slice and an analyzer that looks for the cause in your video.
Your yardages, not the average
Tell Morris how far your 7-iron carries and he maps out your whole bag. Play with a Garmin? He reads them from your rounds.
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