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Stickney: How to find the right speed for your driver swing

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Top-100 teacher Tom Stickney of Punta Mita Golf Academy explains why swinging too slow or too fast is bad for your game. Check out the video below.

Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at tomstickneygolf@gmail.com and he welcomes any questions you may have.

11 Comments

11 Comments

  1. Bob Jones

    Oct 15, 2018 at 1:34 pm

    So? How do you find your speed? That is what this tip should have been about.

    • ogo

      Oct 16, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      Yes…. see my reply comment at the bottom of this topic thread. Hope Tom replies.

  2. Juststeve

    Oct 15, 2018 at 8:49 am

    Tom:

    Great information for those whose primary focus is scoring well. Not so much for those WRXers who just want to hit it as far as they can, occasionally

  3. Brad

    Oct 14, 2018 at 3:41 am

    There are some pretty good studies showing that intentionally swinging slower, not only does not improve accuracy, you also end up hitting it much shorter. A smooth swing that makes contact with the center of the club face, with the maximum speed at the point of impact will generate the best results.

    A smooth swing does not mean a slow swing; though, so just let the swing build and concentrate on making center contact while accelerating through the ball.

    http://www.swingmangolf.com/slow-it-down-to-speed-it-up-with-your-driver-swing/

  4. Mark

    Oct 14, 2018 at 3:26 am

    Am I the only one who found there to very little teaching in this video?

    • Butch Taylor

      Oct 14, 2018 at 10:10 am

      Probably. One of those things that seems obvious when you hear it, but often overlooked in the moment.

    • geohagan

      Oct 14, 2018 at 4:49 pm

      Stinkney has dropped another pile of Stinkney

  5. engineer bob

    Oct 13, 2018 at 11:44 pm

    So… if yer max clubhead speed is 100 mph you should swing at 80 mph??!!!
    Wrong wrong wrong …!!!!!!!
    The Kinetic Energy difference between 100 to 80 mph is a whopping 36% drop in KE !!!
    Your body neuromuscular system would never adjust to that huge drop in energy output for consistency. Stickney and all the other non-scientific ‘instructors’ just don’t know what they are talking about…. soooo obvious

    • tom stickney

      Oct 14, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      While I appreciate what you are trying to say the net effect is that regardless of your swing speed there is a best “speed” that maximized accuracy, impact quality, launch conditions, and distance. Swinging faster does not always mean better results when you think of the bigger picture, not just the KE chain of events

      • steve

        Oct 16, 2018 at 12:35 am

        Most recreational golfers don’t know how fast/slow they swing, they just whack away. Tour pros can vary their swing speed based on experience. Good amateurs need help by instructors like you to find their ‘best’ speed.

      • ogo

        Oct 16, 2018 at 12:05 pm

        But ~80% of the clubhead speed is generated from the body from the feet to the shoulders… not the arms and certainly not the golf club. So how does one vary the “speed” in your driver swing? How should you adjust your body “KE chain of events”?

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