Strength Training For Club Head Speed
How does it help?
One of the biggest benefits is the increase in size of the type 2 (fast twitch) muscle fibers.
Bigger muscle fibers can produce more force when they contract. Bigger fast twitch fibers are highly relevant in power-based activities.
Increasing the size of these fast twitch muscle fibers is done by straining against challenging weights.
If you want to maximise your club head speed, it’s also critical that you include specific swing speed training. My comprehensive article, Swing Speed Training – The Fit For Golf Guide, explains exactly how to do this.
Research clearly shows that similar gains in muscle size can be achieved with a wide variety of rep ranges, provided the sets are done with the same proximity to failure.
For example, a set of 5 reps completed with a weight that allows 1 rep left in reserve at the end of the set has a very similar effect on muscle size as a set done with a weight that allows 20 reps with 1 rep left in reserve.
It’s worth noting that as power athletes, we are concerned with more than just increases in muscle fiber size. We want to increase muscle fiber size with training means that also lead to the biggest increases in power and explosiveness.
The number of reps in a set / set duration, the absolute weight used, the intent during the set, and the amount of fatigue occurred in a set will lead to different adaptions as a whole. For example, how much improvement you get in “explosive” activities in conjunction with increases in size will not be uniform. (The 5 rep sets would be superior).
These nuances are important. Especially as you advance in your training, and there’s no more “newbie gains” to be had.
So what should you do in your strength training as a golfer, with the goal of increasing the size of your fast twitch muscle fibers?
From a general sense, it’s pretty simple!
Focus on gradually increasing the amount of weight you can lift, for about 5 reps per set.
There is nothing magical about 5 reps. Anywhere in that general range would provide very similar adaptations. It’s just a nice sweet spot where it’s “heavy enough” that there will be nice transfer to power / explosiveness, and won’t lead to too much unnecessary fatigue in each set, while also being “light enough” that it makes it quite practical to get enough volume of challenging reps in a training session to stimulate a lot of increases in muscle size.
If you are lifting a weight you can only lift for 5 reps, all of the reps are very stimulating from a gaining strength & size standpoint.
If you are lifting a weight you can lift for 25 reps, the first 15-20 of these reps are doing little to nothing for strength & size, and with the fatigue that builds up in the set, it’s extremely difficult to push the target muscles close to failure. Discomfort tends to kick in first.
A simple strategy is to choose a group of exercises that provide a big “bang for buck” and do the following.
– Start with a weight you can lift for 3 sets of 5 reps. (You might need one to two “warm-up / build up” sets first, especially in the first lower and upper body exercise in each workout.)
– Use this weight until you can lift it for 3 sets of 7 reps.
– Then add a little bit of weight, like 2.5lbs for upper body exercises and 5lbs for lower body exercises. I highly recommend buying “fractional plates” to enable 2.5lb increments for upper body barbell exercises. They are cheap and easy to put in a gym bag.
– Then restart at 3 sets of 5 reps with the new weight, and repeat the cycle.
– Repeat this for as long as you can make progress. Likely many months to a couple of years.
Here is a sample of compound movements that work very nicely for this type of routine.
Squat
Hinge
Vertical Push
Vertical Pull
Horizontal Push
Horizontal Pull
Rotate
These would provide a great base of almost total body strength. You should aim to hit each movement twice per week for about 3 hard sets each time.
Note each of these movement category’s has many exercises you could choose from.
For example, “squats” could be back squats, front squats, squats to box, split squats etc
“Horizontal pushing” could be barbell or dumbbell bench presses, chest press machine, push ups etc.
(There are infinite ways to add nuance and variety to this plan. This is just one simple example).
Add a little bit of jumping and med ball throwing / slamming at the start of workouts, speed training, and mechanics training and you will be well set up to maximise your club head speed.
